Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

शवस्य हृदये स्थित्वा निर्वासाः प्रेतभूमिगः । अर्कपुष्पसहस्रेणाभ्यक्तेन स्वीयरेतसा ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

śavasya hṛdaye sthitvā nirvāsāḥ pretabhūmigaḥ | arkapuṣpasahasreṇābhyaktena svīyaretasā || 22 ||

Translation

Ngồi trên vùng tim của một tử thi—trần thân, nơi bãi thiêu—người ấy xức (anoint) bằng một nghìn hoa arka đã được bôi bằng tinh dịch của chính mình.

Word by Word

• शवस्य: of a corpse
• शवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• स्थित्वा: having sat/placed oneself
• स्थित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having stood/sat’; पूर्वक्रिया

• निर्वासाः: without clothes
• निर्वासाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषण (naked/without clothing)

• प्रेतभूमिगः: being in the charnel/ghost-ground
• प्रेतभूमिगः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेतभूमि + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: प्रेतभूमौ गः = going/being in the ghost-ground); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (पाठे ‘गः’ एकवचन; ‘निर्वासाः’ बहुवचन इति पाठभेद/सामानाधिकरण्य-व्यत्यय सम्भवः)

• अर्कपुष्पसहस्रेण: with a thousand arka-flowers
• अर्कपुष्पसहस्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्कपुष्प + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अर्कपुष्पाणां सहस्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); एकवचन

• अभ्यक्तेन: anointed/smeared
• अभ्यक्तेन: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + अञ्ज् (धातु) → अभ्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘अभ्यक्त’ = anointed/smeared; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अर्कपुष्पसहस्रेण’)

• स्वीयरेतसा: with one’s own semen
• स्वीयरेतसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वीय + रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स्वीयं रेतः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (instructing/relating a technical-ritual procedure to the Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

It depicts an extreme, transgressive cremation-ground procedure used in certain esoteric ritual systems, emphasizing fearlessness, severing social identity, and the deliberate use of liminal spaces as a means to force intense concentration and ritual potency.

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

This verse is not framed as a bhakti practice; it belongs to a technical/ritual description. In Narada Purana’s broader teaching, such rites are distinct from pure Vishnu-bhakti, which typically emphasizes sattvic conduct, mantra-japa, and devotion rather than cremation-ground transgressions.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects prayoga-style procedural detail (ritual application): specified location (preta-bhūmi), posture/placement (on the corpse’s heart), and precise materials (arka flowers, counted as a thousand), characteristic of technical ritual manuals rather than narrative theology.