Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 191

Devanagari script

भूबिंबं च लिखेद्बाह्ये श्रीमायादिग्विदिक्ष्वपि । भूग्रहं चतुरस्रं स्यादष्टवज्रविभूषितम् ॥ १९१ ॥

Transliteration

bhūbiṃbaṃ ca likhedbāhye śrīmāyādigvidikṣvapi | bhūgrahaṃ caturasraṃ syādaṣṭavajravibhūṣitam || 191 ||

Translation

Auf der Außenseite soll man die Erdscheibe zeichnen; ebenso in den Himmelsrichtungen und Zwischenrichtungen, beginnend mit Śrī und Māyā. Das umschließende Erd-Diagramm soll ein Quadrat sein, geschmückt mit acht Vajra-Emblemen.

Word by Word

• भू-बिम्बम्: earth-disc / earth-circle
• भू-बिम्बम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + बिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूयाः बिम्बम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लिखेत्: should draw/write
• लिखेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बाह्ये: on the outer (part)
• बाह्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोग (locative: 'on the outside')

• श्री-माया-आदि-दिक्-विदिक्षु: in the directions and intermediate directions such as Śrī, Māyā, etc.
• श्री-माया-आदि-दिक्-विदिक्षु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + विदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (दिक्+विदिशः) तथा 'श्रीमाया-आदि' इति उपलक्षण-समास/समुच्चय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• भू-ग्रहम्: earth-enclosure / earth-diagram
• भू-ग्रहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूयाः ग्रहः)

• चतुरस्रम्: square
• चतुरस्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूग्रहस्य)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अष्ट-वज्र-विभूषितम्: adorned with eight vajras
• अष्ट-वज्र-विभूषितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), 'विभूषित' = adorned; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वज्रैः विभूषितम्), 'अष्ट' संख्याविशेषण-पूर्वपद

Speaker

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

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sri (Lakshmi)
• Maya

FAQs

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

It sanctifies the worship-space by prescribing a cosmic layout: the earth-disc and square enclosure symbolize stability and order, while the eight vajras indicate protective power at the eight directional points.

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

Bhakti here is expressed through precise upacāra (ritual service): drawing the sacred diagram correctly becomes an act of reverent offering, preparing a pure field for deity-invocation and focused devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual-technical knowledge—directional orientation (dik/vidik), measured geometric construction (square enclosure), and symbolic iconography (aṣṭa-vajra), used for accurate worship procedures.