Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 125

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

त्रिजन्मसु सुधावल्लीकाश्मीरीबकुलोद्भवैः । समिद्वरैः कृतो होमः सर्वमृत्युगदापहः ॥ १२५ ॥

Transliteration

trijanmasu sudhāvallīkāśmīrībakulodbhavaiḥ | samidvaraiḥ kṛto homaḥ sarvamṛtyugadāpahaḥ || 125 ||

Translation

Lorsque le homa est accompli au cours de trois existences, avec d’excellents bois d’allumage issus de plantes telles que sudhāvallī, kāśmīrī et de l’arbre bakula, il devient celui qui écarte tout péril mortel et toute maladie.

Word by Word

• त्रि-जन्मसु: in three births
• त्रि-जन्मसु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद) — 'in three births'

• सुधा-वल्ली-काश्मीरी-बकुल-उद्भवैः: with (sticks) arising from sudhā-vallī, kāśmīrī and bakula
• सुधा-वल्ली-काश्मीरी-बकुल-उद्भवैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक) + काश्मीरी (प्रातिपदिक) + बकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः — 'born from (plants) sudhā-vallī, kāśmīrī, bakula'

• समित्-वरैः: with excellent kindling sticks
• समित्-वरैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समित् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय — 'excellent kindling-sticks'

• कृतः: performed
• कृतः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; passive/resultative sense — 'done/performed'

• होमः: the oblation (homa)
• होमः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सर्व-मृत्यु-गद-अपहः: removing all death and disease
• सर्व-मृत्यु-गद-अपहः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier of होमः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + गद (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'remover of all death and disease' (अपह = अपहर्तृ/नाशक)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context, as preserved in Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Homa
• Agni

FAQs

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

It teaches that properly performed Vedic fire-offerings (homa), using prescribed samidhs, function as protective rites that counteract life-threatening dangers and diseases, emphasizing ritual precision as a means of dharmic safeguarding.

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

While the verse is primarily ritual-technical, the homa is implicitly an act of reverent offering into sacred fire; performed with faith and continuity, it becomes a devotional discipline that aligns the practitioner with divine order and protection.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa-oriented ritual know-how: selecting specific samidhs (fuel-woods) and conducting homa as a remedial rite (prayoga) aimed at health and protection, showing the Narada Purana’s applied ritual science.