Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 151

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

चतुर्थ्यन्तः पक्षिराजः स्वाहा पीठमनुः स्मृतः । दृष्ट्वांगं कर्णिकामध्ये नागान्यंत्रेषु पूजयेत् ॥ १५१ ॥

Transliteration

caturthyantaḥ pakṣirājaḥ svāhā pīṭhamanuḥ smṛtaḥ | dṛṣṭvāṃgaṃ karṇikāmadhye nāgānyaṃtreṣu pūjayet || 151 ||

Translation

มนต์ปีฐกล่าวว่า ‘ปักษิราช’ ในรูปกรณีให้ (จตุรถี) แล้วตามด้วย ‘สวาหา’ ครั้นวาง/กำหนดอังคะไว้กลางเกสร (กรรณิกา) แล้วพึงบูชาพญานาคทั้งหลายในยันตระ

Word by Word

• caturthī-antaḥ: having a dative ending
• caturthī-antaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturthī (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘ending with the dative (4th case)’

• pakṣi-rājaḥ: king of birds (Garuḍa)
• pakṣi-rājaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• svāhā: svāhā
• svāhā: Sambodhana/Mantra-pada (सम्बोधन/मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक/निपात)
• Form: Mantra-exclamation (मन्त्र-निपात/अव्यय) used in oblations

• pīṭha-manuḥ: the seat-mantra
• pīṭha-manuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘the pīṭha-mantra’

• smṛtaḥ: is considered/said
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛta (कृदन्त, past passive participle from √smṛ)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (भूतकृदन्त/क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively ‘is said/considered’

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग), ‘having seen’

• aṅgam: the limb/body-part
• aṅgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• karṇikā-madhye: in the middle of the pericarp/lotus-center
• karṇikā-madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• nāgān: serpents
• nāgān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yaṃtreṣu: in yantras/diagrams
• yaṃtreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaṃtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pūjayet: should worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Pakṣirāja)
• Nāgas

FAQs

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

It teaches precise mantra-vidhi: the correct grammatical form of the mantra, inner visualization (aṅga in the lotus center), and then external worship of Nāga-deities through yantras—showing that ritual efficacy depends on both inner nyāsa and outer pūjā.

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

Bhakti here appears as disciplined reverence expressed through exact mantra recitation and worship; devotion is made “technically correct” by aligning speech (mantra), mind (visualization), and action (pūjā) toward the divine beings invoked.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vyākaraṇa-based precision is indicated by “caturthyantaḥ” (use of the dative case in the mantra), and ritual-technology is shown through nyāsa (aṅga placement) and yantra-based worship methodology.