Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 86

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

एवं ध्यात्वा जपेद्वर्णं लक्षं मत्री दशांशतः । घृताक्तैः पायसैर्हुत्वा यजनं पूर्ववञ्चरेत् ॥ ८६ ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ dhyātvā japedvarṇaṃ lakṣaṃ matrī daśāṃśataḥ | ghṛtāktaiḥ pāyasairhutvā yajanaṃ pūrvavañcaret || 86 ||

Translation

Nachdem er so meditiert hat, soll der Mantra-Übende den heiligen Laut (das Phonem) hunderttausendmal wiederholen; und als dessen Zehntel soll er Opfergaben (homa) darbringen mit pāyasa, Milchreis, der mit Ghee vermischt ist. Auf diese Weise hat er das Ritual genau nach dem zuvor vorgeschriebenen Verfahren auszuführen.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: प्रकार (Adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: विधेयक्रिया (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• वर्णम्: the syllable/letter
• वर्णम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• लक्षम्: one lakh (100,000)
• लक्षम्: परिमाण (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• मत्री: the mantra (as feminine term)
• मत्री: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); मन्त्रिणी/मातृका-प्रयोगः (as given reading)

• दशांशतः: by one-tenth (as a tithe)
• दशांशतः: प्रकार (Adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दशांश (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), अर्थः—‘by a tenth/at the rate of one-tenth’

• घृताक्तैः: smeared with ghee
• घृताक्तैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत + अक्त (कृदन्त, √अञ्ज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (घृतेन अक्त), बहुवचन (plural), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), पुं/नपुंसक-समाना रूप (agreeing with pāyasaiḥ)

• पायसैः: with rice-pudding offerings
• पायसैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• हुत्वा: having offered (into fire)
• हुत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• यजनम्: the sacrifice/ritual worship
• यजनम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: प्रकार (Adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्ववत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), उपमान/रीति—‘as before’

• आचरेत्: should perform/practice
• आचरेत्: विधेयक्रिया (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within the Vedanga/ritual-technical teaching flow)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It teaches a complete mantra-sādhana cycle: meditation (dhyāna), disciplined repetition (japa), and ritual sealing of the practice through homa as a proportional offering (daśāṁśa).

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

Bhakti here is expressed as focused remembrance through dhyāna and japa, followed by a reverential act of offering (homa), showing devotion as both inner absorption and outward worship done by rule.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical discipline: prescribed numerical counts (lakṣa and daśāṁśa), correct homa materials (ghṛta, pāyasa), and adherence to procedure (pūrvavat), aligning with Vedanga-style precision in rites.