Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 98

Nityā-paṭala-prakaraṇa

The Exposition of the Nityā-paṭala

Devanagari script

पद्मैरक्तैस्त्रिमध्वक्तैर्होमाल्लक्ष्मीमवाप्नुयात् । तथैव कैरवै रक्तैरंगनाः स्ववशं नयेत् ॥ ९८ ॥

Transliteration

padmairaktaistrimadhvaktairhomāllakṣmīmavāpnuyāt | tathaiva kairavai raktairaṃganāḥ svavaśaṃ nayet || 98 ||

Translation

Durch ein Homa mit roten Lotosblüten, die mit drei Arten Honig bestrichen sind, kann man Lakṣmī, das heißt Wohlstand, erlangen. Ebenso kann man, wenn man rote kairava auf dieselbe Weise verwendet, Frauen unter die eigene Gewalt bringen.

Word by Word

• padmaiḥ: with lotuses
• padmaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana

• raktaiḥ: red
• raktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; agrees with padmaiḥ

• tri-madhu-aktaiḥ: smeared with three (kinds of) honey/sweetness
• tri-madhu-aktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + akta (कृदन्त, √añj/अञ्ज् 'to smear'—PPP)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; तत्पुरुषः—'tribhiḥ madhubhiḥ aktaiḥ' (smeared with three kinds of honey/sweet substances)

• homāt: from the fire-offering
• homāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Pañcamī (5th), Ekavacana; ablative 'from/by means of (as a result of) the oblation'

• lakṣmīm: Lakṣmī/prosperity
• lakṣmīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• avāpnuyāt: should obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), 'thus/in that manner'

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण-निपात), emphatic particle

• kairavaiḥ: with white lotuses (kairava)
• kairavaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• raktaiḥ: red
• raktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; agrees with kairavaiḥ

• aṃganāḥ: women
• aṃganāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana

• sva-vaśam: into one’s control
• sva-vaśam: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; तत्पुरुषः—'svasya vaśaḥ' (one's control); adverbial accusative 'into one's control'

• nayet: should lead/bring
• nayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: artha (prosperity-seeking)

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi

FAQs

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

It presents a ritual-dravya application where specific offerings (red lotus with honey) are linked to a desired fruit—Lakṣmī—illustrating the Purāṇic view that correctly performed homa can yield targeted worldly outcomes.

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

Bhakti is not the main focus here; the verse belongs to a technical/ritual stream emphasizing karma-kāṇḍa-style results. In the Narada Purana, such rites are often framed as ancillary to higher devotion, not its substitute.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual prayoga: selection of dravya (padma/kairava), preparation (anointing with tri-madhu), and performance medium (homa) to obtain specified phala—an applied, technical side of Vedic ritual science.