Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 199

Rādhā-sambaddha-mantra-vyākhyā

Rādhā-Related Mantras Explained

Devanagari script

एकाक्षर्यनया सिद्धो जायते खेचरः क्षणात् । षड्दीर्घाढ्यां मूलविद्यां षडंगेषु प्रविन्यसेत् ॥ १९९ ॥

Transliteration

ekākṣaryanayā siddho jāyate khecaraḥ kṣaṇāt | ṣaḍdīrghāḍhyāṃ mūlavidyāṃ ṣaḍaṃgeṣu pravinyaset || 199 ||

Translation

Par cette méthode d’une seule syllabe, le pratiquant accompli devient en un instant un « khecara » (celui qui chemine dans le ciel). Ensuite, qu’il accomplisse avec soin le nyāsa du mantra racine, pourvu de six voyelles longues, sur les six membres du corps.

Word by Word

• ekākṣarī-anayā: by this one-syllabled (mantra/vidyā)
• ekākṣarī-anayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekākṣarī (प्रातिपदिक) + idam/anā (प्रातिपदिक, instrumental form)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); anayā = instrumental of pronoun ‘idam’ (इदम्) used as ‘by this’ referring to ekākṣarī

• siddhaḥ: accomplished/perfected
• siddhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of jāyate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• jāyate: is born/becomes
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Singular (एकवचन)

• khecaraḥ: sky-goer (one who moves in the sky)
• khecaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to siddhaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khecara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound: kha (sky) + cara (moving); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṣaṇāt: in an instant
• kṣaṇāt: Apādāna (अपादान) / Temporal point
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन) (used adverbially)

• ṣaṭ-dīrgha-āḍhyām: endowed with six long vowels/syllables
• ṣaṭ-dīrgha-āḍhyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘mūlavidyām’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन) agreeing with ‘mūlavidyām’

• mūla-vidyām: the root-vidyā (fundamental mantra)
• mūla-vidyām: Karma (कर्म) (of pravinyaset)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• ṣaṭ-aṃgeṣu: in the six limbs (aṅgas)
• ṣaṭ-aṃgeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu (द्विगु) compound ‘six limbs’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pravinyaset: one should place/insert properly
• pravinyaset: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vi+ni+as (धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on mantra-vidyā/nyāsa within Vedāṅga-oriented technical teaching)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It highlights mantra-śakti as a rapid means to siddhi, emphasizing disciplined ritual application (nyāsa) of a root-mantra across the six limbs to stabilize and sanctify the practitioner’s body as a locus of sacred power.

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

Though framed as mantra-vidyā, it supports bhakti by treating the body and speech as instruments of sacred remembrance—placing the mūla-mantra through ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa makes practice focused, reverential, and aligned to the deity-mantra relationship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) is implied through attention to dīrgha (long vowels) in the mantra, and kalpa/ritual method appears through the technical procedure of ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa (precise placement and sequencing).