Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35

Pañca-prakṛti-nirūpaṇa and Mantra-vidhi: Rādhā, Mahālakṣmī, Durgā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī; plus Sāvitrī-Pañjara

Devanagari script

राधिका प्रणवो बीजं स्वाहा शक्तिरुदाहृता । षडक्षरैः षडंगानि कुर्याद्विन्दुविभूषितैः ॥ ३५ ॥

Transliteration

rādhikā praṇavo bījaṃ svāhā śaktirudāhṛtā | ṣaḍakṣaraiḥ ṣaḍaṃgāni kuryādvinduvibhūṣitaiḥ || 35 ||

Translation

‘राधिका’ हा मुख्य मंत्र; प्रणव (ॐ) त्याचे बीज, आणि ‘स्वाहा’ ही त्याची शक्ति सांगितली आहे. बिंदुयुक्त सहा अक्षरांनी षडंग-न्यास करावा.

Word by Word

• राधिका: Rādhikā
• राधिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राधिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• प्रणवः: Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• बीजम्: seed (mantra-syllable)
• बीजम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• स्वाहा: svāhā (oblation-call)
• स्वाहा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्रनिपात (mantric exclamation)

• शक्तिः: power (śakti)
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• उदाहृता: is declared/said
• उदाहृता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थे ‘is said/declared’

• षडक्षरैः: with six syllables
• षडक्षरैः: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षडक्षर (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + अक्षर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (neut. instr. pl.)

• षडङ्गानि: the six limbs (aṅgas)
• षडङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षडङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + अङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन (neut. acc. pl.)

• कुर्यात्: should do/should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg. opt.)

• विन्दु-विभूषितैः: adorned with bindu (dot)
• विन्दु-विभूषितैः: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विन्दुविभूषित (प्रातिपदिक; विन्दु + विभूषित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (neut. instr. pl.)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/ritual-technical context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Radhika
• Pranava (Om)
• Svaha

FAQs

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

It frames a mantra as a living power: Oṁ functions as the seed (bīja), svāhā as the activating force (śakti), and ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa sanctifies the practitioner’s body as a fit support for devotion and mantra-japa.

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

By prescribing mantra-vidhi centered on Rādhikā, it presents bhakti not only as emotion but as disciplined worship—using sacred sound, nyāsa, and reverent recitation to internalize the deity’s presence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical practice akin to Vedāṅga-oriented precision: mantra components (bīja/śakti), phonetic markers like bindu (anusvāra), and the standardized ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa sequence used in tantric-ritual application.