Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

वक्त्रे मूर्धादिषु न्यस्य भूयोऽङ्गानि प्रकल्पयेत् । तारपंचकमुच्चार्य सर्वज्ञाय हृदीरितम् ॥ ५८ ॥

Transliteration

vaktre mūrdhādiṣu nyasya bhūyo'ṅgāni prakalpayet | tārapaṃcakamuccārya sarvajñāya hṛdīritam || 58 ||

Translation

Nachdem (das Mantra) durch Nyāsa auf Mund, Haupt und die übrigen Teile gelegt wurde, soll man die Aṅga‑Nyāsas erneut ordnen. Nach dem Aussprechen des fünffachen ‘Tāra’ rezitiere man aus dem Herzen das Mantra, das an den allwissenden Herrn gerichtet ist.

Word by Word

• vaktre: in the mouth/face
• vaktre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mūrdha-ādiṣu: in the head and other places
• mūrdha-ādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’समास (in the head etc.)

• nyasya: having placed
• nyasya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√as (अस्/न्यासे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having placed’

• bhūyaḥ: again/further
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• aṅgāni: limbs/parts
• aṅgāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• prakalpayet: should arrange/construct
• prakalpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√kḷp (कॢप्/कल्पने)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tāra-paṃcakam: the group of five tāra (syllables)
• tāra-paṃcakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra + paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पञ्चक-समाहारः (set of five ‘tāra’ syllables)

• uccārya: having uttered
• uccārya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud√car (चर्/उच्चारणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘having uttered’

• sarva-jñāya: to the Omniscient (deity)
• sarva-jñāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + jña (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (to the omniscient one)

• hṛdi: in the heart
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• īritam: uttered/declared
• īritam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īr (ईर्/प्रेरणे-उच्चारणे)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘uttered/declared’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sarvajña (the Omniscient Lord)
• Oṃ (Tāra)

FAQs

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

It teaches internalizing the mantra through nyāsa—installing sacred sound in the body and finally reciting it ‘from the heart,’ so worship becomes embodied and inward, directed to the Omniscient Lord.

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

By making the mantra reside in mouth, head, limbs, and heart, devotion is practiced as continuous remembrance (smaraṇa) and reverent recitation, transforming the practitioner into a living seat of the Lord’s name.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights śikṣā-style precision in mantra utterance and ritual procedure (nyāsa/āṅga-nyāsa), emphasizing correct placement, sequencing, and recitation of the tāra syllables.