Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

Śeṣoditya-Sūrya-nyāsa, Soma-sādhana, Graha-pūjā, and Bhauma-vrata-vidhi

Devanagari script

मूर्द्धादिहृदयांतं तु विन्यसेत्साधकोत्तमः । डकारादिक्षकारांतवर्णाद्यं वह्निमण्डलम् ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

mūrddhādihṛdayāṃtaṃ tu vinyasetsādhakottamaḥ | ḍakārādikṣakārāṃtavarṇādyaṃ vahnimaṇḍalam || 14 ||

Translation

Der vortrefflichste Übende soll das Nyāsa vom Scheitel bis zum Herzen vollziehen. Der Feuerkreis (Vahni-Maṇḍala) wird gesetzt, beginnend mit den Silben von „ḍa“ bis hin zu „kṣa“.

Word by Word

• मूर्द्ध-आदि-हृदय-अन्तम्: (extending) from the head up to the heart
• मूर्द्ध-आदि-हृदय-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-विशेषण (मूर्द्धादि…हृदयान्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘from the head etc. up to the heart’ (range-accusative)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), adversative/contrastive

• विन्यसेत्: should place/arrange
• विन्यसेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• साधक-उत्तमः: the best practitioner
• साधक-उत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधक (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उत्तमः साधकः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• डकार-आदि-क्षकार-अन्त-वर्ण-आद्यम्: the phoneme-series from ḍa to kṣa
• डकार-आदि-क्षकार-अन्त-वर्ण-आद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: डकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षकार (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘the set of phonemes beginning with ḍa and ending with kṣa’

• वह्निमण्डलम्: the fire (Vahni) maṇḍala
• वह्निमण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वह्नेः मण्डलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

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

It teaches internal consecration (nyāsa): sanctifying the body by installing sacred sound (varṇas) as a fire-mandala from the crown down to the heart, implying purification and empowerment of the practitioner’s inner altar.

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

While technical, the practice supports bhakti by preparing the sādhaka’s body-mind as a fit vessel for worship—making mantra-japa and deity-meditation steady, pure, and focused.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Śikṣā/Varṇa-vicāra (attention to phonetic syllables) applied ritually through nyāsa—showing how correct sound-series (from ḍa to kṣa) is used to structure a mandala visualization.