Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 82

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

एतेष्वन्यतमं हत्वा द्वादशाहमभोजनम् । प्राजापत्यव्रतं कुर्याद्रेतोविण्मूत्रभोजने ॥ ८२ ॥

Transliteration

eteṣvanyatamaṃ hatvā dvādaśāhamabhojanam | prājāpatyavrataṃ kuryādretoviṇmūtrabhojane || 82 ||

Translation

ผู้ใดฆ่าสิ่งมีชีวิตใดสิ่งหนึ่งในบรรดาที่กล่าวมา พึงอดอาหารสิบสองวัน และในกรณีบริโภคน้ำกาม อุจจาระ หรือปัสสาวะ พึงปฏิบัติพรตไถ่บาป “ปราชาปัตยะ” (Prājāpatya)

Word by Word

• एतेषु: among these
• एतेषु: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्यतमम्: any one (of them)
• अन्यतमम्: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्यतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘one of the others/any one’

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having killed’

• द्वादश-अहम्: for twelve days
• द्वादश-अहम्: कालाधिकरण (काल-अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (twelve days)

• अ-भोजनम्: fasting (non-eating)
• अ-भोजनम्: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययः (fasting)

• प्राजापत्य-व्रतम्: the Prājāpatya vow
• प्राजापत्य-व्रतम्: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रजापतेः सम्बन्धि व्रतम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रेतः-विण्-मूत्र-भोजने: in the act of eating semen, feces, and urine
• रेतः-विण्-मूत्र-भोजने: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विण्/विष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘रेतसः विण्मूत्रयोः भोजनम्’ इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; बहुपद-समासः)

Speaker

Narada (teaching prāyaścitta norms in a dharma-śāstra style passage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: Prājāpatya-vrata

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati

FAQs

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

It frames moral injury and extreme impurity as obstacles to dharma, prescribing structured prāyaścitta (fasting and the Prājāpatya vow) to restore ritual and ethical order.

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes purification and self-restraint as prerequisites that steady the practitioner’s life, making worship and devotion disciplined rather than hypocritical or careless.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) and dharma-prayoga are implied—this is a rule-based prescription of expiation-vows (vrata) and fasting durations used in ritual law.