Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

अर्द्धद्वयं न्यसेन्मूर्ध्नि आहृत्पादात्तदङ्गकम् । उग्रादीनि पदानीह मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

arddhadvayaṃ nyasenmūrdhni āhṛtpādāttadaṅgakam | ugrādīni padānīha mṛtyumṛtyuṃ namāmyaham || 27 ||

Translation

മന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ രണ്ടു അർദ്ധങ്ങളും ശിരസ്സിൽ ന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം; ഹൃദയം മുതൽ പാദാന്തം വരെ അതത് അംഗങ്ങളിൽ വിന്യസിക്കണം. ഇവിടെ ‘ഉഗ്ര…’ മുതലായ പദങ്ങളോടെ ഞാൻ മൃത്യുമൃത്യു—മരണജയിയെ—നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു॥२७॥

Word by Word

• अर्द्धद्वयम्: the two halves
• अर्द्धद्वयम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्द्ध + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; द्विगु-समास (numerical compound: ‘two halves’)

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• आहृत्: of ‘āhṛt’ (name/term)
• आहृत्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाठभेद), षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular; here as first member in compound

• पादात्: from the pāda/quarter
• पादात्: अपादान (Ablative/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; Ablative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (modifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Pronoun ‘that’

• अङ्गकम्: limb/part
• अङ्गकम्: कर्म/सम्बन्ध (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (appositional)

• उग्रादीनि: (the) ‘Ugra’ etc. (names/words)
• उग्रादीनि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘ugra etc.’; आदि-तत्पुरुष

• पदानि: words
• पदानि: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural intended

• इह: here
• इह: देशाधिकरण (adverbial locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मृत्युमृत्युम्: Mṛtyu-mṛtyu (Death of Death)
• मृत्युमृत्युम्: कर्म (Object of salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (reduplicative dvandva used as a name: ‘Death-of-death’)

• नमामि: I bow to
• नमामि: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

Narada (teaching a technical ritual procedure within Vedanga-oriented practice)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyuṃmṛtyu (Mrityunjaya aspect of Shiva/Rudra)

FAQs

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

It teaches nyāsa—sacralizing the body by placing mantra-parts on the head and limbs—so the practitioner internalizes the deity’s protective power and worships the Death-conquering Lord (Mṛtyuṃmṛtyu).

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

Bhakti appears here as embodied devotion: the devotee performs reverential placement of the mantra on the body and ends with surrender—“I bow”—to the deity who removes fear of death.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical knowledge: mantra segmentation and viniyoga through nyāsa (assigning mantra parts to specific body locations), a practical application closely tied to śikṣā (proper recitation/placement) and kalpa-style procedure.