Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97

Threefold Suffering, Twofold Knowledge, and the Definition of Bhagavān (Vāsudeva); Prelude to Keśidhvaja–Janaka Yoga

Devanagari script

मोहश्रमं प्रयातोऽसौ वासनारेणुगुंठितः । प्रक्षाल्यते यदा सौम्य रेणुर्ज्ञानोष्णवारिणा ॥ ९५ ॥

Transliteration

mohaśramaṃ prayāto'sau vāsanāreṇuguṃṭhitaḥ | prakṣālyate yadā saumya reṇurjñānoṣṇavāriṇā || 95 ||

Translation

ดวงชีพที่อ่อนล้าด้วยโมหะถูกคลุมด้วยธุลีแห่งวาสนา; แต่โอผู้สุภาพ เมื่อธุลีนั้นถูกชำระด้วยสายน้ำอุ่นแห่งญาณ ความผ่องใสย่อมบังเกิด

Word by Word

• मोह-श्रमम्: the fatigue of delusion
• मोह-श्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह + श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (मोह एव श्रमः)

• प्रयातः: having gone/come to
• प्रयातः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) (कृत-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past active/PPP in sense of gone), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• असौ: that person/he
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• वासनā-रेणु-गुंठितः: covered with the dust of latent impressions
• वासनā-रेणु-गुंठितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासनā + रेणु + गुंठित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘गुंठित’; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (वासनारूपेण रेणुना गुंठितः)

• प्रक्षाल्यते: is washed off/cleansed
• प्रक्षाल्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सौम्य: O gentle one
• सौम्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• रेणुः: dust
• रेणुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• ज्ञान-उष्ण-वारिणा: by the hot water of knowledge
• ज्ञान-उष्ण-वारिणा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + उष्ण + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (ज्ञानरूपम् उष्णं वारि)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in Moksha-Dharma context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches that bondage is sustained by moha (delusion) and vāsanās (residual tendencies), and that liberation begins when discriminative knowledge (jñāna) cleanses these inner coverings.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While the verse speaks in the language of jñāna, it supports Bhakti by implying inner purification: steady devotion to Vishnu steadies the mind, weakens vāsanās, and makes true knowledge effective—like warm water that can actually wash away the dust.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha) is taught here; the practical takeaway is psychological sādhanā—recognizing vāsanās as the root of repeated delusion and applying jñāna (discernment) as the method of purification.