Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

The Greatness of the Gaṅgā (Gaṅgā-māhātmya): Saudāsa/Kalmāṣapāda’s Curse and Release

Devanagari script

गुरु तुम्कृत्य हुंम्कृत्य यो वदेन्मृढधीर्नरः । अरण्ये निर्जले देश स भवेद्बुह्यराक्षसः ॥ ३२ ॥

Transliteration

guru tumkṛtya huṃmkṛtya yo vadenmṛḍhadhīrnaraḥ | araṇye nirjale deśa sa bhavedbuhyarākṣasaḥ || 32 ||

Translation

那愚昧之人若以轻慢之声对师长发出“tum”“hum”之类的鄙语，便将再生为布赫亚罗刹（Buhya-rākṣasa），栖居于无水的荒林之地。

Word by Word

• guroḥ: of the guru
• guroḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti, Ekavacana; ‘of/at the guru’ (context: towards the guru)

• tuṃkṛtya: uttering ‘tuṃ’ (a rude sound)
• tuṃkṛtya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tuṃ (अनुकरण-शब्द) + kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: Avyaya; onomatopoetic absolutive-like form (अनुकरण + कृत्वा-प्रत्यय-लोप), ‘making the sound “tuṃ”’

• huṃkṛtya: uttering ‘huṃ’
• huṃkṛtya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: huṃ (अनुकरण-शब्द) + kṛ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: Avyaya; onomatopoetic absolutive-like form, ‘making the sound “huṃ”’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• vadet: should speak/speaks
• vadet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु √वद्)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• mūḍha-dhīḥ: of deluded intellect
• mūḍha-dhīḥ: Kartṛ-sambandha (epithet of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक/क्त) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi ‘one whose intellect is deluded’

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana

• araṇye: in a forest
• araṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Saptamī-vibhakti (7th case, Locative), Ekavacana

• nirjale: waterless
• nirjale: Adhikaraṇa-sambandha (qualifier of locus)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Saptamī-vibhakti, Ekavacana; qualifying deśe; ‘waterless’

• deśe: in a place
• deśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Saptamī-vibhakti, Ekavacana

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु √भू)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• buhya-rākṣasaḥ: a (buhya) demon
• buhya-rākṣasaḥ: Kartṛ-sambandha (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buhya (प्रातिपदिक; ‘hidden/secret’/‘forest-dwelling’ sense) + rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Prathamā-vibhakti, Ekavacana; descriptive compound ‘a buhya rākṣasa’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on dharma and proper conduct)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa (disgust)

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Buhya-rakshasa

FAQs

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

It teaches that disrespectful speech toward one’s guru is a grave adharma that degrades the mind and leads to painful rebirth; reverence to the teacher safeguards spiritual progress.

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

Bhakti is rooted in humility and honor toward those who transmit sacred knowledge; contempt for the guru contradicts devotion and blocks the grace through which bhakti matures.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It emphasizes disciplined speech and correct verbal conduct—aligned with Śikṣā (phonetics/training of utterance) and Vyākaraṇa (proper language use)—as part of dharmic behavior.