Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ताः स्युस्तत्पुरुषाघोरभववामेशसंज्ञिकाः । वक्त्रहृत्पादगुह्येषु निजमूर्द्धनि ताः पुनः ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

tāḥ syustatpuruṣāghorabhavavāmeśasaṃjñikāḥ | vaktrahṛtpādaguhyeṣu nijamūrddhani tāḥ punaḥ || 5 ||

Translation

พลังมนตร์เหล่านี้เรียกว่า ตัตปุรุษะ อโฆระ ภวะ และวามேศะ พึงทำนยาสะวางที่ปาก ที่ดวงใจ ที่เท้า และที่ส่วนลับ แล้ววางซ้ำบนกระหม่อมของตนอีกครั้ง

Word by Word

• ताः: they (those)
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• स्युः: should be / may be
• स्युः: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्पुरुषाघोरभववामेशसंज्ञिकाः: having the names Tatpuruṣa, Aghora, Bhava, Vāmeśa
• तत्पुरुषाघोरभववामेशसंज्ञिकाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्पुरुष + अघोर + भव + वामेश + संज्ञिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• वक्त्र-हृत्-पाद-गुह्येषु: in the mouth, heart, feet, and genital region
• वक्त्र-हृत्-पाद-गुह्येषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + हृत् + पाद + गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• निज-मूर्द्धनि: on (one's) own head
• निज-मूर्द्धनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'निज' विशेषणपूर्वक

• ताः: them
• ताः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुनः: again / further
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Tatpurusha
• Aghora
• Bhava
• Vamesha

FAQs

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

It teaches nyāsa—installing sacred mantras into specific bodily loci—so the practitioner’s body is ritually transformed into a fit vessel for worship, aligning speech, feeling, action, and generative power under the deity’s mantric presence.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as embodied reverence: by placing the deity’s names/mantras in the mouth, heart, feet, and crown, devotion becomes continuous—through speech (japa), inner feeling, service/action, and surrender to the Lord’s authority.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual science—mantra-prayoga and nyāsa (a limb of kalpa-style procedure): precise placement of mantras on body-points to structure worship and meditation according to prescribed method.