Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तारो हृद्भगवान् ङेंतः कार्तवीर्यार्जुनस्तथा । वर्मास्त्राग्निप्रियामंत्रः प्रोक्तो ह्यष्टादशार्णकः ॥ ४८ ॥

Transliteration

tāro hṛdbhagavān ṅeṃtaḥ kārtavīryārjunastathā | varmāstrāgnipriyāmaṃtraḥ prokto hyaṣṭādaśārṇakaḥ || 48 ||

Translation

‘ਤਾਰ’, ‘ਹ੍ਰਿਦ੍-ਭਗਵਾਨ’, ‘ਙੇਂਤಃ’ ਅਤੇ ‘ਕਾਰਤਵੀਰ੍ਯਾਰਜੁਨ’—ਇਸ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਅਠਾਰਾਂ ਅੱਖਰਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ‘ਵਰਮਾਸਤ੍ਰ–ਅਗਨਿਪ੍ਰਿਆ’ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• तारः: Tāra (name)
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हृत्-भगवान्: the Lord of the heart / heart-dwelling Lord
• हृत्-भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• ङेंतः: Ṅeṃta (name/epithet; uncertain)
• ङेंतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ङेंत (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पाठानुसार; रूप-अनिश्चित/दुर्लभ)

• कार्तवीर्यार्जुनः: Kārtavīrya Arjuna
• कार्तवीर्यार्जुनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (proper name)

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (also/likewise)

• वर्मास्त्र-अग्नि-प्रिय-मन्त्रः: the mantra dear to Agni (Fire) of the armor-weapon (Varmāstra)
• वर्मास्त्र-अग्नि-प्रिय-मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; वर्मन्+अस्त्र) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative compound)

• प्रोक्तः: was declared/taught
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (कर्म/Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘spoken/declared’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphatic)

• अष्टादश-अर्णकः: having eighteen syllables/letters
• अष्टादश-अर्णकः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical compound)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a Vedanga/technical-mantra enumeration context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kārtavīryārjuna
• Agni (by epithet: Agni-priyā)

FAQs

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

It preserves a technical transmission: the identification and syllable-count (18) of a specific protective ‘varma-astra’ mantra, emphasizing correct mantra-form as part of disciplined ritual science.

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

Indirectly: by naming mantra-forms associated with divine power and protection, it supports devotional practice where remembrance and recitation (japa) are treated as regulated, exact disciplines.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-vidhi and phonetic/structural precision—especially syllable-count (ārṇaka) and correct mantra naming—reflecting the Vedanga concern for exact transmission and ritual efficacy.