Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8
Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma
क्वचित्कंटकवृक्षाश्च दुःखारोहशिला नगाः । गाढांधकाराश्च गुहाः कंटकावरणं महत् ॥ ८ ॥
kvacitkaṃṭakavṛkṣāśca duḥkhārohaśilā nagāḥ | gāḍhāṃdhakārāśca guhāḥ kaṃṭakāvaraṇaṃ mahat || 8 ||
บางแห่งมีต้นไม้หนาม บางแห่งเป็นภูเขาหินที่ปีนขึ้นไปอย่างเจ็บปวด; ยังมีกล้ำถ้ำที่จมอยู่ในความมืดทึบ และมีผืนแผ่นดินกว้างใหญ่ที่ถูกปกคลุมด้วยหนาม
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
The verse uses harsh landscape imagery—thorns, painful ascents, and dark caves—to symbolize the perilous, obstructed nature of saṃsāra and the need to seek a liberating path grounded in dharma and inner clarity.
By highlighting danger and confusion in worldly movement, it implicitly points to bhakti as a steadier refuge: remembrance and surrender to Vishnu function like a clear road through thorny terrain, reducing fear and misdirection.
No specific Vedāṅga (such as Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is directly taught in this verse; the takeaway is ethical-practical—recognize obstacles and cultivate disciplined practice (niyama) to avoid spiritual “dark caves” of ignorance.