Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Mantra-Māhātmya and Sādhana of Kārtavīryārjuna

Nyāsa, Yantra, Homa, and Dīpa-Vrata

Devanagari script

स्वबीजानंगध्रुववाक्कर्णिकं दिग्दलं लिखेत् । तारादिवर्मांतदलं शेषवर्णदलांतरम् ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

svabījānaṃgadhruvavākkarṇikaṃ digdalaṃ likhet | tārādivarmāṃtadalaṃ śeṣavarṇadalāṃtaram || 25 ||

Translation

Man soll in der zentralen Karṇikā (Herzblatt) die eigene Samen-Silbe (bīja) zusammen mit den Aṅga-Mantras, der festen Dhruva-Formel und dem Vāk-Mantra eintragen; dann zeichne man die richtungsbezogenen Blütenblätter. Auf die Blätter schreibe man die Reihe von Tārā bis Varma, und in die Zwischenräume die übrigen Silben.

Word by Word

• sva-bīja-anaṅga-dhruva-vāk-karṇikam: the central pericarp (karṇikā) with ‘sva-bīja, anaṅga, dhruva, vāk’
• sva-bīja-anaṅga-dhruva-vāk-karṇikam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक) + anaṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + dhruva (प्रातिपदिक) + vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘(sva-bīja-…-vāk) asya karṇikā’ (central pericarp with specified syllables)

• dik-dalam: the directional petal/leaf
• dik-dalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik (प्रातिपदिक) + dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष ‘diśāṃ dalam’

• likhet: should draw/write
• likhet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √likh (धातु)
• Form: Lakāra: Loṭ/vidhiliṅ-arthī (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Purusha: 3rd (प्रथमपुरुष), Vachana: Singular (एकवचन)

• tārā-ādi-varma-anta-dalam: the petal extending from ‘tārā’ etc. up to the end (varma/anta)
• tārā-ādi-varma-anta-dalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + varman (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + dala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘tārā-ādi … antaṃ yāvat’ indicating ‘from tārā etc. up to varman/ending’ for the petal

• śeṣa-varṇa-dala-antaram: the interspace between petals for the remaining letters
• śeṣa-varṇa-dala-antaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dala (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीyaa/2), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष ‘śeṣāṇāṃ varṇānāṃ dala-antaram’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It teaches the disciplined, rule-based placement of mantras on a lotus-yantra—centering the practice on the bīja and protective formulas so the sādhaka’s worship becomes orderly, guarded (varma), and focused.

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

Though technical, it supports bhakti by prescribing a precise worship-layout: mantra placement (karṇikā, petals, interspaces) becomes a concrete method to concentrate the mind on the deity through regulated japa, nyāsa, and protection-mantras.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical know-how—mantra-lekhana and nyāsa-style arrangement (aṅga, dhruva, varma) with directional mapping—typical of the Narada Purana’s Vedāṅga/technical-science orientation in Book 1.3.