Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 128

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ध्यानैकनिरतांगाय पश्चाद् ब्रूयान्नमः पदम् । रुद्राय शंभवे तारशक्तिरुद्धोऽयमीरितः ॥ १२८ ॥

Transliteration

dhyānaikaniratāṃgāya paścād brūyānnamaḥ padam | rudrāya śaṃbhave tāraśaktiruddho'yamīritaḥ || 128 ||

Translation

ധ്യാനത്തിൽ ഏകാഗ്രമായി ലീനമായ അവയവങ്ങളുള്ളവനോട് പിന്നെ ‘നമഃ’ എന്ന പദം ഉച്ചരിക്കണം. ‘രുദ്രായ, ശംഭവേ’—ഇത് താരാ-ശക്തി (ഓം-ശക്തി) കൊണ്ട് ബന്ധിതമായ ‘ഉദ്ധ’ മന്ത്രമെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം।

Word by Word

• ध्यान-एक-निरत-अङ्गाय: to the one wholly devoted to meditation
• ध्यान-एक-निरत-अङ्गाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'to him whose limbs are devoted solely to meditation' (अङ्ग = body/limb)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb) — 'afterwards'

• ब्रूयात्: should say
• ब्रूयात्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; 'should say'

• नमः: obeisance
• नमः: सम्बोधन/उपपद (Salutation particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमः-शब्दः प्रायः अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः); नमस्कारार्थक निपात (salutatory particle)

• पदम्: the word
• पदम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रुद्राय: to Rudra
• रुद्राय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• शम्भवे: to Śambhu
• शम्भवे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• तार-शक्ति-रुद्धः: restrained by the tāra power
• तार-शक्ति-रुद्धः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of अयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √रुध् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'restrained/blocked by the tāra-śakti'

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ईरितः: is declared/uttered
• ईरितः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर्/ईरय् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'uttered/declared'

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual-mantra context within Vedanga-oriented material)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shambhu

FAQs

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

It links mantra-recitation to inner qualification: only after establishing deep dhyāna (meditative absorption) should one utter “namaḥ” and invoke Rudra/Śambhu, indicating that mantra bears fruit when grounded in concentrated contemplation.

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

It expresses bhakti as reverent surrender through “namaḥ” (salutation/ego-offering) directed to Rudra-Śambhu, while also insisting that devotion is strengthened and made steady through dhyāna.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical mantra-vidhi is implied: sequencing (paścāt), the use of the “namaḥ” pada, and the role of tārā-śakti (praṇava/Oṃ) in shaping or empowering the mantra—reflecting technical ritual-mantric instruction aligned with Vedāṅga-style precision.