Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 137

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

अष्टारे हृत्सरोजे तु द्वादशांगुलविस्तृते । ध्यायेदात्मानमव्यक्तं परात्परतरं विभुम् ॥ ३७ ॥

Transliteration

aṣṭāre hṛtsaroje tu dvādaśāṃgulavistṛte | dhyāyedātmānamavyaktaṃ parātparataraṃ vibhum || 37 ||

Translation

Dans le lotus du cœur, à huit rayons et s’étendant sur douze doigts, qu’on médite le Soi : l’Inmanifesté (Avyakta), le Seigneur tout-pénétrant, plus haut que le plus haut.

Word by Word

• अष्टारे: in the eight-spoked (lotus)
• अष्टारे: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + आर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास: ‘अष्टौ आराः यस्मिन्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समर्थ्ये, अत्र सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (हृत्सरोजे)

• हृत्सरोजे: in the heart-lotus
• हृत्सरोजे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् + सरोज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘हृदि सरोजम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थे ‘indeed/but’

• द्वादशाङ्गुलविस्तृते: expanded to twelve finger-breadths
• द्वादशाङ्गुलविस्तृते: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + अङ्गुल + विस्तृत (प्रातिपदिक; वि+स्तृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘द्वादश-अङ्गुलैः विस्तृतम्’; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (हृत्सरोजे)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आत्मानम्: the Self (Lord)
• आत्मानम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आत्मानम्)

• परात्: than the supreme
• परात्: उपमान/तुलना (Comparison base)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनार्थे (comparative sense)

• परतरम्: even more supreme
• परतरम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय (comparative) ‘परतर’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (विभुम्/आत्मानम्)

• विभुम्: the all-pervading Lord
• विभुम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Vibhu (Supreme Lord)

FAQs

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

It directs the seeker to internalize worship by meditating on the Supreme Self seated in the heart-lotus—described as unmanifest and all-pervading—pointing to liberation through inward realization rather than external dependence alone.

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

By calling the object of meditation “vibhu” and “parātparatara,” it frames devotion as contemplative bhakti—loving remembrance and focused meditation on the Supreme Lord within the heart, where devotion matures into direct inner experience.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

This verse is primarily yogic/dhyāna-oriented rather than a Vedanga lesson; practically, it highlights disciplined visualization and measurement language (aṅgula-pramāṇa) used in Vedic-aligned ritual/yogic schemata for meditation practice.