Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

षोढा न्यासं ततः कुर्यात्तारायाः सर्वसिद्धिम् । श्रीकण्ठादीन्न्यसेद्रुद्रान्मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान् ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

ṣoḍhā nyāsaṃ tataḥ kuryāttārāyāḥ sarvasiddhim | śrīkaṇṭhādīnnyasedrudrānmātṛkāvarṇapūrvakān || 39 ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം താരാദേവിയുടെ ഷോഡശവിധ ന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം; അത് സർവ്വസിദ്ധി നൽകുന്നതാണ്. മാതൃകാവർണങ്ങളെ മുൻപാക്കി വെച്ച് ശ്രീകണ്ഠാദി രുദ്രന്മാരെ ന്യാസിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• षोढा: sixfold
• षोढा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षोढा (अव्यय; षट्-प्रकारेण)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in six ways/parts’)

• न्यासम्: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तारायाः: of Tārā
• तारायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सर्वसिद्धिम्: all accomplishment(s)
• सर्वसिद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व+सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• श्रीकण्ठादीन्: Śrīkaṇṭha and others
• श्रीकण्ठादीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ+आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’-समास (and others beginning with Śrīkaṇṭha)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रुद्रान्: the Rudras
• रुद्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान्: preceded by the Mātr̥kā letters
• मातृकावर्णपूर्वकान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृका+वर्ण+पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; ‘रुद्रान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—मातृकावर्णैः पूर्वकाः (preceded by the Mātr̥kā letters)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Tārā
• Rudras
• Śrīkaṇṭha
• Mātṛkā

FAQs

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

It teaches that siddhi in mantra-practice is grounded in disciplined ritual embodiment: through ṣoḍhā-nyāsa the deity (Tārā) and divine powers are installed in the practitioner’s own psycho-physical field, making the sādhana effective.

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

Here devotion is expressed as precise upāsanā—reverent, rule-based worship—where the devotee internalizes the deity through nyāsa, treating the body and speech as instruments of sacred service.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights a technical mantra-ritual method: mātṛkā-varṇa (alphabet/syllable) based nyāsa, showing applied knowledge of sacred phonetics (śikṣā) and mantra-structure used in formal ritual procedure.