Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 92
Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation
जपस्तु त्रिविधः प्रोक्तो वाचिकोपांशुमानसः । त्रिविधेऽपि च विप्रेन्द्र पूर्वात्पूर्वात्परो वरः ॥ ९२ ॥
japastu trividhaḥ prokto vācikopāṃśumānasaḥ | trividhe'pi ca viprendra pūrvātpūrvātparo varaḥ || 92 ||
జపం మూడు విధాలుగా చెప్పబడింది—వాచికం, ఉపాంశు, మానసం. ఓ విప్రేంద్రా! ఈ మూడింటిలోనూ తరువాతది ముందటిదానికంటే శ్రేష్ఠం.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It ranks mantra-repetition practices by subtlety: as japa becomes more internal—moving from loud to whispered to purely mental—it becomes more refined, concentrated, and spiritually efficacious.
Bhakti is strengthened by steady remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Divine Name/mantra; manasa-japa embodies continuous inner devotion, less dependent on external conditions and more rooted in heartfelt absorption.
It points to disciplined mantra-prayoga (practical application): correct modes of recitation and mental repetition—skills supported by Śikṣā (phonetics) for vācika/upāṁśu and by meditative focus for mānasa.