Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 88

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

तारः कामो रमा पश्चान् ङेंतः स्यात्पुरुषोत्तमः । वर्मास्त्राण्यग्निप्रियांतो मन्त्रो वह्नीन्दुवर्णवान् ॥ ८८ ॥

Transliteration

tāraḥ kāmo ramā paścān ṅeṃtaḥ syātpuruṣottamaḥ | varmāstrāṇyagnipriyāṃto mantro vahnīnduvarṇavān || 88 ||

Translation

จากนั้นให้สวด ‘ตาระ’, ‘กามะ’ และ ‘รมา’; ครั้นแล้วเติมเสียงนาสิก ‘เง็มตะ’ จึงเป็นมนต์แห่ง ‘ปุรุโษตตมะ’. มนต์นี้มีคาถาคุ้มครองและมนต์อาวุธเป็นเกราะ ปิดท้ายด้วย ‘อัคนิ-ปริยา’ และพรรณนาว่ามีสีดุจไฟและจันทร์

Word by Word

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

• कामः: Kāma
• कामः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रमा: Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• रमा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: afterwards)

• ङेंतः: (unclear reading: ṅeṃtaḥ)
• ङेंतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ङेंत (प्रातिपदिक/अस्पष्ट-पाठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाठदोष/दुर्लभ-रूपम्—मूलपाठे अन्यरूपं सम्भाव्यते

• स्यात्: may be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘may be/should be’

• पुरुषोत्तमः: Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘उत्तमः पुरुषः’

• वर्म: armor
• वर्म: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पाठे ‘वर्मा’ इति दीर्घः—वर्म/वर्मा रूपभेदः)

• अस्त्राणि: weapons
• अस्त्राणि: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अग्नि-प्रिय-अन्तः: having an end/part dear to Agni (unclear compound)
• अग्नि-प्रिय-अन्तः: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘अग्निप्रियः अन्तः/अन्तः-भागः’ (reading uncertain due to sandhi/pāṭha)

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वह्नि-इन्दु-वर्णवान्: having the color of fire and moon
• वह्नि-इन्दु-वर्णवान्: Karta-anvaya (कर्ता-विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative): ‘वह्नि-इन्दु-सदृश-वर्णः यस्य सः’ (अर्थतः बहुव्रीह्यर्थ-प्रायः, परन्तु रूपेण वर्णवत्-विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Purushottama
• Vishnu
• Rama (Lakshmi)
• Agni

FAQs

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

It presents a technical, ritual-precise way of forming a Puruṣottama (Viṣṇu) mantra using seed-syllables and prescribed endings, emphasizing both devotion and protective potency (kavaca/astra).

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

By linking Ramā (Śrī/Lakṣmī) and Puruṣottama in a structured mantra, it frames bhakti as disciplined remembrance and recitation—devotion expressed through correct mantra-vidhi rather than emotion alone.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-śāstra precision—especially phonetic/ending markers (śikṣā-style attention to sounds) and formulaic components like kavaca (armor) and astra (weapon) used in ritual protections.