Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 111

Yakṣiṇī-Mantra-Sādhana Nirūpaṇa

Lakṣmī-avatāra-vidyāḥ: Bālā, Annapūrṇā, Bagalā

Devanagari script

मंत्रितं निहितं भूमौ रिपूणां स्तंभयेद्गतिम् । प्रेतवस्त्रे लिखेद्यंत्रं अंगारेणैव तत्पुनः ॥ १११ ॥

Transliteration

maṃtritaṃ nihitaṃ bhūmau ripūṇāṃ staṃbhayedgatim | pretavastre likhedyaṃtraṃ aṃgāreṇaiva tatpunaḥ || 111 ||

Translation

മന്ത്രാഭിഷേകം ചെയ്ത് ഭൂമിയിൽ നിക്ഷേപിച്ചാൽ അത് ശത്രുക്കളുടെ ഗതി തടയും. പിന്നെയും അങ്കാരമാത്രം ഉപയോഗിച്ച് ശവവസ്ത്രത്തിൽ യന്ത്രം എഴുതണം।

Word by Word

• मन्त्रितम्: consecrated/enchanted (with mantra)
• मन्त्रितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्रित (कृदन्त; √मन्त्र् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यन्त्रं/वस्तु)

• निहितम्: placed, deposited
• निहितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √धा (धातु) (कृदन्त: निहित)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• रिपूणाम्: of enemies
• रिपूणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• स्तम्भयेत्: should stop/paralyze
• स्तम्भयेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• गतिम्: movement
• गतिम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रेत-वस्त्रे: on/in a shroud (cloth of a dead person)
• प्रेत-वस्त्रे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (प्रेतस्य वस्त्रे = in a dead person’s cloth)

• लिखेत्: should write/draw
• लिखेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यन्त्रम्: yantra/diagram
• यन्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अङ्गारेण: with an ember
• अङ्गारेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis: ‘indeed/only’)

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘that (same thing)’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘again’)

Speaker

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

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

FAQs

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

It presents a technical (prayoga) use of mantra and yantra—showing how speech-power (mantra) is ritually ‘fixed’ into an object and deployed through prescribed placement, reflecting the Purana’s treatment of applied sacred sciences in Book 1.3.

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

This verse is not a bhakti-teaching directly; it belongs to the technical sciences stream (yantra-mantra). In the Narada Purana’s broader frame, such practices are subordinate to dharma and should not replace Vishnu-bhakti or ethical self-control.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual procedure (prayoga-vidhi) involving mantra-śakti and yantra-lekhana—an applied, technical discipline associated with the Purana’s ‘Vedanga/auxiliary sciences’ orientation in Book 1.3.