Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Śeṣoditya-Sūrya-nyāsa, Soma-sādhana, Graha-pūjā, and Bhauma-vrata-vidhi

Devanagari script

स्वरा बीजानि शक्तीनां तदाद्याः पूजयेत्तुः ताः । ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मा ते सृष्टिः शेषान्विताप्यसौ ॥ २६ ॥

Transliteration

svarā bījāni śaktīnāṃ tadādyāḥ pūjayettuḥ tāḥ | brahmaviṣṇuśivātmā te sṛṣṭiḥ śeṣānvitāpyasau || 26 ||

Translation

Les accents (svaras) sont les syllabes-semences (bījas) des puissances-mantra (śaktis) ; c’est pourquoi il faut les vénérer dès l’abord. Ils incarnent Brahmā, Viṣṇu et Śiva ; et par eux, toute cette manifestation—avec ce qui demeure (śeṣa)—est également soutenue.

Word by Word

• स्वराः: vowels/tones
• स्वराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• बीजानि: seed-syllables
• बीजानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शक्तीनाम्: of the powers
• शक्तीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तत्-आद्याः: beginning with that
• तत्-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘तत् आदिः येषाम्’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (referring to शक्तयः implied)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• ताः: those (f.)
• ताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-शिव-आत्मा: whose essence is Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva
• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-शिव-आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-समाससङ्कर; ‘ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवरूप आत्मा’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (they/those)

• सृष्टिः: creation
• सृष्टिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शेष-अन्विता: accompanied by the remainder
• शेष-अन्विता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from अन्वि-इ/अन्वि + क्त)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘शेषेण अन्विता’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (this/that yonder)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada on Śikṣā/phonetics and mantra-prayoga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that correct Vedic accent (svara) is not merely phonetics but the very seed of mantra-power; honoring it first safeguards the rite and aligns the practitioner with the cosmic functions embodied by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva.

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

Bhakti here takes a technical form: devotion expressed as reverent precision in mantra-recitation—worshipping the svaras as divine carriers of śakti—so that the act of chanting becomes an offering to the deity-principles.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedāṅga phonetics): the necessity of proper svara (udātta, anudātta, svarita) and its ritual priority, implying that pronunciation and accent preserve mantra efficacy in Narada Purana ritual practice.