Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 64

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

मन्त्रावष्टाक्षरौ ह्येतौ तारांत्यौ चेन्नवाक्षरौ । एतेषां यजनं सर्वं कुर्यान्मंत्री षडर्णवत् ॥ ६४ ॥

Transliteration

mantrāvaṣṭākṣarau hyetau tārāṃtyau cennavākṣarau | eteṣāṃ yajanaṃ sarvaṃ kuryānmaṃtrī ṣaḍarṇavat || 64 ||

Translation

These two mantras are indeed eight-syllabled; but if they end with the syllable ‘tārā’ (oṃ), they become nine-syllabled. For all of them, the officiating practitioner should perform every rite of worship in the same manner as for the six-syllabled mantra.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रौ: two mantras
• मन्त्रौ: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• अष्ट-अक्षरौ: eight-syllabled
• अष्ट-अक्षरौ: विशेषण (to मन्त्रौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्विगुसमासः ‘eight-syllabled’

• हि: indeed
• हि: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: कर्ता (apposition to मन्त्रौ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• तारा-अन्त्यौ: ending with ‘tārā’
• तारा-अन्त्यौ: विशेषण (to एतौ/मन्त्रौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘ending with tārā’

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• नव-अक्षरौ: nine-syllabled
• नव-अक्षरौ: विशेषण (to एतौ/मन्त्रौ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्विगुसमासः ‘nine-syllabled’

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘of these’

• यजनम्: worship/sacrifice
• यजनम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्त्री: the mantra-practitioner
• मन्त्री: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘one who has/uses a mantra’

• षडर्णवत्: as in the six-syllabled (procedure)
• षडर्णवत्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक ‘-वत्’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Om (Tārā)
• Mantra

FAQs

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

It standardizes mantra-upāsanā by teaching that variations in syllable-count (8 vs. 9 when joined with praṇava) do not change the essential worship-method; the sādhaka should follow the established, authoritative procedure.

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

Bhakti is supported through disciplined upāsanā: the verse emphasizes faithful adherence to a prescribed worship-vidhi rather than improvisation, making devotion steady, repeatable, and scripturally grounded.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-śāstra praxis: counting akṣaras (syllables), understanding praṇava (“tārā”) as an augment that changes metrical/ritual classification, and applying a known ritual template (ṣaḍarṇa-vidhi) to related mantras.