Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 44

Gaṇeśa Mantra-vidhi: Mahāgaṇapati Gāyatrī, Vakratuṇḍa Mantra, Nyāsa, Homa, Āvaraṇa-pūjā, and Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

एवंच षड्विंशतिधा मिथुनानि भवंति हि । स्वनामाद्यर्णबीजानि तानि सन्तर्पयेत्क्रमात् ॥ ४४ ॥

Transliteration

evaṃca ṣaḍviṃśatidhā mithunāni bhavaṃti hi | svanāmādyarṇabījāni tāni santarpayetkramāt || 44 ||

Translation

Ainsi, en vérité, les couples se présentent sous une forme vingt-six fois. En commençant par les syllabes-semences (bīja) qui débutent par leurs propres noms, qu’on les satisfasse rituellement dans l’ordre prescrit.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• षड्विंशति-धा: in twenty-six ways
• षड्विंशति-धा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षड्विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + धा (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/अव्यय-निर्माणः; संख्या-प्रयोगः ‘-धा’ (multiplicative adverb)

• मिथुनानि: pairs
• मिथुनानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; nominative plural

• भवन्ति: are/come to be
• भवन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; reason/emphasis)

• स्व-नाम-आद्य-अर्ण-बीजानि: the seed-syllables beginning with their own names’ first letters
• स्व-नाम-आद्य-अर्ण-बीजानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; here accusative plural as object; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वनाम्नः आद्यानि अर्णानि = अक्षराणि, तेषां बीजानि)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; pronoun accusative plural

• सन्-तर्पयेत्: should satisfy/offer oblations to
• सन्-तर्पयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः—सम् (सन्- before त)

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; ablative used adverbially ‘in order/stepwise’

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (in instruction to Nārada within the Vedāṅga/technical-ritual discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra-practice is not random: paired principles and their seed-syllables are to be activated through orderly santarpaṇa, aligning the practitioner with a structured, sacred phonemic cosmos.

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

Even in technical ritual practice, devotion is expressed as careful reverence—nourishing the sacred bījas in sequence becomes an act of disciplined worship, supporting focused remembrance and surrender.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights Śikṣā/phonetics and mantra-vidhi: working with varṇa-bīja (seed syllables) and performing them kramāt (in prescribed order), a hallmark of technical ritual precision.