Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 107

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

Devanagari script

कृत्तिकासु भवो धूमकेतुर्नूनं प्रजाक्षयः । प्रासादवृक्षशैलेषु जातो राज्ञां विनाशकृत् ॥ १०७ ॥

Transliteration

kṛttikāsu bhavo dhūmaketurnūnaṃ prajākṣayaḥ | prāsādavṛkṣaśaileṣu jāto rājñāṃ vināśakṛt || 107 ||

Translation

Un comète, Dhūmaketu, apparaissant dans la constellation de Kṛttikā annonce sûrement le dépérissement du peuple. S’il est vu se lever au-dessus des palais, des arbres ou des montagnes, il devient cause de la ruine des rois.

Word by Word

• kṛttikāsu: in the Kṛttikās (Pleiades)
• kṛttikāsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛttikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/सप्तमी), Bahuvacana

• bhavaḥ: arising/appearance; (one) born
• bhavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• dhūma-ketuḥ: Dhūmaketu (smoke-comet)
• dhūma-ketuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūma (प्रातिपदिक) + ketu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'dhūmaḥ ketuḥ' (smoke-bannered comet)

• nūnam: surely, indeed
• nūnam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), niścaya-artha (certainly)

• prajā-kṣayaḥ: loss of people/subjects
• prajā-kṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: 'prajāyāḥ kṣayaḥ' (destruction of subjects/people)

• prāsāda-vṛkṣa-śaileṣu: in palaces, trees, and mountains
• prāsāda-vṛkṣa-śaileṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Bahuvacana; itaretara-dvandva (copulative): 'prāsādeṣu ca vṛkṣeṣu ca śaileṣu ca'

• jātaḥ: born, arisen
• jātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त/PPP), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; passive past participle: 'born/appeared'

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana

• vināśa-kṛt: causing destruction
• vināśa-kṛt: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vināśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; upapada-kr̥danta -kṛt (doer): 'vināśaṃ karoti'

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kṛttikā (nakṣatra)
• Dhūmaketu (comet)

FAQs

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

It frames celestial phenomena as nimittas (portents) that remind rulers and society to return to dharma; collective adharma is mirrored as collective suffering, prompting repentance, charity, and protective rites.

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

While the verse is primarily jyotiṣa-based, its implication supports bhakti indirectly: ominous signs are occasions to seek refuge in Bhagavān through prayer, nāma-japa, and sattvic conduct rather than panic or fatalism.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Jyotiṣa Vedāṅga—specifically nakṣatra-based omen reading: a comet’s appearance in Kṛttikā and its observed locus (over palaces/trees/mountains) is used to infer outcomes for subjects and kings.