Shloka 41

The Greatness of Puruṣottama

Aṣṭākṣarī Maṇḍala-Pūjā and Nyāsa

Devanagari script

वायव्यां माधवं चैव तथैशाने त्रिविक्रमम् । तथाष्टाक्षरदेवस्य गरुडं परितो न्यसेत् ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

vāyavyāṃ mādhavaṃ caiva tathaiśāne trivikramam | tathāṣṭākṣaradevasya garuḍaṃ parito nyaset || 41 ||

Translation

Au nord-ouest, qu’on place (qu’on invoque) Mādhava, et au nord-est Trivikrama ; de même, tout autour du Seigneur du mantra Aṣṭākṣarī, qu’on dispose Garuḍa en cercle protecteur.

Word by Word

• vāyavyām: in the north-west (direction)
• vāyavyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (singular)

• mādhavam: Mādhava (name of Viṣṇu)
• mādhavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avayava (समुच्चय/coordination particle)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa-avyaya (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• īśāne: in the north-east
• īśāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग) (dik-nāma), Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• trivikramam: Trivikrama (name of Viṣṇu)
• trivikramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trivikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd), Ekavacana

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverb)

• aṣṭākṣara-devasya: of the deity of the eight-syllabled (mantra)
• aṣṭākṣara-devasya: Sambandha/Śeṣa (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; Tatpuruṣa: aṣṭākṣaraḥ (eight-syllabled) + devaḥ (deity) → ‘deity of the eight-syllabled (mantra)’

• garuḍam: Garuḍa
• garuḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd), Ekavacana

• paritaḥ: all around
• paritaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (देश/locative adverb)

• nyaset: should place
• nyaset: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√as (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; meaning ‘should place/assign’

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Madhava
• Trivikrama
• Garuda
• Aṣṭākṣarī (Om Namo Narayanaya)

FAQs

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

It teaches a Vaiṣṇava nyāsa pattern: invoking specific Viṣṇu-names in specific directions and encircling the Aṣṭākṣarī Deity with Garuḍa, expressing protection, completeness, and reverent order in worship.

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

Bhakti here is practiced as attentive, name-centered worship: devotees honor Viṣṇu through His epithets (Mādhava, Trivikrama) and His devotee-mount Garuḍa, showing loving service through disciplined ritual placement.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual application of directional knowledge (dik-vinyāsa/nyāsa) used in pūjā and mantra-sādhana—an applied, technical aspect of Vedic ritual procedure rather than grammar or metrics.