Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 138

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

Devanagari script

देवता धरणी बीजं तारःशक्तिर्वसुप्रिया । रामवेदाग्निबाणाक्षिनेत्रार्णैरंगरकल्पनम् ॥ १३८ ॥

Transliteration

devatā dharaṇī bījaṃ tāraḥśaktirvasupriyā | rāmavedāgnibāṇākṣinetrārṇairaṃgarakalpanam || 138 ||

Translation

देवता धरणी प्रोक्ता, बीजं बीजाक्षरं स्मृतम्। शक्तिस्तारः, वसुप्रिया; राम-वेद-अग्नि-बाण-અક્ષિ-नेत्रार्णैः अङ्गन्यासः॥

Word by Word

• devatā: the deity (presiding deity)
• devatā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• dharaṇī: Dharaṇī (Earth goddess)
• dharaṇī: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• bījam: the seed-syllable
• bījam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• tāraḥ: Tāra (the syllable ‘oṃ’)
• tāraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• śaktiḥ: the power (śakti)
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• vasu-priyā: dear to the Vasus
• vasu-priyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; samāsa: vasu-priyā = ‘dear to the Vasus/wealth’

• rāma-veda-agni-bāṇa-akṣi-netra-arṇaiḥ: by the syllables denoted by (Rāma, Veda, Agni, Bāṇa, Akṣi, Netra)
• rāma-veda-agni-bāṇa-akṣi-netra-arṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + netra (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (collective sense), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया) Bahuvacana; samāsa as enumerative compound of ‘syllables’ indicated by each term (rāma=2, veda=4, agni=3, bāṇa=5, akṣi=2, netra=2) qualifying arṇa (syllables)

• aṅga-ra-kalpanam: the arrangement/formation of ‘ra’ as the aṅga (component)
• aṅga-ra-kalpanam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + ra (प्रातिपदिक/varṇa) + kalpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; samāsa: aṅga-ra (the syllable/varṇa ‘ra’ as limb/part) + kalpanam (arrangement/formation)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dharaṇī (Bhū/Pr̥thivī)
• Tāra (Oṃ)
• Vasus

FAQs

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

It encodes the mantra’s ritual anatomy—deity (devatā), seed (bīja), śakti, and limb-assignment (aṅga-nyāsa)—showing that correct invocation aligns body, sound, and deity for effective sādhana.

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

By prescribing devatā-bhāva (fixing the presiding deity) and disciplined nyāsa, it frames devotion as precise worship where reverent mantra-practice becomes a structured offering to the deity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-śikṣā in practice: careful use of phonemes/syllables and their placement in nyāsa—an applied, technical discipline closely tied to Śikṣā (phonetics) and ritual procedure.