Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 184

Hanumān-mantra-kathana: Mantra-bheda, Nyāsa, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

ध्वजमादाय मन्त्रज्ञः संस्पर्शान्मोक्षणावधि । मातृकां जापयेत्पश्चाद्दशांशेन च होमयेत् ॥ १८४ ॥

Transliteration

dhvajamādāya mantrajñaḥ saṃsparśānmokṣaṇāvadhi | mātṛkāṃ jāpayetpaścāddaśāṃśena ca homayet || 184 ||

Translation

Le connaisseur des mantras, prenant l’étendard rituel, doit poursuivre l’office depuis le toucher de consécration jusqu’au moment où l’on le relâche. Ensuite, qu’il accomplisse le japa du mantra de Mātṛkā (Déesse des syllabes) et qu’il offre au feu un homa égal au dixième du nombre de récitations.

Word by Word

• ध्वजम्: the banner/flag
• ध्वजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + दा (धातु) → आदाय (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/त्वान्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालक्रिया

• मन्त्रज्ञः: the knower of mantras
• मन्त्रज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मन्त्राणां ज्ञः’

• संस्पर्शात्: from the touch
• संस्पर्शात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• मोक्षण-अवधि: up to (the point of) release
• मोक्षण-अवधि: Desha-kala-parimana (देशकालपरिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययार्थे—‘मोक्षणावधि’ = ‘मोक्षणपर्यन्तम्’ (up to release)

• मातृकाम्: the Mātrikā (letters/ मातृका-mantra)
• मातृकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• जापयेत्: should cause (someone) to recite / should have (it) recited
• जापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: णिच् (causative) + विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दशांशेन: with a tenth part (as offering share)
• दशांशेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशांश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• होमयेत्: should offer oblations / should perform homa
• होमयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: णिच् (causative) + विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Mātṛkā
• Dhvajā (ritual banner)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined ritual continuity (from consecration-touch to release) and the completion of mantra practice by sealing it with homa, showing that mantra-sādhana is perfected through both recitation and sacrificial offering.

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

While primarily a technical vidhi, it supports bhakti by prescribing reverent, rule-based worship—japa focused on sacred syllables (Mātṛkā) and an offering (homa) that expresses surrender and completion of the vow-like rite.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure and mantra-application: the verse gives a concrete prayoga rule—perform japa, then do homa in the proportion of one-tenth (daśāṃśa), a standard technical guideline used in many mantra rites.