Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

प्राग्याम्यवारुणोदीच्यमध्यवक्त्रेषु पंचसु । मन्त्रांगानिन्यसेत्पश्चाज्जातियुक्तानि षट् क्रमात् ॥ ६ ॥

Transliteration

prāgyāmyavāruṇodīcyamadhyavaktreṣu paṃcasu | mantrāṃgāninyasetpaścājjātiyuktāni ṣaṭ kramāt || 6 ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് കിഴക്ക്, തെക്ക്, പടിഞ്ഞാറ്, വടക്ക്, മധ്യം—ഈ അഞ്ചു മുഖങ്ങളിൽ മന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ അംഗങ്ങൾ ന്യാസം ചെയ്യണം. തുടർന്ന് ക്രമമായി ‘ജാതി’യോടുകൂടിയ ആ ആറു ഭാഗങ്ങളും വിന്യസിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• प्राक्-याम्य-वारुण-उदीच्य-मध्य-वक्त्रेषु: in the eastern, southern, western, northern, and central faces
• प्राक्-याम्य-वारुण-उदीच्य-मध्य-वक्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राक् + याम्य + वारुण + उदीच्य + मध्य + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; दिशाविशेषणपूर्वक 'वक्त्र' (faces)

• पञ्चसु: in the five
• पञ्चसु: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• मन्त्र-अङ्गानि: the limbs/parts of the mantra
• मन्त्र-अङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place / should assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु, 'न्यस्' = to place)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• जाति-युक्तानि: endowed with (their) class/type
• जाति-युक्तानि: Karma-visheshana (कर्मविशेषण/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाति + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) 'युक्त' = endowed/connected

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• क्रमात्: in order / sequentially
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially); क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined mantra-sādhana: the mantra is not merely recited but ritually internalized through nyāsa, aligning directions/faces and ordered placements to stabilize concentration and sanctify the practitioner’s body as a sacred seat of the mantra.

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

Though technical, it supports bhakti by prescribing a reverent, structured way to invoke the deity through mantra—turning devotion into embodied worship where the devotee ‘hosts’ the mantra and its divine power through ritual placement.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Vedāṅga-oriented ritual precision, especially Śikṣā (phonetics) via ‘jāti’ classifications and the procedural logic of nyāsa—placing mantra-aṅgas in a fixed kramā (sequence) tied to directional/ritual mapping.