Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 99

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

Devanagari script

मातृकोक्ते यजेत्पीठे वक्ष्यमाणक्रमेण ताम् । वर्णाब्जेनासनं दद्यान्मूर्तिं मूलेन कल्पयेत् ॥ ९९ ॥

Transliteration

mātṛkokte yajetpīṭhe vakṣyamāṇakrameṇa tām | varṇābjenāsanaṃ dadyānmūrtiṃ mūlena kalpayet || 99 ||

Translation

Hendaklah seseorang memuja Baginda pada pīṭha menurut ajaran sistem Mātr̥kā, mengikuti tertib yang akan dihuraikan. Hendaklah disediakan tempat duduk melalui “teratai huruf-huruf”, dan rupa-dewa itu dihadirkan/ditetapkan dengan mūla-mantra (mantra akar).

Word by Word

• मातृक-उक्ते: in/according to what is said by the Mātrikās
• मातृक-उक्ते: अधिकरण (अधिष्ठान/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मातृकया उक्ते = ‘said by the Mātrikās’), विशेषण-प्रयोगः

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पीठे: on the pedestal/seat (pīṭha)
• पीठे: अधिकरण (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• वक्ष्यमाण-क्रमेण: by the sequence that will be described
• वक्ष्यमाण-क्रमेण: करण (Instrument/means; manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वक्ष्यमाण (कृदन्त, √वच्; भविष्यत्-कर्तरि/कर्मणि भावः) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वक्ष्यमाणः क्रमः = ‘the sequence to be stated’); करण/रीति-अर्थे तृतीया (instrumental of manner)

• ताम्: her/that (goddess)
• ताम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वर्ण-अब्जेन: with the lotus of letters
• वर्ण-अब्जेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्णानाम् अब्जम् = ‘lotus of letters’)

• आसनम्: a seat
• आसनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give/place
• दद्यात्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मूर्तिम्: the form/icon
• मूर्तिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मूलेन: with the root (mantra/seed)
• मूलेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-अर्थे

• कल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct/visualize
• कल्पयेत्: क्रिया (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context within Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Matrika
• Pitha
• Bija (Mula-mantra)

FAQs

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

It teaches that worship becomes effective when the deity is installed through a precise inner-outer method: a sanctified pīṭha, a letter-lotus seat (Mātr̥kā/varṇa), and a root-mantra that anchors the presence of the deity in consciousness and rite.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined upāsanā: devotion is not only emotion but also a structured offering—preparing a sacred seat and invoking the deity through mantra so the worshipper’s mind becomes steady and reverent.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-vidyā and the technical use of varṇas (letters) in ritual construction—linking phonetics/śikṣā and mantra application to a step-by-step worship sequence (krama) for installation and visualization.