Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

Mantra-Māhātmya and Sādhana of Kārtavīryārjuna

Nyāsa, Yantra, Homa, and Dīpa-Vrata

Devanagari script

दत्तात्रेयो मुनिश्चास्यच्छन्दोऽनुष्टुबुदाहृतम् । कार्तवीर्यार्जुनो देवो बीजशक्तिर्ध्रुवश्च हृत् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

dattātreyo muniścāsyacchando'nuṣṭubudāhṛtam | kārtavīryārjuno devo bījaśaktirdhruvaśca hṛt || 10 ||

Translation

Pour ce mantra/vidyā, le ṛṣi est le sage Dattātreya, et le mètre est déclaré Anuṣṭubh. La divinité présidante est Kārtavīryārjuna ; la semence (bīja) et la puissance (śakti) sont Dhruva ; et le hṛt (cœur) est le siège du nyāsa et de la méditation.

Word by Word

• dattātreyaḥ: Dattātreya
• dattātreyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: datta (कृदन्त; √dā धातु) + ātreya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); proper name; कर्मधारय (traditional formation)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• chandaḥ: meter
• chandaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• anuṣṭup: Anuṣṭubh (meter)
• anuṣṭup: Visheshya-Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuṣṭup (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग) (as chandas-name), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन) (used appositionally)

• udāhṛtam: is declared
• udāhṛtam: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त; कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); 'has been declared/said'

• kārtavīryārjunaḥ: Kārtavīrya Arjuna
• kārtavīryārjunaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtavīrya (प्रातिपदिक) + arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); proper name; कर्मधारय: 'kārtavīryaḥ arjunaḥ'

• devaḥ: god; deity
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• bīja-śaktiḥ: seed-power
• bīja-śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'bījasya śaktiḥ'

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva (the fixed one)
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• hṛt: heart
• hṛt: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Vedic/irregular stem-form 'hṛt' for 'hṛd'

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical Vedanga/Mantra-lakshana register, within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dattatreya
• Kartaviryarjuna
• Dhruva

FAQs

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

It gives the classical mantra-lakṣaṇa framework—ṛṣi (seer), chandas (metre), devatā (deity), bīja–śakti, and hṛt (heart-locus)—showing that effective japa and worship require correct identification and inner placement, not mere recitation.

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

By naming the devatā and the heart (hṛt) as the locus, it points to devotion as both outward worship (to the presiding deity) and inward concentration—bhakti becomes focused remembrance anchored in the heart.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (metre) is explicitly taught via Anuṣṭubh, along with applied mantra-vidhi: assigning ṛṣi–chandas–devatā and using bīja/śakti and hṛdaya-nyāsa as part of ritual procedure.