Shloka 15

Worship (Pūjā): Vajra-nābha Maṇḍala Construction, Lotus-Seat Design, and Vaiṣṇava Nyāsa

Devanagari script

न्यसेत्सङ्कर्षणं पूर्वे प्रद्युम्नं चैव दक्षिणे / अनिरुद्धं पश्चिमे च ब्रिह्माणं चोत्तरे न्यसेत्

Transliteration

nyasetsaṅkarṣaṇaṃ pūrve pradyumnaṃ caiva dakṣiṇe / aniruddhaṃ paścime ca brihmāṇaṃ cottare nyaset

Translation

One should place Saṅkarṣaṇa in the east, Pradyumna in the south, Aniruddha in the west, and Brahmā in the north.

Word by Word

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सङ्कर्षणम्: Saṅkarṣaṇa
• सङ्कर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्कर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पूर्वे: in the east
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-देशवाचक

• प्रद्युम्नम्: Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-देशवाचक

• अनिरुद्धम्: Aniruddha
• अनिरुद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिरुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-देशवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; दिक्-देशवाचक

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Directional installation (dik-nyāsa) of Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Brahmā creates a guarded, theologically ordered field for worship.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara’s functional emanations (vyūha) as supports for meditation; many forms serving one Lord (eka-tattva, bahu-vyavahāra).

Application: Before pūjā/japa, visualize the quarters and place the respective deities with mantra; maintain consistent orientation and mental clarity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual mandala / directional grid

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.8.14 (heart-lotus installation); Garuda Purana 1.8.16 (dikpāla placement and worship with gandha)

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkarṣaṇa
• Pradyumna
• Aniruddha
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the importance of nyāsa (ritual placement) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows nyāsa as a directional invocation—assigning specific divine forms to the quarters to sanctify and protect the ritual space.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by prescribing a sacred, ordered ritual layout, it emphasizes dharmic rites and spiritual protection, which the Garuda Purana connects with auspicious outcomes for the practitioner and the departed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When doing Vaiṣṇava prayer or a simple home pūjā, maintain disciplined orientation and intentional invocation—treating space as sacred and actions as mindful offerings.