Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

Kalpa-Lakṣaṇa and Gṛhya-Kalpa: Classifications, Purifications, Implements, and Spatial Rite-Design

Devanagari script

अमृतस्य क्षयं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्माद्यैः सर्वदैवतैः । वेद्यां निधापितस्तस्मात्समिद्गर्भो हुताशनः ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

amṛtasya kṣayaṃ dṛṣṭvā brahmādyaiḥ sarvadaivataiḥ | vedyāṃ nidhāpitastasmātsamidgarbho hutāśanaḥ || 21 ||

Translation

Voyant que l’amṛta, nectar d’immortalité, s’épuisait, Brahmā et tous les dieux placèrent donc le Feu (Hutāśana) sur l’autel, portant en lui les baguettes de bois (samid), afin que le rite fût maintenu selon la règle sacrée.

Word by Word

• अमृतस्य: of nectar/ambrosia
• अमृतस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: loss/decay
• क्षयम्: कर्म (Object of seeing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त, त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘दर्शनं कृत्वा’

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: करण/कर्ता-सह (Agent group, instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्व-दैवतैः: by all the deities
• सर्व-दैवतैः: करण/कर्ता-सह (Agent group, instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि दैवताः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वेद्याम्: on the altar
• वेद्याम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निधापितः: was placed/deposited
• निधापितः: विधेय (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु) + णिच् → निधापय (धातु) → निधापित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थापितः’

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Ablative cause/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः; अपादानार्थक (ablative sense) ‘therefore/from that’

• समित्-गर्भः: having fuel-sticks within (enclosed in kindling)
• समित्-गर्भः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समित् (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समिधो गर्भे यस्य/समिध्गर्भः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हुताशनः: Fire (the eater of offerings)
• हुताशनः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत (कृदन्त) + अशन्/अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हुतं अश्नाति/हुतं अशनं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अग्निवाचक

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha Dharma section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Agni (Hutashana)
• Sarva-devata (all deities)
• Amrita

FAQs

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

It presents Agni as the divine stabilizer of sacred power: when amṛta diminishes, the gods re-establish the yajña-center (the vedi with Agni) so the cosmic order (dharma) and life-sustaining sanctity are preserved through proper ritual.

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

While the verse is primarily ritual-vedic, it supports bhakti indirectly by showing that divine order is maintained through reverent, correct worship—Agni as the mouth of the gods receives offerings, cultivating surrender and sacred discipline that complements Vishnu-bhakti in the Moksha Dharma framework.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): installing Agni on the vedi and maintaining samidh (fuel-sticks) are core yajña requirements, emphasizing correct altar-practice and fire-maintenance as a technical foundation of Vedic rites.