Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 125

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

त्रिजन्मसु सुधावल्लीकाश्मीरीबकुलोद्भवैः । समिद्वरैः कृतो होमः सर्वमृत्युगदापहः ॥ १२५ ॥

Transliteration

trijanmasu sudhāvallīkāśmīrībakulodbhavaiḥ | samidvaraiḥ kṛto homaḥ sarvamṛtyugadāpahaḥ || 125 ||

Translation

Wird über drei Leben hinweg ein Homa mit erlesenen Anzündhölzern aus Pflanzen wie sudhāvallī, kāśmīrī und aus dem, was dem Bakula-Baum entspringt, dargebracht, so wird es zum Vertreiber jeder tödlichen Gefahr und aller Krankheiten.

Word by Word

• त्रि-जन्मसु: in three births
• त्रि-जन्मसु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद) — 'in three births'

• सुधा-वल्ली-काश्मीरी-बकुल-उद्भवैः: with (sticks) arising from sudhā-vallī, kāśmīrī and bakula
• सुधा-वल्ली-काश्मीरी-बकुल-उद्भवैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक) + काश्मीरी (प्रातिपदिक) + बकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः — 'born from (plants) sudhā-vallī, kāśmīrī, bakula'

• समित्-वरैः: with excellent kindling sticks
• समित्-वरैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय — 'excellent kindling-sticks'

• कृतः: performed
• कृतः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; passive/resultative sense — 'done/performed'

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

• सर्व-मृत्यु-गद-अपहः: removing all death and disease
• सर्व-मृत्यु-गद-अपहः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier of होमः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + गद (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'remover of all death and disease' (अपह = अपहर्तृ/नाशक)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context, as preserved in Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Homa
• Agni

FAQs

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

It teaches that properly performed Vedic fire-offerings (homa), using prescribed samidhs, function as protective rites that counteract life-threatening dangers and diseases, emphasizing ritual precision as a means of dharmic safeguarding.

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

While the verse is primarily ritual-technical, the homa is implicitly an act of reverent offering into sacred fire; performed with faith and continuity, it becomes a devotional discipline that aligns the practitioner with divine order and protection.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa-oriented ritual know-how: selecting specific samidhs (fuel-woods) and conducting homa as a remedial rite (prayoga) aimed at health and protection, showing the Narada Purana’s applied ritual science.