Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

हृदयं सबकः सूक्ष्मो लांतोऽनन्तान्वितो मरुत् । पंचाक्षरो मनुः प्रोक्तस्ताराद्योऽयं षडक्षरः ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

hṛdayaṃ sabakaḥ sūkṣmo lāṃto'nantānvito marut | paṃcākṣaro manuḥ proktastārādyo'yaṃ ṣaḍakṣaraḥ || 2 ||

Translation

«مانترا القلب» (هْرِدَيَة) هي المسماة «سَبَكَ» (Sabaka) لطيفةُ الطبيعة؛ ومانترا «ماروت» (Marut) مقترنةٌ بـ«أنَنْتَ» (Ananta) وتنتهي بالمقطع «لام» (lāṃ). و«مَنو» مُعلَنةٌ مانترا خماسية المقاطع؛ وأما هذه التي تبدأ بـ«تارا» أي «أوم» (oṃ) فهي سداسية المقاطع.

Word by Word

• hṛdayam: (the) heart (seed)
• hṛdayam: Karta (कर्ता/subject—mantra-element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sabakaḥ: with ‘sa’ and ‘ba’ (sabaka) / named Sabaka
• sabakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sabaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective qualifying marut/manu (contextual)

• sūkṣmaḥ: subtle
• sūkṣmaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• lāṃtaḥ: ending in ‘lāṃ’
• lāṃtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lāṃta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘ending with lāṃ’ (lāṃ-anta)

• ananta-anvitaḥ: associated with Ananta
• ananta-anvitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘accompanied by Ananta’

• marut: Marut (name/element)
• marut: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marut (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; Vedic-style stem; here mantra-name/element

• paṃca-akṣaraḥ: five-syllabled
• paṃca-akṣaraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of manuḥ/ṣaḍakṣaraḥ contextually)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; dvigu compound ‘five-syllabled’

• manuḥ: mantra (manu)
• manuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘mantra’ in tantric usage

• proktaḥ: is declared/said
• proktaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया—participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with manuḥ

• tārā-ādyaḥ: beginning with Oṃ
• tārā-ādyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of ṣaḍakṣaraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tārā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘beginning with tārā (Oṃ)’

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣya-nirdeśa (विशेष्यनिर्देश/deictic subject marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• ṣaṭ-akṣaraḥ: six-syllabled (mantra)
• ṣaṭ-akṣaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; dvigu compound ‘six-syllabled (mantra)’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/Mantra-technical context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ananta
• Marut

FAQs

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

It classifies mantras by their syllabic structure (five- and six-syllabled) and identifies technical components like praṇava (oṃ) and bīja (lāṃ), showing how precise mantra-form is treated as essential to effective nyāsa and inner worship.

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

While technical, it supports Bhakti by prescribing correct mantra-forms for devotional practice—japa and nyāsa—so the devotee’s worship becomes disciplined, focused, and aligned with traditional mantra-śāstra.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-śikṣā and applied ritual phonetics: identifying akṣara-count (pañcākṣara/ṣaḍakṣara), the use of praṇava ‘oṃ’ (tārā), and bīja syllables (lāṃ) in structured recitation and placement (nyāsa).