Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68

Śokanivāraṇa: Non-brooding, Impermanence, Contentment, and Śuka’s Renunciation

Devanagari script

शोकाः प्रतिनिवर्तंते केषांचिदसमीक्षताम् । स्वं स्वं च पुनरन्येषां न कंचिदतिगच्छति ॥ ६८ ॥

Transliteration

śokāḥ pratinivartaṃte keṣāṃcidasamīkṣatām | svaṃ svaṃ ca punaranyeṣāṃ na kaṃcidatigacchati || 68 ||

Translation

忧苦会反弹回到那些不以明辨而省察的人身上；诚然，各自只承担自己的份量——无人真正能越界，或夺取他人的那一份。

Word by Word

• śokāḥ: sorrows
• śokāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pratinivartante: turn back/cease
• pratinivartante: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + ni + vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• keṣām: of some (of whom)
• keṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• cit: some/any
• cit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), enclitic particle (निपात) indicating indefiniteness

• asamīkṣatām: of those who do not reflect
• asamīkṣatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a + samīkṣat (सम्+ईक्ष् धातु) → samīkṣat (कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/शतृन्त), Genitive plural (षष्ठी बहुवचन) used substantively; with privative a- (अ-): ‘of those not considering/reflecting’

• svam: one’s own
• svam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• svam: one’s own (each his own)
• svam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (repetition for emphasis)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• punar: again/then
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध)

• kaṃcit: anyone
• kaṃcit: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); indefinite sense ‘anyone’

• atigacchati: surpasses/goes beyond
• atigacchati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati + gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within Moksha-dharma discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

FAQs

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

It teaches viveka (discernment): grief multiplies when one fails to reflect, while wisdom sees that karmic experience is individually borne—help is possible, but one cannot literally carry another’s destined burden.

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

Bhakti steadies the mind so it can ‘examine’ rightly; with devotion, one accepts outcomes as governed by dharma and karma, serving others compassionately without being consumed by sorrow or false ownership of their suffering.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vyākaraṇa-style precision in meaning is implied: terms like pratinivartante and atigacchati emphasize causality and limits—sorrow ‘returns’ to the unreflective, and one does not ‘transgress’ into another’s karmic allotment.