Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 148

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

वंजुलस्य समिद्भोमो वृष्टिं वितनुतेऽचिरात् । क्षीराक्तैरमृताखंडैर्होमान्नाशयति ज्वरम् ॥ १४८ ॥

Transliteration

vaṃjulasya samidbhomo vṛṣṭiṃ vitanute'cirāt | kṣīrāktairamṛtākhaṃḍairhomānnāśayati jvaram || 148 ||

Translation

Hỏa cúng dùng củi samidh của cây vaṃjula mau chóng làm mưa đổ xuống. Lại nữa, dâng vào lửa những mảnh amṛtā (guḍūcī) được thoa sữa thì nghi lễ homa ấy tiêu trừ chứng sốt.

Word by Word

• वंजुलस्य: of the vaṃjula (plant/tree)
• वंजुलस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंजुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• समित्: fuel-stick (for sacrifice)
• समित्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध्/समित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘समिद्भोमः’ इत्यत्र पूर्वपद

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

• वृष्टिम्: rainfall
• वृष्टिम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वितनुते: spreads, produces
• वितनुते: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन् (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अचिरात्: soon, quickly
• अचिरात्: कालाधिकरण (Adverbial time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• क्षीर-आक्तैः: smeared with milk
• क्षीर-आक्तैः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर + आक्त (कृदन्त; अञ्ज्/अक्त धातु-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: बहुवचन, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया); पुंलिङ्ग (अमृताखण्डैः इति विशेष्य-अन्वय); ‘आक्त’ = क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP) ‘smeared/anointed’; तत्पुरुष

• अमृत-आखण्डैः: with pieces of amṛta (nectar)
• अमृत-आखण्डैः: करण (Karana/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत + आखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘pieces of amṛta/nectar-like’)

• होमात्: from/through the homa
• होमात्: अपादान (Apadana/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• नाशयति: destroys, removes
• नाशयति: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

• ज्वरम्: fever
• ज्वरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Narada

FAQs

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

It presents homa as a Vedic, dharmic technology where correctly chosen samidhs and offerings align the ritual act with cosmic and bodily order—supporting both rainfall (loka-kalyāṇa) and relief from fever (ārogya).

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

Though technical in tone, it implies that ritual efficacy depends on disciplined, faith-filled performance (śraddhā) and reverence for Vedic injunction—an applied form of devotion expressed through yajña-oriented service.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-oriented ritual know-how is foregrounded: selection of specific samidhs (vaṃjula) for rain-producing rites and specific dravya-offerings (milk-anointed guḍūcī pieces) as a remedial homa for jvara.