Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

भूयो मुन्यादिकं न्यस्य पंचांगं पूर्ववन्न्यसेत् । अथ वक्ष्ये महागुह्यं सर्वन्यासोत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

bhūyo munyādikaṃ nyasya paṃcāṃgaṃ pūrvavannyaset | atha vakṣye mahāguhyaṃ sarvanyāsottamottamam || 31 ||

Translation

Wiederum, nachdem man die Nyāsa beginnend mit dem Muni (ṛṣi) und den übrigen Teilen wie zuvor vollzogen hat, soll man die fünfgliedrige Nyāsa (pañcāṅga) wie beschrieben einsetzen. Nun werde ich das große Geheimnis lehren — die höchste unter allen Nyāsas, die vortrefflichste der Vortrefflichen.

Word by Word

• भूयः: again; further
• भूयः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘पुनः/अधिकम्’

• मुनि-आदिकम्: the sage etc. (muni and related items)
• मुनि-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आदि-शब्देन ‘आदिः’ = beginning/and others)

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having placed/assigned’

• पञ्च-अङ्गम्: the fivefold set; five limbs
• पञ्च-अङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्च अङ्गानि यस्य तत्)

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्ववत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुलनार्थक/adverb): ‘पूर्ववत्’ = as before

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अथ: then; now
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक particle): ‘then/now’

• वक्ष्ये: I shall speak
• वक्ष्ये: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महा-गुह्यम्: the great secret
• महा-गुह्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘महच्च तत् गुह्यम्’)

• सर्व-न्यास-उत्तम-उत्तमम्: the best of the best among all nyāsas
• सर्व-न्यास-उत्तम-उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां न्यासानां उत्तमात् अपि उत्तमम्)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching 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 frames nyāsa as an inner installation of mantra-power: after completing the standard preliminaries (ṛṣi and related attributions) and aṅga-nyāsa, the teacher introduces a higher, more confidential “sarva-nyāsa,” implying deeper internalization and sanctification of body and mind for sādhana.

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

Though technical, it supports bhakti by preparing the practitioner as a fit “seat” for the deity through mantra—disciplining attention and reverence so devotional worship is performed with ritual accuracy and concentrated remembrance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-prayoga procedure: assigning ṛṣi and other mantra-parameters and performing pañcāṅga (aṅga) nyāsa “as previously taught,” reflecting a technical, Vedāṅga-aligned ritual methodology used in japa and worship.