Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

Gaṇeśa Mantra-vidhi: Mahāgaṇapati Gāyatrī, Vakratuṇḍa Mantra, Nyāsa, Homa, Āvaraṇa-pūjā, and Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

वर्णन्या सोऽयमाख्यातः पदन्यासस्तथोच्यते । पञ्चत्रिबाणवह्नींदुचंद्राक्षिनिगमैः क्रमात् ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

varṇanyā so'yamākhyātaḥ padanyāsastathocyate | pañcatribāṇavahnīṃducaṃdrākṣinigamaiḥ kramāt || 12 ||

Translation

ഇതാണ് ‘വർണ-ന്യാസം’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; ഇതേ ‘പദ-ന്യാസം’ എന്നും പറയുന്നു. അഞ്ച്, മൂന്ന്, ബാണം, അഗ്നി, ഇന്ദു, ചന്ദ്രൻ, നേത്രം, നിഗമം എന്നീ പരമ്പരാഗത സംഖ്യാസൂചനകളുടെ ക്രമത്തിൽ ഇത് ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്।

Word by Word

• वर्णन्या: by/with the varṇanyā (letter-sequence method)
• वर्णन्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• सः: he/that (method)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular pronoun)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular pronoun)

• आख्यातः: is declared/stated
• आख्यातः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is declared/has been stated’

• पदन्यासः: placement of the words (nyāsa)
• पदन्यासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पदानां न्यासः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (present passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पञ्चत्रिबाणवह्नींदुचंद्राक्षिनिगमैः: by the coded series (five, three, arrows, fire, moon, moon, eyes, Vedas)
• पञ्चत्रिबाणवह्नींदुचंद्राक्षिनिगमैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + त्रि + बाण + वह्नि + इन्दु + चन्द्र + अक्षि + निगम (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: समाहार/समुच्चयार्थ बहुपद-समास (enumerative compound), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural); ‘by the (numbers/terms) five, three, arrows, fire, moon, moon, eyes, Vedas’ (used as code for sequence)

• क्रमात्: in sequence/step by step
• क्रमात्: Kriya-Visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablative used adverbially); क्रमात् = ‘in order/stepwise’

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a Vedanga/ritual-technical context, traditionally framed in dialogue with Sanatkumara)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Nigama

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined mantra-practice: sacred sound is not used casually but installed (nyāsa) in an ordered way, grounded in scriptural authority (Nigamas), so the practitioner’s body-speech-mind become aligned for worship and realization.

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

By teaching nyāsa as a preparatory limb of worship, it supports bhakti as a precise, reverent practice—devotion expressed through correct mantra-placement and orderly ritual action rather than mere emotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical mantra-science tied to Śikṣā (phonetics) and ritual procedure: varṇa/pada placement and the use of conventional numeric code-words (e.g., bāṇa, vahni, indu, akṣi) to indicate sequence and counts.