Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 85

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas and the Sin-destroying Power of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

गायत्रीं च विशुद्धात्मा जपेदष्टशतं द्विज । एतेष्वन्यतमं स्पृष्ट्वा अज्ञानाधद्यदि भोजने ॥ ८५ ॥

Transliteration

gāyatrīṃ ca viśuddhātmā japedaṣṭaśataṃ dvija | eteṣvanyatamaṃ spṛṣṭvā ajñānādhadyadi bhojane || 85 ||

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, വിശുദ്ധചിത്തത്തോടെ ഗായത്രി എട്ടുനൂറു പ്രാവശ്യം ജപിക്കണം. ഭോജനസമയത്ത് അജ്ഞാനവശാൽ ഇവയിൽ ഒന്നിനെ സ്പർശിച്ചാൽ ഈ ജപം തന്നെയാണ് പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം।

Word by Word

• gāyatrīm: the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• gāyatrīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• viśuddha-ātmā: one of purified mind
• viśuddha-ātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddha (कृदन्त; √śudh शुध्) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘one whose self is pure’; Puṃliṅga (masc), Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप्)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• aṣṭaśatam: eight hundred (times)
• aṣṭaśatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu (द्विगु) numeral compound ‘eight-hundred’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana (count)

• dvija: O twice-born (brahmin)
• dvija: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• eteṣu: among these
• eteṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃ/Napuṃ (common), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Bahuvacana

• anyatamam: any one (of them)
• anyatamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anyatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃ/Napuṃ, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; ‘one of (them)’

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √spṛś (स्पृश्)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), prior action

• ajñānāt: out of ignorance
• ajñānāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Pañcamī (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; hetu/apādāna sense

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-निपात)

• bhojane: during eating/at a meal
• bhojane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a dharma-śāstra style discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri

FAQs

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

It teaches that inner purification and mantra-japa can restore ritual and mental purity when an impurity occurs unintentionally, emphasizing intention (ajñāna) and corrective discipline (prāyaścitta).

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

By prescribing Gāyatrī japa as a remedy, it highlights remembrance of the sacred through mantra as a practical form of devotion—returning the mind to dharma and sanctity even after mistakes.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects kalpa (ritual procedure) and prāyaścitta principles—how to correct lapses in conduct during bhojana through a specified count of mantra-japa.