Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 147
The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra
Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana
प्रणवो हृदयं पश्चाद्वदेद्भगवतेपदम् । ङेयुतं दक्षिणामूर्तिं मह्यंमेधामुदीरयेत् ॥ १४७ ॥
praṇavo hṛdayaṃ paścādvadedbhagavatepadam | ṅeyutaṃ dakṣiṇāmūrtiṃ mahyaṃmedhāmudīrayet || 147 ||
Mula-mula ucapkan Praṇava “Oṁ” sebagai benih di hati; kemudian sebutlah kata “bhagavate”. Sesudah itu, serukan Dakṣiṇāmūrti bersama bunyi sengau “ṅ”, lalu lafazkan: “Kurniakanlah kepadaku medhā, yakni kecerdasan.”
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the mantra-prayoga within Vedanga-oriented instruction)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It encodes a concise mantra-prayoga: beginning with Oṁ as the hṛdaya (core), adding “bhagavate,” and invoking Dakṣiṇāmūrti to awaken medhā—showing that right sound, sequence, and deity-contemplation are integral to gaining higher understanding.
Bhakti here is expressed as reverent mantra-utterance—addressing “bhagavate” and meditating on the Guru-form (Dakṣiṇāmūrti). Devotion is not only emotion but disciplined recitation and surrender for inner illumination (medhā).
Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-prayoga are emphasized: the verse specifies the order of utterance and inclusion of a nasal phoneme (ṅ), indicating that precise pronunciation and sequencing are treated as technically meaningful in Vedic practice.