Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19

Yakṣiṇī-Mantra-Sādhana Nirūpaṇa

Lakṣmī-avatāra-vidyāḥ: Bālā, Annapūrṇā, Bagalā

Devanagari script

केसरेषु स्वरान्न्यस्येद्वर्गानष्टौदलेष्वपि । दलाग्रेषु त्रिशूलानि पद्म तु मातृकावृतम् ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

kesareṣu svarānnyasyedvargānaṣṭaudaleṣvapi | dalāgreṣu triśūlāni padma tu mātṛkāvṛtam || 19 ||

Translation

Man vollziehe Nyāsa: Die Vokale werden auf die Staubfäden des Lotus gesetzt, und ebenso die acht Konsonantengruppen auf seine acht Blütenblätter. Auf die Spitzen der Blätter setzt man Dreizacke; so ist der Lotus von den Mātr̥kā, den Mutter-Buchstaben des Alphabets, umringt.

Word by Word

• केसरेषु: in the filaments
• केसरेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• स्वरान्: vowels
• स्वरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• न्यस्येत्: should place/inscribe
• न्यस्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस्/स्य (धातु: न्यस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: नि-

• वर्गान्: groups (of consonants)
• वर्गान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• अष्ट-उदलेषु: in the eight petals
• अष्ट-उदलेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + उदल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट उदलानि = eight petals)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (also)

• दल-अग्रेषु: at the tips of the petals
• दल-अग्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दलानाम् अग्रेषु = at the tips of petals)

• त्रिशूलानि: tridents
• त्रिशूलानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• पद्म: the lotus (diagram)
• पद्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (context: subject/that which is described)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• मातृका-आवृतम्: covered with the Mātrikā letters
• मातृका-आवृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातृकाभिः/मातृकया आवृतम् = covered by the matrikas/letters)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Matrika

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-śakti internalization through nyāsa: the lotus becomes a sanctified body of sound (śabda), where the Mātr̥kā letters surround and stabilize the worship-field for focused upāsanā.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined worship: by arranging sacred sounds on the lotus, the devotee concentrates mind and speech on the deity’s presence, turning ritual precision into steady devotional absorption.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-vinyāsa are implied: vowels (svara) and consonant groups (varga) are methodically mapped onto a lotus diagram, showing how sound-structure is used in ritual procedure.