Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 151

Hanumān-mantra-kathana: Mantra-bheda, Nyāsa, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

गत्वा नदीं तः स्नात्वा तीर्थमावाह्य चाष्टधा । मूलमंत्रं ततो जप्त्वा सिंचेदादित्यसंख्यया ॥ १५१ ॥

Transliteration

gatvā nadīṃ taḥ snātvā tīrthamāvāhya cāṣṭadhā | mūlamaṃtraṃ tato japtvā siṃcedādityasaṃkhyayā || 151 ||

Translation

Nachdem er zum Fluss gegangen und gebadet hat, soll er die heilige Tīrtha nach der achtfachen Weise herbeirufen; dann das Mūla-Mantra rezitieren und anschließend die Besprengung/Abwaschung so oft vollziehen, wie es der Zahl der Ādityas (Sonnengottheiten) entspricht.

Word by Word

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; 'having gone'

• नदीम्: to the river
• नदीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular feminine

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: 'then/from there')

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; 'having bathed'

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-वाह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समकक्ष (gerund in -ya), अव्यय; 'having invoked'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• अष्टधा: in eightfold manner
• अष्टधा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अष्टधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'in eight ways')

• मूलमन्त्रम्: the root mantra
• मूलमन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'root-mantra'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; 'thereafter'

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; 'having recited'

• सिञ्चेत्: should sprinkle
• सिञ्चेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• आदित्यसंख्यया: by the number of Ādityas (i.e., twelve times)
• आदित्यसंख्यया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'number of Ādityas'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular feminine

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context within Vedāṅga-oriented instruction)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Adityas
• Tirtha

FAQs

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

It frames tīrtha-snāna as a structured purification rite: bathing is empowered by invoking the tīrtha, centered on mūla-mantra japa, and sealed by a measured sprinkling aligned with solar divinities—linking bodily cleansing to mantra-based sanctification.

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

While primarily procedural, it supports bhakti by prescribing mantra-japa (devotional repetition) as the core act after bathing, indicating that inner remembrance through mantra is what perfects the outward tīrtha practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights kalpa-style ritual sequencing (procedure and counts): āvāhana (invocation), aṣṭadhā (eightfold method), and āditya-saṅkhyā (a fixed numerical rule—twelve)—all typical of technical ritual instruction within Vedāṅga-oriented material.