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

Meditasikan Sītā sedang memandang wajah Rāma laksana teratai, berhias aneka perhiasan; setelah demikian, pelaku japa hendaknya mengulang mantra hingga seratus ribu aksara dan menunaikan bagian sepersepuluh sesuai tata cara.

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.