Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

The Explanation of Sandhyā and Related Daily Observances

Saṅdhyā-ādi Nitya-karma-Vidhi

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि दक्षाङ्घ्रौ तानि भूसुरे । स्वेष्टदेवं समुद्वास्य मन्त्री मार्तण्डमण्डले ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni dakṣāṅghrau tāni bhūsure | sveṣṭadevaṃ samudvāsya mantrī mārtaṇḍamaṇḍale || 41 ||

Translation

O Brāhmaṇa (bhūsura), alle auf Erden bestehenden Tīrthas sind im rechten Fuß gegenwärtig. Nachdem man die erwählte Gottheit (iṣṭa-devatā) ordnungsgemäß angerufen hat, soll der Mantra-Kenner im Sonnenkreis Mārtaṇḍas (der Sonne) betrachten und verehren.

Word by Word

• pṛthivyām: on earth
• pṛthivyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• yāni: which
• yāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tīrthāni: pilgrimage places
• tīrthāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dakṣa-aṅghrau: in the right foot
• dakṣa-aṅghrau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅghri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः: 'right' + 'foot' = 'right foot'

• tāni: those
• tāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhūsure: O brāhmaṇa
• bhūsure: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūsura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

• sva-iṣṭa-devam: one’s chosen deity
• sva-iṣṭa-devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + iṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: one's (sva) + chosen (iṣṭa) + deity

• samudvāsya: having invoked/installed
• samudvāsya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-vas (समुद्वस् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/त्वान्त), 'having invoked/installed' (contextual)

• mantrī: the mantra-reciter
• mantrī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• mārtaṇḍa-maṇḍale: in the solar orb
• mārtaṇḍa-maṇḍale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārtaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'of the Sun' + 'disc/orb'

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Mārtaṇḍa (Sun)

FAQs

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

It internalizes pilgrimage: the merit of external tīrthas is said to be present within the practitioner’s own body (the right foot), and it directs worship toward the Sun’s mandala as a powerful locus for mantra-based contemplation.

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

Bhakti is framed as focused upāsanā: the devotee invokes the iṣṭadevatā and fixes devotion through a concrete sacred support (the Sun-disc), turning worship into steady, single-pointed remembrance rather than mere travel to places.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-prayoga and mandala-upāsanā are emphasized—ritual invocation/installation (āvāhana-like sense of samudvāsya) and a solar focal point aligned with Jyotiṣa-oriented sacred cosmology.