Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

स्वस्वबीजादिकं पूर्वं मूर्ध्नीशानमनोभवम् । न्यसेद्वक्त्रे तत्पुरुषं मकरध्वजमात्मवित् ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

svasvabījādikaṃ pūrvaṃ mūrdhnīśānamanobhavam | nyasedvaktre tatpuruṣaṃ makaradhvajamātmavit || 48 ||

Translation

ผู้รู้ตนพึงวางบีชและองค์ประกอบของตนก่อนที่กระหม่อม โดยภาวนาอีศานะว่าเป็น ‘ผู้บังเกิดจากจิต’ แล้วจึงวางตัตปุรุษะที่ใบหน้า โดยถือว่าเป็นมกรธวชะ

Word by Word

• स्व-स्व-बीज-आदिकम्: each one’s seed-syllable etc.
• स्व-स्व-बीज-आदिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of sequence)

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ईशान-मनॊभवम्: Īśāna, the mind-born (deity)
• ईशान-मनॊभवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + मनोभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ईशानः मनोभवः’ इति कर्मधारय

• न्यसेत्: should place (perform nyāsa)
• न्यसेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस्/न्यस् (धातु; ‘न्यस्’ प्रयोग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वक्त्रे: on the face/mouth
• वक्त्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तत्-पुरुषम्: Tatpuruṣa (aspect/name)
• तत्-पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मकर-ध्वजम्: Makara-bannered (Kāma)
• मकर-ध्वजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मकरः ध्वजः यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीहि (कामदेव)

• आत्म-वित्: the self-knower
• आत्म-वित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘वित्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘आत्मानं वेत्ति’ इति

Speaker

Narada (teaching ritual-technical procedure within the Vedanga/kalpa-style context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishana
• Tatpurusha
• Makaradhvaja

FAQs

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

It teaches that ritual placement (nyāsa) is not mere external action: the practitioner must be ātmavit—internally aware—while mentally installing divine forms (Īśāna, Tatpuruṣa) into specific bodily loci, aligning body, speech, and mind.

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

Even in technical ritual, devotion is expressed through reverent identification and remembrance of the deity-forms during nyāsa; the body becomes a sanctified seat for divine presence, supporting focused worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-oriented ritual method: a stepwise nyāsa instruction—assigning bīja-mantras to the crown and deity-forms to the face—showing precise mantra-body mapping used in sādhana and worship procedures.