Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

उकाराद्यैः पञ्चह्रस्वौर्विलोमान्संयुतं च यत् । तत्तदंगुलिभिर्भूयस्तत्तदिकान्न्यसेत् ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

ukārādyaiḥ pañcahrasvaurvilomānsaṃyutaṃ ca yat | tattadaṃgulibhirbhūyastattadikānnyaset || 54 ||

Translation

‘ಉ’ದಿಂದ ಆರಂಭವಾಗುವ ಐದು ಹ್ರಸ್ವ ಸ್ವರಗಳಿಂದ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವಿಳೋಮಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಯೋಗದಿಂದ ಉಂಟಾಗುವ ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳನ್ನೂ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು—ಮತ್ತೆ ತತ್ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ಆ-ಆ ಬೆರಳುಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಅವುಗಳ ನ್ಯಾಸವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು।

Word by Word

• उकार-आद्यैः: with (sounds) beginning with ‘u’
• उकार-आद्यैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘उकारः आदिः येषाम्’ (beginning with ‘u’-sound)

• पञ्च-ह्रस्वैः: with five short (sounds)
• पञ्च-ह्रस्वैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः—‘पञ्च ह्रस्वाः’ (five short vowels/sounds)

• विलोमान्: in reverse order
• विलोमान्: Karma (कर्म/Object; qualifying implied items)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘reverse/opposite order’

• संयुतम्: joined/combined
• संयुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of यत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘संयुक्त’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म/Object; ‘that which’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तत्-तत्-अङ्गुलिभिः: with the respective fingers
• तत्-तत्-अङ्गुलिभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘तत् तत्’ = पुनरुक्ति (distributive: each respective)

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तत्-तत्-इकान्: those respective (items/letters)
• तत्-तत्-इकान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + इक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘that particular one/that set’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘तत् तत्’ = वितान/वितरणार्थ पुनरुक्ति (each respective)

• न्यसेत्: should place/install
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु; न्यासे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It emphasizes mantra-discipline through precise phonetic units and their ritual placement (nyāsa), aligning speech (vāk) and the body’s micro-ritual map (fingers) to stabilize concentration and sanctify recitation.

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

While primarily technical (Śikṣā/nyāsa), it supports Bhakti by teaching careful mantra-handling—devotional practice becomes steady and effective when syllables are pronounced and ritually ‘installed’ with attention and purity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) and ritual application: using short vowels, forming reverse-order combinations, and performing aṅguli-nyāsa (assigning syllables to fingers) as part of mantra procedure.