Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

अस्त्रमुक्तं षडंगानि कुर्यादेवं समाहितः । पूर्वदक्षिणपश्चात्प्राक्सौम्यमध्येषु पंचसु ॥ ६२ ॥

Transliteration

astramuktaṃ ṣaḍaṃgāni kuryādevaṃ samāhitaḥ | pūrvadakṣiṇapaścātprāksaumyamadhyeṣu paṃcasu || 62 ||

Translation

Après avoir libéré (ou déployé) l’astrā-mantra, le pratiquant—recueilli et vigilant—doit accomplir les six actes auxiliaires (ṣaḍaṅga) de cette manière aux cinq emplacements : l’est, le sud, l’ouest, le nord et le centre.

Word by Word

• astra-muktam: (the) astra released/uttered
• astra-muktam: Karma/Viśeṣaṇa (Object/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: astra + mukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa, Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ‘released/uttered as the astra’

• ṣaṭ-aṃgāni: the six limbs (ṣaḍaṅgas)
• ṣaṭ-aṃgāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + aṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu-samāsa (द्विगु), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• kuryāt: should do/perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Adverb

• samāhitaḥ: being concentrated/attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√dhā → samāhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; ‘collected/concentrated’

• pūrva-dakṣiṇa-paścāt-prāk-saumya-madhyeṣu: in the east, south, west, front, north, and middle (positions)
• pūrva-dakṣiṇa-paścāt-prāk-saumya-madhyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva + dakṣiṇa + paścāt + prāk + saumya + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva-samāsa (द्वन्द्व: directions), Napuṃsaka, Saptamī (Locative/सप्तमी), Bahuvacana; ‘in the (places) east, south, west, front, north, and middle’

• paṃcasu: in/among the five
• paṃcasu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (Commonly) Napuṃsaka usage, Saptamī (Locative/सप्तमी), Bahuvacana; ‘among/in the five’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical/ritual instruction sequence)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined, directionally ordered mantra-practice: the mind must be steady (samāhita) and the rite must be structured through “six limbs” applied across the sacred spatial grid of the five directions, establishing protection and ritual completeness.

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

Though technical, it supports bhakti by teaching careful, reverent performance of mantra and protective rites; devotion is expressed as attentive, correctly ordered worship rather than mere emotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure and mantra-application (prayoga): using the astra-mantra and performing ṣaḍaṅga/auxiliary acts with directional placement (dik-vyavasthā), a key feature of technical liturgical method taught in Vedāṅga-oriented sections.