Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 116
The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga
पृंथु सुवृत्तं मसृणं वितस्तिमात्रोन्नतं कौ विनिखन्य शंकुम् । आक्रम्य पद्भ्यामितरेतरैस्तु हस्तैर्भ्रमोऽयं खलु रासगोष्ठी ॥ ११६ ॥
pṛṃthu suvṛttaṃ masṛṇaṃ vitastimātronnataṃ kau vinikhanya śaṃkum | ākramya padbhyāmitaretaraistu hastairbhramo'yaṃ khalu rāsagoṣṭhī || 116 ||
Drive firmly into the earth a peg that is broad, perfectly round, smooth, and raised to the height of a span; then, stepping with the feet in alternation and turning it with the hands—this very whirling is indeed like a gathering of the rāsa-dance.
Narada (teaching in a technical/Vedanga-style instructional passage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
FAQs
It shows that disciplined, correctly executed practice—even when technical and physical—can be framed as sacred, using devotional imagery (rāsa) to keep the mind reverent and concentrated.
By likening a mechanical whirling action to a rāsa gathering, the verse encourages the practitioner to remember divine play while performing prescribed actions, turning technique into remembrance (smaraṇa).
A procedural, measurement-based instruction (e.g., “vitasti-mātra” height, smooth round peg, firm fixing, alternating foot pressure and hand rotation) reflects the applied, technical side of Vedic practice associated with ritual-method precision.