Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 99

Pañca-prakṛti-nirūpaṇa and Mantra-vidhi: Rādhā, Mahālakṣmī, Durgā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī; plus Sāvitrī-Pañjara

Devanagari script

मातृकोक्ते यजेत्पीठे वक्ष्यमाणक्रमेण ताम् । वर्णाब्जेनासनं दद्यान्मूर्तिं मूलेन कल्पयेत् ॥ ९९ ॥

Transliteration

mātṛkokte yajetpīṭhe vakṣyamāṇakrameṇa tām | varṇābjenāsanaṃ dadyānmūrtiṃ mūlena kalpayet || 99 ||

Translation

Man soll Sie auf dem pīṭha verehren, wie es im Mātr̥kā‑System gelehrt wird, der Reihenfolge folgend, die noch beschrieben wird. Man gebe einen Sitz durch den Lotus der Buchstaben und richte (installiere/visualisiere) die Gottgestalt durch das Wurzelmantra ein.

Word by Word

• मातृक-उक्ते: in/according to what is said by the Mātrikās
• मातृक-उक्ते: अधिकरण (अधिष्ठान/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मातृकया उक्ते = ‘said by the Mātrikās’), विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पीठे: on the pedestal/seat (pīṭha)
• पीठे: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यमाण-क्रमेण: by the sequence that will be described
• वक्ष्यमाण-क्रमेण: करण (Instrument/means; manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वक्ष्यमाण (कृदन्त, √वच्; भविष्यत्-कर्तरि/कर्मणि भावः) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वक्ष्यमाणः क्रमः = ‘the sequence to be stated’); करण/रीति-अर्थे तृतीया (instrumental of manner)

• ताम्: her/that (goddess)
• ताम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वर्ण-अब्जेन: with the lotus of letters
• वर्ण-अब्जेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्णानाम् अब्जम् = ‘lotus of letters’)

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give/place
• दद्यात्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मूर्तिम्: the form/icon
• मूर्तिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मूलेन: with the root (mantra/seed)
• मूलेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-अर्थे

• कल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct/visualize
• कल्पयेत्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context within Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Matrika
• Pitha
• Bija (Mula-mantra)

FAQs

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

It teaches that worship becomes effective when the deity is installed through a precise inner-outer method: a sanctified pīṭha, a letter-lotus seat (Mātr̥kā/varṇa), and a root-mantra that anchors the presence of the deity in consciousness and rite.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined upāsanā: devotion is not only emotion but also a structured offering—preparing a sacred seat and invoking the deity through mantra so the worshipper’s mind becomes steady and reverent.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-vidyā and the technical use of varṇas (letters) in ritual construction—linking phonetics/śikṣā and mantra application to a step-by-step worship sequence (krama) for installation and visualization.