Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

Gṛhastha-nitya-karman: Śauca, Sandhyā-vidhi, Pañca-yajña, and Āśrama-krama

Devanagari script

तेजोऽसि गायत्र्यसीति प्रार्थयेत्सवितुर्महः । ततोऽङ्गानि त्रिरावर्त्य ध्यायेच्छक्तीस्तदात्मिकाः ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

tejo'si gāyatryasīti prārthayetsaviturmahaḥ | tato'ṅgāni trirāvartya dhyāyecchaktīstadātmikāḥ || 54 ||

Translation

Sambil melafalkan, “Engkau adalah cahaya; Engkau adalah Gāyatrī,” hendaknya memohon kemuliaan agung Savitṛ. Lalu, setelah meninjau anggota-anggota (aṅga) tiga kali dalam batin, hendaknya bermeditasi pada Śakti-Śakti yang sehakikat dengannya.

Word by Word

• tejaḥ: Radiance/Luster
• tejaḥ: Karta (Subject/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (तेजस्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• asi: You are
• asi: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्)
• Form: Lat Lakara (Present), Parasmaipada, Madhyama Purusha, Singular

• gāyatrī: Gayatri
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• asi: You are
• asi: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्)
• Form: Lat Lakara (Present), Parasmaipada, Madhyama Purusha, Singular

• iti: Thus (quote marker)
• iti: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (इति)
• Form: Particle

• prārthayet: Should pray/request
• prārthayet: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prārth (प्र + अर्थ्)
• Form: Vidhilin Lakara (Optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha, Singular

• savituḥ: Of Savitr (Sun)
• savituḥ: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: savitṛ (सवितृ)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• mahaḥ: Glory/Light
• mahaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahas (महस्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• tataḥ: Then/Thereafter
• tataḥ: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (ततस्)
• Form: Adverb

• aṅgāni: Limbs/Body parts
• aṅgāni: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (अङ्ग)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• triḥ: Three times
• triḥ: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tris (त्रिस्)
• Form: Frequency Adverb

• āvartya: Having revolved/passed over (touched)
• āvartya: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āvṛt (आ + वृत्)
• Form: Lyap Pratyaya (Gerund/Absolutive)

• dhyāyet: Should meditate
• dhyāyet: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै)
• Form: Vidhilin Lakara (Optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama Purusha, Singular

• śaktīḥ: Energies/Powers
• śaktīḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• tadātmikāḥ: Of the nature of that (essence)
• tadātmikāḥ: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tadātmikā (तदात्मिका)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri
• Savitr

FAQs

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

It frames Gāyatrī as living radiance (tejas) and directs the practitioner from verbal prayer to inner contemplation—meditating on the mantra’s Śaktis as identical with Savitṛ’s divine splendor.

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

Bhakti appears here as reverent address and surrender—“You are radiance; you are Gāyatrī”—followed by focused remembrance (dhyāna) of the deity’s power, turning mantra-recitation into heartfelt worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to applied ritual technique: structured japa with aṅga-anuvṛtti/āvaraṇa (reviewing the limbs three times), akin to nyāsa-style practice and disciplined mantra-upāsanā used in Vedic and post-Vedic ritual manuals.