Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga
चतुर्भिः षड्भर्द्वाभ्यां च मूलमंत्रेण मंत्रवित् । केचिदाहुरिहाचार्याः प्राणायामोत्तरं पुनः ॥ २३ ॥
caturbhiḥ ṣaḍbhardvābhyāṃ ca mūlamaṃtreṇa maṃtravit | kecidāhurihācāryāḥ prāṇāyāmottaraṃ punaḥ || 23 ||
മന്ത്രവിദനായ সাধകൻ മൂലമന്ത്രം നാലു പ്രാവശ്യം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ആറു പ്രാവശ്യം, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ രണ്ടു പ്രാവശ്യം ജപിക്കണം. ചില ആചാര്യർ പ്രാണായാമത്തിനു ശേഷം വീണ്ടും ചെയ്യണമെന്നും പറയുന്നു.
Sanatkumara (ācārya tradition cited within the dialogue to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: none
FAQs
It standardizes disciplined mantra-practice by tying japa-counts to the mūla-mantra and linking them with prāṇāyāma, showing that inner purification and precise method support spiritual efficacy.
While technical, it supports Bhakti by prescribing a focused way to repeat the root-mantra with regulated breath—helping steady attention and deepen devotional absorption in the deity invoked by the mantra.
A practical ritual-technical rule: specific japa counts (2/4/6) with the mūla-mantra and the sequencing of japa in relation to prāṇāyāma—typical of procedural guidance aligned with śikṣā and kalpa-style instruction.