Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 105

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

ध्यात्वैवं पूजयेदष्टलक्षं मंत्री दशांशतः । रक्तांबुजैः समिद्भिश्च विल्वक्षीरिद्रुमोद्भवैः ॥ १०५ ॥

Transliteration

dhyātvaivaṃ pūjayedaṣṭalakṣaṃ maṃtrī daśāṃśataḥ | raktāṃbujaiḥ samidbhiśca vilvakṣīridrumodbhavaiḥ || 105 ||

Translation

Après avoir ainsi médité, le pratiquant du mantra doit accomplir le culte jusqu’à huit lakṣas, puis offrir en oblation un dixième—avec des lotus rouges et des bûchettes issues du bilva et des arbres à sève lactée.

Word by Word

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), indeclinable; ‘having meditated’

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), 3rd Person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• aṣṭa-lakṣam: eight lakhs (800,000)
• aṣṭa-lakṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समासः—द्विगु (aṣṭau lakṣāṇi = ‘eight lakhs’) used as measure/number

• maṃtrī: the mantra-practitioner
• maṃtrī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• daśāṃśataḥ: as a tenth (one-tenth portion)
• daśāṃśataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daśāṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; tasil-derivative (तसिल्/तस्) adverb meaning ‘by a tenth/at the rate of one-tenth’

• rakta-aṃbujaiḥ: with red lotuses
• rakta-aṃbujaiḥ: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃbuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—कर्मधारय (raktāni aṃbujāni)

• samidbhiḥ: with fuel-sticks
• samidbhiḥ: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samit/samid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• vilva-kṣīri-druma-udbhavaiḥ: arisen from bilva and milk-yielding trees
• vilva-kṣīri-druma-udbhavaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vilva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣīrin (प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुष (vilva-kṣīri-drumeṣu udbhavaiḥ = ‘arisen from bilva and milk-yielding trees’)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within a technical ritual-vidhi sequence)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bilva
• Red lotus (Raktāmbuja)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that mantra-sādhana is completed through a disciplined sequence—meditation, sustained worship/japa up to a fixed count, and a concluding fractional offering—showing that inner contemplation and outer ritual must support each other.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as focused remembrance (dhyāna) followed by reverent worship and offerings; devotion is not merely emotion but sustained, rule-guided service to the deity through mantra and pūjā.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual science (kalpa-style procedure): prescribed counts (aṣṭa-lakṣa), proportional completion offerings (daśāṁśa), and specific dravya selection for homa/pūjā (red lotus and samidha from bilva and kṣīri trees).