Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 146

Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy

Devanagari script

यस्तु स्वकृतपापानां क्षयार्थं प्रार्चयेद्वरिम् । श्रद्धया परयोपेतः सा सात्त्विक्यधमा स्मृता ॥ १४६ ॥

Transliteration

yastu svakṛtapāpānāṃ kṣayārthaṃ prārcayedvarim | śraddhayā parayopetaḥ sā sāttvikyadhamā smṛtā || 146 ||

Translation

ผู้ใดบูชาพระหริเพื่อให้บาปที่ตนกระทำสิ้นไป แม้ประกอบด้วยศรัทธาสูงสุด ภักตินั้นจัดว่าเป็นสาตตวะแบบต่ำ

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• स्वकृतपापानाम्: of sins done by oneself
• स्वकृतपापानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-कृत-पाप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पाप), षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) बहुवचन; समासः—स्वेन कृतानि पापानि (तत्पुरुष)

• क्षयार्थम्: for (their) destruction
• क्षयार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे—‘for the sake of destruction’; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषभावः (क्षयस्य अर्थः)

• प्र-अर्चयेत्: should worship (earnestly)
• प्र-अर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हरिम्: Hari
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन

• परया: supreme
• परया: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन; ‘श्रद्धया’ इति विशेषणम्

• उपेतः: endowed (with)
• उपेतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√इ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः; क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘endowed/attended by’

• सा: that (devotion)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• सात्त्विकी-अधमा: the lowest sāttvic (type)
• सात्त्विकी-अधमा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विकी + अधमा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—सात्त्विकी च सा अधमा च

• स्मृता: is considered
• स्मृता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः; क्त-प्रत्यय, स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It ranks devotion by motive: worship aimed primarily at erasing one’s own sins is still sāttvika due to faith, yet considered a lower grade because it is self-focused rather than purely God-centered.

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

It implies that bhakti matures as the devotee’s aim shifts from personal relief (like pāpa-kṣaya) to selfless love and service to Hari, where God is sought for His own sake.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual principle (kalpa/ācāra): the same act of worship is evaluated by saṅkalpa (intention). The verse teaches that motive determines the qualitative category (guṇa-based ranking) of a rite.