Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 72

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

Devanagari script

एषोक्ता विष्णुगायत्री सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । तारो हृद्भगवान् ङेंतो वासुदेवाय कीर्तितः ॥ ७२ ॥

Transliteration

eṣoktā viṣṇugāyatrī sarvapāpapraṇāśinī | tāro hṛdbhagavān ṅeṃto vāsudevāya kīrtitaḥ || 72 ||

Translation

Ainsi a été enseignée la Viṣṇu-Gāyatrī, qui détruit tous les péchés. La syllabe sacrée ‘tāra’ (Oṁ) est le Seigneur dans le cœur, et elle est proclamée pour Vāsudeva.

Word by Word

• eṣā: this (she/this one)
• eṣā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular); sarvanāma-prayoga (pronoun)

• uktā: said, declared
• uktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय) → ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with viṣṇugāyatrī

• viṣṇu-gāyatrī: the Viṣṇu-Gāyatrī (mantra)
• viṣṇu-gāyatrī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (viṣṇoḥ gāyatrī)

• sarva-pāpa-praṇāśinī: destroyer of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-praṇāśinī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇāśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: sarvāṇi pāpāni praṇāśayati iti

• tāraḥ: the syllable/term “tāra”
• tāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā, Ekavacana

• hṛt-bhagavān: the Lord in the heart
• hṛt-bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: hṛdi (hṛt) bhagavān (the Lord in the heart)

• ṅeṃtaḥ: (uncertain reading)
• ṅeṃtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: (unclear/possibly corrupt reading)
• Form: Form appears non-standard in classical Sanskrit; likely manuscript/printing corruption; treated as Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana (tentative)

• vāsudevāya: to Vāsudeva
• vāsudevāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Caturthī vibhakti (Dative/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana

• kīrtitaḥ: is proclaimed/has been described
• kīrtitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Bhāva (भाव/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrt (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → kīrtita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicative with tāraḥ/hṛdbhagavān/ṅeṃtaḥ

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Vasudeva
• Om (Tara)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Viṣṇu-Gāyatrī as a purifying mantra that removes sin, and links the primal syllable Oṁ (tāra) with the indwelling Lord, directing worship toward Vāsudeva.

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

Bhakti is expressed through mantra-upāsanā: remembering and proclaiming Vāsudeva with the Viṣṇu-Gāyatrī and Oṁ as the heart-centered presence of Bhagavān.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-vidyā in a technical sense—proper identification of the mantra (Gāyatrī), its bīja/pranava (tāra/Oṁ), and its devatā (Vāsudeva) for disciplined japa and upāsanā.