Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 161

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

हृदयांते विदा पश्चाद्रणसर्वपदं वदेत् । ततः प्रहरणधरसर्वकामुकतत्पदम् ॥ १६१ ॥

Transliteration

hṛdayāṃte vidā paścādraṇasarvapadaṃ vadet | tataḥ praharaṇadharasarvakāmukatatpadam || 161 ||

Translation

À la fin du nyāsa du Cœur, on doit ensuite prononcer le segment de mantra qui commence par « vidā » et s’achève par « raṇa-sarva ». Puis l’on récite le segment suivant, qui débute par « praharaṇa-dhara » et se termine par « sarva-kāmuka-tat ».

Word by Word

• hṛdaya-ante: at the end of “hṛdaya”
• hṛdaya-ante: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverbial-locative sense “at the end of ‘hṛdaya’”

• vidā: “vidā”
• vidā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidā (अव्यय/मन्त्र-शब्द)
• Form: Mantra-syllable/word used as insert (मन्त्रपद/अव्यय-प्रयोग)

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक)

• raṇa-sarva-padam: the “raṇasarvapada” word/segment
• raṇa-sarva-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd; द्वितीया), Singular; “the whole pada connected with raṇa-/battle” (as a named segment)

• vadet: should say
• vadet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhi-liṅ, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (क्रमसूचक)

• praharaṇa-dhara-sarva-kāmuka-tat-padam: the “praharaṇadhara-sarvakāmuka-tatpada” word/segment
• praharaṇa-dhara-sarva-kāmuka-tat-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक) + sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmuka (प्रातिपदिक) + tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; long determinative compound naming a mantra-segment/pada

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on technical mantra procedure)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined mantra-vidhi: spiritual power is approached through correct sequencing (pada-krama) and internal placement (hṛdaya-nyāsa), aligning speech and consciousness with the deity’s presence.

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

Bhakti here is practiced as reverent, methodical worship—uttering divine epithets like “praharaṇa-dhara” and “sarva-kāmuka” with proper nyāsa, treating mantra as a direct devotional approach to Vishnu.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical competence—mantra segmentation (pada), ordered recitation, and nyāsa practice, which rely on precise phonetics and wording (Śikṣā/Vyākaraṇa-informed correctness) in applied worship.