Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पद्मकेशरगा ब्राह्मी मुखाः पत्रेषु भैरवाः । दीर्घाद्या मातरः पूज्या ह्रस्वाद्याश्चाष्टभैरवाः ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

padmakeśaragā brāhmī mukhāḥ patreṣu bhairavāḥ | dīrghādyā mātaraḥ pūjyā hrasvādyāścāṣṭabhairavāḥ || 28 ||

Translation

Pada bahagian tengah (kesara) teratai, hendaklah ditempatkan dan dipuja Brahmī. Pada kelopak-kelopak, hendaklah ditempatkan wajah-wajah Bhairava. Para Ibu Suci (Mātṛ) yang bermula dengan vokal panjang wajib dipuja; dan lapan Bhairava yang bermula dengan vokal pendek juga hendaklah dipuja.

Word by Word

• padma-keśara-gāḥ: moving/abiding in the lotus-filaments
• padma-keśara-gāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण) of ‘mukhāḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक) + keśara (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (गम्-धातु, क्त/ण्वुलादि-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (padmasya keśareṣu/keśaram iti) + ग (गच्छति/स्थितः) अर्थे

• brāhmī: Brahmī (pertaining to Brahmā)
• brāhmī: Visheshana (विशेषण) (epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषण-रूपेण (name/epithet)

• mukhāḥ: faces/mouths
• mukhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Topic (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• patreṣu: on/in the leaves
• patreṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhairavāḥ: Bhairavas
• bhairavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Predicate-nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dīrgha-ādyāḥ: beginning with ‘dīrgha’ (long)
• dīrgha-ādyāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण) of ‘mātaraḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (dīrghaḥ ādiḥ yeṣām) ‘beginning with long (vowels)’

• mātaraḥ: mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Topic (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pūjyāḥ: worthy of worship
• pūjyāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण) of ‘mātaraḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (पूज्-धातु, यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); यत्-कृदन्तः—‘to be worshipped’

• hrasva-ādyāḥ: beginning with ‘hrasva’ (short)
• hrasva-ādyāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण) of ‘aṣṭa-bhairavāḥ’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hrasva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः ‘beginning with short (vowels)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• aṣṭa-bhairavāḥ: the eight Bhairavas
• aṣṭa-bhairavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / Topic (उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—द्विगु (संख्यापूर्वपद) ‘eight Bhairavas’

Speaker

Narada (instructing in a technical-ritual context within the Vedanga-oriented section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmi
• Matrikas (Matarah)
• Bhairavas

FAQs

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

It teaches a structured method of upāsanā where deities are installed on a lotus-diagram, showing that sound (vowels) and form (mandala placement) are linked in mantra-based worship.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as precise ritual devotion—honoring Brahmī, the Mātṛkās, and Bhairavas through correct placement and worship, turning devotion into disciplined sacred practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā/phonetics: the verse uses the technical distinction of hrasva (short) and dīrgha (long) vowels to classify groups of deities, reflecting mantra-science applied to ritual arrangement (nyāsa).