Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 74

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

Devanagari script

प्रजापतिर्मुनिश्चास्य गायत्री छन्द ईरितः । देवता वासुदेवस्तु बीजं शक्तिर्ध्रुवश्च हृत् ॥ ७४ ॥

Transliteration

prajāpatirmuniścāsya gāyatrī chanda īritaḥ | devatā vāsudevastu bījaṃ śaktirdhruvaśca hṛt || 74 ||

Translation

Para este mantra se declara a Prajāpati como ṛṣi (vidente), a Gāyatrī como chandas (metro), y a Vāsudeva como devatā (deidad regente). Se enuncian su bīja (sílaba semilla) y su śakti (potencia), y a Dhruva se le coloca en el corazón (hṛd) como clave sustentadora.

Word by Word

• prajāpatiḥ: Prajāpati
• prajāpatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (samuccaya)

• asya: of this (mantra)
• asya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; pronoun

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī (metre)
• gāyatrī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• chandaḥ: metre
• chandaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Prathamā, Ekavacana

• īritaḥ: is declared
• īritaḥ: Bhāva (भाव/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īr (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → īrita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicative ‘is stated’

• devatā: presiding deity
• devatā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vāsudevaḥ: Vāsudeva
• vāsudevaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (nipāta)

• bījam: seed-syllable
• bījam: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/ Dvitīyā Ekavacana (form identical); here Prathamā as predicate-noun

• śaktiḥ: power (śakti)
• śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva (fixed one)
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• hṛt: heart
• hṛt: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (as stem), Prathamā, Ekavacana; used as technical ‘heart’ (hṛdaya)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati
• Gayatri
• Vasudeva
• Dhruva

FAQs

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

It defines the mantra’s formal identity—seer, metre, deity, and internal energizers—so the practitioner invokes Vāsudeva with correct Vedic method and focused devotion.

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

By naming Vāsudeva as the devatā and directing the practice inward (hṛd), it frames mantra-japa as heart-centered Viṣṇu-bhakti rather than mere recitation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-lakṣaṇa used in ritual application—identifying ṛṣi, chandas, and devatā, along with bīja/śakti and heart-nyāsa—core procedural knowledge aligned with Vedāṅga-oriented practice.