Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

पश्यंतीं रामवक्राब्जं विविधाकल्पभूषिताम् । ध्यात्वैवं प्रजपेद्वर्णलक्षं मंत्री दशांशतः ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

paśyaṃtīṃ rāmavakrābjaṃ vividhākalpabhūṣitām | dhyātvaivaṃ prajapedvarṇalakṣaṃ maṃtrī daśāṃśataḥ || 12 ||

Translation

La visualisant en train de contempler le visage-lotus de Rāma, parée de multiples ornements et parures, le pratiquant du mantra doit méditer ainsi, puis réciter le mantra jusqu’à cent mille syllabes, en accomplissant aussi la dixième part prescrite comme observance auxiliaire.

Word by Word

• पश्यन्तीम्: seeing (looking at)
• पश्यन्तीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘seeing/looking’

• राम-वक्र-अब्जम्: Rama’s lotus-like face
• राम-वक्र-अब्जम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य वक्रं अब्जवत्/अब्जम्)

• विविध-आकल्प-भूषिताम्: adorned with various ornaments
• विविध-आकल्प-भूषिताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक) + आकल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; भूषित = भूष्(धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having meditated’

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रजपेत्: should recite (mutter)
• प्रजपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• वर्ण-लक्षम्: a lakh (100,000) of syllables/recitations
• वर्ण-लक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वर्णानां लक्षम् = one lakh of syllables/letters)

• मन्त्री: the mantra-practitioner
• मन्त्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• दश-अंशतः: in ten parts / by tenths
• दश-अंशतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb) = ‘by tenth-parts’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada within the Vedanga/ritual-technical discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rama

FAQs

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

It links inner visualization (dhyāna) with disciplined repetition (japa), teaching that mantra-siddhi is supported by both devotion-filled contemplation and a precise, measured practice (varṇa-lakṣa with daśāṃśa).

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

Bhakti is expressed through a personal, form-based meditation—envisioning the beloved deity (here centered on Rāma’s lotus-like face) and sustaining that loving attention while completing the mantra count.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It emphasizes a technical japa discipline: counting by syllables (varṇa) and following a structured proportion (daśāṃśa), reflecting a procedural, rule-based approach typical of ritual science and allied Vedanga-style precision.