Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 86

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

प्रणवाद्याश्चतुर्थ्यंता कलाः सर्वा नमोन्विताः । अष्टात्रिंशत्कलाः प्रोक्ताः पंच ब्रह्मपदादिकाः ॥ ८६ ॥

Transliteration

praṇavādyāścaturthyaṃtā kalāḥ sarvā namonvitāḥ | aṣṭātriṃśatkalāḥ proktāḥ paṃca brahmapadādikāḥ || 86 ||

Translation

All the kalās—beginning with the Praṇava (Oṁ) and extending up to the caturthī—are to be recited together with the utterance “namo.” These are declared to be thirty-eight kalās, beginning with the five Brahma-padas.

Word by Word

• प्रणव-आद्याः: beginning with Praṇava
• प्रणव-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘beginning with praṇava’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• चतुर्थी-अन्ताः: ending with the fourth (case/kalā)
• चतुर्थी-अन्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘ending in the fourth’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• कलाः: kalās
• कलाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• नमः-अन्विताः: accompanied by ‘namaḥ’
• नमः-अन्विताः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘accompanied by namaḥ’), भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP: अन्वित), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• अष्टा-त्रिंशत्-कलाः: thirty-eight kalās
• अष्टा-त्रिंशत्-कलाः: Karma (कर्म/What is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टा (संख्या) + त्रिंशत् (संख्या) + कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound) ‘thirty-eight kalās’, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• प्रोक्ताः: are said/declared
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here qualifying a plural feminine noun

• ब्रह्म-पद-आदिकाः: beginning with the brahma-word/‘brahma-pada’
• ब्रह्म-पद-आदिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier of ‘kalāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘beginning with brahma-pada’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom.1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/technical context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Pranava (Om)

FAQs

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

It frames mantra-recitation as a disciplined upāsanā: the Praṇava-led kalā structure, joined with “namo,” expresses reverence (praṇipāta) and correct sonic formation, both treated as spiritually efficacious in Vedāṅga-oriented teaching.

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

By prescribing “namo” alongside the Praṇava-based units, it emphasizes surrender and veneration as integral to sacred utterance—devotional attitude (bhāva) is embedded directly into the technical form of recitation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā/phonetics and mantra-vidhi: the verse specifies ordered kalā-divisions (counted as thirty-eight) and a rule that they be uttered with “namo,” reflecting formal recitation protocol used in ritual and japa contexts.