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

ਹੇ ਮਹਾਰਾਜ, ਪ੍ਰਣਵ (ਓਂ) ਨਾਲ ਆਰੰਭ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਦ੍ਵਾਦਸ਼ਾਖਰੀ ਮੰਤਰ ਉਚਾਰਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ, ਇਸ ਦਾ ਫਲ ਅਸ਼ਟਾਖਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਦ੍ਵਾਦਸ਼ਾਖਰੀ ਮੰਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਫਲ ਦੇ ਸਮਾਨ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।

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.