Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Mantraśodhana, Dīkṣā-krama, Guru-Pādukā, Ajapā-Haṃsa, and Ṣaṭcakra-Kuṇḍalinī Sādhana
षट्शतानि दिवा रात्रौ सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः । अजपाख्यां तु गायत्रीं जीवो जपति सर्वदा ॥ ७६ ॥
ṣaṭśatāni divā rātrau sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ | ajapākhyāṃ tu gāyatrīṃ jīvo japati sarvadā || 76 ||
Le jour, il y en a six cents, et la nuit vingt et un mille (souffles) ; ainsi l’être incarné répète sans cesse la Gāyatrī dite Ajapā—sans effort volontaire, à tout instant.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/technical instruction context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that japa is not only a deliberate ritual; the very movement of prāṇa (breath) is an ever-present ‘Ajapā Gāyatrī,’ indicating continuous inner worship and a natural link between life-force and mantra.
By presenting ceaseless, effortless remembrance (smaraṇa) through Ajapā-japa, it supports the bhakti ideal of uninterrupted devotion—where the Lord is remembered continuously, not only during formal rites.
A technical, practice-oriented insight tied to prāṇa and japa: the traditional counting of breaths across day and night and the concept of spontaneous mantra-repetition (ajapa-japa), useful for disciplined sādhanā and pranayama-linked recitation.