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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 104

Jīva–Ātman Inquiry; Kṣetrajña Doctrine; Karma-based Varṇa; Four Āśramas and Sannyāsa Discipline

भरद्वाज उवाच । यदेतञ्चातुराश्रम्यं ब्रह्मर्षिविहितं पुरा । तेषां स्वे स्वे समाचारास्तन्मे वक्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ १०४ ॥

bharadvāja uvāca | yadetañcāturāśramyaṃ brahmarṣivihitaṃ purā | teṣāṃ sve sve samācārāstanme vaktumihārhasi || 104 ||

ภรทวาชะกล่าวว่า “ระบบจตุราศรมที่พรหมฤๅษีได้บัญญัติไว้แต่โบราณ ขอท่านโปรดบอกข้าพเจ้า ณ ที่นี้ถึงจารีตและหน้าที่อันควรของแต่ละอาศรม”

भरद्वाजःBharadvāja
भरद्वाजः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — speaker
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘said’
यत्that which
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘that which/what’ (introducing clause)
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’
चातुराश्रम्यम्the four-āśrama system
चातुराश्रम्यम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचातुर् + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘system of four āśramas’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चातुर्णाम् आश्रमाणाम् भावः)
ब्रह्मर्षिविहितम्ordained by the Brahmarṣis
ब्रह्मर्षिविहितम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootब्रह्मर्षि + विहित (कृदन्त; धा धातु/वि+धा)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘ordained by Brahmarṣis’; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मर्षिभिः विहितम्)
पुराformerly
पुरा:
Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक अव्यय — ‘formerly/once’
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of them’ (of those āśramas/people therein)
स्वेin their own
स्वे:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘in one’s own/in their respective’ (locative)
स्वेeach in its own
स्वे:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन — repetition for distributive sense ‘each in its own’
समाचाराःobservances
समाचाराः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसमाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘customs/observances’
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘that’ (object to be told)
मेto me
मे:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन — enclitic ‘to me/for me’ (here: dative sense)
वक्तुम्to tell
वक्तुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त Infinitive — ‘to tell’
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय — ‘here/now (in this context)’
अर्हसिyou should/are worthy
अर्हसि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअर्ह् (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान/Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘you are fit/ought’

Bharadvaja

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

B
Bharadvaja
B
Brahmarshis

FAQs

It frames the four āśramas as an ancient, authoritative Dharma structure and requests their detailed practices—implying that orderly life-stages are a means for inner purification and eventual mokṣa.

While bhakti is not named directly here, the verse prepares the ground for bhakti-in-action: each āśrama has its own disciplined conduct through which devotion, worship, and self-control can be lived appropriately.

The verse emphasizes applied Dharma (ācāra/samācāra) rather than a specific Vedāṅga; it points to the need for correct rule-based conduct as preserved in Dharma-śāstra and traditional practice.