Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 179

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

अघोरोऽस्य नुनिः प्रोक्तस्त्रिवृच्छंदं उदाहृतम् । अघोररुद्रः संदिष्टो देवता मन्त्रनायकः ॥ १७९ ॥

Transliteration

aghoro'sya nuniḥ proktastrivṛcchaṃdaṃ udāhṛtam | aghorarudraḥ saṃdiṣṭo devatā mantranāyakaḥ || 179 ||

Translation

สำหรับมนตร์นี้ ฤๅษีถูกกล่าวว่าเป็น “อฆอระ”; ฉันท์ระบุว่า “ตรีวฤจ”; และเทวะผู้เป็นประธานนำแห่งมนตร์ ถูกกำหนดว่า “อฆอรรุทระ”

Word by Word

• अघोरः: Aghora
• अघोरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिः: sage (ṛṣi)
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिवृत्: threefold
• त्रिवृत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + वृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (छन्दः-विशेषण); तत्पुरुषः (त्रिभिः वृतैः युक्तम्)

• छन्दः: meter
• छन्दः: Karma (कर्म/Object—stated attribute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उदाहृतम्: is stated/mentioned
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + आ + हृ (धातु) → उदाहृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अघोररुद्रः: Aghora-Rudra
• अघोररुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अघोरः रुद्रः)

• संदिष्टः: is prescribed/indicated
• संदिष्टः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + दिश् (धातु) → संदिष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्त्रनायकः: leader/presiding lord of the mantra
• मन्त्रनायकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रस्य नायकः)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical Vedanga-style enumeration of mantra components)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Aghora
• Rudra
• Aghora-Rudra

FAQs

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

It teaches the traditional Vedic way to “situate” a mantra by naming its ṛṣi (seer), chandas (metre), and devatā (presiding deity), showing that mantra-recitation is guided by precise sacred attribution rather than being random.

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

By identifying Aghora-Rudra as the mantra’s devatā, it directs devotion toward a specific divine form; correct devatā-bhāva (deity-focused reverence) is presented as part of disciplined worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (Vedic prosody) and the mantra-lakṣaṇa framework—ṛṣi, chandas, devatā—used in Kalpa-style ritual procedure for accurate chanting and application.