Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

सर्वे मंत्राः प्रबुध्यंते वायौ नाडिद्वयाश्रिते । स्वापकाले तु मन्त्रस्य जपोऽनर्थफलप्रदः ॥ ९ ॥

Transliteration

sarve maṃtrāḥ prabudhyaṃte vāyau nāḍidvayāśrite | svāpakāle tu mantrasya japo'narthaphalapradaḥ || 9 ||

Translation

เมื่อปราณตั้งมั่นในนาฑีทั้งสอง มนตร์ทั้งปวงย่อมตื่นและสำเร็จผล; แต่การภาวนามนตร์ในยามหลับกลับให้ผลไร้สาระหรือก่อโทษ

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रबुध्यन्ते: awaken
• प्रबुध्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वायौ: in the wind/breath
• वायौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नाडि-द्वय-आश्रिते: situated in the two nāḍīs
• नाडि-द्वय-आश्रिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाडि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सप्तमी/अधिकरण-सम्बन्ध), ‘नाडिद्वये आश्रिते’ (situated in the pair of nāḍīs)

• स्वाप-काले: at the time of sleep
• स्वाप-काले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाप (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध), ‘स्वापस्य कालः’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• मन्त्रस्य: of the mantra
• मन्त्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जपः: repetition (japa)
• जपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनर्थ-फल-प्रदः: giving fruit that is undesirable
• अनर्थ-फल-प्रदः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध), ‘अनर्थस्य फलस्य प्रदः’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/technical discipline context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Prana
• Ida
• Pingala

FAQs

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

It links mantra-siddhi to disciplined prāṇa: when the life-breath is properly aligned in the nāḍīs, mantra becomes “awake” (effective); careless japa done in sleep-state is warned against as producing inauspicious or futile outcomes.

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

It implies that devotion expressed through japa must be conscious and attentive; sincere bhakti is strengthened when the devotee’s awareness and breath-discipline support the mantra, rather than letting practice lapse into unconscious repetition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A technical rule of mantra-prayoga is taught: proper timing and the role of prāṇa/nāḍīs (a yoga-technical adjunct often paired with śikṣā and ritual procedure) determine the efficacy of japa, and sleep-time recitation is discouraged.