Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4
Dīkṣā, Mantra-Types, Mantra-Doṣas, and Qualifications of Ācārya–Śiṣya
स्त्रीपुंनपुंसकात्मानस्ते मंत्रास्तु त्रिधा मताः । स्त्रीमंत्रास्तु द्विठांताः स्युः पुंमंत्रा हुंफडंतकाः ॥ ४ ॥
strīpuṃnapuṃsakātmānaste maṃtrāstu tridhā matāḥ | strīmaṃtrāstu dviṭhāṃtāḥ syuḥ puṃmaṃtrā huṃphaḍaṃtakāḥ || 4 ||
Mantras gelten ihrer Natur nach als dreifach: weiblich, männlich und neutral. Weibliche Mantras sollen mit den zwei ṭha enden, männliche Mantras hingegen mit „huṃ“ und „phaḍ“.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical Vedanga-style exposition on mantra-lakshana)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It frames mantra-usage as a precise sacred science: the “nature” (strī/puṃ/napuṃsaka) and the phonetic ending of a mantra are treated as meaningful markers for correct ritual application and mantra-siddhi.
While technical, it supports bhakti-based worship by insisting that devotion is strengthened through proper mantra form—correctly identifying and applying mantras used in pūjā and japa.
A practical mantra-lakṣaṇa rule grounded in sound/phonetics (close to Śikṣā): identifying mantra-types by their endings—feminine by dvi-ṭhānta and masculine by huṃ/phaḍ—useful for ritual procedure and recitation discipline.