Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

यदक्षरै कमात्रेऽपि संसिद्धे स्पर्द्धते नरः । रवितार्क्ष्येंदुकन्दर्पैः शंकरानलविष्णुभिः ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

yadakṣarai kamātre'pi saṃsiddhe sparddhate naraḥ | ravitārkṣyeṃdukandarpaiḥ śaṃkarānalaviṣṇubhiḥ || 12 ||

Translation

Quand ne serait-ce qu’une seule syllabe (akṣara), fût-elle de la mesure d’une seule mātrā, est rendue parfaite par la siddhi du mantra, l’homme peut rivaliser en puissance avec le Soleil, Garuḍa, la Lune, Kāma, Śaṅkara, le Feu et Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• यत्-अक्षरैः: with which syllables
• यत्-अक्षरैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; तत्पुरुषः (यैः अक्षरैः)

• का-मात्रे: in the mere (syllable) ‘ka’
• का-मात्रे: अधिकरण (स्थान/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: का (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular; तत्पुरुषः (कायाः मात्रायाम्/‘क’-मात्रे = in the mere syllable ‘ka’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: even/also)

• संसिद्धे: when perfected / when accomplished
• संसिद्धे: अधिकरण (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular; विशेषणम् (qualifies ‘का-मात्रे’)

• स्पर्द्धते: competes / rivals
• स्पर्द्धते: क्रिया (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पर्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• रवि-तार्क्ष्य-इन्दु-कन्दर्पैः: with the Sun, Garuḍa, the Moon, and Kāma
• रवि-तार्क्ष्य-इन्दु-कन्दर्पैः: करण/सह (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• शंकर-अनल-विष्णुभिः: with Śaṅkara, Fire, and Viṣṇu
• शंकर-अनल-विष्णुभिः: करण/सह (Instrument/association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; द्वन्द्व-समासः

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration within Vedanga/Mantra context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Garuda
• Chandra
• Kama
• Shankara
• Agni
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that spiritual efficacy depends on mantra-perfection: even a single correctly realized syllable (akṣara) can become a vehicle of extraordinary divine power, surpassing ordinary human limits.

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

By implying that sincere, disciplined practice—especially when directed to deities like Viṣṇu—makes the smallest act (one syllable) spiritually potent; bhakti expressed through mantra-japa can culminate in siddhi and divine proximity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics): the verse highlights mātrā (time-measure) and akṣara (syllable), stressing that precise pronunciation and disciplined recitation are essential for mantra-siddhi.