Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 7
Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma
इतस्ततः प्रधावंतो यांति दुःखेन तत्पथि । क्वचित्पंकः क्वचिदूह्निः क्वचित्सेतप्तसैकतम् । क्वचिद्वै दावरुपेणः तीक्ष्णधाराः शिलाः क्वचित् ॥ ७ ॥
itastataḥ pradhāvaṃto yāṃti duḥkhena tatpathi | kvacitpaṃkaḥ kvacidūhniḥ kvacitsetaptasaikatam | kvacidvai dāvarupeṇaḥ tīkṣṇadhārāḥ śilāḥ kvacit || 7 ||
Chạy ngược chạy xuôi, họ lê bước nhọc nhằn trên con đường ấy: chỗ thì bùn lầy, chỗ thì dốc đứng, chỗ thì cát nóng bỏng; chỗ thì lửa rừng bừng cháy, chỗ thì đá sắc như lưỡi dao.
Narada (teaching in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It portrays saṃsāra as a harsh, uneven road—mud, heat, fire, and sharp stones—teaching that worldly pursuit leads to repeated distress and urging detachment and a higher spiritual aim.
By contrasting the painful wandering of worldly life with an implied need for a steadier refuge, the verse supports the Purāṇic message that taking shelter in Bhagavān (especially Viṣṇu-bhakti) is the reliable passage beyond such obstacles.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it is primarily an ethical-philosophical image meant to cultivate viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (dispassion).