Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 93

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

परश्वेणवराभीतीर्दधानं विद्युदुज्ज्वलम् । चतुर्मुखं तत्पुरुषं त्रिनेत्रं पूर्वतोऽर्चयेत् ॥ ९३ ॥

Transliteration

paraśveṇavarābhītīrdadhānaṃ vidyudujjvalam | caturmukhaṃ tatpuruṣaṃ trinetraṃ pūrvato'rcayet || 93 ||

Translation

Tourné vers l’est, que l’on adore Tatpuruṣa—aux quatre visages et aux trois yeux—éclatant comme l’éclair, portant la hache (paraśu) et montrant les gestes d’octroi de grâces et d’intrépidité.

Word by Word

• परश्वेण: with an axe
• परश्वेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental), एकवचन

• वर: boon
• वर: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (समाहार-निर्देशे)

• अभीतीः: fearlessness (gestures)
• अभीतीः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अभय’ इत्यर्थे

• दधानम्: bearing/holding
• दधानम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत्पुरुषम् इति) विशेषण

• विद्युत्-उज्ज्वलम्: shining like lightning
• विद्युत्-उज्ज्वलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्युत्-उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘विद्युदिव उज्ज्वलः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत्पुरुषम् इति) विशेषण

• चतुर्मुखम्: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘यस्य चत्वारि मुखानि सः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषम् इति विशेषण

• तत्पुरुषम्: Tatpuruṣa (a form/aspect)
• तत्पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नाम), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; पूज्यदेवता-विशेष (Tatpuruṣa form)

• त्रिनेत्रम्: three-eyed
• त्रिनेत्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि-नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘यस्य त्रीणि नेत्राणि सः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषम् इति विशेषण

• पूर्वतः: in the east / to the east
• पूर्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: ‘from/in the east/front’)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada (teaching a technical worship/vidhi sequence, in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Tatpuruṣa

FAQs

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

It teaches precise dhyāna (visualization) and dik-krama (directional order): the practitioner begins worship in the east by contemplating Tatpuruṣa with defined marks (radiance, faces, eyes, and gestures), aligning mind and ritual act.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as focused upāsanā: devotion becomes concrete through reverent, detailed contemplation of the deity’s form and attributes, stabilizing attention and reverence during pūjā.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual procedure and iconographic specification used in śrauta/smārta-style worship—directional orientation (east), prescribed dhyāna-lakṣaṇas (form-features), and hand-symbol meanings (varada/abhaya) as part of technical vidhi.