Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76

Mantraśodhana, Dīkṣā-krama, Guru-Pādukā, Ajapā-Haṃsa, and Ṣaṭcakra-Kuṇḍalinī Sādhana

Devanagari script

षट्शतानि दिवा रात्रौ सहस्राण्येकविंशतिः । अजपाख्यां तु गायत्रीं जीवो जपति सर्वदा ॥ ७६ ॥

Transliteration

ṣaṭśatāni divā rātrau sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ | ajapākhyāṃ tu gāyatrīṃ jīvo japati sarvadā || 76 ||

Translation

กลางวันมีหกร้อย และกลางคืนมียี่สิบเอ็ดพัน (ลมหายใจ) ดังนี้สัตว์ผู้มีร่างกายย่อมสวดภาวนา “คายตรีอชปา” อยู่เสมอ โดยไม่ต้องจงใจ ตลอดกาล

Word by Word

• षट्: six
• षट्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like in compounds); here qualifying शतानि

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma/Pramāṇa (कर्म/प्रमाण—count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण—time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिव्/दिवा (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण—time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma/Pramāṇa (कर्म/प्रमाण—count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• एकविंशतिः: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिः: Karma/Pramāṇa (कर्म/प्रमाण—count)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-समास (dvigu); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अजपाख्याम्: called ‘Ajapā’
• अजपाख्याम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजप + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative: ‘ajapa’-named); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; qualifying गायत्रीम्

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/विरोधार्थक (emphasis/contrast)

• गायत्रीम्: the Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म—object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• जीवः: the individual soul
• जीवः: Karta (कर्ता—subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• जपति: recites
• जपति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण—time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

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

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri
• Ajapa

FAQs

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

It teaches that japa is not only a deliberate ritual; the very movement of prāṇa (breath) is an ever-present ‘Ajapā Gāyatrī,’ indicating continuous inner worship and a natural link between life-force and mantra.

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

By presenting ceaseless, effortless remembrance (smaraṇa) through Ajapā-japa, it supports the bhakti ideal of uninterrupted devotion—where the Lord is remembered continuously, not only during formal rites.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A technical, practice-oriented insight tied to prāṇa and japa: the traditional counting of breaths across day and night and the concept of spontaneous mantra-repetition (ajapa-japa), useful for disciplined sādhanā and pranayama-linked recitation.