Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

बौद्धाः पाषंण्डिनः प्रोक्ता यतो वेदविनिन्दकाः । तस्माद्विजस्तान्नेक्षेत यतो धर्मबहिष्कृताः ॥ ५२ ॥

Transliteration

bauddhāḥ pāṣaṃṇḍinaḥ proktā yato vedavinindakāḥ | tasmādvijastānnekṣeta yato dharmabahiṣkṛtāḥ || 52 ||

Translation

Ang mga Budista ay ipinahayag na mga pāṣaṇḍin (erehe), sapagkat nilalait nila ang mga Veda. Kaya ang isang dvija ay hindi man lamang dapat tumingin sa kanila, dahil sila’y itinakwil mula sa dharma.

Word by Word

• बौद्धाः: Buddhists
• बौद्धाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बौद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पाषण्डिनः: heretics
• पाषण्डिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• प्रोक्ताः: are said / are called
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/since)

• वेद-विनिन्दकाः: revilers of the Veda
• वेद-विनिन्दकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिन्दक (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); तत्पुरुष-समासः (revilers of the Veda)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपं निपातवत् (ablatival: therefore/from that reason)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural; pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ईक्षेत: should look at / should associate with
• ईक्षेत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular, Optative, Ātmanepada)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (because)

• धर्म-बहिष्कृताः: excluded from dharma
• धर्म-बहिष्कृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); तत्पुरुष-समासः (excluded from dharma)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Characters & Entities

• Buddhists (Bauddha)
• Vedas (Veda)
• Dvija

FAQs

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

It frames reverence for the Vedas as a boundary-marker of Vedic dharma, warning that denigration of śruti places a group outside the dharmic fold and thus outside the community a dvija is advised to emulate.

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

Indirectly, it protects the foundations of Vedic devotion by insisting on śruti-respect; in the Purāṇic worldview, stable bhakti is cultivated within conduct that honors Vedic authority rather than rejecting it.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Śikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, or Jyotiṣa) is taught; the practical takeaway is sadācāra—guarding one’s associations and influences to preserve śruti-based dharma.