Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative

Devanagari script

हरिभक्तिपरि वाऽपि हरिध्यानपरोऽपि वा । भ्रष्टो यः स्वाश्रमाचारात्पतितः सोऽभिधीयते ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

haribhaktipari vā'pi haridhyānaparo'pi vā | bhraṣṭo yaḥ svāśramācārātpatitaḥ so'bhidhīyate || 24 ||

Translation

Dẫu người ấy có lòng bhakti đối với Hari, hay chuyên chú thiền niệm về Hari, nhưng nếu đã lìa bỏ hạnh kiểm (ācāra) đúng theo āśrama của mình, thì người ấy được gọi là “patita” — kẻ sa ngã.

Word by Word

• हरि-भक्ति-परि: devoted to devotion to Hari
• हरि-भक्ति-परि: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरिभक्तिपरि (प्रातिपदिक) = हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + परि/पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘हरिभक्तौ परः’ (devoted to Hari-bhakti)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: ‘even/also’)

• हरि-ध्यान-परः: intent on meditation on Hari
• हरि-ध्यान-परः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरिध्यानपर (प्रातिपदिक) = हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘हरिध्याने परः’ (intent on meditation on Hari)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (particle: ‘even/also’)

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• भ्रष्टः: deviated/fallen
• भ्रष्टः: विशेषण (Adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भ्रंश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle): ‘fallen/deviated’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• स्व-आश्रम-आचारात्: from one’s prescribed āśrama conduct
• स्व-आश्रम-आचारात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाश्रमाचार (प्रातिपदिक) = स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान (source): ‘from one’s āśrama-conduct’

• पतितः: fallen
• पतितः: विशेषण (Adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पत् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘fallen’

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• अभिधीयते: is called
• अभिधीयते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: अभि; धातु-प्रयोग: अभि+धा (नामकरणे)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is called/said’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It asserts that devotion and meditation on Hari do not excuse abandoning one’s prescribed āśrama-dharma; a lapse in ordained conduct is treated as a serious spiritual and social fall (patitatva).

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

The verse frames bhakti as meant to be lived through disciplined conduct—devotion to Vishnu is upheld alongside adherence to one’s āśrama responsibilities, not as a pretext to neglect them.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It implicitly relies on Dharmaśāstra-style application of Vedic injunctions (kalpa/prayoga and sadācāra): knowing one’s āśrama duties and the correct rules of conduct is essential for religious life.