Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 155

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

मध्ये केणेषु बाह्येष्वनलपुरपुटस्यालिखेत्कर्णिकायां कंदर्पं साध्ययुक्तं विवरगतषडर्णद्विषः केशरेषु । शक्तिः श्रीपूर्विकाणिद्विनवलिपिमनोरक्षराणिच्छदानां मध्ये वर्णान्दशान्तो दशलिपिमनुवर्यस्य वैकैकशोऽब्जम् ॥ १५५ ॥

Transliteration

madhye keṇeṣu bāhyeṣvanalapurapuṭasyālikhetkarṇikāyāṃ kaṃdarpaṃ sādhyayuktaṃ vivaragataṣaḍarṇadviṣaḥ keśareṣu | śaktiḥ śrīpūrvikāṇidvinavalipimanorakṣarāṇicchadānāṃ madhye varṇāndaśānto daśalipimanuvaryasya vaikaikaśo'bjam || 155 ||

Translation

Trong các góc giữa và góc ngoài của đồ hình hoa sen (vòng “thành trì của lửa”), nơi nhụy sen hãy ghi Kāma-bīja kèm theo đối tượng sở cầu (sādhya). Trên các cánh sen, đặt thần chú sáu âm—“kẻ chế ngự sáu cửa”—để ngăn giữ sáu căn. Kế đó, đặt Śakti và Śrī ở phía trước, rồi viết các âm hộ tâm, sắp thành hai lần chín chữ (mười tám âm). Trong các lớp che phủ trung gian, lần lượt ghi mười chữ kết thúc ở chữ thứ mười, và thần chú mười chữ của Anuvarya tối thắng—mỗi thứ một, an trí trên hoa sen.

Word by Word

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adverbial locative ‘in the middle’

• keṇeṣu: in the ‘keṇa’ (petals/sections)
• keṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Plural; technical term (tantric)

• bāhyeṣu: outer
• bāhyeṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Plural; qualifies keṇeṣu

• anala-pura-puṭasya: of the ‘fire-city’ enclosure
• anala-pura-puṭasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anala (प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the enclosure (puṭa) of the fire-city’ (tantric diagram term)

• ālikhet: should inscribe/draw
• ālikhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-likh (लिख् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; ‘should draw/inscribe’

• karṇikāyām: in the pericarp (central whorl)
• karṇikāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• kandarpaṃ: Kandarpa (Kāma)
• kandarpaṃ: Karma (कर्म; लेख्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kandarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• sādhya-yuktam: associated with Sādhya
• sādhya-yuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādhya (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifier of kandarpam; ‘joined with Sādhya’ (tantric association)

• vivara-gata-ṣaḍ-arṇa-dviṣaḥ: of (the deity) whose foe is the six-syllabled one, placed in the aperture
• vivara-gata-ṣaḍ-arṇa-dviṣaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivara (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त) + ṣaḍ (संख्या) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dviṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; bahuvrīhi ‘of him whose enemy (dviṣ) is the six-syllabled (ṣaḍ-arṇa) [mantra], situated in the aperture’—tantric epithet; syntactically dependent with keśareṣu (locative) as ‘(place) of ...’

• keśareṣu: in the filaments (of the lotus)
• keśareṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Plural

• śaktiḥ: Śakti (power/deity)
• śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• śrī-pūrvikāṇi: (letters) beginning with ‘śrī’
• śrī-pūrvikāṇi: Karma (कर्म; लेख्य/न्यास्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural; ‘those having Śrī first’ (letters/mantras beginning with śrī)

• dvi-nava-lipi-manoḥ-akṣarāṇi: the mind-mantra letters in the 18-letter script
• dvi-nava-lipi-manoḥ-akṣarāṇi: Karma (कर्म; लेख्य/न्यास्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + nava (संख्या) + lipi (प्रातिपदिक) + manas (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural; technical: ‘letters of the mind-mantra in the script of twice-nine (18) letters’

• icchadānām: of the wish-granting (petals)
• icchadānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: icchadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th), Plural; ‘of the wish-granting (petals/leaves)’

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• varṇān: letters/syllables
• varṇān: Karma (कर्म; लेख्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• daśa-antaḥ: ending with ten
• daśa-antaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘ending with ten’ / ‘ten as the end’; used as qualifier/instructional descriptor

• daśa-lipim: the ten-letter series
• daśa-lipim: Karma (कर्म; लेख्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + lipi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; ‘the ten-letter script/series’

• manu-varyasya: of the best mantra
• manu-varyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक) + varya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; ‘of the excellent mantra’

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphasis particle (निश्चयार्थक)

• eka-ekaśaḥ: one by one
• eka-ekaśaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + ekaśas (अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: Avyayībhāva/adverbial expression; distributive ‘one by one’

• abjam: the lotus (diagram)
• abjam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; object understood with ālikhet (draw the lotus/diagram)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue teaching Narada technical mantra-vidhi)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Shakti
• Shri

FAQs

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

It presents a precise mantra–yantra procedure: placing specific bījas and protective syllables in the lotus’s pericarp, petals, and enclosures so that the sādhaka’s intention is supported by controlled senses and stabilized mind.

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

Though technical, the structure assumes surrender to divine Śakti and Śrī and disciplined sense-restraint; such inner order is treated as supportive to focused worship and remembrance, which are core to bhakti-oriented practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual-technical knowledge: mantra-nyāsa, syllabic mapping (akṣara-vinyāsa), and diagrammatic placement (yantra-lekhana) used for protective and goal-oriented rites—typical of the Purana’s technical-science material in Book 1.3.