Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

चिताग्नौ परभृत्पक्षैर्जुर्हुयादरिमृत्यवे । उन्मत्तकाष्ठदीप्तेऽग्नौ तत्फलं वायसच्छदैः ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

citāgnau parabhṛtpakṣairjurhuyādarimṛtyave | unmattakāṣṭhadīpte'gnau tatphalaṃ vāyasacchadaiḥ || 28 ||

Translation

于火葬之柴火中，为令仇敌致死，当以杜鹃（parabhṛt）之羽作供献。若火以“unmattaka”之木炽燃，则献乌鸦之羽亦得同果。

Word by Word

• चिता-अग्नौ: in the funeral-pyre fire
• चिता-अग्नौ: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चितायाः अग्निः) — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• परभृत्-पक्षैः: with cuckoo’s wings/feathers
• परभृत्-पक्षैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परभृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परभृतस्य पक्षाः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; genitive tatpurusha

• जुर्हुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• जुर्हुयात्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु) (जुहोति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• अरि-मृत्यवे: for the death of the enemy
• अरि-मृत्यवे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरेः मृत्युः) — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• उन्मत्त-काष्ठ-दीप्ते: in (a fire) kindled with datura-wood
• उन्मत्त-काष्ठ-दीप्ते: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + दीप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (उन्मत्तं काष्ठं येन दीप्तः) — Masculine, Locative, Singular; determinative compound

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: कर्म/फल (Result/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य फलम्) — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; genitive tatpurusha

• वायस-च्छदैः: with crow-feathers
• वायस-च्छदैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक) + छद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायसस्य छदाः) — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; genitive tatpurusha

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical/ritual section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates a karma-kāṇḍa style principle: specific materials offered into fire (homa) are believed to yield specific results, emphasizing ritual causality (karman → phala) rather than devotional theology.

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

It does not teach bhakti directly; instead, it contrasts with bhakti by presenting result-oriented ritual techniques (prayoga). In the broader Purāṇic frame, such acts are typically seen as worldly (kāmya) aims, distinct from liberation-focused devotion to Viṣṇu.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual-prayoga knowledge: selection of homa materials (dravyas), contextual conditions of the fire, and the notion of substitute/alternate materials producing the same phala—features aligned with applied ritual science within the Vedāṅga ecosystem.