Shloka 53

Pātivratya-kathana

The Narrative of the Pativrata

Devanagari script

सा पत्नी नरकं याति यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश । सापत्नभावं या कुर्याद्भर्तृस्नेहेष्टया सह ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

sā patnī narakaṃ yāti yāvadiṃdrāścaturdaśa | sāpatnabhāvaṃ yā kuryādbhartṛsneheṣṭayā saha || 53 ||

Translation

جو بیوی شوہر کی محبت میں پسندیدہ عورت کے ساتھ سوتن پن (سَاپَتْن بھاؤ) کو بڑھاتی ہے، وہ چودہ اِندروں کے زمانے تک دوزخ میں جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• patnī: wife
• patnī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• narakam: to hell
• narakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (destination as object)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• yāvat: as long as/until
• yāvat: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (until/as long as)

• indrāḥ: Indras (periods of Indra)
• indrāḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कालपरिमाणे ‘इन्द्र’ (each Indra-period)

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे ‘fourteen’ (numeral qualifying indrāḥ)

• sāpatnabhāvam: co-wife rivalry/hostility
• sāpatnabhāvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāpatnabhāva (प्रातिपदिक; sa-patnī + bhāva)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक संज्ञा; कर्म

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• kuryāt: should do/make
• kuryāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bhartṛsneheṣṭayā: with the husband’s beloved (favored by his affection)
• bhartṛsneheṣṭayā: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ-sneha-iṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक; bhartṛ + sneha + iṣṭā)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सहार्थे करण/सहयोग (with)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

Speaker

Narada (instructional voice within the Uttara-Bhaga dharma narrative)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Naraka

FAQs

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

It warns that knowingly participating in or endorsing a dharmically improper marital arrangement (co-wifehood/rivalry around a husband’s partiality) is treated as serious adharma, bringing long-lasting negative karmic results described as naraka.

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

Bhakti in the Narada Purana is not separated from conduct: purity of relationships, restraint, and adherence to dharma are presented as supportive foundations for stable devotion and sattvic life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A time-measure is conveyed through the puranic-vedic cosmological idiom—“fourteen Indras” (successive Indras across manvantaras)—used to emphasize the gravity and duration of karmic consequence rather than ritual technique.