Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Saṃsāra-duḥkha: Karmic Descent, Garbhavāsa, Life’s Anxieties, Death, and the Call to Jñāna-Bhakti
यतस्तन्मातुः प्रसूतिसमये सति गर्भस्थोदेही नारदमुने वायुनापरिपीडितो मातुश्चापि दुःखं कुर्वन्कर्मपाशेन बलाद्योनिमार्गान्निष्क्रामन्सकलयातनाभोगमेककालभवमनुभवति ॥ २१ ॥
yatastanmātuḥ prasūtisamaye sati garbhasthodehī nāradamune vāyunāparipīḍito mātuścāpi duḥkhaṃ kurvankarmapāśena balādyonimārgānniṣkrāmansakalayātanābhogamekakālabhavamanubhavati || 21 ||
Kaya nga, O pantas na Nārada, sa oras ng panganganak ng ina, ang nilalang na nasa sinapupunan ay pinipiga at pinahihirapan ng mga hininga ng buhay; at habang nagdudulot din ng sakit sa ina, dahil sa gapos ng karma ay napipilitang lumabas sa daanan ng kapanganakan, at sa isang iglap ay nararanasan ang buong lawak ng pagdurusa at pighati.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It highlights the jīva’s helplessness under karma-pāśa at the very moment of birth, urging vairāgya (detachment) and a liberation-oriented life that seeks freedom from saṁsāra’s inevitable suffering.
By stressing that birth itself is driven by karma and pain, the verse indirectly motivates taking refuge in the Lord through bhakti as a means to loosen karma’s bondage and aim for mokṣa rather than repeated embodiment.
The verse references vāyu (prāṇa-vāyu), aligning with traditional Vedic/Āyurvedic and yogic physiology rather than a specific Vedāṅga; the practical takeaway is awareness of embodiment’s frailty, supporting disciplines like yoga and vrata as aids toward self-control and liberation.