Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 99

Gṛhastha-nitya-karman: Śauca, Sandhyā-vidhi, Pañca-yajña, and Āśrama-krama

Devanagari script

लोभाद्यदि यतिर्विप्र तनुपोषपरो भवेत् । स चंडालसमो ज्ञेयो वर्णाश्रमविगर्हितः ॥ ९९ ॥

Transliteration

lobhādyadi yatirvipra tanupoṣaparo bhavet | sa caṃḍālasamo jñeyo varṇāśramavigarhitaḥ || 99 ||

Translation

Hỡi bậc Bà-la-môn, nếu một vị yati vì lòng tham mà chỉ chăm lo nuôi dưỡng và hưởng thụ thân xác, thì phải biết người ấy chẳng khác gì kẻ caṇḍāla—bị chê trách theo chuẩn mực varṇa và āśrama.

Word by Word

• lobhāt: from greed
• lobhāt: Hetu (हेतु/ablative cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; ablative ‘from/through greed’

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya—conditional conjunction

• yatiḥ: an ascetic
• yatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa
• vipra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• tanu-poṣa-paraḥ: intent on nourishing the body
• tanu-poṣa-paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + poṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तनुपोषे परः = devoted to bodily nourishment)

• bhavet: should become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), 3rd person, singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• caṇḍāla-samaḥ: equal to a caṇḍāla
• caṇḍāla-samaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caṇḍāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; समासः—कर्मधारयः (चण्डाल इव समः)

• jñeyaḥ: is to be known (as)
• jñeyaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/vidhi)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु) + ya (य)
• Form: Kṛdanta—gerundive (तव्यत्/यत् sense), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘to be known/considered’

• varṇa-āśrama-vigarhitaḥ: condemned by the varṇa-āśrama order
• varṇa-āśrama-vigarhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + vigarhita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वर्णाश्रमैः विगर्हितः = condemned by varṇa and āśrama norms)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vipra
• Yati
• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

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

It states that renunciation is judged by inner motive and conduct: when greed turns a yati toward bodily indulgence, his status becomes spiritually degraded and censured by varṇāśrama dharma.

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

By condemning greed-based self-indulgence, the verse indirectly supports bhakti and mokṣa-oriented life: devotion requires restraint and purity, not a life centered on feeding the ego through the body.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse chiefly reflects Dharmaśāstra-style application of varṇāśrama norms (right conduct and eligibility); it is not a technical Vedāṅga teaching like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.