Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 192

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ताराद्यो वसुवर्णोऽयं क्षेत्रपालस्य कीर्तितः । षड्दीर्घयुक्तबीजेन षडंगं न्यस्य चिन्तयेत् ॥ १९२ ॥

Transliteration

tārādyo vasuvarṇo'yaṃ kṣetrapālasya kīrtitaḥ | ṣaḍdīrghayuktabījena ṣaḍaṃgaṃ nyasya cintayet || 192 ||

Translation

มนตร์นี้เริ่มด้วย “ตารา” และส่องประกายดุจสีทอง ได้ประกาศว่าเป็นของกเษตรปาละ ผู้ปฏิบัติควรใช้พยางค์พีชะที่ประกอบด้วยสระยาวทั้งหก ทำษฑังคะ-นยาส แล้วจึงภาวนาเพ่งองค์เทพ।

Word by Word

• तारा-आद्यः: beginning with ‘tārā’
• तारा-आद्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तारया आद्यः/ताराद्यः—‘beginning with tāra’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वसु-वर्णः: having eight syllables/letters
• वसु-वर्णः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसु (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (वसवः=अष्ट; अष्टवर्णः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रपालस्य: of Kṣetrapāla
• क्षेत्रपालस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रस्य पालः), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), एकवचन

• कीर्तितः: is proclaimed/said
• कीर्तितः: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कीर्त्/कीर्ति (धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP) प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘is declared’ (passive sense)

• षट्-दीर्घ-युक्त-बीजेन: with the seed-syllable joined with six long vowels
• षट्-दीर्घ-युक्त-बीजेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (√युज्, क्त) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (षड्भिः दीर्घैः युक्तं बीजम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• षट्-अङ्गम्: the six-limbed (nyāsa)
• षट्-अङ्गम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (षडङ्गम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• न्यस्य: having placed (performed nyāsa)
• न्यस्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + √अस्/√न्यस् (धातु √अस् with ni; absolutive/ल्यप्)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय), पूर्वक्रिया (gerund)

• चिन्तयेत्: should meditate/visualize
• चिन्तयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the technical/ritual section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kṣetrapāla

FAQs

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

It teaches that protection of a sacred space is not merely external; it is established through mantra, nyāsa (ritual placement of power in the body), and focused contemplation of Kṣetrapāla.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined remembrance—meditating on Kṣetrapāla after mantra-nyāsa—so devotion becomes steady, embodied, and protective rather than only emotional.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical ritual method—use of bīja-mantras with specified vowel-lengths and the ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa procedure—showing precise phonetics (śikṣā) and mantra-application within sacred rites.