Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

हुत्वा सप्तदिनं मन्त्री सेनामिष्टां महीपतेः । प्रस्थापयेच्छुभे लग्ने परराष्ट्रजयेच्छया ॥ ७४ ॥

Transliteration

hutvā saptadinaṃ mantrī senāmiṣṭāṃ mahīpateḥ | prasthāpayecchubhe lagne pararāṣṭrajayecchayā || 74 ||

Translation

Nachdem sieben Tage lang Feueropfer dargebracht wurden, soll der Minister des Königs das dem Herrscher teure Heer zu einer glückverheißenden Stunde aussenden, in der Absicht, das feindliche Reich zu bezwingen.

Word by Word

• hutvā: having offered
• hutvā: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hu (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having offered (oblation)’

• sapta-dinam: for seven days
• sapta-dinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालावधि (duration)

• mantrī: the मंत्र-ज्ञ (minister/practitioner)
• mantrī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• senām: the army
• senām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: senā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iṣṭām: desired/approved (auspicious)
• iṣṭām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त, √iṣ ‘to desire’ → ‘desired/approved’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (qualifying senām)

• mahī-pateḥ: of the king (lord of the earth)
• mahī-pateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• prasthāpayet: should dispatch/send forth
• prasthāpayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sthā (धातु) + ṇic (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• śubhe: in an auspicious
• śubhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying lagne)

• lagne: moment/astrological ascendant
• lagne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lagna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• para-rāṣṭra-jaya-icchayā: with the desire to conquer the enemy kingdom
• para-rāṣṭra-jaya-icchayā: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक) + jaya (प्रातिपदिक) + icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; हेतौ तृतीया (instrumental of motive)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a Vedanga/technical instruction context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• king (mahīpati)
• minister (mantrī)
• army (senā)

FAQs

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

It links royal action to dharmic procedure: purification through a seven-day homa and alignment with auspicious time (śubha lagna), showing that success is sought through rite, restraint, and cosmic order rather than mere force.

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

While primarily technical (Vedanga/Jyotiṣa), it implies reliance on sacred rites and mantra-centered worship before undertaking major acts—an attitude of surrender to divine order that complements Vishnu-bhakti in practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa (muhūrta/electional timing) is explicit in “śubhe lagne,” and Kalpa-style ritual procedure is implied by the prescribed seven-day homa before dispatching the army.