Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

तत्त्वन्यासं ततः कुर्याद्धिष्णुभावप्रसिद्धये । अष्टार्णोऽष्टप्रकृत्यात्मा गदितः पूर्वसूरिभिः ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

tattvanyāsaṃ tataḥ kuryāddhiṣṇubhāvaprasiddhaye | aṣṭārṇo'ṣṭaprakṛtyātmā gaditaḥ pūrvasūribhiḥ || 16 ||

Translation

Luego debe realizarse el tattva-nyāsa, para afianzar el estado de absorción en Viṣṇu. El mantra de ocho sílabas (aṣṭārṇa), de la naturaleza de la prakṛti en ocho aspectos, fue enseñado por los sabios de antaño.

Word by Word

• तत्त्व-न्यासम्: the tattva-nyāsa
• तत्त्व-न्यासम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘तत्त्वानां न्यासः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रम (from that/thereafter)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चय (particle: for/indeed)

• विष्णु-भाव-प्रसिद्धये: for the attainment/manifestation of Viṣṇu-nature
• विष्णु-भाव-प्रसिद्धये: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘विष्णुभावस्य प्रसिद्धिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + चतुर्थी ‘for the attainment’

• अष्ट-अर्णः: eight-syllabled
• अष्ट-अर्णः: विशेषण (Adjectival to (मन्त्रः) understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘having eight syllables’

• अष्ट-प्रकृति-आत्मा: of eightfold constitution
• अष्ट-प्रकृति-आत्मा: विशेषण (Adjectival to (मन्त्रः) understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘whose nature consists of eight (elements)’

• गदितः: has been stated
• गदितः: क्रिया/विधेय (Predicate: ‘is said’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गदित (कृदन्त; √गद् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• पूर्व-सूरिभिः: by the earlier sages/teachers
• पूर्व-सूरिभिः: कर्ता (Kartā in passive/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सूरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वाः सूरीणः’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that tattva-nyāsa (ritual installation of cosmic principles upon oneself) is a means to stabilize dhiṣṇu-bhāva—deep identification and absorption in Viṣṇu—using an anciently transmitted eight-syllabled mantra.

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

Bhakti here is made practical: devotion is cultivated not only by emotion but by disciplined upāsanā—nyāsa and mantra-japa—so the devotee’s body-mind becomes aligned with Viṣṇu-consciousness (dhiṣṇu-bhāva).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical ritual method (prayoga) involving mantra structure (aṣṭākṣarī) and nyāsa—knowledge aligned with Vedāṅga-style precision in recitation/application and the procedural sciences used in worship.