Shloka 7

Aśokāṣṭamī and Mahānavamī: Durgā Navamī-vrata, mantra-nyāsa, forms, weapons, and offerings

Devanagari script

षड्भिः पदैर्नमः स्वाहा वषडादिहृदादिकम् / अङ्गुष्ठादिकनिष्ठान्तं न्यस्य वै पृजयेच्छिवाम्

Transliteration

ṣaḍbhiḥ padairnamaḥ svāhā vaṣaḍādihṛdādikam / aṅguṣṭhādikaniṣṭhāntaṃ nyasya vai pṛjayecchivām

Translation

ആറ് പദങ്ങൾ—“നമഃ”, “സ്വാഹാ”, “വഷട്” മുതലായവ—കൊണ്ട് ഹൃദയാദി സ്ഥാനങ്ങളിൽ അങ്കന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം. അങ്കുഷ്ഠം മുതൽ കനിഷ്ഠാന്തം വരെ ന്യസിച്ച് ശേഷം ശിവാ ദേവിയെ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• षड्भिः: with six
• षड्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — instrumental plural ‘with six’

• पदैः: words/steps (padas)
• पदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural neuter

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojaka/Mantra-pada (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपातः — indeclinable salutation

• स्वाहा: svāhā
• स्वाहा: Prayojaka/Mantra-pada (Ritual utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (प्रातिपदिक/मन्त्रपद)
• Form: अव्यय; होम-समाप्तिसूचक-निपातः — indeclinable exclamation in oblations

• वषडादिहृदादिकम्: the ‘vaṣaṭ’ etc. and ‘hṛd’ etc. (formula)
• वषडादिहृदादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वषट् + आदि + हृद् + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन — neuter singular; ‘vaṣaṭ etc., hṛd etc.’ (a set/formula)

• अङ्गुष्ठादिकनिष्ठान्तम्: (nyāsa) ending at the little finger, beginning with the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठादिकनिष्ठान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ + आदि + कनिष्ठा + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter; qualifying the nyāsa (placement) from thumb etc. up to little finger-end

• न्यस्य: having placed (nyāsa)
• न्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘न्यस्य’ = having placed/assigned (nyāsa)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (अवधारण/सम्भावन) — particle ‘indeed/just’

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — should worship

• शिवाम्: Śivā (the auspicious goddess)
• शिवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular feminine

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nyāsa installs mantra-power into bodily loci (heart etc.) and fingers, making the worshipper a fit vessel for Devī-upāsanā.

Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin-bhāva (divine indwelling) approached through upāsanā; sacralization of the embodied self as instrument of worship.

Application: Before worship/meditation, perform a brief internal consecration: touch heart/head/shoulders (as per tradition) with mantra, then proceed with focused offering.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space (nyāsa performed on the body within puja setting)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.133.6 (mantra); Garuda Purana 1.133.8-10 (installation and iconography)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Shivā as the Goddess)
• Mantra (namaḥ, svāhā, vaṣaṭ)
• Nyāsa (hṛd-ādi, aṅguṣṭhādi)

FAQs

What is the importance of nyāsa in the Garuda Purana’s ritual instructions?

This verse presents nyāsa as a preparatory sanctification—placing mantra-power in the heart and limbs (including the fingers) before worship, so the worship is performed with an inwardly consecrated body.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; instead, it teaches a ritual discipline (nyāsa and worship) that supports purity, right practice, and spiritual readiness—key themes that the Garuda Purana links with auspicious outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Before any daily prayer or pūjā, one can adopt a brief, focused nyāsa-like centering—mentally placing the mantra in the heart and hands—to cultivate attention, reverence, and ritual correctness.