Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

गले च वामपार्श्वांसगलपृष्टेष्वनंतरम् । ककुद्यपि न्यसेन्मंत्री मूर्तीर्द्वादश वै क्रमात् ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

gale ca vāmapārśvāṃsagalapṛṣṭeṣvanaṃtaram | kakudyapi nyasenmaṃtrī mūrtīrdvādaśa vai kramāt || 23 ||

Translation

Kemudian, pada tekak, pada sisi kiri, pada bahu, dan sesudah itu pada belakang tekak; juga pada bahagian bonggol (belakang atas). Pengamal yang mengetahui mantra hendaklah melakukan nyāsa bagi dua belas wujud ilahi (mūrti) menurut tertibnya.

Word by Word

• गले: in the neck/throat
• गले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• वाम-पार्श्व-अंस-गल-पृष्ठेषु: on the left side, shoulder, neck, and back
• वाम-पार्श्व-अंस-गल-पृष्ठेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम + पार्श्व + अंस + गल + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately/thereafter
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative used as indeclinable (क्रियाविशेषण-रूपेण द्वितीया)

• ककुदि: on the hump/upper back (nape)
• ककुदि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ककुद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• मन्त्री: the mantra-practitioner
• मन्त्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• मूर्तीः: forms/manifestations
• मूर्तीः: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्या-विशेषण), Indeclinable-stem usage; qualifying 'मूर्तीः' (fem. acc. pl.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphatic

• क्रमात्: in order/stepwise
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana/Hetu (क्रियाविशेषण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); adverbial ablative

Speaker

Sage Narada (teaching ritual procedure to the Sanatkumara brothers)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Twelve forms of Vishnu (Dvādaśa-mūrti)

FAQs

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

It teaches nyāsa—sanctifying the body by installing the Lord’s twelve forms in specific locations—so the practitioner’s body becomes a fit vessel for worship and mantra-japa.

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

By prescribing embodied remembrance—placing the Lord’s forms on one’s own limbs—devotion becomes continuous, intimate, and disciplined rather than merely verbal.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects technical ritual procedure (prayoga) and precise bodily placement used in mantra-śāstra/nyāsa traditions, aligned with the Narada Purana’s Book 1.3 focus on applied sacred sciences.