Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Mantraśodhana, Dīkṣā-krama, Guru-Pādukā, Ajapā-Haṃsa, and Ṣaṭcakra-Kuṇḍalinī Sādhana
षट्शतानि दिवा रात्रौ सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः । अजपाख्यां तु गायत्रीं जीवो जपति सर्वदा ॥ ७६ ॥
ṣaṭśatāni divā rātrau sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ | ajapākhyāṃ tu gāyatrīṃ jīvo japati sarvadā || 76 ||
Pada siang hari ada enam ratus, dan pada malam hari dua puluh satu ribu (helaan napas). Demikianlah jiwa berjasad senantiasa melafalkan Gāyatrī yang disebut Ajapā, tanpa upaya sadar, setiap saat.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/technical instruction context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that japa is not only a deliberate ritual; the very movement of prāṇa (breath) is an ever-present ‘Ajapā Gāyatrī,’ indicating continuous inner worship and a natural link between life-force and mantra.
By presenting ceaseless, effortless remembrance (smaraṇa) through Ajapā-japa, it supports the bhakti ideal of uninterrupted devotion—where the Lord is remembered continuously, not only during formal rites.
A technical, practice-oriented insight tied to prāṇa and japa: the traditional counting of breaths across day and night and the concept of spontaneous mantra-repetition (ajapa-japa), useful for disciplined sādhanā and pranayama-linked recitation.