Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 49

Bharata’s Attachment and the Palanquin Teaching on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’

Devanagari script

कुर्वन्मतिमतां श्रेष्टस्ते त्वन्ये त्वरितं ययुः । विलोक्य नृपतिः सोऽथ विषमं शिबिकागतम् ॥ ४९ ॥

Transliteration

kurvanmatimatāṃ śreṣṭaste tvanye tvaritaṃ yayuḥ | vilokya nṛpatiḥ so'tha viṣamaṃ śibikāgatam || 49 ||

Translation

ขณะที่ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่นักปราชญ์กำลังใคร่ครวญอยู่ คนอื่น ๆ ก็รีบไปก่อน แล้วพระราชาเห็นการเคลื่อนไหวของเสลี่ยงที่เอียงไม่เสมอ จึงสังเกตได้

Word by Word

• कुर्वन्: doing/acting
• कुर्वन्: विशेषण (participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुर्वत् (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सः/असौ) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• मति-मताम्: of the intelligent
• मति-मताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (मति अस्ति येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठः: the best
• श्रेष्ठः: विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (सः)

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative particle)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (ते) इत्यस्य विशेषण/अपादानार्थे

• त्वरितम्: quickly
• त्वरितम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• ययुः: went
• ययुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: पूर्वकाल (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विलोक्य (कृदन्त; √लोक् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive)

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (नृपतिः) इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (sequencing particle)

• विषमम्: uneven
• विषमम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; predicate to perceived state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (शिबिकागतम्/गमनम्)

• शिबिका-गतम्: the palanquin’s movement/that which had gone in the palanquin (i.e., its course)
• शिबिका-गतम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिबिका (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास; गत = भूतकृदन्त (PPP-like adjectival); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (विषमम्) इत्यस्य विशेष्य

Speaker

Suta (narrator) in the Narada Purana dialogue frame

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: hasya

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king)
• śibikā (palanquin)

FAQs

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

It highlights mindful observation: the king detects imbalance, suggesting that dharma is preserved by awareness of subtle disorder before it grows into harm.

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

Indirectly, it shows the bhakta’s quality of attentiveness—just as the king notices imbalance, a devotee watches the mind’s deviations and returns it to steadiness in remembrance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No explicit Vedanga is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is sādhana-like vigilance and discernment (viveka) within a dharma narrative.