Shloka 121

Glory of Puruṣottama: Pañcatīrthī Observance and Narasiṃha Worship

Devanagari script

अथवा शुद्धवृक्षाग्रे नरसिंहं तु पूजयेत् । जप्त्वा चाष्टशतं तत्त्वं वर्षं तद्विनिवारयेत् ॥ १२१ ॥

Transliteration

athavā śuddhavṛkṣāgre narasiṃhaṃ tu pūjayet | japtvā cāṣṭaśataṃ tattvaṃ varṣaṃ tadvinivārayet || 121 ||

Translation

أو عند أصل شجرةٍ طاهرةٍ (مقدّسة) فليُقَمْ بعبادة نَرَسِمْهَا؛ ثم بعد ترديد المانترا مئةً وثماني مرات، يُدفَع بذلك المطرُ المؤذي سنةً كاملة.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: सम्बन्ध (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive ‘or’)

• शुद्धवृक्षाग्रे: at the top of a pure tree
• शुद्धवृक्षाग्रे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (शुद्धस्य वृक्षस्य अग्रे)

• नरसिंहम्: Narasiṃha
• नरसिंहम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः

• तु: indeed/then
• तु: सम्बन्ध (particle/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having recited’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अष्टशतम्: eight hundred (times)
• अष्टशतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (अष्टानां शतानि = 800)

• तत्त्वम्: the principle/reality (tattva)
• तत्त्वम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वर्षम्: rain
• वर्षम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विनिवारयेत्: should prevent/ward off
• विनिवारयेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + वृत्/वृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; causative sense ‘should ward off/prevent’ (निवारयति)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a prescriptive/ritual mode within Uttara-Bhaga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narasimha
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It presents Narasiṁha-bhakti as both protective and efficacious: worship and disciplined japa are shown as means to neutralize fear and calamity, aligning outer order (rain/weather) with inner dharma and devotion.

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

Bhakti here is practical and embodied—approaching Narasiṁha with pūjā and mantra-japa (108 repetitions) expresses surrender and trust in Viṣṇu’s protective power, not merely abstract belief.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-prayoga and ritual procedure (kalpa-style application): choosing a śuddha place, performing pūjā, and counting japa as 108 (a standard sacred measure used across Vedic/Smārta practice).