Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Dīkṣā, Mantra-Types, Mantra-Doṣas, and Qualifications of Ācārya–Śiṣya
हतवीर्यो भ्रांतसंज्ञः प्रध्वस्तो बालकस्तथा । कुमारोऽथ युवा प्रौढो वृद्धो निस्त्रिंशकस्तथा ॥ १६ ॥
hatavīryo bhrāṃtasaṃjñaḥ pradhvasto bālakastathā | kumāro'tha yuvā prauḍho vṛddho nistriṃśakastathā || 16 ||
又说其人：精力尽失，识念迷乱，败坏崩毁；继而如孩童；继而如少年；继而如壮年成熟；继而如老迈；并且又如“出鞘者”——无遮无蔽、赤露显现。
Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, instructional enumeration)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
The verse functions as a shastric enumeration of states/conditions—decline of vitality, confusion, ruin, and stages of life—used to cultivate discrimination (viveka) and detachment by recognizing the changing and fragile nature of embodied existence.
By highlighting instability—loss of vigor, delusion, and the inevitability of aging—it implicitly turns the seeker toward the stable refuge of devotion, where reliance shifts from bodily strength and worldly status to remembrance and surrender to the Divine.
The verse reflects a Vyākaraṇa-style method: precise labeling and listing of terms to define conditions and categories, supporting careful interpretation of śāstric language used in ritual, ethics, and technical discourse.