Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42

Saṃsāra-duḥkha: Karmic Descent, Garbhavāsa, Life’s Anxieties, Death, and the Call to Jñāna-Bhakti

Devanagari script

अहो चित्रमहो चित्रमहो चित्रं मुनीश्वराः । आस्थिते कामदे विष्णो नरा यांति हि यातनाम् ॥ ४२ ॥

Transliteration

aho citramaho citramaho citraṃ munīśvarāḥ | āsthite kāmade viṣṇo narā yāṃti hi yātanām || 42 ||

Translation

啊，何其惊异，何其惊异，真是惊异啊，诸位牟尼之主！即使满愿的毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）现前可依，人们仍走向苦难与刑罚。

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय-निपात), exclamation ‘ah!/oh!’

• चित्रम्: a wonder/strange thing
• चित्रम्: Vakyartha (वाक्यार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as exclamatory predicate ‘wonder!’

• अहो: oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय-निपात)

• चित्रम्: wonder
• चित्रम्: Vakyartha (वाक्यार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• अहो: oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विस्मय-निपात)

• चित्रम्: wonder
• चित्रम्: Vakyartha (वाक्यार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुनीश्वराः: O lords of sages
• मुनीश्वराः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मुनीनां ईश्वराः’ (lords among sages); here vocative address

• आस्थिते: when (he) is present/established
• आस्थिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; लोके सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (he) is present/established’

• कामदे: O boon-giver
• कामदे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; ‘O giver of desires/boons’ (epithet)

• विष्णो: O Vishnu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• नराः: people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), हेतौ/निश्चये (indeed/for)

• यातनाम्: torment/punishment
• यातनाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गमनक्रियायाः कर्म (object of going)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It highlights the paradox of human life: even with Viṣṇu—compassionate and wish-fulfilling—available through devotion, people ignore dharma and bhakti and thus fall into yātanā (painful consequences).

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

By calling Viṣṇu “kāmada,” the verse implies that turning to Him through bhakti is the direct, accessible refuge; suffering arises when one neglects that refuge and pursues harmful desires and actions.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga is taught directly; the practical takeaway is ethical discernment (dharma-guided choice) and aligning desire (kāma) with devotion to avoid karmic yātanā.