Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 197

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

Devanagari script

महापाश हदादघटयमाकर्षयद्वयम् । हुं फटे स्वाहा च पाशाय नमः पाशार्चने मनुः ॥ १९७ ॥

Transliteration

mahāpāśa hadādaghaṭayamākarṣayadvayam | huṃ phaṭe svāhā ca pāśāya namaḥ pāśārcane manuḥ || 197 ||

Translation

(ജപിക്കണം:) “ഹേ മഹാപാശമേ! പിടിക്ക, വീഴ്ത്തുക, നിർവീര്യമാക്കുക, (ലക്ഷ്യത്തെ) എന്റെ അടുക്കൽ ആകർഷിക്കുക—ഹും ഫട് സ്വാഹാ. പാശത്തിന് നമസ്കാരം।” ഇതാണ് പാശാർചന മന്ത്രം.

Word by Word

• महापाश: O great noose
• महापाश: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापाश (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; compound: कर्मधारय (महान् पाशः)

• हदात्: from the lake/pond
• हदात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative ‘from’

• अघटयम्: I caused/arranged (to happen)
• अघटयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अघटय (धातु; घट्/घटय् caus.)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; causative sense ‘I caused/arranged’ (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप)

• आकर्षयत्: draws/pulls
• आकर्षयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘draws/pulls’

• द्वयम्: the pair/twofold (thing)
• द्वयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• हुं: huṃ
• हुं: Mantra-part (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हुं (अव्यय; बीज/नाद)
• Form: बीजाक्षर/मन्त्र-नाद (mantric syllable)

• फटे: phaṭ
• फटे: Mantra-part (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: फट् (अव्यय; मन्त्र-नाद)
• Form: मन्त्र-नाद; ‘phaṭ’ (often used as विस्फोटक-बीज)

• स्वाहा: svāhā
• स्वाहा: Mantra-part (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (अव्यय)
• Form: हविर्दान-समर्पणार्थक अव्यय (oblation formula)

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

• पाशाय: to/for the noose
• पाशाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• नमः: obeisance
• नमः: Mantra-part (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोगः; ‘obeisance’ (often treated as अव्यय in mantra)

• पाशार्चने: in the worship of the noose
• पाशार्चने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशार्चन (प्रातिपदिक; पाश + अर्चन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पाशस्य अर्चनम्)

• मनुः: the mantra-formula (manu)
• मनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It preserves a technical mantra-vidhi: the verse identifies a specific formula (manu) for pāśārcana, showing how ritual sound (huṁ, phaṭ, svāhā) is framed as a controlled spiritual instrument rather than mere speech.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined worship (arcana): even when a mantra has commanding verbs, it is sealed with “namaḥ” (salutation), indicating submission to divine authority and ritual propriety rather than ego-driven power.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-prayoga and ritual phonetics: the use of bija syllables (huṁ, phaṭ) and the oblation-ending (svāhā), along with specifying the exact context of application—pāśārcana (worship using/for the noose).