Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 146

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

तारः कामो रमा बीजं हृदंते पुरुषोत्तमः । श्रीकंठः प्रतिरूपांते लक्ष्मीति च निवासि च ॥ १४६ ॥

Transliteration

tāraḥ kāmo ramā bījaṃ hṛdaṃte puruṣottamaḥ | śrīkaṃṭhaḥ pratirūpāṃte lakṣmīti ca nivāsi ca || 146 ||

Translation

„Tāra“ und „Kāma“; „Ramā“ ist die Keimsilbe (bīja). Im Herzen ist Puruṣottama. Am Ende steht „Śrīkaṇṭha“; am Ende der pratirūpa (Gegenform) steht das Wort „Lakṣmī“; und Er ist auch Nivāsī, der innere Bewohner.

Word by Word

• तारः: Tāra (syllable/name)
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (mantra-syllable/name)

• कामः: Kāma
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• रमा: Ramā
• रमा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• बीजम्: seed-syllable (bīja)
• बीजम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; nominative/accusative singular

• हृदन्ते: at the end of ‘hṛd’
• हृदन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative singular; ‘at/in the end of hṛd’ (mantric placement)

• पुरुषोत्तमः: Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• श्रीकण्ठः: Śrīkaṇṭha
• श्रीकण्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• प्रतिरूप-अन्ते: at the end of ‘pratirūpa’
• प्रतिरूप-अन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative singular; ‘at the end of pratirūpa’

• लक्ष्मी: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिबोधक (quotative/marker)

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

• निवासि: Nivāsi (the dweller)
• निवासि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (name/epithet)

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

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a Vedanga/mantra-vidya style section; dialogue tradition associated with Sanatkumara lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Purushottama
• Lakshmi
• Rama
• Shrikantha

FAQs

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

The verse encodes a name-and-seed (bīja) based upāsanā: placing Puruṣottama in the “heart” and appending specific divine names (Śrīkaṇṭha, Lakṣmī, Nivāsī) as a structured method of remembrance and mantra-formation for Viṣṇu-centered devotion.

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

Bhakti here is practiced as nāma-smaraṇa and mantra-upāsanā: the devotee mentally installs the Lord in the heart (hṛdaya) and reverently invokes His auspicious epithets along with Lakṣmī/Ramā—highlighting loving remembrance joined to Śrī (divine grace).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects a technical, Vedanga-adjacent mantra procedure—using bīja (seed syllable), positional placement (heart/nyāsa-like instruction), and ordered name arrangement (pratirūpa-ante), which aligns with disciplined recitation and phonetic/structural precision valued in Vedic ritual sciences.