Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

तत्त्वन्यासं ततः कुर्याद्धिष्णुभावप्रसिद्धये । अष्टार्णोऽष्टप्रकृत्यात्मा गदितः पूर्वसूरिभिः ॥ १६ ॥

Transliteration

tattvanyāsaṃ tataḥ kuryāddhiṣṇubhāvaprasiddhaye | aṣṭārṇo'ṣṭaprakṛtyātmā gaditaḥ pūrvasūribhiḥ || 16 ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം വിഷ്ണുഭാവം ദൃഢമായി സ്ഥാപിക്കുവാൻ തത്ത്വന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം. അഷ്ടപ്രകൃതിസ്വരൂപമായ അഷ്ടാക്ഷരി മന്ത്രം പൂർവ്വസൂരികൾ ഉപദേശിച്ചതാണ്.

Word by Word

• तत्त्व-न्यासम्: the tattva-nyāsa
• तत्त्व-न्यासम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘तत्त्वानां न्यासः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रम (from that/thereafter)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चय (particle: for/indeed)

• विष्णु-भाव-प्रसिद्धये: for the attainment/manifestation of Viṣṇu-nature
• विष्णु-भाव-प्रसिद्धये: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; ‘विष्णुभावस्य प्रसिद्धिः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + चतुर्थी ‘for the attainment’

• अष्ट-अर्णः: eight-syllabled
• अष्ट-अर्णः: विशेषण (Adjectival to (मन्त्रः) understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘having eight syllables’

• अष्ट-प्रकृति-आत्मा: of eightfold constitution
• अष्ट-प्रकृति-आत्मा: विशेषण (Adjectival to (मन्त्रः) understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘whose nature consists of eight (elements)’

• गदितः: has been stated
• गदितः: क्रिया/विधेय (Predicate: ‘is said’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गदित (कृदन्त; √गद् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• पूर्व-सूरिभिः: by the earlier sages/teachers
• पूर्व-सूरिभिः: कर्ता (Kartā in passive/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सूरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वाः सूरीणः’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that tattva-nyāsa (ritual installation of cosmic principles upon oneself) is a means to stabilize dhiṣṇu-bhāva—deep identification and absorption in Viṣṇu—using an anciently transmitted eight-syllabled mantra.

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

Bhakti here is made practical: devotion is cultivated not only by emotion but by disciplined upāsanā—nyāsa and mantra-japa—so the devotee’s body-mind becomes aligned with Viṣṇu-consciousness (dhiṣṇu-bhāva).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical ritual method (prayoga) involving mantra structure (aṣṭākṣarī) and nyāsa—knowledge aligned with Vedāṅga-style precision in recitation/application and the procedural sciences used in worship.