Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 151

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

एवं ध्यात्वा पुमांसं स्फुटहृदयसरोजासनासीनमाद्यं सांद्रांभोदाच्छबिंबाद्भुतकनकनिभं संजपेदर्कलक्षम् । मन्वोरेकं द्वितारांतरितमथः हुनेदर्कसाहस्रमिध्मैः क्षीरिद्रूत्थर्यथोक्तैः समधुघृतसितेनाथवा पायसेन ॥ १५१ ॥

Transliteration

evaṃ dhyātvā pumāṃsaṃ sphuṭahṛdayasarojāsanāsīnamādyaṃ sāṃdrāṃbhodācchabiṃbādbhutakanakanibhaṃ saṃjapedarkalakṣam | manvorekaṃ dvitārāṃtaritamathaḥ hunedarkasāhasramidhmaiḥ kṣīridrūttharyathoktaiḥ samadhughṛtasitenāthavā pāyasena || 151 ||

Translation

هكذا، بعد التأمل في «الإنسان الأزلي» الجالس على لوتس القلب المتفتح بوضوح، المتلألئ كلمعان سحابة مطر كثيفة، والمشرق على نحوٍ عجيب كلون الذهب، ينبغي ترديد «مانترا أركا» (إله الشمس) مئة ألف مرة. ثم يُؤخذ مانترا واحد ويُدرج فيه مقطعان من «تارا» (أي الصوت المقدّس أوم oṃ)، وتُقدَّم لأركا ألفُ قربانٍ ناريّ (هوما) بالحطب الموصوف، مع استعمال الحليب والعسل والسمن المصفّى والسكر معًا—أو يُستعاض عنها بـ«باياسا» (أرزّ بالحليب).

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), manner-adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Kriyā (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having meditated’

• pumām̐sam: the Person (Supreme male being)
• pumām̐sam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sphuṭa-hṛdaya-saroja-āsana-āsīnam: seated on the lotus-seat of the clearly (opened) heart
• sphuṭa-hṛdaya-saroja-āsana-āsīnam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक) + saroja (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (कृदन्त)
• Form: Compound adjective (समास), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine agreeing with pumāṃsam; āsīna = past participle (क्त) used adjectivally

• ādyam: the primordial
• ādyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifier of pumāṃsam

• sāndra-ambuda-ācchavi-bimba-adbhuta-kanaka-nibham: resembling wondrous gold, like the bright orb amid dense clouds
• sāndra-ambuda-ācchavi-bimba-adbhuta-kanaka-nibham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāndra (प्रातिपदिक) + ambuda (प्रातिपदिक) + ācchavi (प्रातिपदिक) + bimba (प्रातिपदिक) + adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक) + kanaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound adjective, Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifier of pumāṃsam

• saṃjapet: should mutter/recite
• saṃjapet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-jap (जप् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada; injunction ‘should recite’

• arka-lakṣam: one lakh (100,000) of Arka-japa
• arka-lakṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arka (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; lakṣa = 100,000; arka-lakṣa = ‘one lakh of Arka (mantra-japa)’

• manvoḥ: of the two mantras
• manvoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma (कर्म; जप्यवस्तु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; used substantively ‘one (mantra)’

• dvi-tārā-antaritam: with two ‘tārā’ syllables inserted
• dvi-tārā-antaritam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + tārā (प्रातिपदिक) + antarita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifier of ekam; ‘separated/inserted with two tārā-s (i.e., two Oṃ-s)’

• athaḥ: then
• athaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sequence-marker (अनन्तरार्थक)

• hunet: should offer oblations
• hunet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (हु धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; ‘should offer (in fire)’

• arka-sāhasram: a thousand (offerings) for Arka
• arka-sāhasram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arka (प्रातिपदिक) + sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘a thousand (oblations) of Arka’

• idhmaiḥ: with fuel-sticks
• idhmaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idhma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kṣīri-drū-uttharaiḥ: from milk-yielding trees
• kṣīri-drū-uttharaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīrin (प्रातिपदिक) + drū (प्रातिपदिक) + utthara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental plural agreeing with idhmaiḥ; ‘with sticks from milk-bearing trees’ (kṣīrin-drū = milk-yielding tree)

• yathā-uktaiḥ: as prescribed
• yathā-uktaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Instrumental plural agreeing with idhmaiḥ; avyayībhāva compound ‘as said/prescribed’

• sa-madhu-ghṛta-sitena: with honey, ghee, and sugar
• sa-madhu-ghṛta-sitena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/सहित, उपसर्गवत्) + madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular; qualifier of (implicit) havis; ‘with honey, ghee, and sugar’

• atha-vā: or else
• atha-vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय) + vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; alternative-marker (विकल्पार्थक)

• pāyasena: with rice-pudding (payasa)
• pāyasena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Arka (Surya, the Sun)
• Puruṣa (Primordial Person)

FAQs

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

It links inner contemplation (dhyāna on the Puruṣa in the heart-lotus) with outer sacrificial discipline (japa and homa), showing that ritual efficacy is grounded in purified awareness and focused visualization.

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

Devotion is expressed through reverent meditation on the divine form and sustained mantra-repetition, culminating in offerings to Arka; the verse frames worship as both heartfelt (hṛdaya) and action-oriented (homa).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It emphasizes ritual-technical procedure: prescribed counts (lakṣa-japa, sāhasra-homa), mantra-formation using tārā (oṃ), and correct dravya (milk, honey, ghee, sugar, or pāyasa) and idhma (fuel) for the offering—features aligned with Kalpa (ritual science).