Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

त्रींस्त्रीन्वर्णांस्तु गायत्र्या अष्टपत्रेषु संलिखेत् । बहिर्मातृकयाऽवेष्ट्य तद्बहिर्भूपुरद्वयम् ॥ ५९ ॥

Transliteration

trīṃstrīnvarṇāṃstu gāyatryā aṣṭapatreṣu saṃlikhet | bahirmātṛkayā'veṣṭya tadbahirbhūpuradvayam || 59 ||

Translation

Auf den acht Blättern soll er jeweils drei Silben der Gāyatrī einzeichnen; außen darum die Mātṛkā (die Buchstabenreihe) legen und außerhalb davon ein doppeltes Bhūpura, also eine zweifache quadratische Umfriedung, zeichnen.

Word by Word

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘वर्णान्’ इति

• त्रीन्: three (again)
• त्रीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त्या ‘each three’ इत्यर्थः

• वर्णान्: letters/syllables
• वर्णान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• गायत्र्या: with/using the Gāyatrī (meter/mantra)
• गायत्र्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणार्थे

• अष्ट-पत्रेषु: in the eight petals
• अष्ट-पत्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरणे

• संलिखेत्: should inscribe
• संलिखेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सम्

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• मातृकया: with the Mātr̥kā (alphabet/letter-garland)
• मातृकया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणार्थे

• आवेष्ट्य: having encircled/wrapped
• आवेष्ट्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/त्वा-प्रत्यय), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः आ

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘भूपुरद्वयम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/देशवाचक

• भूपुर-द्वयम्: the pair of bhūpura enclosures
• भूपुर-द्वयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri
• Matrika

FAQs

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

It teaches a precise yantra-layout for Gāyatrī worship: the mantra is placed in a lotus (inner consciousness), protected by the Mātṛkā (sound-power of the alphabet), and sealed by the bhūpura (ritual boundary), indicating sanctified containment of mantra-śakti.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined mantra-upāsanā: devotion becomes structured worship where the devotee honors Gāyatrī through correct placement (nyāsa/likhita) and protective enclosures, showing reverence through precision.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical ritual knowledge connected with Vedāṅga-oriented practice—especially śikṣā/mantra-prayoga (sound arrangement), and the applied geometry of yantra construction (bhūpura, lotus petals, enclosure sequences).