Shloka 1

Śrī-nyāsa, Lotus Maṇḍala Construction, and Homa to Mahālakṣmī with Sarasvatī Invocation

Devanagari script

नवमो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / र् श्यादिपूजां प्रवर्श्यामि स्थण्डिलादिषु सिद्धये / श्रीं ह्रीं महालक्ष्म्यै नमः / श्रां श्रीं श्रूं श्रैं श्रौं श्रः क्रमाद्धृदयं च शिरः शिखाम् / कवचं नेत्रमस्त्रं च आसनं मूर्तिमर्चयेत्

Transliteration

navamo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / r śyādipūjāṃ pravarśyāmi sthaṇḍilādiṣu siddhaye / śrīṃ hrīṃ mahālakṣmyai namaḥ / śrāṃ śrīṃ śrūṃ śraiṃ śrauṃ śraḥ kramāddhṛdayaṃ ca śiraḥ śikhām / kavacaṃ netramastraṃ ca āsanaṃ mūrtimarcayet

Translation

ہری نے فرمایا—کامیابی کے حصول کے لیے میں سَتھنڈِل وغیرہ ویدی پر ‘شری’ سے آغاز ہونے والی پوجا بیان کرتا ہوں۔ ‘شریں ہریں مہالکشمیَے نمः’ کا جپ کرے۔ پھر ‘شراں شریں شروں شرَیں شرَوں شرَہ’ کے ساتھ ترتیب وار دل، سر، چوٹی، زرہ، آنکھیں اور استر کا نیاس کر کے، آسن کو مُقدّس کر کے مورتی کی ارچنا کرے۔

Word by Word

• navamaḥ: ninth
• navamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (ordinal)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ṛṣi-ādi-pūjām: worship of the sages etc.
• ṛṣi-ādi-pūjām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ādi-समासार्थः: ‘etc.’)

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall explain
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sthaṇḍila-ādiṣu: in the altar-ground etc.
• sthaṇḍila-ādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthaṇḍila (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘sthaṇḍila etc.’)

• siddhaye: for accomplishment/success
• siddhaye: Sampradāna (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• śrīm: seed syllable ‘śrīm’
• śrīm: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrī (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• hrīm: seed syllable ‘hrīm’
• hrīm: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hrī (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• mahālakṣmyai: to Mahālakṣmī
• mahālakṣmyai: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘great Lakṣmī’)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana (Salutation/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नमस्कारार्थक अव्यय (indeclinable of salutation)

• śrām: seed syllable ‘śrām’
• śrām: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrā (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• śrīm: seed syllable ‘śrīm’
• śrīm: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrī (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• śrūm: seed syllable ‘śrūm’
• śrūm: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrū (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• śraim: seed syllable ‘śraim’
• śraim: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrai (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• śraum: seed syllable ‘śraum’
• śraum: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śrau (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• śraḥ: seed syllable ‘śraḥ’
• śraḥ: Mantra (Mantric utterance/मन्त्र)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śraḥ (बीज/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (बीजाक्षर), अव्यय

• kramāt: in order, sequentially
• kramāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभावः/क्रियाविशेषण)

• dhṛdayam: heart (hṛdaya)
• dhṛdayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śikhām: topknot/crest (śikhā)
• śikhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kavacam: armor (kavaca)
• kavacam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• netra-astram: the ‘netra-astra’ (eye-weapon)
• netra-astram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘netra-astra’ = eye-weapon)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• āsanam: seat (āsana)
• āsanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mūrtim: image/form (idol)
• mūrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• arcayet: should worship
• arcayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Hari (Lord Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra-nyāsa and icon-worship as a disciplined means to invoke Mahālakṣmī’s auspicious power for siddhi.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-upāsanā as a preparatory discipline (citta-śuddhi) where the sacred is approached through name, form, and ordered ritual.

Application: Maintain a clean, bounded worship space; recite the bīja/mantra with attention; perform nyāsa as mindful placement of divinity in one’s faculties before any prayer for success.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual_space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (sections on pūjā-vidhi, mantra-nyāsa, and devatā-arcana in the early kāṇḍas)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Mahālakṣmī

FAQs

What is the importance of Lakshmi-bīja worship in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Mahālakṣmī worship through bīja-mantras and nyāsa as a means to gain siddhi (successful fruition) and ritual protection.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the after-death journey here; instead, it teaches a protective and success-oriented ritual discipline (nyāsa and mūrti-arcana) within the Purāṇic framework.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the verse as a guideline for structured worship: mantra-recitation with mindful “placement” (nyāsa) and respectful icon-worship, emphasizing order, clarity, and devotion.