Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 186

Devanagari script

तद्बहिर्वृष्णयः सर्वे पुरोवच्च स्वरादयः । एवं ध्यात्वा जपेल्लक्षपंचकं तद्दशांशतः ॥ १८६ ॥

Transliteration

tadbahirvṛṣṇayaḥ sarve purovacca svarādayaḥ | evaṃ dhyātvā japellakṣapaṃcakaṃ taddaśāṃśataḥ || 186 ||

Translation

Außerhalb dieser inneren Anordnung sollen, wie zuvor, alle Vṛṣṇis gesetzt werden; ebenso die Vokale und die übrigen Laute. Nachdem man so meditiert hat, soll man das Mantra fünfhunderttausendmal japa-weise wiederholen und danach den zehnten Teil als abschließende Observanz vollziehen.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• vṛṣṇayaḥ: the Vṛṣṇis
• vṛṣṇayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; agrees with vṛṣṇayaḥ

• purovat: as before
• purovat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purovat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘as before/like earlier’

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

• svara-ādayaḥ: the vowels and the rest
• svara-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘svara etc.’ (ādi-śabda)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having meditated’

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (जप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• lakṣa-paṃcakam: five lakhs (of repetitions)
• lakṣa-paṃcakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘a set of five lakhs’

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive ‘of that’

• daśāṃśataḥ: as a tenth part
• daśāṃśataḥ: Pramāṇa (प्रमाण/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daśāṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘by/at the tenth part’

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a Vedanga/ritual-technical context, traditionally within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue framework)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣṇis

FAQs

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

It links correct inner visualization (dhyāna/nyāsa-like placement) with disciplined mantra repetition, emphasizing that spiritual efficacy comes from both contemplative arrangement and sustained japa completed by a proper concluding tenth-part observance (daśāṃśa).

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

Bhakti here is expressed as attentive worship: the devotee meditatively arranges the divine retinue and sacred sounds, then offers steady mantra-japa as a devotional act, culminating in a prescribed completion rite that seals the practice with reverence and order.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) is implied through “svara-ādayaḥ” (vowels and other sounds), showing the ritual importance of correct sound/letter ordering and disciplined japa counts (lakṣa-japa with daśāṃśa completion).