Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 128

The Exposition of the Maheśa Mantra

Mahēśa-mantra-prakāśana

Devanagari script

ध्यानैकनिरतांगाय पश्चाद् ब्रूयान्नमः पदम् । रुद्राय शंभवे तारशक्तिरुद्धोऽयमीरितः ॥ १२८ ॥

Transliteration

dhyānaikaniratāṃgāya paścād brūyānnamaḥ padam | rudrāya śaṃbhave tāraśaktiruddho'yamīritaḥ || 128 ||

Translation

جس کے اعضاء سراسر دھیان میں منہمک ہوں، اس کے بعد ‘نَمَہ’ کا لفظ کہے۔ ‘رُدرائے، شَمبھَوے’—یہ تارا شکتی (اوم شکتی) سے مقید ‘اُدھّ’ منتر قرار دیا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ध्यान-एक-निरत-अङ्गाय: to the one wholly devoted to meditation
• ध्यान-एक-निरत-अङ्गाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'to him whose limbs are devoted solely to meditation' (अङ्ग = body/limb)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb) — 'afterwards'

• ब्रूयात्: should say
• ब्रूयात्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; 'should say'

• नमः: obeisance
• नमः: सम्बोधन/उपपद (Salutation particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमः-शब्दः प्रायः अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः); नमस्कारार्थक निपात (salutatory particle)

• पदम्: the word
• पदम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रुद्राय: to Rudra
• रुद्राय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• शम्भवे: to Śambhu
• शम्भवे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• तार-शक्ति-रुद्धः: restrained by the tāra power
• तार-शक्ति-रुद्धः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of अयम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √रुध् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'restrained/blocked by the tāra-śakti'

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

• ईरितः: is declared/uttered
• ईरितः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर्/ईरय् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'uttered/declared'

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual-mantra context within Vedanga-oriented material)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shambhu

FAQs

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

It links mantra-recitation to inner qualification: only after establishing deep dhyāna (meditative absorption) should one utter “namaḥ” and invoke Rudra/Śambhu, indicating that mantra bears fruit when grounded in concentrated contemplation.

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

It expresses bhakti as reverent surrender through “namaḥ” (salutation/ego-offering) directed to Rudra-Śambhu, while also insisting that devotion is strengthened and made steady through dhyāna.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A practical mantra-vidhi is implied: sequencing (paścāt), the use of the “namaḥ” pada, and the role of tārā-śakti (praṇava/Oṃ) in shaping or empowering the mantra—reflecting technical ritual-mantric instruction aligned with Vedāṅga-style precision.