Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 124

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

वामेन रेचयेद्वायुं रेचनाद्रेचकः स्मृतः । पूरयेद्दक्षिणेनैव पूरणात्पूरकः स्मृतः ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

vāmena recayedvāyuṃ recanādrecakaḥ smṛtaḥ | pūrayeddakṣiṇenaiva pūraṇātpūrakaḥ smṛtaḥ || 24 ||

Translation

بائیں نتھنے سے ہوا کو خارج کرے؛ خارج کرنے کی وجہ سے اسے ‘ریچک’ کہا گیا ہے۔ پھر دائیں نتھنے سے ہی سانس بھرے؛ بھرنے کی وجہ سے اسے ‘پورک’ کہا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• वामेन: by the left (nostril/channel)
• वामेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (as ‘left (side/nāḍī)’), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• रेचयेत्: should exhale/empty
• रेचयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रिच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वायुम्: the air/breath
• वायुम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• रेचनात्: from exhalation
• रेचनात्: अपादान (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause: ‘from/because of’)

• रेचकः: (it is called) recaka (exhalation)
• रेचकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered
• स्मृतः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

• पूरयेत्: should fill/inhale
• पूरयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दक्षिणेन: by the right (nostril/channel)
• दक्षिणेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (as ‘right (side/nāḍī)’), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पूरणात्: from filling (inhalation)
• पूरणात्: अपादान (Ablative cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ

• पूरकः: (it is called) pūraka (inhalation)
• पूरकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered
• स्मृतः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It defines the core prāṇāyāma actions—exhalation (recaka) and inhalation (pūraka)—showing that disciplined breath-regulation is treated as a precise sādhana supporting steadiness of mind and inner purification.

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

While not directly describing worship, it provides a yogic discipline that stabilizes attention; such steadiness is traditionally used to make japa, dhyāna, and remembrance of the Lord more continuous and undistracted.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical yogic vocabulary and method (recaka/pūraka with left/right nostril operation), reflecting the text’s instructional, science-like approach to sādhana rather than narrative alone.