Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 166

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

दग्ध्वा कंकं श्यशानाग्नौ तद्भस्मादाय मन्त्रवित् । विरोधिनाम्नाष्टशतं जप्तमुच्चाटनं रिपोः ॥ १६६ ॥

Transliteration

dagdhvā kaṃkaṃ śyaśānāgnau tadbhasmādāya mantravit | virodhināmnāṣṭaśataṃ japtamuccāṭanaṃ ripoḥ || 166 ||

Translation

Après avoir brûlé un héron dans le feu du champ de crémation et en avoir pris la cendre, le connaisseur des mantras doit réciter (le mantra) huit cents fois en y joignant le nom de l’opposant ; on dit que tel est le rite pour chasser l’ennemi.

Word by Word

• दग्ध्वा: having burned
• दग्ध्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having burnt’

• कङ्कम्: a heron/vulture (kanka bird)
• कङ्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्मशान-अग्नौ: in the cremation-fire
• श्मशान-अग्नौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (श्मशानस्य अग्निः)

• तत्-भस्म: from that ash
• तत्-भस्म: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तस्य भस्म)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having taken’

• मन्त्र-वित्: knower of mantras
• मन्त्र-वित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मन्त्रं वेत्ति इति)

• विरोधि-नाम्ना: with the opponent’s name
• विरोधि-नाम्ना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरोधिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विरोधिनः नाम)

• अष्ट-शतम्: eight hundred (times)
• अष्ट-शतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (eight hundred)

• जप्तम्: recited
• जप्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘recited’ (qualifying uccāṭanam)

• उच्चाटनम्: expulsion/banishment rite
• उच्चाटनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्-चट्/चट् (धातु) → उच्चाटन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• रिपोः: of the enemy
• रिपोः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within a technical/ritual section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

The verse preserves a technical, results-oriented ritual instruction (a karma-prayoga) showing how mantra-japa is applied within the Purana’s catalog of practical sciences; it reflects the text’s Third Pada focus on specialized procedures rather than devotional theology.

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

This specific verse does not teach bhakti directly; it belongs to a technical ritual segment describing uccāṭana (driving away), which is distinct from the Narada Purana’s broader Vishnu-bhakti teachings found elsewhere.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-prayoga (applied mantra practice): using precise counts (aṣṭaśata japa), name-insertion (virodhi-nāmnā), and ritual substances (bhasma/ash) as a procedural method—typical of technical lore integrated into Purāṇic instruction.