Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 65

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

जानकीवल्लभो ङेंतो द्विठांतः कवचादिकः । दशार्णोऽयं महामन्त्रो विशिष्टोऽस्य मुनिः स्वराट् ॥ ६५ ॥

Transliteration

jānakīvallabho ṅeṃto dviṭhāṃtaḥ kavacādikaḥ | daśārṇo'yaṃ mahāmantro viśiṣṭo'sya muniḥ svarāṭ || 65 ||

Translation

[The mantra] begins with ‘Jānakīvallabha’ and ends with ‘ṅeṃ’, being concluded with the syllable ‘dviṭhāṃ’, and is used for a protective kavaca and related rites. This is a ten-syllabled (daśārṇa) great mantra, and its distinguished seer (ṛṣi) is Svarāṭ.

Word by Word

• जानकी-वल्लभः: the beloved of Jānakī (Rāma)
• जानकी-वल्लभः: कर्ता/निर्देश (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानकी (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जानक्याः वल्लभः’

• ङे-अन्तः: ending with ‘ṅe’
• ङे-अन्तः: विशेषण (to महामन्त्रः/दशार्णः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ङे (बीज/अक्षर; अव्यय-प्राय) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ending with ṅe’ (mantra-ending); पाठदूषण-सम्भावना (ङेंतो)

• द्वि-ठा-अन्तः: ending with ‘dvi-ṭhā’ (two ṭhā syllables)
• द्वि-ठा-अन्तः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ठा (अक्षर/बीज) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ending with two ṭhā-s’ / ‘ending with dvi-ṭhā’; पाठदूषण-सम्भावना (द्विठांतः)

• कवच-आदिकः: (for) kavaca etc. (protective rites)
• कवच-आदिकः: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कवच (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(used) for armor etc.’ / ‘beginning with kavaca’

• दश-अर्णः: ten-syllabled
• दश-अर्णः: विशेषण (to महामन्त्रः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः ‘ten-syllabled’

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: निर्देशक (Deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महा-मन्त्रः: the great mantra
• महा-मन्त्रः: कर्ता (subject of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महान् मन्त्रः’

• विशिष्टः: distinct/special
• विशिष्टः: विशेषण (to महामन्त्रः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (कृदन्त; √शिष्/√शास् धातु with वि-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त; ‘distinguished/specific’

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of this’

• मुनिः: sage (seer)
• मुनिः: कर्ता/विशेष्य (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वराट्: Svarāṭ (name/epithet: self-ruling)
• स्वराट्: विशेषण (to मुनिः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘स्वतन्त्र-राजा/सम्राट्’

Speaker

Narada (teaching mantra-vidya details within the Vedanga/technical section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Rama (Jānakīvallabha / beloved of Sītā)
• Sita (Jānakī)
• Svarāṭ (ṛṣi of the mantra)

FAQs

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

It defines the lakṣaṇa (technical identity) of a Rāma-centered mahāmantra—its opening, ending phonemes, syllable-count, and ṛṣi—showing that effective mantra practice in the Narada Purana requires both devotion and precise mantra-structure.

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

By naming the mantra as ‘Jānakīvallabha’ (Rāma), it anchors practice in personal devotion to the Lord; the technical details serve Bhakti by safeguarding correct remembrance and disciplined japa, especially in protective (kavaca) observances.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-lakṣaṇa grounded in phonetic/recitational precision—how a mantra is identified by its beginning/ending sounds and syllable-count (daśārṇa), and how it is applied in kavaca and allied ritual uses.