Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 63

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

वक्त्रेषु पंच विन्यस्येदीशानस्य कलाः क्रमात् । ईशानः सर्वविद्यानां शशिनी प्रथमा कला ॥ ६३ ॥

Transliteration

vaktreṣu paṃca vinyasyedīśānasya kalāḥ kramāt | īśānaḥ sarvavidyānāṃ śaśinī prathamā kalā || 63 ||

Translation

അഞ്ച് മുഖങ്ങളിൽ അഞ്ചു കലകൾ വിന്യസിച്ച്, ഈശാനന്റെ കലകൾ ക്രമമായി സ്ഥാപിക്കണം. ഈശാനൻ സർവ്വവിദ്യകളുടെ അധിപതി; ‘ശശിനി’ അവന്റെ ആദ്യ കലയാണ്।

Word by Word

• vaktreṣu: in the mouths/faces
• vaktreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Saptamī (Locative/सप्तमी), Bahuvacana

• paṃca: five
• paṃca: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्याविशेषण), (agreeing with implied neuter plural), used as ‘five’

• vinyasyet: should place/arrange
• vinyasyet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + ni + √as (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada; ‘should place/arrange’

• īśānasya: of Īśāna
• īśānasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

• kalāḥ: parts/phases/kalās
• kalāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana

• kramāt: in sequence
• kramāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially: Pañcamī (Ablative/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; ‘in order/stepwise’

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna
• īśānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• sarva-vidyānām: of all knowledges/arts
• sarva-vidyānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष), Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana

• śaśinī: Śaśinī (moon-like; name of a kalā)
• śaśinī: Karta/Viśeṣya (Subject/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• prathamā: first
• prathamā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; agrees with kalā

• kalā: phase/portion (kalā)
• kalā: Viśeṣya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical, Vedanga-style ritual instruction context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishana
• Shashini

FAQs

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

It teaches ordered inner placement (nyāsa) of divine energies (kalās), presenting Īśāna as the presiding principle of knowledge and indicating that spiritual practice should be structured, sequential, and mantra-aligned.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined worship: devotion is not only emotion but also correct ritual contemplation—placing the deity’s kalās with reverence and order to steady the mind in the deity’s presence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure and mantra-application (nyāsa/vinyāsa) are highlighted—an applied, technical discipline aligned with Vedanga-style precision (sequence, placement, and correct identification of deity-energies).