Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

विष्णुशय्यास्थितो वह्निरिंदुभूषितमस्तकः । रामाय हृदयांतोऽयं महाघौधविनाशनः ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

viṣṇuśayyāsthito vahniriṃdubhūṣitamastakaḥ | rāmāya hṛdayāṃto'yaṃ mahāghaudhavināśanaḥ || 4 ||

Translation

Dieses heilige Feuer weilt auf Viṣṇus Lager; sein Haupt ist mit dem Mond geschmückt. Um Rāmā willen wird es zur im Herzen wohnenden Gegenwart, die die gewaltige Flut schwerer Sünden vernichtet.

Word by Word

• विष्णुशय्यास्थितः: situated on Viṣṇu’s couch
• विष्णुशय्यास्थितः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of वह्निः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + शय्या + स्थित (स्था-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः शय्यायाम् स्थितः = situated on Viṣṇu’s couch)

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इन्दुभूषितमस्तकः: having a moon-adorned head
• इन्दुभूषितमस्तकः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of वह्निः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्दु + भूषित + मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (इन्दुना भूषितं मस्तकं यस्य = whose head is adorned with the moon)

• रामाय: for Rama
• रामाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• हृदयान्तः: the heart’s inner core
• हृदयान्तः: Vidhaya (विधेय/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हृदयस्य अन्तः = inner core of the heart)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेतार्थ (this)

• महाघौधविनाशनः: destroyer of the great flood of sins
• महाघौधविनाशनः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of अयम्/वह्निः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + अघ + ओघ + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महान् अघ-ओघः = great flood of sins; तस्य विनाशनः = destroyer)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within the Vedanga/ritual-technical context of Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Agni
• Rama (Lakshmi)
• Chandra (Indu)

FAQs

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

It presents Agni (sacred fire) not only as a ritual principle but as a heart-indwelling purifier aligned with Viṣṇu, capable of destroying accumulated great sins (mahāghaugha).

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

By linking Viṣṇu and the indwelling presence in the heart, the verse frames purification as inward—devotion that installs the divine within (hṛdayāntaḥ) becomes the means to overcome pāpa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects the ritual-technical view (connected with Kalpa/Agni-oriented practice) where sacred fire is a purifying power, while also emphasizing its inner counterpart—meditative internalization of the deity in the heart.