Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 178

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

जलस्वप्नाग्निभयं गजसिंहभुजङ्गतः । भयं जन्मजरान्ते मरणादिशब्दमीरयेत् ॥ १७८ ॥

Transliteration

jalasvapnāgnibhayaṃ gajasiṃhabhujaṅgataḥ | bhayaṃ janmajarānte maraṇādiśabdamīrayet || 178 ||

Translation

La peur naît de l’eau, des songes et du feu; de même des éléphants, des lions et des serpents. Et au terme de la naissance et de la vieillesse, sous l’emprise de la crainte, on profère des mots tels que « mort », c’est‑à‑dire des paroles de mauvais présage.

Word by Word

• जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि-भयम्: fear of water, dreams, and fire
• जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि-भयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (जल-स्वप्न-अग्नि) + भयम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गज-सिंह-भुजङ्गतः: from (the words) elephant, lion, and serpent
• गज-सिंह-भुजङ्गतः: अपादान (Source/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + भुजङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे तसिल् ‘-तः’; पूर्वपद-समाहार-द्वन्द्व (गज-सिंह-भुजङ्ग)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जन्म-जरा-अन्ते: at the end of (the words) birth and old age
• जन्म-जरा-अन्ते: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + जरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; बहु-तत्पुरुष: (जन्म-जरा) + अन्त (…स्य अन्ते)

• मरण-आदि-शब्दम्: the word beginning with ‘death’ (i.e., ‘death etc.’)
• मरण-आदि-शब्दम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘मरणादि’ = तत्पुरुष (मरणं आदिः यस्य); ‘मरणादिशब्द’ = तत्पुरुष (मरणादेः शब्दः)

• ईरयेत्: should utter/recite
• ईरयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a Vedanga/technical-omens context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

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

It catalogues fear-causes and ominous indicators as part of nimitta-śāstra, reminding the seeker to recognize worldly fear as a sign-bound condition tied to embodied life (birth, aging, death).

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

Indirectly: by mapping fear and death-omens, it highlights the insecurity of saṃsāra—an impetus to seek refuge in stable spiritual practice such as Vishnu-bhakti, which is traditionally presented as fear-dispelling.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Nimitta (omenology) used alongside Jyotiṣa-style reasoning: identifying fear-signs from dreams and encounters, including the practice of noting/uttering ominous words like “death” as an indicator in portent analysis.