Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 44

Gṛhastha-nitya-karman: Śauca, Sandhyā-vidhi, Pañca-yajña, and Āśrama-krama

Devanagari script

गायत्रि च्छंदसां मातर्ब्रह्मयोने नमोऽस्तु ते । मध्याह्ने वृषभारुढां शुक्लांबरसमावृताम् ॥ ४४ ॥

Transliteration

gāyatri cchaṃdasāṃ mātarbrahmayone namo'stu te | madhyāhne vṛṣabhāruḍhāṃ śuklāṃbarasamāvṛtām || 44 ||

Translation

โอ พระคายตรี มารดาแห่งฉันทลักษณ์พระเวท ผู้เป็นบ่อเกิดแห่งพรหมัน ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ ในยามเที่ยงพึงภาวนาพระองค์ประทับบนโค สวมอาภรณ์สีขาว

Word by Word

• गायत्रि: O Gāyatrī
• गायत्रि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• छन्दसाम्: of the metres
• छन्दसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/gen), बहुवचन

• मातर्: O mother
• मातर्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (मातृ-शब्द)

• ब्रह्म-योने: O source of Brahman
• ब्रह्म-योने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘having Brahman as source/womb’

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक निपात) — used with dative ‘salutation’

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आशीर्लिङ्गवत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (gen/dat) एकवचन; here चतुर्थी (4th/dative) with नमः

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/loc), एकवचन

• वृषभ-आरुढाम्: mounted on a bull
• वृषभ-आरुढाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त, √रुह्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आरूढ’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘mounted on a bull’

• शुक्ल-अम्बर-समावृताम्: clad in white garments
• शुक्ल-अम्बर-समावृताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त, सम्+आ√वृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘समावृत’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः तत्पुरुषः ‘covered with white garments’

Speaker

Narada (teaching a Gayatri-dhyana/ritual visualization within the chapter’s instruction)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri

FAQs

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

It honors Gāyatrī as the mother of all Vedic metres and as the very source of brahma-jñāna, teaching that mantra-recitation becomes complete when joined with reverent salutation and meditative visualization.

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

Bhakti here appears as mantra-bhakti—offering namas (salutation) to the deity of the mantra and contemplating her form with devotion, turning a technical rite into loving worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Vedāṅga Chandas by calling Gāyatrī the ‘mother of metres’ and gives a practical sandhyā-time instruction: the midday (madhyāhna) visualization used alongside japa and dhyāna.