Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

अयं तत्त्वाभिधो न्यासः सर्वन्यासोत्तमोत्तमः । मूर्तीर्न्यसेद्द्वादश वै द्वादशादित्यसंयुताः ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

ayaṃ tattvābhidho nyāsaḥ sarvanyāsottamottamaḥ | mūrtīrnyaseddvādaśa vai dvādaśādityasaṃyutāḥ || 20 ||

Translation

Ceci est le nyāsa nommé « tattvābhidha » (la pose qui énonce les principes) ; il est le plus excellent de tous les nyāsas. Il faut en vérité installer douze formes (mūrtis), associées aux douze Ādityas.

Word by Word

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्त्व-अभिधः: called ‘tattva’
• तत्त्व-अभिधः: विशेषण (विशेष्य=न्यासः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद/तत्पुरुषः—तत्त्वम् अभिधत्ते/अभिधीयते येन (called ‘tattva’)

• न्यासः: installation/nyāsa
• न्यासः: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्व-न्यास-उत्तम-उत्तमः: the best of the best of all nyāsas
• सर्व-न्यास-उत्तम-उत्तमः: विशेषण (विशेष्य=न्यासः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + न्यास + उत्तम + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—सर्वेषां न्यासानाम् उत्तमानाम् अपि उत्तमः (best of the best among all nyāsas)

• मूर्तीः: forms/manifestations
• मूर्तीः: कर्म (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place/install
• न्यसेत्: क्रिया (आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस्/√न्यस् (धातु; nyas)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: संख्या-विशेषण (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; (here) द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनार्थे—twelve (as count)

• वै: indeed
• वै: अवधारण (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक (indeed)

• द्वादश-आदित्य-संयुताः: associated with the twelve Ādityas
• द्वादश-आदित्य-संयुताः: विशेषण (विशेष्य=मूर्तीः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + आदित्य + संयुत (कृदन्त; सम्-√युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘मूर्तीः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः—द्वादशभिः आदित्यैः संयुताः (joined with the twelve Ādityas)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual instruction context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Adityas

FAQs

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

It elevates ‘tattvābhidha nyāsa’ as a supreme inner-ritual method, where the practitioner aligns the body-mind with cosmic principles (tattvas) by installing divine forms connected to the solar Ādityas.

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

By prescribing the installation of divine mūrtis, it frames devotion as embodied worship—bhakti expressed through disciplined ritual attention, seeing the Ādityas as sacred manifestations to be honored within one’s practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights a technical ritual procedure (nyāsa) used in mantra-upāsanā—structured placement/installation tied to a specific deity-set (the twelve Ādityas), reflecting applied ritual science rather than narrative theology.