Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 96

Dīpa-vidhi-vyākhyānam

Procedure for Lamp-Offering to Hanumān

Devanagari script

बालार्ककोटिप्रतिमं ध्यायेज्ज्ञानप्रदं हरिम् । ध्यात्वैवं प्रजपेल्लक्षं दशांशं जुहुयात्तिलैः ॥ ९६ ॥

Transliteration

bālārkakoṭipratimaṃ dhyāyejjñānapradaṃ harim | dhyātvaivaṃ prajapellakṣaṃ daśāṃśaṃ juhuyāttilaiḥ || 96 ||

Translation

Man soll Hari, den Spender der Erkenntnis, meditierend schauen, dessen Glanz dem von zehn Millionen aufgehenden Sonnen gleicht. Nachdem man so meditiert hat, rezitiere man das Mantra hunderttausendmal und bringe danach als Homa-Opfer ein Zehntel davon mit Sesamsamen dar.

Word by Word

• बालार्ककोटिप्रतिमम्: comparable to ten million rising suns
• बालार्ककोटिप्रतिमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + अर्क + कोटि + प्रतिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘बालार्कस्य कोटिः’ (ten million rising suns) + ‘प्रतिम’ = comparable to

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ज्ञानप्रदम्: knowledge-giving
• ज्ञानप्रदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘ज्ञानं प्रददाति’ = bestower of knowledge

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यात्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having meditated’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Anvaya (सम्बन्ध/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• प्रजपेत्: should repeat/chant
• प्रजपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लक्षम्: a lakh (100,000)
• लक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; संख्या (one lakh)

• दशांशम्: a tenth part
• दशांशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘दशमः अंशः’ = one-tenth

• जुहुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• जुहुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तिलैः: with sesame seeds
• तिलैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It prescribes a complete sadhana-cycle—dhyana (visualization of Hari’s solar brilliance), mantra-japa (one lakh repetitions), and homa (one-tenth oblations)—showing that inner contemplation and outer ritual together mature into jnana (liberating insight) granted by Hari.

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

Bhakti here is disciplined worship: the devotee fixes the mind on Hari’s radiant form, then serves Him through steady japa and a concluding offering (homa), treating Vishnu as the living recipient and as the giver of spiritual knowledge.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual-technical norms used in mantra practice—especially the dashamsha principle (offering one-tenth of the japa count in homa) and the specified dravya (tila/sesame), aligning with kalpa-style procedural guidance found in Vedanga-oriented sections.