Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

षोढा न्यासं ततः कुर्यात्तारायाः सर्वसिद्धिम् । श्रीकण्ठादीन्न्यसेद्रुद्रान्मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान् ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

ṣoḍhā nyāsaṃ tataḥ kuryāttārāyāḥ sarvasiddhim | śrīkaṇṭhādīnnyasedrudrānmātṛkāvarṇapūrvakān || 39 ||

Translation

ثم ينبغي أن يُؤدَّى لتارا طقس النْياسا ذي الستة عشر وجهًا، وهو واهبُ جميع السِّدهي (الإنجازات). ويُوضَع (تُستحضَر) الرودرات ابتداءً من «شريكانثا»، على أن تسبقها حروف الماتريكا (مصفوفة الأبجدية).

Word by Word

• षोढा: sixfold
• षोढा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षोढा (अव्यय; षट्-प्रकारेण)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in six ways/parts’)

• न्यासम्: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तारायाः: of Tārā
• तारायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सर्वसिद्धिम्: all accomplishment(s)
• सर्वसिद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व+सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रीकण्ठादीन्: Śrīkaṇṭha and others
• श्रीकण्ठादीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ+आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’-समास (and others beginning with Śrīkaṇṭha)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रुद्रान्: the Rudras
• रुद्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान्: preceded by the Mātr̥kā letters
• मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृका+वर्ण+पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘रुद्रान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—मातृकावर्णैः पूर्वकाः (preceded by the Mātr̥kā letters)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Rudras
• Śrīkaṇṭha
• Mātṛkā

FAQs

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

It teaches that siddhi in mantra-practice is grounded in disciplined ritual embodiment: through ṣoḍhā-nyāsa the deity (Tārā) and divine powers are installed in the practitioner’s own psycho-physical field, making the sādhana effective.

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

Here devotion is expressed as precise upāsanā—reverent, rule-based worship—where the devotee internalizes the deity through nyāsa, treating the body and speech as instruments of sacred service.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights a technical mantra-ritual method: mātṛkā-varṇa (alphabet/syllable) based nyāsa, showing applied knowledge of sacred phonetics (śikṣā) and mantra-structure used in formal ritual procedure.