Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 148

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

प्रयच्छ ठद्वयांतोऽयं द्वाविंशत्यक्षरो मनुः । मुनिश्चतुर्मुखश्छंदो गायत्री देवतोदिता ॥ १४८ ॥

Transliteration

prayaccha ṭhadvayāṃto'yaṃ dvāviṃśatyakṣaro manuḥ | muniścaturmukhaśchaṃdo gāyatrī devatoditā || 148 ||

Translation

ഈ മന്ത്രം ‘പ്രയച്ഛ’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു ‘ഠ’ ദ്വയത്തോടെ അവസാനിക്കുന്നു; ഇത് ഇരുപത്തിരണ്ട് അക്ഷരങ്ങളുള്ള മനുവാണ്. ഇതിന്റെ ഋഷി ചതുര്മുഖൻ (ബ്രഹ്മാ), ഛന്ദസ് ഗായത്രി, ദേവതയും പ്രഖ്യാപിതം.

Word by Word

• प्रयच्छ: grant/give
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ठ-द्वय-अन्तः: ending with a pair of ‘ṭha’
• ठ-द्वय-अन्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ठ (वर्ण/प्रातिपदिक-रूप) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ठद्वयम् अन्ते यस्य)

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

• द्वा-विṃशति-अक्षरः: having twenty-two syllables
• द्वा-विṃशति-अक्षरः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वाविंशतिः संख्या यस्य)

• मनुः: the mantra (manu)
• मनुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनिः: the seer (ṛṣi)
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चतुर्-मुखः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्-मुखः: Samanadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य)

• छन्दः: the metre
• छन्दः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Samanadhikarana (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देवता: the deity
• देवता: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उदिता: declared/said
• उदिता: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle) ‘उदित’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with ‘देवता’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/Mantra-vidya context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Brahma (Caturmukha)
• Gayatri (metre)

FAQs

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

It teaches the standard Vedic method of “mantra-lakṣaṇa”—identifying a mantra through its akṣara-count, ṛṣi (seer), chandas (metre), and devatā—so that recitation and ritual application are performed correctly and with intended spiritual efficacy.

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

By insisting on correct mantra-identification (ṛṣi–chandas–devatā), it supports disciplined worship: devotion becomes steady and fruitful when the devotee addresses the proper devatā through the right metrical and traditional framework.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (Vedic prosody) and mantra-śāstra conventions: the verse specifies syllable-count (22 akṣaras), the metre (Gāyatrī), and traditional attributions (ṛṣi and devatā) used in ritual manuals and recitation practice.