Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ततोऽष्टमातरः पूज्या ब्राह्याद्याः प्रोक्तलक्षणाः । इंद्रादिकान्लोकपालान्स्वस्वदिक्षु समर्चयेत् ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

tato'ṣṭamātaraḥ pūjyā brāhyādyāḥ proktalakṣaṇāḥ | iṃdrādikānlokapālānsvasvadikṣu samarcayet || 48 ||

Translation

Daraufhin sind die Acht Muttergöttinnen zu verehren, beginnend mit Brāhmī, deren Merkmale beschrieben wurden. Ebenso soll man Indra und die übrigen Weltenhüter (Lokapāla) in ihren jeweiligen Himmelsrichtungen gebührend verehren.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘thereafter/from that’

• अष्टमातरः: the eight Mothers
• अष्टमातरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-मातर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘अष्टौ मातरः’

• पूज्याः: to be worshipped
• पूज्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भविष्यत्/विधेय-भावे यत्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘पूज्य’ = ‘पूजनीय’

• ब्राह्याद्याः: beginning with Brāhmī
• ब्राह्याद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्य-आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘ब्राह्याः आद्याः’ (starting with Brāhmī)

• प्रोक्तलक्षणाः: having the described characteristics
• प्रोक्तलक्षणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त-लक्षण (कृदन्त+प्रातिपदिक; √वच् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘प्रोक्तानि लक्षणानि यस्याः/यासाम्’

• इन्द्रादिकान्: Indra and the others
• इन्द्रादिकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘इन्द्रः आदि: येषाम्’

• लोकपालान्: guardians of the worlds (directional deities)
• लोकपालान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘लोकानां पालाः’

• स्वस्वदिक्षु: in their respective directions
• स्वस्वदिक्षु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-स्व-दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘स्वस्वासु दिक्षु’ (in their respective directions)

• समर्चयेत्: should duly worship
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’

Speaker

Narada (teaching the ritual sequence; traditionally within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmi (Brāhmī)
• Aṣṭamātṛkāḥ (Eight Mothers)
• Indra
• Lokapālas/Dikpālas

FAQs

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

It teaches ritual completeness: after invoking the Mothers (Aṣṭamātṛkāḥ), one harmonizes the sacred space by honoring the directional guardians (Lokapālas), aligning worship with cosmic order (ṛta) and protection of the rite.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined reverence—worship offered in proper sequence and with due honor to divine powers that sustain the universe, making devotion orderly, attentive, and tradition-grounded.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual science and spatial liturgy: dik-vinyāsa/dik-pūjā (directional placement and worship) and the procedural ordering of deities within a puja, a key practical component of applied Vedic ritual tradition.