Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 197

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

जपादौ स्मरबीजाद्यो जगत्त्रयवशीकरः । पीठ प्राग्वत्समभ्यर्च्य मूर्ति संकल्प्य मूलतः ॥ १९७ ॥

Transliteration

japādau smarabījādyo jagattrayavaśīkaraḥ | pīṭha prāgvatsamabhyarcya mūrti saṃkalpya mūlataḥ || 197 ||

Translation

Zu Beginn von Japa und verwandten Riten soll man mit dem Kāma-bīja und anderen Samen-Silben beginnen, die die drei Welten unterwerfen. Nachdem man den pīṭha wie zuvor verehrt und den saṅkalpa gefasst hat, soll man von der Wurzel der Übung her durch gesammelte Visualisierung das Bild der Gottheit gestalten.

Word by Word

• जप-आदौ: at the beginning of japa
• जप-आदौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: 'जपे आदौ' = 'at the beginning of japa'

• स्मर-बीज-आद्यः: beginning with the Smara seed-syllable
• स्मर-बीज-आद्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक) + बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'स्मरस्य बीजम्' + 'आद्यः' = 'beginning with the Smara-seed'

• जगत्-त्रय-वशीकरः: subjugator of the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रय-वशीकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + वशीकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'जगतां त्रयस्य वशीकरः'

• पीठम्: seat/altar (pīṭha)
• पीठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राग्वत्: as before
• प्राग्वत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राग्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/रीति-अव्यय (adverb: 'as before')

• समभ्यर्च्य: having duly worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), 'having worshipped'

• मूर्तिम्: form/image
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• संकल्प्य: having visualized
• संकल्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; 'having conceived/visualized'

• मूलतः: from the root; fundamentally
• मूलतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मूलतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from the root/basically'

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Smara (Kama)

FAQs

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

It frames japa as a complete ritual technology: begin with potent bīja-syllables, establish the sacred base (pīṭha), and then stabilize the practice by clearly visualizing the deity’s form—making the mantra effective through both rite and inner concentration.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined worship: reverencing the pīṭha and mentally “bringing forth” the deity’s form (mūrti-saṅkalpa) so that remembrance and recitation become a living relationship rather than mere sound.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights procedural ritual know-how—sequencing (beginning of japa), prescribed repetition “as before” (prākvat), and the technical use of bīja-mantras and saṅkalpa (intent/visualization) as part of a formal sādhanā method.