Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 102

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

नवार्कमंडलं चेष्ट्वा सलिलं मूलमंत्रतः । प्रपूरयेत्सुधाबुद्ध्या गंधपुष्पाक्षतादिभिः ॥ १०२ ॥

Transliteration

navārkamaṃḍalaṃ ceṣṭvā salilaṃ mūlamaṃtrataḥ | prapūrayetsudhābuddhyā gaṃdhapuṣpākṣatādibhiḥ || 102 ||

Translation

Nachdem man eine frische Sonnenscheibe (arka-maṇḍala) bereitet hat, soll man mit dem Wurzelmantra das Wasser weihen und dann das Opfer vollenden in der Haltung, es sei amṛta, Nektar—mit Duftstoffen, Blumen, ungebrochenem Reis (akṣata) und dergleichen.

Word by Word

• नव-अर्क-मण्डलम्: the nine-sun maṇḍala
• नव-अर्क-मण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: नवानाम् अर्काणां मण्डलम् / नव-अर्क-मण्डलम् (nine-sun circle)

• चेष्ट्वा: having performed/arranged
• चेष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); absolutive: having performed/arranged

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• मूल-मन्त्रतः: by/from the root-mantra
• मूल-मन्त्रतः: Hetu/Instrumental-adverbial (हेतु/करणार्थ-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) 'from/by means of'; तत्पुरुषः: मूलमन्त्र + तः

• प्रपूरयेत्: should fill completely
• प्रपूरयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense 'should fill completely'

• सुधा-बुद्ध्या: with nectar-like intention/understanding
• सुधा-बुद्ध्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: सुधायाः बुद्धिः / सुधाबुद्धिः (nectar-like intention)

• गन्ध-पुष्प-अक्षत-आदिभिः: with perfumes, flowers, unbroken rice, etc.
• गन्ध-पुष्प-अक्षत-आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: गन्धाः पुष्पाणि अक्षताः आदयः

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Arka)

FAQs

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

It teaches bhāva (inner attitude) alongside ritual correctness: water is sanctified by the root mantra and then treated as ‘nectar,’ making the offering spiritually potent, not merely material.

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

By instructing ‘sudhā-buddhi’—seeing the offering as divine nectar—it emphasizes devotional intention (reverent perception) as essential to worship, not just external items like flowers and akṣata.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-prayoga (applied mantra procedure) and ritual sequencing—preparing the maṇḍala, consecrating water with the mūla-mantra, and completing the rite with standard pūjā upacāras (gandha, puṣpa, akṣata).