Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

Bhāgīratha’s Bringing of the Gaṅgā

Devanagari script

प्रणवाद्यं महाराज द्वादशार्णमुदाहृतम् । द्वयोः समं फलं राजन्नष्टद्वादशवर्णयोः ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

praṇavādyaṃ mahārāja dvādaśārṇamudāhṛtam | dvayoḥ samaṃ phalaṃ rājannaṣṭadvādaśavarṇayoḥ || 39 ||

Translation

ഹേ മഹാരാജാ, പ്രണവം (ഓം) കൊണ്ട് ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന ദ്വാദശാക്ഷര മന്ത്രം പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ രാജൻ, അതിന്റെ ഫലം അഷ്ടാക്ഷരവും ദ്വാദശാക്ഷരവും ആയ മന്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ ഫലത്തോട് സമമാണെന്ന് പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• praṇava-ādyam: beginning with praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-ādyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः—praṇavaḥ ādiḥ yasya (having praṇava as the beginning)

• mahā-rāja: O great king
• mahā-rāja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; कर्मधारयः—mahān rājā (great king)

• dvādaśa-arṇam: the twelve-syllabled (mantra)
• dvādaśa-arṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd), Singular; द्विगुः—dvādaśa arṇāni yasya (having twelve syllables/letters)

• udāhṛtam: is declared/uttered
• udāhṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta—Past Passive Participle (क्त/क्तप्रत्यय), Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular; passive sense ‘has been uttered/declared’

• dvayoḥ: of the two
• dvayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); ‘of the two’

• samam: equal/same
• samam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular; adverbial use ‘equally/same’

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th), Singular

• naṣṭa-dvādaśa-varṇayoḥ: of the two (forms) of the lost twelve letters
• naṣṭa-dvādaśa-varṇayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Napumsaka (varṇa as masc; compound used as genitive), Genitive (6th), Dual; तत्पुरुषः—naṣṭāḥ dvādaśa varṇāḥ yatra/ye (the ‘lost’ twelve letters), ‘of the two (sets) of lost twelve letters’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching a king in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Om (Pranava)

FAQs

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

It teaches that a Praṇava-led twelve-syllabled mantra is highly efficacious, and that its spiritual result is on par with other revered syllable-count mantras, emphasizing mantra’s potency when grounded in Oṁ.

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

By highlighting the fruit of a Praṇava-begun sacred mantra, it points to devotional practice through japa as a direct means to attain merit and spiritual fulfillment, a hallmark of Vishnu-oriented bhakti disciplines in the Purana.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) and mantra-śāstra concerns—counting syllables/letters (akṣara/varṇa), beginning with Praṇava, and understanding how mantra-form is classified for ritual and japa practice.