Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9
The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga
ऋषिं शिरसि वक्त्रे तु छंदश्च हृदि देवताम् । गुह्ये बीजं पदोः शक्तिं न्यसेत्साधकसत्तमः ॥ ९ ॥
ṛṣiṃ śirasi vaktre tu chaṃdaśca hṛdi devatām | guhye bījaṃ padoḥ śaktiṃ nyasetsādhakasattamaḥ || 9 ||
The foremost practitioner should perform nyāsa: placing the ṛṣi upon the head, the chandas upon the mouth, the deity within the heart, the bīja in the secret region, and the śakti upon the feet.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa as a disciplined way to internalize a mantra—linking its seer, meter, deity, seed, and power to the practitioner’s body so the practice becomes embodied and focused.
By placing the devatā in the heart through nyāsa, the verse frames worship as inner upāsanā—devotion becomes an inward, continuous remembrance rather than only an external rite.
It highlights mantra-śāstra essentials used in ritual application—identifying ṛṣi, chandas, and devatā (mantra components) and applying them via nyāsa as part of technical liturgical procedure.