Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

चिताग्नौ परभृत्पक्षैर्जुर्हुयादरिमृत्यवे । उन्मत्तकाष्ठदीप्तेऽग्नौ तत्फलं वायसच्छदैः ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

citāgnau parabhṛtpakṣairjurhuyādarimṛtyave | unmattakāṣṭhadīpte'gnau tatphalaṃ vāyasacchadaiḥ || 28 ||

Translation

Dans le feu du bûcher funéraire, qu’on offre en oblation les plumes du coucou (parabhṛt) afin d’amener la mort de l’ennemi. Si le feu flambe avec le bois de l’arbre unmattaka, le même effet s’obtient en offrant des plumes de corbeau.

Word by Word

• चिता-अग्नौ: in the funeral-pyre fire
• चिता-अग्नौ: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चितायाः अग्निः) — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• परभृत्-पक्षैः: with cuckoo’s wings/feathers
• परभृत्-पक्षैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परभृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परभृतस्य पक्षाः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; genitive tatpurusha

• जुर्हुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• जुर्हुयात्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु) (जुहोति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• अरि-मृत्यवे: for the death of the enemy
• अरि-मृत्यवे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरेः मृत्युः) — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• उन्मत्त-काष्ठ-दीप्ते: in (a fire) kindled with datura-wood
• उन्मत्त-काष्ठ-दीप्ते: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + दीप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (उन्मत्तं काष्ठं येन दीप्तः) — Masculine, Locative, Singular; determinative compound

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: कर्म/फल (Result/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य फलम्) — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• वायस-च्छदैः: with crow-feathers
• वायस-च्छदैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक) + छद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायसस्य छदाः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; genitive tatpurusha

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical/ritual section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates a karma-kāṇḍa style principle: specific materials offered into fire (homa) are believed to yield specific results, emphasizing ritual causality (karman → phala) rather than devotional theology.

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

It does not teach bhakti directly; instead, it contrasts with bhakti by presenting result-oriented ritual techniques (prayoga). In the broader Purāṇic frame, such acts are typically seen as worldly (kāmya) aims, distinct from liberation-focused devotion to Viṣṇu.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual-prayoga knowledge: selection of homa materials (dravyas), contextual conditions of the fire, and the notion of substitute/alternate materials producing the same phala—features aligned with applied ritual science within the Vedāṅga ecosystem.