Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

शैवी षडंगमुद्राय न्यस्तव्या हि षडंगके । गामाद्यं चैव भूर्लोकं नाभ्यंतं पादयोर्न्यसेत् ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration

śaivī ṣaḍaṃgamudrāya nyastavyā hi ṣaḍaṃgake | gāmādyaṃ caiva bhūrlokaṃ nābhyaṃtaṃ pādayornyaset || 8 ||

Translation

Wahrlich, die śaivische „sechsgliedrige“ Mudrā ist durch Nyāsa auf die sechs Körperteile zu legen. Und die Bhūrloka, beginnend mit der Silbe «gām», soll vom Nabelbereich bis hinab zu den Füßen eingesetzt werden.

Word by Word

• शैवी: Śaiva (pertaining to Śiva)
• शैवी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘मुद्रा’ (understood)

• षट्-अङ्ग-मुद्रā: the six-limbed mudrā
• षट्-अङ्ग-मुद्रā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; ‘षडङ्गस्य मुद्रा’

• न्यस्तव्या: is to be placed
• न्यस्तव्या: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√अस् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय—‘to be placed’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• षट्-अङ्गके: in the six-limbed (procedure)
• षट्-अङ्गके: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्/Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th), एकवचन; ‘in the six-limbed (nyāsa/system)’

• गाम्-आद्यम्: (the mantra) beginning with “gām”
• गाम्-आद्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाम् (बीज/प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; ‘गाम्-आदि’ = beginning with “gām”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: just; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• भूः-लोकम्: Bhūloka (earth realm)
• भूः-लोकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूः (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; ‘भूर्लोक’ = Bhū-loka (earth-world)

• नाभि-अन्तम्: up to the navel
• नाभि-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘भूर्लोकम्’ इत्यस्य; ‘नाभ्यन्तम्’ = up to the navel

• पादयोः: on the two feet
• पादयोः: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्/Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी/सप्तमी (सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण), द्विवचन; ‘of/on the two feet’ (context: locus for nyāsa)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined embodiment of mantra through ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa—installing sacred power into specific bodily loci—so worship becomes internalized rather than merely external.

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

By prescribing nyāsa and mudrā, it frames devotion as attentive, reverent ritual concentration—aligning body and mind so the devotee’s worship becomes steady and one-pointed.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure (kalpa-style prayoga): how to perform bodily placement (nyāsa) with a defined sequence—assigning Bhūrloka from the navel down to the feet using the ‘gām’-beginning formula.