Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41
Dīkṣā, Mantra-Types, Mantra-Doṣas, and Qualifications of Ācārya–Śiṣya
चतुःशताक्षरो मंत्रो वृद्ध इत्यभिधीयते । नवार्णस्तारसंयुक्तो मंत्रो निस्त्रिंश उच्यते ॥ ४१ ॥
catuḥśatākṣaro maṃtro vṛddha ityabhidhīyate | navārṇastārasaṃyukto maṃtro nistriṃśa ucyate || 41 ||
നാലുനൂറ് അക്ഷരമുള്ള മന്ത്രം ‘വൃദ്ധ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ഒമ്പത് അക്ഷരമുള്ള മന്ത്രം താരാ (ഓം) യോടു ചേർന്നാൽ അത് ‘നിസ്ത്രിംശ’ മന്ത്രം എന്നു പറയുന്നു।
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical Vedanga-style classification)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It gives a precise technical taxonomy of mantras by syllable-count and by the addition of Oṃ (Tārā), showing that mantra-śāstra treats sound-structure as spiritually consequential and ritually regulated.
Indirectly: it supports bhakti-practice by defining how mantras are properly formed and recognized, so that devotional japa and ritual recitation are performed with śāstric correctness.
Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-lakṣaṇa: counting akṣaras (syllabic units) and specifying the role of praṇava/Oṃ (Tārā) in forming a recognized mantra-type.