Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 182

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

जानुजंघापदद्वंद्वे रुद्रभिन्नाक्षरैर्न्यसेत् । पञ्चषट्काष्टवेदांगद्विव्द्यब्धिरसलोचनैः ॥ १८२ ॥

Transliteration

jānujaṃghāpadadvaṃdve rudrabhinnākṣarairnyaset | pañcaṣaṭkāṣṭavedāṃgadvivdyabdhirasalocanaiḥ || 182 ||

Translation

जानू, जंघा व पादद्वंद्वावर रुद्र-भिन्न अक्षरांनी न्यास करावा—पाच, सहा, आठ, वेदांग, दोन, समुद्र, रस आणि नेत्र यांनी सूचित केलेल्या क्रमाने.

Word by Word

• जानुजङ्घापदद्वन्द्वे: in the (set of) knee–shin–foot (positions)
• जानुजङ्घापदद्वन्द्वे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु + जङ्घा + पद + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (जानु-जङ्घा-पद-सम्बद्धे द्वन्द्वे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• रुद्रभिन्नाक्षरैः: with the Rudra-differentiated syllables
• रुद्रभिन्नाक्षरैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र + भिन्न + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (रुद्रेण भिन्नानि अक्षराणि/रुद्र-भिन्न-अक्षर), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign (nyāsa)
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पञ्चषट्काष्टवेदाङ्गद्विव्द्यब्धिरसलोचनैः: with (syllables) denoted by five, six, eight, Vedāṅgas, two, (vidyā/vidhi?), oceans, rasas, and eyes (numbers)
• पञ्चषट्काष्टवेदाङ्गद्विव्द्यब्धिरसलोचनैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + षट् + काष्ट + वेदाङ्ग + द्वि + (विद्य?/विधि?) + अब्धि + रस + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (संख्याशब्द-समाहारः; पाठभेद/दुष्पाठ-संभावना: द्विव्द्य-), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणरूपेण

Speaker

Sanatkumāra (teaching Nārada the technical procedure of nyāsa within Vedāṅga-oriented practice)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

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

It teaches a disciplined aṅga-nyāsa: sanctifying the lower limbs by installing mantra-syllables, so the practitioner’s body becomes a fit support for japa and worship through ordered, scripturally coded placement.

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

Though technical, the verse supports bhakti by prescribing a preparatory ritual that steadies attention and consecrates the body—helping the devotee perform mantra-recitation and worship with purity, focus, and reverence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It uses a traditional numerical-code style (saṅkhyā-saṅketa) embedded in words like ‘rasa’ and ‘eyes’ to convey counts/order for nyāsa—reflecting the technical, Vedāṅga-oriented discipline of precise mantra application.