Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 188

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

कर्णिकायां च षट्कोणं ससाध्यं तत्र मन्मथम् । शिष्टैस्तु सप्तदशभिरक्षरैर्वेष्टयेत्स्वरम् ॥ १८८ ॥

Transliteration

karṇikāyāṃ ca ṣaṭkoṇaṃ sasādhyaṃ tatra manmatham | śiṣṭaistu saptadaśabhirakṣarairveṣṭayetsvaram || 188 ||

Translation

Im zentralen Perikarp (karnikā) des Diagramms zeichne man ein Sechseck; dort setze man, zusammen mit dem sādhya (dem erstrebten Ziel), Manmatha (Kāma). Dann umkreise man den Samenlaut (bīja-svara) mit den verbleibenden siebzehn Silben.

Word by Word

• karṇikāyām: in the pericarp (center)
• karṇikāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction

• ṣaṭ-koṇam: a hexagon
• ṣaṭ-koṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + koṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘hexagon/six-angled figure’

• sa-sādhyam: together with the sādhya (attendant element)
• sa-sādhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स- उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + sādhya (साध्य कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; agrees with ṣaṭkoṇam; ‘with (its) sādhya/attendant (figure)’

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (locative adverb)

• manmatham: Manmatha (Kāma)
• manmatham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manmatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• śiṣṭaiḥ: with the remaining
• śiṣṭaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘remaining/other’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (निपात) indicating contrast/emphasis

• saptadaśabhiḥ: with seventeen
• saptadaśabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptadaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; numeral ‘with seventeen’ (agreeing with akṣaraiḥ)

• akṣaraiḥ: with syllables/letters
• akṣaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• veṣṭayet: should encircle
• veṣṭayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: veṣṭ (वेष्ट् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• svaram: the vowel/sound
• svaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha (Kama)

FAQs

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

It presents a precise yantra–mantra method: the sādhya (intended result) and the deity-force (Manmatha) are installed in a defined geometric center (ṣaṭkoṇa), and the mantra’s power is stabilized by encircling the core sound with a fixed count of syllables.

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

Even within technical rites, the verse implies focused deity-installation and disciplined recitation/visualization; such one-pointedness (ekāgratā) can be integrated into devotional practice when performed as an offering and with reverence to the invoked deity-force.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical mantra-application: akṣara-counting (syllabic precision), placement rules within a yantra (ṣaṭkoṇa in the karṇikā), and the operational use of a bīja/svara—skills aligned with applied ritual science and phonetic/mantric discipline.