Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 147

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

प्रणवो हृदयं पश्चाद्वदेद्भगवतेपदम् । ङेयुतं दक्षिणामूर्तिं मह्यंमेधामुदीरयेत् ॥ १४७ ॥

Transliteration

praṇavo hṛdayaṃ paścādvadedbhagavatepadam | ṅeyutaṃ dakṣiṇāmūrtiṃ mahyaṃmedhāmudīrayet || 147 ||

Translation

Zuerst spreche man die Praṇava „Oṁ“ als Herzenssamen; dann das Wort „bhagavate“. Danach rufe man Dakṣiṇāmūrti zusammen mit dem nasalen Laut „ṅ“ an und spreche: „Verleihe mir Erkenntniskraft (medhā).“

Word by Word

• प्रणवः: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हृदयम्: (is) the heart/essence
• हृदयम्: Samanadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate/apposition

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (adverb of sequence)

• वदेत्: should say/utter
• वदेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवते: to the Lord
• भगवते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• पदम्: the word/term
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ङे-युतम्: joined with ‘ṅe’
• ङे-युतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ङे (प्रत्याहार/प्रातिपदिक-रूप) + युत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘ङे-युत’ = ‘joined with ṅe’ (phonetic instruction)

• दक्षिणा-मूर्तिम्: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
• दक्षिणा-मूर्तिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (proper name)

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मेधाम्: intelligence
• मेधाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उदीरयेत्: should utter/raise
• उदीरयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the mantra-prayoga within Vedanga-oriented instruction)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Pranava (Om)
• Bhagavan
• Dakshinamurti
• Medha

FAQs

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

It encodes a concise mantra-prayoga: beginning with Oṁ as the hṛdaya (core), adding “bhagavate,” and invoking Dakṣiṇāmūrti to awaken medhā—showing that right sound, sequence, and deity-contemplation are integral to gaining higher understanding.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent mantra-utterance—addressing “bhagavate” and meditating on the Guru-form (Dakṣiṇāmūrti). Devotion is not only emotion but disciplined recitation and surrender for inner illumination (medhā).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-prayoga are emphasized: the verse specifies the order of utterance and inclusion of a nasal phoneme (ṅ), indicating that precise pronunciation and sequencing are treated as technically meaningful in Vedic practice.