Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 105

Devapūjā-krama: Ārghya-saṃskāra, Maṇḍala–Nyāsa, Mudrā-pradarśana, Āvaraṇa-arcana, Homa, Japa, and Kṣamāpaṇa

Devanagari script

नत्वा च दंडवन्मंत्री ततः कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणाः । विष्णुसोमार्कविघ्नानां वेदार्धेंद्वद्रिवह्नयः ॥ १०५ ॥

Transliteration

natvā ca daṃḍavanmaṃtrī tataḥ kuryātpradakṣiṇāḥ | viṣṇusomārkavighnānāṃ vedārdheṃdvadrivahnayaḥ || 105 ||

Translation

以杖伏礼（daṇḍavat，全身投地）顶礼之后，持咒者当行右绕（pradakṣiṇā）。其规定的绕行次数以暗语示之：对毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）、苏摩（Soma）、阿尔卡（Arka）与除障者毗伽那（Vighna），依次为“半数吠陀”“月”“群山”“诸火”。

Word by Word

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नम् (धातु) + त्वा-प्रत्यय (क्त्वान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• दण्डवत्: like a staff; fully prostrate
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• मन्त्री: the mantra-reciter / worshipper
• मन्त्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रदक्षिणाः: circumambulations
• प्रदक्षिणाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• विष्णु-सोम-अर्क-विघ्नानाम्: of Vishnu, Soma, Arka (Sun), and the Vighnas
• विष्णु-सोम-अर्क-विघ्नानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर): ‘विष्णुश्च सोमश्च अर्कश्च विघ्नाश्च’

• वेद-अर्ध-इन्दु-अद्रि-वह्नयः: the Vedas, halves, moons, mountains, and fires (as a counted set)
• वेद-अर्ध-इन्दु-अद्रि-वह्नयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (सूच्य-सङ्ख्या/नामसमूह): ‘वेदाः, अर्धाः, इन्दवः, अद्रयः, वह्नयः’ (संख्यावाचक-न्यासः)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Soma
• Arka
• Vighna (Ganesa)

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion is expressed not only by mantra but also by embodied reverence—full prostration and clockwise circumambulation—done in a measured, tradition-bound way.

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

Bhakti here is practical and disciplined: the devotee-priest honors Viṣṇu and allied deities through humility (daṇḍavat praṇāma) and service-like movement (pradakṣiṇā), aligning body, speech, and mind in worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects technical ritual convention using code-words for numbers (bhūta-saṅkhyā) to specify counts of pradakṣiṇā—e.g., ‘half of the Vedas’ = 2, ‘moon’ = 1, ‘mountains’ = 7, ‘fires’ = 3—applied within mantra-based worship.