Shloka 25

The Greatness of Puruṣottama

Aṣṭākṣarī Maṇḍala-Pūjā and Nyāsa

Devanagari script

ततोऽवधार्य हृदये कर्णिकायां बहिर्न्यसेत् । चतुर्भुजं महासत्वं सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम् ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

tato'vadhārya hṛdaye karṇikāyāṃ bahirnyaset | caturbhujaṃ mahāsatvaṃ sūryakoṭisamaprabham || 25 ||

Translation

ثم بعد أن يثبّت الانتباه في القلب تثبيتًا راسخًا، يضع (الربّ) إلى الخارج على قلب لوتس القلب—متصوّرًا الكائن العظيم السامي، ذا أربعة أذرع، الذي يضاهي لمعانه لمعان عشرة ملايين شمس.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• अवधार्य: having fixed (in mind)
• अवधार्य: Purvakala-Kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव-√धृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having fixed/ascertained/held (in mind)’

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• कर्णिकायाम्: in the pericarp
• कर्णिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• बहिः: outside, outwardly
• बहिः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: outside/outwardly)

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस्/√न्यस् (धातु; न्यासे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चतुर्भुजम्: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-भुज (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + भुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य’ (four-armed)

• महासत्त्वम्: the great being
• महासत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; महा + सत्त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘महच्च तत् सत्त्वम्’ (great being/heroic essence)

• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम्: having splendor equal to millions of suns
• सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य-कोटि-सम-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्य + कोटि + सम + प्रभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सूर्यकोट्या समा प्रभा यस्य’ (having radiance equal to ten million suns)

Speaker

Narada (teaching an upāsanā/dhyāna procedure in the Uttara-Bhāga stream)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It prescribes a precise inner visualization: establishing the Lord in the heart-lotus and contemplating His overwhelming divine radiance, which purifies the mind and stabilizes devotion-oriented meditation.

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

By directing the devotee to lovingly “install” Vishnu in the heart as a living presence (four-armed, supremely auspicious), it turns meditation into intimate worship—bhakti expressed as continuous remembrance (smaraṇa).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects a ritual-technical principle akin to nyāsa (mental placement/installation) used in mantra-upāsanā: the deity is systematically located in an inner altar (heart-lotus) to make worship steady and methodical.