Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy
अपि वर्षसहस्त्रेण नाहं निगदितुं क्षमः । एतेषु यस्य यत्प्राप्तं पापिनः क्षितिरक्षक ॥ २१ ॥
api varṣasahastreṇa nāhaṃ nigadituṃ kṣamaḥ | eteṣu yasya yatprāptaṃ pāpinaḥ kṣitirakṣaka || 21 ||
Dẫu ngàn năm ta cũng không thể nào mô tả hết được. Hỡi người bảo vệ trái đất, trong số những kẻ tội lỗi này, mỗi người đều nhận lãnh hậu quả riêng đã định cho mình.
A sage/narrator addressing a king (kṣitirakṣaka)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It emphasizes the vast, intricate law of karma: the outcomes of sin are innumerable and individualized, and no single narration can exhaustively list how pāpa bears fruit for different beings.
By highlighting the fearful complexity of pāpa-phala, it implicitly points to the need for higher refuge—classically, devotion to Bhagavān and dhārmic living—as the reliable means to transcend karmic entanglement.
The verse chiefly teaches karma-phala discernment rather than a specific Vedāṅga; practically, it supports Dharma-śāstra style ethical reasoning used by kings and householders to evaluate actions and consequences.