Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 30

Varṇāśrama-ācāra: Common Virtues, Varṇa Duties, and the Four Āśramas

Devanagari script

सर्वे च मुनितां यांति स्वाश्रमोचितकर्मणा । ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियाचारमाश्रयेदापदि द्विज ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

sarve ca munitāṃ yāṃti svāśramocitakarmaṇā | brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyācāramāśrayedāpadi dvija || 30 ||

Translation

Mọi người đều có thể đạt địa vị bậc hiền thánh (muni) nhờ thực hành đúng bổn phận hợp với āśrama của mình. Nhưng khi gặp cảnh khốn cùng, hỡi dvija, một brāhmaṇa có thể nương theo hạnh của kṣatriya.

Word by Word

• sarve: all (people)
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• munitām: sagehood / the state of being a muni
• munitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: munitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• yānti: go/attain
• yānti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Bahuvacana

• sva-āśrama-ucita-karmaṇā: by the duty proper to one’s own stage of life
• sva-āśrama-ucita-karmaṇā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + ucita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (karman), Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; multi-member tatpuruṣa: ‘by the duty appropriate to one’s own āśrama’

• brāhmaṇaḥ: a Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kṣatriya-ācāram: the conduct/duty of a Kshatriya
• kṣatriya-ācāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣatriya (प्रातिपदिक) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘conduct of a kṣatriya’

• āśrayet: should resort to
• āśrayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• āpadi: in calamity/emergency
• āpadi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• dvija: O twice-born
• dvija: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma-discourse context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

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

It teaches that spiritual elevation (munitva) comes primarily through faithfully performing one’s own āśrama duties, while also acknowledging a carefully bounded exception (āpaddharma) during crises.

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

Indirectly, it frames devotion as lived dharma: steadiness in one’s ordained responsibilities supports purity and discipline, which in turn sustains sincere worship; emergencies allow practical adaptation without abandoning righteousness.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights Dharmic application rather than a specific Vedāṅga: the interpretive principle of āpaddharma—how smṛti-based conduct adjusts to time, place, and necessity while preserving ethical intent.