Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 176

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

सप्ताक्षरो मनुश्चास्य मुन्याद्यर्चादि पूर्ववत् । बकः सेंदुश्च शत्रुध्नपरं ङेतं हृदंतिमः ॥ १७६ ॥

Transliteration

saptākṣaro manuścāsya munyādyarcādi pūrvavat | bakaḥ seṃduśca śatrudhnaparaṃ ṅetaṃ hṛdaṃtimaḥ || 176 ||

Translation

For this (deity/mantra), the mantra is seven-syllabled. Its presiding ṛṣi and the rites of worship beginning with the honoring of the sages are to be performed as stated earlier. Its associated signs are the crane (baka) and the moon (indu); it is directed toward the destruction of enemies (śatrudhna). The concluding application ends with the “hṛdaya” (heart) formula.

Word by Word

• सप्ताक्षरः: seven-syllabled
• सप्ताक्षरः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival use) — ‘seven-syllabled’

• मनुः: the mantra-formula (manu)
• मनुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of this (mantra/one)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मुनि-आदि-अर्चा-आदि: worship etc., beginning with (invocation of) sages etc.
• मुनि-आदि-अर्चा-आदि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + आदि + अर्चा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अर्चा-प्रधान), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative) — ‘worship etc. beginning with sages etc.’

• पूर्ववत्: as before
• पूर्ववत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्ववत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — manner

• बकः: ‘baka’ (a code-word/seed-syllable name)
• बकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स-इन्दुः: with ‘indu’ (moon/seed-syllable ‘indu’)
• स-इन्दुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (prefixal ‘sa-’ = ‘with’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शत्रुध्न-परम्: ending with/pertaining to ‘Śatrudhna’
• शत्रुध्न-परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रुध्न + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘having/ending with śatrudhna’ (contextual)

• ङेतम्: ‘ṅeta’ (a seed-syllable/code term)
• ङेतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ङेत (प्रातिपदिक/बीजाक्षर-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बीजाक्षर-नाम (seed-syllable name; orthography as transmitted)

• हृदन्तिमः: having ‘hṛd’ as the final (element)
• हृदन्तिमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृद्-अन्तिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘having hṛd as the last/ending’ (contextual)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/vidhi register within the Vedanga-oriented section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It encodes technical mantra-vidhi: the mantra’s syllable-count, the standard preliminaries of worship “as taught earlier,” and the specific application ending in the heart-formula—showing that correct method (vidhi) is integral to mantra efficacy.

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

Bhakti here is expressed through disciplined upāsanā: following the prescribed sequence of worship and inner placement (hṛdaya-nyāsa) so devotion becomes focused, reverent, and ritually precise rather than merely emotional.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-śāstra procedure: counting syllables (chandas/phonetic discipline), performing pūrvavat arcā-krama, and applying a hṛdaya-ending formula (nyāsa), all typical of technical ritual instruction found in Vedanga-oriented passages.