Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 153

The Exposition of Nṛsiṁha Worship-Mantras, Nyāsa, Mudrās, Yantras, Kavaca, and Nṛsiṁha Gāyatrī

Devanagari script

रूपाय तारः स्वर्बीजं कूर्मरूपाय तारकम् । बीजं वराहरूपाय तारो बीज नृसिंहतः ॥ १५३ ॥

Transliteration

rūpāya tāraḥ svarbījaṃ kūrmarūpāya tārakam | bījaṃ varāharūpāya tāro bīja nṛsiṃhataḥ || 153 ||

Translation

‘रूपा’साठी तारा हे स्वर्बीज; ‘कूर्मरूपा’साठी तारक. ‘वराहरूपा’साठी बीज निर्दिष्ट आहे; आणि ‘नृसिंहा’साठी तारा हेच बीज आहे.

Word by Word

• रूपाय: to (that) form
• रूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• तारः: ‘tāra’
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वर्बीजम्: the seed of ‘svar’
• स्वर्बीजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वरस्य बीजम्)

• कूर्मरूपाय: to the tortoise-form
• कूर्मरूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य रूपम्)

• तारकम्: ‘tāraka’
• तारकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• बीजम्: seed-syllable
• बीजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वराहरूपाय: to the boar-form
• वराहरूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वराहस्य रूपम्)

• तारः: ‘tāra’
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बीज: seed (syllable)
• बीज: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पाठभेदे ‘बीजम्’)

• नृसिंहतः: from Narasiṃha
• नृसिंहतः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on technical mantra-bīja usage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Kūrma
• Varāha
• Narasiṃha

FAQs

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

It assigns specific seed-syllables (bīja) to Viṣṇu’s avatāras, indicating that sound (śabda) is a direct ritual-technical gateway to contemplate and invoke distinct divine functions—stability (Kūrma), upliftment (Varāha), and protective ferocity (Narasiṃha).

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

Bhakti is expressed here as mantra-oriented devotion: the devotee focuses the mind on Viṣṇu through precise sacred syllables, making remembrance (smaraṇa) and worship (upāsanā) steady and deity-specific.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects a technical mantra-science approach—selection of bīja syllables and their deity-application—aligned with Vedāṅga-style precision in pronunciation and ritual deployment (śikṣā and kalpa-oriented practice).