Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 98

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

Devanagari script

एकान्नादी भवेद्यस्तु कदाचिल्लंपटो यतिः । न तस्य निष्कृतिर्द्दष्टा प्रायश्चित्तायुतैरपि ॥ ९८ ॥

Transliteration

ekānnādī bhavedyastu kadācillaṃpaṭo yatiḥ | na tasya niṣkṛtirddaṣṭā prāyaścittāyutairapi || 98 ||

Translation

若有出家行者（yati）纵然实行一日一食（ekānnādī），却在某时仍沉溺欲染、行止不净，则对他不见有任何赎罪之道——即使以万万次苦行忏悔亦无所济。

Word by Word

• eka-anna-ādī: one-food-eater; living on a single kind of food
• eka-anna-ādī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + ādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकम् अन्नम् यस्य/येन सः)

• bhavet: would be/should be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), emphasis/contrast

• kadācit: at any time/ever
• kadācit: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: Kālavyaya (temporal adverb)

• lampaṭaḥ: licentious, wanton
• lampaṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lampaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

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

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negative particle)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; genitive pronoun

• niṣkṛtiḥ: expiation, release
• niṣkṛtiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• dṛṣṭā: is seen/known
• dṛṣṭā: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta—kta-participle (क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; passive sense ‘seen/known’

• prāyaścitta-ayutaiḥ: even by ten-thousands of expiations
• prāyaścitta-ayutaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक) + ayuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka? (prāyaścitta usually napuṃsaka), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रायश्चित्तानाम् अयुतैः = ten-thousands of expiations)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), concessive ‘even’

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a dharma/expiation discourse; traditional narration context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

It warns that external austerities (like eating once a day) cannot compensate for inner moral failure; for a renunciant, lust and misconduct undermine the very foundation of the path.

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

By implication, it emphasizes purity of conduct and mind as prerequisites for any higher practice—devotion is not validated by outward vows alone when the heart remains uncontrolled.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily dharma-śāstra practice: the concept of prāyaścitta (expiation) and its limits for certain violations, especially for those who have taken vows of renunciation.