Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 178

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

उद्यदादित्यसंकाशमणिसिंहासनांबुजे । समासीनोऽच्युतो ध्येयो द्रुतहाटकसन्निभः ॥ १७८ ॥

Transliteration

udyadādityasaṃkāśamaṇisiṃhāsanāṃbuje | samāsīno'cyuto dhyeyo drutahāṭakasannibhaḥ || 178 ||

Translation

Que l’on médite sur le Seigneur Acyuta, l’Impérissable, assis sur le lotus d’un trône-lion serti de gemmes; rayonnant tel le soleil levant, et splendide comme l’or en fusion.

Word by Word

• udyat-āditya-saṃkāśa-maṇi-siṃhāsana-ambuje: on the jewel-throne lotus, radiant like the rising sun
• udyat-āditya-saṃkāśa-maṇi-siṃhāsana-ambuje: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udyat (कृदन्त, √ud-i) + āditya + saṃkāśa + maṇi + siṃhāsana + ambuja (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः; udyat = वर्तमानकृदन्त ‘rising’ used adjectivally; ambuje = ‘on/in the lotus’ (seat)

• samāsīnaḥ: seated
• samāsīnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-āsīna (कृदन्त, √ās with उपसर्ग sam)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; भूतकृदन्त/कृतप्रत्यय (past participial adjective): ‘seated’

• acyutaḥ: Acyuta (the infallible Lord)
• acyutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper epithet of Viṣṇu

• dhyeyaḥ: worthy to be meditated upon
• dhyeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyeya (कृदन्त, √dhyai)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विधिलिङ्गार्थ-योग्यतायाम्: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) ‘to be meditated upon’

• druta-hāṭaka-sannibhaḥ: resembling molten gold
• druta-hāṭaka-sannibhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: druta + hāṭaka + sannibha (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration within a dhyāna/upanāsa context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Vishnu)

FAQs

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

It gives a precise dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (meditation iconography) for Vishnu: the mind is steadied by contemplating Acyuta’s radiant, golden form enthroned on a lotus-seat, turning devotion into focused upāsanā.

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

Bhakti here is practiced as loving contemplation: by repeatedly visualizing the Lord’s auspicious form (tejas like the rising sun, beauty like molten gold), the devotee’s attention becomes one-pointed and naturally gravitates toward remembrance (smṛti) and surrender.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects upāsanā methodology—using prescribed imagery and attributes (dhyāna-vidhi) to train concentration; this aligns with technical disciplines supporting ritual and recitation (e.g., correct mental visualization accompanying mantra-japa and worship).