Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

तारो नमश्चतुर्थ्यंतं सुदर्शनपदं वदेत् । अस्त्रायफडिति प्रोक्तो मंत्रो द्वादशवर्णवान् ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration

tāro namaścaturthyaṃtaṃ sudarśanapadaṃ vadet | astrāyaphaḍiti prokto maṃtro dvādaśavarṇavān || 8 ||

Translation

Hendaklah diucapkan Tāraka, yakni praṇava “Oṁ”; kemudian lafaz “namaḥ” dengan akhiran datif, lalu sebut “Sudarśana”; dan diikuti “astrāya phaḍ”. Demikianlah dinyatakan mantra Astra yang bersuku kata dua belas.

Word by Word

• तारः: the praṇava ‘oṃ’
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; here ‘tāra’ = praṇava/ॐ

• नमः: salutation (namaḥ)
• नमः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; indeclinable-like usage as salutation

• चतुर्थी-अन्तम्: ending with the dative (4th-case) form
• चतुर्थी-अन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थी (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव) ‘चतुर्थ्या अन्तम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying the mantra-form ending in dative (4th case)

• सुदर्शन-पदम्: the word ‘Sudarśana’
• सुदर्शन-पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘सुदर्शनस्य पदम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वदेत्: should utter/recite
• वदेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्त्राय: for (the) weapon (astra)
• अस्त्राय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; dative

• फड्: phaṭ (mantric syllable)
• फड्: Mantra-part (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: फड् (अव्यय/बीजाक्षर)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्रबीज/उच्चारणविशेष (mantric exclamation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacanānukaraṇa (वचनानुकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणचिह्न/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच्-उक्तौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) passive sense ‘said/declared’

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वादश-वर्णवान्: having twelve syllables
• द्वादश-वर्णवान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद) ‘द्वादश वर्णाः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे adjectival usage

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sudarshana
• Astra

FAQs

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

It defines a protective Astra-mantra centered on Sudarśana, showing how sacred sound (praṇava, namaḥ, and the ‘phaḍ’ utterance) is structured for ritual safeguarding and divine invocation.

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

By directing the practitioner to invoke Sudarśana with reverence (‘namaḥ’) and disciplined recitation, it frames devotion as precise worship where love for the Lord is expressed through correct mantra-prayoga.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-grammar and usage—especially the caturthī (dative) case ending (‘-āya’) and the ritual exclamation ‘phaḍ’ used in astra-mantras for protective/warding application.