Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

Kalpa-Lakṣaṇa and Gṛhya-Kalpa: Classifications, Purifications, Implements, and Spatial Rite-Design

Devanagari script

अमृतस्य क्षयं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्माद्यैः सर्वदैवतैः । वेद्यां निधापितस्तस्मात्समिद्गर्भो हुताशनः ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

amṛtasya kṣayaṃ dṛṣṭvā brahmādyaiḥ sarvadaivataiḥ | vedyāṃ nidhāpitastasmātsamidgarbho hutāśanaḥ || 21 ||

Translation

ครั้นเห็นว่าอมฤตเริ่มร่อยหรอ พระพรหมเป็นต้นพร้อมด้วยเทพทั้งปวง จึงประดิษฐานหุตาศนะผู้มีฟืนบูชาอยู่ภายในไว้บนเวที เพื่อให้พิธียัญดำรงอยู่.

Word by Word

• अमृतस्य: of nectar/ambrosia
• अमृतस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: loss/decay
• क्षयम्: कर्म (Object of seeing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त, त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘दर्शनं कृत्वा’

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: करण/कर्ता-सह (Agent group, instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सर्व-दैवतैः: by all the deities
• सर्व-दैवतैः: करण/कर्ता-सह (Agent group, instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि दैवताः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वेद्याम्: on the altar
• वेद्याम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निधापितः: was placed/deposited
• निधापितः: विधेय (Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु) + णिच् → निधापय (धातु) → निधापित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थापितः’

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Ablative cause/source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः; अपादानार्थक (ablative sense) ‘therefore/from that’

• समित्-गर्भः: having fuel-sticks within (enclosed in kindling)
• समित्-गर्भः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समित् (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समिधो गर्भे यस्य/समिध्गर्भः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हुताशनः: Fire (the eater of offerings)
• हुताशनः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत (कृदन्त) + अशन्/अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हुतं अश्नाति/हुतं अशनं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अग्निवाचक

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha Dharma section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Agni (Hutashana)
• Sarva-devata (all deities)
• Amrita

FAQs

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

It presents Agni as the divine stabilizer of sacred power: when amṛta diminishes, the gods re-establish the yajña-center (the vedi with Agni) so the cosmic order (dharma) and life-sustaining sanctity are preserved through proper ritual.

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

While the verse is primarily ritual-vedic, it supports bhakti indirectly by showing that divine order is maintained through reverent, correct worship—Agni as the mouth of the gods receives offerings, cultivating surrender and sacred discipline that complements Vishnu-bhakti in the Moksha Dharma framework.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure): installing Agni on the vedi and maintaining samidh (fuel-sticks) are core yajña requirements, emphasizing correct altar-practice and fire-maintenance as a technical foundation of Vedic rites.