Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36

Hayagrīva-pūjā-vyākhyāna

Worship Procedure and Mantra-Siddhi of Hayagrīva

Devanagari script

तुरंगवदनं वंदे तुंगसारस्वतः पदम् । ध्यात्वैवं प्रजपेन्मंत्रमयुतं तद्दशांशतः ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

turaṃgavadanaṃ vaṃde tuṃgasārasvataḥ padam | dhyātvaivaṃ prajapenmaṃtramayutaṃ taddaśāṃśataḥ || 36 ||

Translation

馬のごとき御面をもつ至高のサーラスヴァタに、我は礼拝し奉る。かく観想して後、真言を一万遍誦し、さらにその十分の一の量にて結びの供養・行法を修すべし。

Word by Word

• तुरङ्ग-वदनम्: the horse-faced (one) / horse-face
• तुरङ्ग-वदनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (तुरङ्गस्य वदनम्)

• वन्दे: I worship / I bow to
• वन्दे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तुंग-सारस्वतः: the exalted Sarasvata (sage)
• तुंग-सारस्वतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुंग (प्रातिपदिक) + सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विशेषण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय समास (तुंगः सारस्वतः)

• पदम्: feet / position / word
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रजपेत्: should recite
• प्रजपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• अयुतम्: ten thousand
• अयुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• तत्-दशांशतः: by its tenth part (i.e., one-tenth thereof)
• तत्-दशांशतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दशांश (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष (तस्य दशांशः)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a technical/vidyā-oriented context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvati
• Sārasvata (Hayagrīva-like form)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined mantra-sādhana: reverence (vandana), meditation (dhyāna), a fixed japa-count (ayuta), and a completion measure (daśāṃśa), presenting a structured way to stabilize speech, learning, and sacred knowledge.

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

Bhakti appears as reverent worship—bowing to the Sārasvata deity and meditating on the form—then expressing devotion through steady, counted japa, showing devotion as both feeling and regulated practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights the technical discipline of mantra-japa procedure—fixed counts and the daśāṃśa (one-tenth) completion rite—typical of Vedāṅga-aligned ritual method and prayoga-style instruction.