Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

संसारसिन्धौ पतितं कदर्यं मोहाकुलं कामशतेन बद्धम् । अकीर्तिभाजं पिशुनं कृतघ्नं सदाशुचिं पापरतं प्रमन्युम् । दयाम्बुधे पाहि भयाकुलं मां पुनः पुनस्त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ ३८ ॥

saṃsārasindhau patitaṃ kadaryaṃ mohākulaṃ kāmaśatena baddham | akīrtibhājaṃ piśunaṃ kṛtaghnaṃ sadāśuciṃ pāparataṃ pramanyum | dayāmbudhe pāhi bhayākulaṃ māṃ punaḥ punastvāṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye || 38 ||

Con đã rơi vào biển sinh tử, khốn cùng, bị mê vọng cuốn xoáy, bị trói buộc bởi trăm điều dục vọng; mang tiếng xấu, lòng hiểm độc, vô ơn, luôn ô uế, say đắm tội lỗi và phồng lên vì ngã mạn. Ôi biển cả từ bi, xin che chở con đang run sợ. Hết lần này đến lần khác, con xin nương tựa nơi Ngài.

saṃsāra-sindhauin the ocean of saṃsāra
saṃsāra-sindhau:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃsāra (संसार-प्रातिपदिक) + sindhu (सिन्धु-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'ocean of worldly existence'
patitamfallen
patitam:
Karma (कर्म; describing 'me')
TypeAdjective
Rootpat (पत्-धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त/कृत्), Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ (understood as object of pāhi)
kadaryammiserly/base
kadaryam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootkadarya (कदर्य-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
moha-ākulamconfused by delusion
moha-ākulam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootmoha (मोह-प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (आकुल-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'agitated by delusion'
kāma-śatenaby a hundred desires
kāma-śatena:
Karana (करण/instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootkāma (काम-प्रातिपदिक) + śata (शत-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'by a hundred desires'
baddhambound
baddham:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootbandh (बन्ध्-धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
a-kīrti-bhājamsharing in ill-repute
a-kīrti-bhājam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Roota (अ-उपसर्ग/निषेध) + kīrti (कीर्ति-प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (भाज्-प्रातिपदिक from √bhaj)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'partaking of ill-fame'
piśunamslanderous
piśunam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpiśuna (पिशुन-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — agreeing with māṃ
kṛta-ghnamungrateful
kṛta-ghnam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛta (कृत-प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (घ्न-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'one who destroys (remembers not) what is done' i.e., ungrateful
sadā-aśucimalways impure
sadā-aśucim:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootsadā (सदा-अव्यय) + aśuci (अशुचि-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — avyayībhāva: 'always impure'
pāpa-ratamaddicted to sin
pāpa-ratam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpāpa (पाप-प्रातिपदिक) + rata (रत-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'devoted to sin'
pra-manyumvery angry
pra-manyum:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpra (प्र-उपसर्ग) + manyu (मन्यु-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — 'very wrathful/angry'
dayā-ambudheO ocean of compassion
dayā-ambudhe:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
TypeNoun
Rootdayā (दया-प्रातिपदिक) + ambudhi (अम्बुधि-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन) — tatpuruṣa: 'ocean of compassion'
pāhiprotect
pāhi:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpā (पा-धातु)
FormImperative (लोट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
bhaya-ākulamdistressed by fear
bhaya-ākulam:
Karma (कर्म; qualifier of māṃ)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhaya (भय-प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (आकुल-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — 'agitated by fear'
māmme
mām:
Karma (कर्म/object of pāhi)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकार/iteration)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (पुनः-अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Prakaraṇa (प्रकार/iteration)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (पुनः-अव्यय)
FormAdverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)
tvāmyou
tvām:
Karma (कर्म/object of prapadye)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
FormPronoun, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
śaraṇamrefuge
śaraṇam:
Gati/Upapada-Karma (गति/उपपद-कर्म; 'as refuge')
TypeNoun
Rootśaraṇa (शरण-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) — used as predicate/object complement
prapadyeI take refuge / surrender
prapadye:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + pad (प्र + पद्-धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Narada (as a supplicant within the teaching dialogue)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

N
Narada
V
Vishnu

FAQs

It models śaraṇāgati (repeated surrender): the devotee honestly confesses inner faults—desire, impurity, pride—and seeks protection from the “ocean of compassion,” emphasizing that grace rescues one from the saṃsāra-sindhu.

Bhakti is expressed as humble self-assessment and continual refuge-taking (punaḥ punaḥ śaraṇaṃ prapadye). The verse frames devotion less as self-powered merit and more as reliance on the Lord’s dayā (compassion).

No specific Vedāṅga technique (śikṣā, vyākaraṇa, jyotiṣa, etc.) is taught here; the practical takeaway is devotional discipline—repeated surrender, repentance, and turning away from kāma (desire) and pāpa (sin).