Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

Gaṇeśa Mantra-vidhi: Mahāgaṇapati Gāyatrī, Vakratuṇḍa Mantra, Nyāsa, Homa, Āvaraṇa-pūjā, and Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

विभक्तैर्मूलगायत्र्या हृदंतैरष्टभिः पदैः । भालदेशे मुखे कण्ठे हृदि नाभ्यूरुजानुषु ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

vibhaktairmūlagāyatryā hṛdaṃtairaṣṭabhiḥ padaiḥ | bhāladeśe mukhe kaṇṭhe hṛdi nābhyūrujānuṣu || 13 ||

Translation

Mit den acht Abschnitten (pada) der mūla-gāyatrī, von denen jeder mit der Silbe „hṛt“ endet, vollziehe man Nyāsa, indem man sie auf Stirnregion, Gesicht, Kehle, Herz, Nabel, Oberschenkel und Knie setzt.

Word by Word

• विभक्तैः: with separated/divided
• विभक्तैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural); विशेषण of पदैः

• मूलगायत्र्या: with the root Gāyatrī
• मूलगायत्र्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल + गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मूला गायत्री), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• हृदन्तैः: with heart-ending/heart-related
• हृदन्तैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृद् + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हृदः अन्ताः/हृदन्ताः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण of पदैः (interpretable as ‘ending with hṛd/heart-syllable’ or ‘heart-related’)

• अष्टभिः: with eight
• अष्टभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural numeral); विशेषण of पदैः

• पदैः: with words/steps
• पदैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• भालदेशे: on the forehead-region
• भालदेशे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भालस्य देशः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• मुखे: in/on the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• कण्ठे: in/on the throat
• कण्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular; irregular stem)

• नाभि: in the navel
• नाभि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative plural) — as part of list with -षु

• ऊरु: in the thighs
• ऊरु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative plural) — as part of list with -षु

• जानुषु: in the knees
• जानुषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative plural)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within a Vedanga/ritual-technical teaching context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-nyāsa: internalizing Gāyatrī by ritually placing its divisions onto key body centers, treating the practitioner’s body as a sacred support for mantra-upāsanā.

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

Though technical, it supports devotional upāsanā by making remembrance of the mantra continuous and embodied—turning recitation into a disciplined, reverential practice rather than mere sound.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights applied ritual technology—nyāsa and mantra-vinyāsa—typical of technical Vedic practice, where a mantra is segmented (pada-bheda) and assigned to specific bodily loci for focused meditation.