Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 156

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

दिव्यसिंहाय डेन्तः स्यात्स्वयम्भूः पुरुषाय हृत् । तारः स्वं बीजमित्येष महासाम्राज्यदायकः ॥ १५६ ॥

Transliteration

divyasiṃhāya ḍentaḥ syātsvayambhūḥ puruṣāya hṛt | tāraḥ svaṃ bījamityeṣa mahāsāmrājyadāyakaḥ || 156 ||

Translation

For the Divine Lion, the assigned syllable is “ḍentaḥ”; for Svayambhū (Brahmā) and for Puruṣa (the Cosmic Person), it is to be placed in the heart. “Tārā” is declared to be its own seed-mantra (bīja). This mantric arrangement bestows great imperial sovereignty.

Word by Word

• divyasiṃhāya: for the divine Lion (Nṛsiṃha)
• divyasiṃhāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya-siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: दिव्यः सिंहः (कर्मधारय), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• ḍentaḥ: ‘ḍenta’ (a stated syllabic element)
• ḍentaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍenta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; mantra-element/name (as stated)

• syāt: should be / is to be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘may be/should be’

• svayambhūḥ: Svayambhū (self-born)
• svayambhūḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayambhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• puruṣāya: for the Puruṣa
• puruṣāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• hṛt: heart
• hṛt: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Vedic/poetic form of hṛd ‘heart’

• tāraḥ: tāra (the syllable/‘Oṃ’ element)
• tāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• svam: own
• svam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of bījam

• bījam: seed (bīja-syllable)
• bījam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative)

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahāsāmrājyadāyakaḥ: giver of great sovereignty
• mahāsāmrājyadāyakaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-sāmrājya-dāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महत् + साम्राज्य + दायक (तत्पुरुष; ‘giver of great empire’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of eṣaḥ

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narayana/Vishnu
• Svayambhu (Brahma)
• Purusha

FAQs

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

It frames sovereignty as the fruit of disciplined mantra-vidhi: correct bīja identification (Tāra) and correct nyāsa (placing the mantra in the heart) align the practitioner with cosmic Puruṣa-power and orderly rule.

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

Even in a technical (Vedāṅga/mantra) setting, the verse points devotion inward: the deity is not only invoked externally but installed in the heart (hṛt-nyāsa), making power secondary to inner alignment with the Divine.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-śāstra procedure: identifying a bīja (seed mantra), assigning mantric parts to specific deities, and performing hṛdaya-nyāsa—ritual-technical steps used in structured recitation and worship.