Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 138

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

देवता धरणी बीजं तारःशक्तिर्वसुप्रिया । रामवेदाग्निबाणाक्षिनेत्रार्णैरंगरकल्पनम् ॥ १३८ ॥

Transliteration

devatā dharaṇī bījaṃ tāraḥśaktirvasupriyā | rāmavedāgnibāṇākṣinetrārṇairaṃgarakalpanam || 138 ||

Translation

دیوتا دھَرَنی ہے؛ بیج بیجاکشر ہے؛ شکتی تارا ہے اور (یہ منتر) وسوؤں کو محبوب ہے۔ ‘را، ما، وے، د، ا، گنی، با، ں، ا، کشی، نے، تر’ اکشروں سے اَنگ نیاس کیا جائے۔

Word by Word

• devatā: the deity (presiding deity)
• devatā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• dharaṇī: Dharaṇī (Earth goddess)
• dharaṇī: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• bījam: the seed-syllable
• bījam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• tāraḥ: Tāra (the syllable ‘oṃ’)
• tāraḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• śaktiḥ: the power (śakti)
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• vasu-priyā: dear to the Vasus
• vasu-priyā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; samāsa: vasu-priyā = ‘dear to the Vasus/wealth’

• rāma-veda-agni-bāṇa-akṣi-netra-arṇaiḥ: by the syllables denoted by (Rāma, Veda, Agni, Bāṇa, Akṣi, Netra)
• rāma-veda-agni-bāṇa-akṣi-netra-arṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + veda (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + netra (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (collective sense), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया) Bahuvacana; samāsa as enumerative compound of ‘syllables’ indicated by each term (rāma=2, veda=4, agni=3, bāṇa=5, akṣi=2, netra=2) qualifying arṇa (syllables)

• aṅga-ra-kalpanam: the arrangement/formation of ‘ra’ as the aṅga (component)
• aṅga-ra-kalpanam: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + ra (प्रातिपदिक/varṇa) + kalpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; samāsa: aṅga-ra (the syllable/varṇa ‘ra’ as limb/part) + kalpanam (arrangement/formation)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dharaṇī (Bhū/Pr̥thivī)
• Tāra (Oṃ)
• Vasus

FAQs

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

It encodes the mantra’s ritual anatomy—deity (devatā), seed (bīja), śakti, and limb-assignment (aṅga-nyāsa)—showing that correct invocation aligns body, sound, and deity for effective sādhana.

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

By prescribing devatā-bhāva (fixing the presiding deity) and disciplined nyāsa, it frames devotion as precise worship where reverent mantra-practice becomes a structured offering to the deity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-śikṣā in practice: careful use of phonemes/syllables and their placement in nyāsa—an applied, technical discipline closely tied to Śikṣā (phonetics) and ritual procedure.