Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 141

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

षट्कोणांतर्लिखेन्मूलं साध्यार्णं केशरे स्वरैः । बाह्येऽष्टवर्गयुक्पत्रं पद्मभूमिपरावृतम् ॥ १४१ ॥

Transliteration

ṣaṭkoṇāṃtarlikhenmūlaṃ sādhyārṇaṃ keśare svaraiḥ | bāhye'ṣṭavargayukpatraṃ padmabhūmiparāvṛtam || 141 ||

Translation

Im Innern der sechszackigen Figur schreibe man die Mūla-Mantra; auf die Staubfäden (keśara) setze man die Silben des zu vollziehenden Mantras samt den Vokalen. Außen auf die Lotusblätter schreibe man die Silben der acht Gruppen (aṣṭa-varga) und umschließe alles mit dem Lotusgrund (padma-bhūmi).

Word by Word

• षट्-कोण-अन्तः: inside the hexagon
• षट्-कोण-अन्तः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कोण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः ‘षट्कोणस्य अन्तः’ = ‘inside the hexagon’; adverbial locative sense

• लिखेत्: should write/draw
• लिखेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• मूलम्: the root (mantra/seed)
• मूलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• साध्य-अर्णम्: the intended syllable/letter
• साध्य-अर्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘साध्यं च तत् अर्णम्’ (the intended syllable/letter)

• केशरे: in the filaments (of the lotus)
• केशरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; Locative (अधिकरण)

• स्वरैः: with vowels/tones
• स्वरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; Instrumental (करण)

• बाह्ये: on the outside
• बाह्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘in the outer (part)’

• अष्ट-वर्ग-युक्-पत्रम्: a petal furnished with the eight groups (of letters)
• अष्ट-वर्ग-युक्-पत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + युज् (धातु) → युक् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘अष्टवर्गैः युक्तं पत्रम्’ (a petal furnished with the eight groups)

• पद्म-भूमि-परावृतम्: surrounded by the lotus-base/ground
• पद्म-भूमि-परावृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + परा-√वृ (धातु) → परावृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP); 'पद्मस्य भूम्या परावृतम्' इति तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; qualifies पत्रम्/यन्त्ररचना

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the technical ritual layout)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It gives a precise yantra-vidhi: spiritual efficacy is linked to correct geometric placement (ṣaṭkoṇa, padma) and correct phonetic placement (vowels and syllable-groups), showing that mantra works through disciplined form and sound.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent, exact worship—devotion becomes a structured offering where the deity is invoked through mantra-sound (mūla, sādhyārṇa) and honored through a lotus-diagram arrangement.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights phonetic/letter-science used in ritual (Śikṣā-style attention to svara vowels and varga groupings) applied to mantra-writing and yantra layout, a technical feature of Narada Purana’s third pada.