Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 101

Graha–Ketu–Utpāta Lakṣaṇas: Solar/Lunar Omens, Comets, Eclipses, and Calendar Rules

Devanagari script

भूसुता जलतैलाभा वर्तुलाः क्षुद्भयप्रदाः । सुभिक्षक्षेमदाः श्वेतकेतवः सोमसूनवः ॥ १०१ ॥

Transliteration

bhūsutā jalatailābhā vartulāḥ kṣudbhayapradāḥ | subhikṣakṣemadāḥ śvetaketavaḥ somasūnavaḥ || 101 ||

Translation

Les fils de la Terre (présages nés du sol), paraissant comme de l’eau ou de l’huile et de forme ronde, inspirent la crainte de la famine. Mais ceux au drapeau blanc, fils de Soma, accordent abondance des récoltes et sûreté paisible.

Word by Word

• bhūsutāḥ: sons of the Earth
• bhūsutāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū + suta (प्रातिपदिक; भूतत्पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—भू-सुत (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• jalatailābhāḥ: having the luster of water and oil
• jalatailābhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala + taila + ābhā (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—जल-तैल-आभ (जलतैलवत् आभा यस्य)

• vartulāḥ: round
• vartulāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vartula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• kṣudbhayapradāḥ: causing fear of hunger
• kṣudbhayapradāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudh + bhaya + prada (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—क्षुध्-भय-प्रद (क्षुधा-भयम् प्रददाति)

• subhikṣakṣemadāḥ: granting good harvest and safety
• subhikṣakṣemadāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-bhikṣa + kṣema + da (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—सुभिक्ष-क्षेम-द (सुभिक्षं क्षेमं च ददाति)

• śvetaketavaḥ: white comets/standards
• śvetaketavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śveta + ketu (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—श्वेत-केतु (श्वेतः केतुः)

• somasūnavaḥ: sons of Soma (the Moon)
• somasūnavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma + sūnu (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—सोम-सूनु (सोमस्य सूनुः)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within Moksha-Dharma discourse that includes omen/astral descriptions)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bhū (Earth)
• Soma

FAQs

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

It frames cosmic phenomena as morally and karmically connected to collective well-being: certain ominous signs warn of scarcity, while auspicious signs indicate protection and prosperity—encouraging vigilance, dharmic conduct, and remedial piety.

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

Indirectly: by showing that welfare and fear arise in time through higher order (daiva), it supports the Purāṇic impulse to take refuge in dharma and devotion—especially sāttvika worship and prayer—when adverse portents appear.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa and nimitta-śāstra style reasoning: classifying observable sky/meteor phenomena by form and appearance and linking them to outcomes like famine (kṣud-bhaya) or prosperity (subhikṣa-kṣema).