Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 199
The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra
Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana
स्मृत्वा यथोक्तं क्षेत्रेशँ तस्य हस्ते बलिं हरेत् । बलिनानेन सन्तुष्टः क्षेत्रपालः प्रयच्छति ॥ १९९ ॥
smṛtvā yathoktaṃ kṣetreśaṃ tasya haste baliṃ haret | balinānena santuṣṭaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ prayacchati || 199 ||
En se souvenant (en invoquant) selon la règle le Seigneur du lieu sacré, qu’on dépose le bali dans sa main ; satisfait par cette offrande, Kṣetrapāla, gardien de l’enceinte sainte, accorde ce qui est demandé.
Narada
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that sacred places have a presiding lord (Kṣetreśa) and a protecting guardian (Kṣetrapāla), and that reverent, rule-based offering (bali) harmonizes the pilgrim with the kṣetra’s protective order, yielding auspicious results.
Bhakti here is expressed as mindful remembrance and respectful offering done “as prescribed”; devotion is not merely emotion, but attentive upāsanā that honors the deity and the kṣetra’s guardian forces.
It highlights ritual procedure and correct injunction-following (yathoktam), reflecting Vedāṅga-oriented discipline—doing offerings in the proper manner, place, and sequence to align with śāstric rules.