Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 178

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

जलस्वप्नाग्निभयं गजसिंहभुजङ्गतः । भयं जन्मजरान्ते मरणादिशब्दमीरयेत् ॥ १७८ ॥

Transliteration

jalasvapnāgnibhayaṃ gajasiṃhabhujaṅgataḥ | bhayaṃ janmajarānte maraṇādiśabdamīrayet || 178 ||

Translation

ينشأ الخوف من الماء، ومن الأحلام، ومن النار؛ وكذلك من الفيلة والأسود والحيات. وعند نهاية الميلاد والشيخوخة، ومن شدة الخوف، يُنطق بألفاظ مثل «الموت»، أي كلماتٍ ذات شؤم.

Word by Word

• जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि-भयम्: fear of water, dreams, and fire
• जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि-भयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि) + भयम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गज-सिंह-भुजङ्गतः: from (the words) elephant, lion, and serpent
• गज-सिंह-भुजङ्गतः: अपादान (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + भुजङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे तसिल् ‘-तः’; पूर्वपद-समाहार-द्वन्द्व (गज-सिंह-भुजङ्ग)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जन्म-जरा-अन्ते: at the end of (the words) birth and old age
• जन्म-जरा-अन्ते: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + जरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; बहु-तत्पुरुष: (जन्म-जरा) + अन्त (…स्य अन्ते)

• मरण-आदि-शब्दम्: the word beginning with ‘death’ (i.e., ‘death etc.’)
• मरण-आदि-शब्दम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘मरणादि’ = तत्पुरुष (मरणं आदिः यस्य); ‘मरणादिशब्द’ = तत्पुरुष (मरणादेः शब्दः)

• ईरयेत्: should utter/recite
• ईरयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a Vedanga/technical-omens context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

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

It catalogues fear-causes and ominous indicators as part of nimitta-śāstra, reminding the seeker to recognize worldly fear as a sign-bound condition tied to embodied life (birth, aging, death).

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

Indirectly: by mapping fear and death-omens, it highlights the insecurity of saṃsāra—an impetus to seek refuge in stable spiritual practice such as Vishnu-bhakti, which is traditionally presented as fear-dispelling.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Nimitta (omenology) used alongside Jyotiṣa-style reasoning: identifying fear-signs from dreams and encounters, including the practice of noting/uttering ominous words like “death” as an indicator in portent analysis.