Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 148

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

वंजुलस्य समिद्भोमो वृष्टिं वितनुतेऽचिरात् । क्षीराक्तैरमृताखंडैर्होमान्नाशयति ज्वरम् ॥ १४८ ॥

Transliteration

vaṃjulasya samidbhomo vṛṣṭiṃ vitanute'cirāt | kṣīrāktairamṛtākhaṃḍairhomānnāśayati jvaram || 148 ||

Translation

Ein Homa mit Samidh-Holzstäbchen vom Vaṃjula-Baum bringt rasch Regen hervor. Und indem man Stücke von Amṛtā (Guḍūcī), mit Milch bestrichen, ins Feuer darbringt, vernichtet dieses Homa das Fieber.

Word by Word

• वंजुलस्य: of the vaṃjula (plant/tree)
• वंजुलस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंजुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• समित्: fuel-stick (for sacrifice)
• समित्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध्/समित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘समिद्भोमः’ इत्यत्र पूर्वपद

• होमः: homa, oblation-rite
• होमः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वृष्टिम्: rainfall
• वृष्टिम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वितनुते: spreads, produces
• वितनुते: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन् (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अचिरात्: soon, quickly
• अचिरात्: कालाधिकरण (Adverbial time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• क्षीर-आक्तैः: smeared with milk
• क्षीर-आक्तैः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर + आक्त (कृदन्त; अञ्ज्/अक्त धातु-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: बहुवचन, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); पुंलिङ्ग (अमृताखण्डैः इति विशेष्य-अन्वय); ‘आक्त’ = क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) ‘smeared/anointed’; तत्पुरुष

• अमृत-आखण्डैः: with pieces of amṛta (nectar)
• अमृत-आखण्डैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + आखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘pieces of amṛta/nectar-like’)

• होमात्: from/through the homa
• होमात्: अपादान (Apadana/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• नाशयति: destroys, removes
• नाशयति: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• ज्वरम्: fever
• ज्वरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Narada

FAQs

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

It presents homa as a Vedic, dharmic technology where correctly chosen samidhs and offerings align the ritual act with cosmic and bodily order—supporting both rainfall (loka-kalyāṇa) and relief from fever (ārogya).

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

Though technical in tone, it implies that ritual efficacy depends on disciplined, faith-filled performance (śraddhā) and reverence for Vedic injunction—an applied form of devotion expressed through yajña-oriented service.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-oriented ritual know-how is foregrounded: selection of specific samidhs (vaṃjula) for rain-producing rites and specific dravya-offerings (milk-anointed guḍūcī pieces) as a remedial homa for jvara.