Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

फलैर्हुत्वामुयाल्लक्ष्मीमुदुंबरपलाशजैः । गोमायुमांसैस्तामेव कवितां पायसांधसा ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

phalairhutvāmuyāllakṣmīmuduṃbarapalāśajaiḥ | gomāyumāṃsaistāmeva kavitāṃ pāyasāṃdhasā || 25 ||

Translation

By offering oblations of fruits—especially those from the udumbara and palāśa trees—one gains prosperity, the grace of Lakṣmī. By offering the meat of the gomāyu (jackal), one attains kavitā, poetic inspiration; and by offering pāyasa, rice cooked in milk, one receives that same gift of poetry.

Word by Word

• फलैः: with fruits
• फलैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हुत्वा: having offered
• हुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• मुयाल्: Muyāl (a being/person; proper name/rare term)
• मुयाल्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुयाल् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); (दुर्लभ-शब्द; here as subject)

• लक्ष्मीम्: prosperity/fortune
• लक्ष्मीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उदुम्बर-पलाश-जैः: produced from udumbara and palāśa (trees)
• उदुम्बर-पलाश-जैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + पलाश (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); -ज (born/produced from)

• गो-मायु-मांसैः: with the meats of cow and māyu
• गो-मायु-मांसैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + मायु (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/only)

• कविताम्: poetic skill/poetry
• कविताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कविता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पायस-अन्धसा: with rice-pudding food (pāyasa)
• पायस-अन्धसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on technical/ritual results)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī

FAQs

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

The verse presents a technical phala-śruti: specific homa offerings are correlated with specific attainments—prosperity (Lakṣmī) and poetic inspiration (kavitā)—showing the Purana’s emphasis on disciplined ritual causality within dharma.

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

While primarily ritual-technical, it supports bhakti indirectly by treating prosperity and refined speech (poetic power) as gifts that can be ritually dedicated to the divine—resources that can later be used in praise, kīrtana, and sacred composition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights applied ritual procedure (homa/oblations) and phala-śāstra style mapping of dravya (offering substances) to results—typical of technical instruction associated with Kalpa (ritual discipline) and allied prayoga traditions.