Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58

The Description of the Worship of Rāma and Others

Rāmādi-pūjā-vidhāna

Devanagari script

छन्दः प्रोक्तं च गायत्री श्रीरामो देवता पुनः । बीजशक्तिराधमांत्यं मन्त्रार्णैः स्यात्षडंगकम् ॥ ५८ ॥

Transliteration

chandaḥ proktaṃ ca gāyatrī śrīrāmo devatā punaḥ | bījaśaktirādhamāṃtyaṃ mantrārṇaiḥ syātṣaḍaṃgakam || 58 ||

Translation

Le mètre est déclaré être le Gāyatrī, et la divinité présidante est de nouveau Śrī Rāma. Le bīja et la śakti sont la première et la dernière syllabe ; et, par les syllabes du mantra, on doit former les six membres auxiliaires (ṣaḍaṅga).

Word by Word

• छन्दः: meter (chandas)
• छन्दः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc) एकवचन; here as topic ‘meter’

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is said/declared’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रीरामः: Śrī Rāma
• श्रीरामः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्रीमान् रामः)

• देवता: presiding deity
• देवता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनः-शब्दः (adverb: again/further)

• बीजशक्तिः: the bīja-śakti (seed power)
• बीजशक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बीजस्य शक्तिः = seed-power)

• आधम-अन्त्यम्: the first and the last
• आधम-अन्त्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आधम + अन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (आधमं च अन्त्यं च = the first and the last)

• मन्त्रार्णैः: with the mantra-syllables
• मन्त्रार्णैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मन्त्रस्य अर्णानि = syllables/letters of the mantra)

• स्यात्: may be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• षडंगकम्: the sixfold limb-set (ṣaḍaṅga)
• षडंगकम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + अङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (six-limbed/with six parts)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sri Rama
• Gayatri (Chandas)

FAQs

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

It standardizes a Śrī Rāma mantra’s ritual identity—metre (Gāyatrī), deity (Śrī Rāma), and bīja–śakti—so the practitioner aligns sound, meaning, and devotion in a properly empowered recitation.

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

By naming Śrī Rāma as the devatā and prescribing mantra-limbs (ṣaḍaṅga), it frames bhakti as disciplined worship—devotional remembrance supported by correct mantra-vidhi rather than mere repetition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (prosody) is explicit: the mantra is in Gāyatrī metre, and the verse also applies phonemic analysis (mantrārṇa) to construct ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa, a technical ritual method grounded in mantra-science.