Shloka 9

Vāstu-pūjā, Vāstu-maṇḍala Deities, Site Computations, and Doorway/Tree Prescriptions

Devanagari script

मध्ये नवपदे ब्रह्मा तस्याष्ठौ च समीपगान् / देवानेकोत्तरानेतान्पूर्वादौ नामतः शृणु

Transliteration

madhye navapade brahmā tasyāṣṭhau ca samīpagān / devānekottarānetānpūrvādau nāmataḥ śṛṇu

Translation

Di tengah, dalam susunan sembilan petak, bersemayam Brahmā; dan dekat baginda ada lapan dewa. Dengarlah, bermula dari arah timur, nama-nama para dewa itu—sembilan semuanya.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग ‘in the middle’

• नवपदे: in the ninefold place
• नवपदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘nava-pada’ = ninefold place/lotus-position

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (numeral ‘eight’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• समीपगान्: those nearby
• समीपगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समीप + ग (गम् √गम् धातु, णिनि/अण्-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘near-going/nearby’ (samīpa-ga)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• एकोत्तरान्: each one higher (by one)
• एकोत्तरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘one-more/plus one’

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• पूर्वादौ: starting from the east
• पूर्वादौ: Adhikarana (Ordering/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग: ‘beginning with the east’

• नामतः: by name
• नामतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb) ‘by name/according to names’

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Centrality and hierarchy: the center (Brahmā) and the eight surrounding powers; knowledge through structured enumeration.

Vedantic Theme: From multiplicity to a unifying center; contemplative centering as a method of inner integration.

Application: In visualization/meditation, place the mind at the ‘center’ (madhya), then observe surrounding influences without losing the central anchor.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: mandala center (madhya)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.46.10 (names of the surrounding deities); Garuda Purana 1.46.8 (corner placements)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of the ninefold arrangement (navapada) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a structured sacred layout: Brahmā is placed at the center, with eight deities around him, indicating an ordered cosmological and ritual mapping used for understanding directions and divine presences.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it frames the universe as orderly and direction-based; such directional deity-mappings support ritual correctness and dharmic alignment, which the Garuda Purana links to auspicious outcomes for the soul.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing worship or ancestral rites, keep directional awareness (starting from the east) and a sense of ordered placement—treating the ritual space as sacred and structured rather than casual.