Upanishads · Nṛsiṃha-tāpanī Pūrva 3.1
॥
Devanāgarī
देवा ह वै प्रजापतिमब्रुवन्नानुष्टुभस्य मन्त्रराजस्य नारसिंहस्य शक्तिं बीजं नो ब्रूहि भगवन्निति
Transliteration (IAST)
devā ha vai prajāpatimabruvannānuṣṭubhasya mantrarājasya nārasiṃhasya śaktiṃ bījaṃ no brūhi bhagavanniti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
देवाः ह वै प्रजापतिम् अब्रुवन्devāḥ ha vai prajāpatim abruvanthe gods said to Prajāpati; the celestials spoke to Prajāpati
आनुष्टुभस्य मन्त्रराजस्यānuṣṭubhasya mantrarājasyaof the anuṣṭubh king of mantras; of the chief mantra in the anuṣṭubh
नारसिंहस्य शक्तिम् बीजम्nārasiṃhasya śaktim bījamthe Nārasiṃha — its power and seed; of the nārasiṃha — the śakti and the bīja
नः ब्रूहि भगवन् इतिnaḥ brūhi bhagavan ititell us, O lord; declare to us, master
Translation
The gods said to Prajāpati: “Tell us, O lord, the power and the seed of this anuṣṭubh king of mantras, the Nārasiṃha.”
Version
ae78af8d3aa4 · published Jul 29, 2026, 4:39:50 AM UTC
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The third Upaniṣad is short — six paragraphs — and it is all about one question: what, in a mantra, is the śakti and what the bīja.
These words are basic in the science of mantras. The śakti is the power by which the mantra acts; the bīja is the seed syllable out of which it unfolds.
Usually such a question is answered by pointing out syllables. Here the answer will be different, and in this is the whole point: the power is named māyā, and the seed — space.
Note that the question is asked by the gods — the very ones who in the second Upaniṣad ran to Prajāpati in fear of death and received the mantra. Now they ask about its construction.
This order is right. First one receives, then one examines.
And more: the address bhagavan, “lord”. So one calls a teacher, not only God; and so he is called in all these dialogues.