Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

Dīkṣā, Mantra-Types, Mantra-Doṣas, and Qualifications of Ācārya–Śiṣya

Devanagari script

चतुःशताक्षरो मंत्रो वृद्ध इत्यभिधीयते । नवार्णस्तारसंयुक्तो मंत्रो निस्त्रिंश उच्यते ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

catuḥśatākṣaro maṃtro vṛddha ityabhidhīyate | navārṇastārasaṃyukto maṃtro nistriṃśa ucyate || 41 ||

Translation

Um mantra composto de quatrocentas sílabas é chamado mantra “vṛddha” (expandido). E um mantra de nove sílabas, quando unido a Tārā (a sílaba “oṃ”), é chamado mantra “nistriṃśa”.

Word by Word

• चतुःशताक्षरः: four-hundred-syllabled
• चतुःशताक्षरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुःशत-अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; द्विगु—चतुःशत (four hundred) + अक्षर (syllable)

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

• वृद्धः: old/aged
• वृद्धः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अभिधीयते: is designated/called
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• नवार्णः: nine-syllabled
• नवार्णः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव-अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; द्विगु—नव (nine) + अर्ण (syllable)

• तारसंयुक्तः: joined with tārā (praṇava)
• तारसंयुक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तार-संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘तारेण/तारया संयुक्तः’ (joined with ‘tārā’/praṇava)

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

• निस्त्रिंशः: (name) Nistriṃśa
• निस्त्रिंशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निस्त्रिंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical Vedanga-style classification)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Tārā (Oṃ)

FAQs

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

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.

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

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.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-lakṣaṇa: counting akṣaras (syllabic units) and specifying the role of praṇava/Oṃ (Tārā) in forming a recognized mantra-type.