Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

आदिमध्यावसानेषु सकारो दृश्यते यदि । स मन्त्रो बधिरः प्रोक्तः कष्टेनाल्पफलप्रदः ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

ādimadhyāvasāneṣu sakāro dṛśyate yadi | sa mantro badhiraḥ proktaḥ kaṣṭenālpaphalapradaḥ || 25 ||

Translation

Kapag ang pantig na “sa” ay makikita sa simula, gitna, o wakas (ng mantra), ang mantrang iyon ay tinatawag na “bingi”; kaunti lamang ang bunga, at iyon pa’y sa hirap makakamtan.

Word by Word

• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: in the beginning, middle, and end (positions)
• आदि-मध्य-अवसानेषु: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + मध्य + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; Locative plural; dvandva set ‘in beginning, middle, and ending positions’

• सकारः: the letter ‘sa’ (s-kāra)
• सकारः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• दृश्यते: is seen / appears
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग sense ‘is seen/appears’

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त (conditional particle)

• सः: that
• सः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: कर्ता (Apposition to सः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बधिरः: deaf / ineffective
• बधिरः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: विधेय (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘declared/said’

• कष्टेन: with difficulty
• कष्टेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अल्प-फल-प्रदः: giving little result
• अल्प-फल-प्रदः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक from √दा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘giver of little fruit’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/Mantra-śāstra context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra-power depends on precise phonetic structure; certain sound-patterns are treated as doṣas (defects) that reduce spiritual and ritual efficacy.

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

It implies that devotion expressed through japa and ritual praise should be done with care in śabda (sacred sound); sincere bhakti is supported by correct recitation rather than careless chanting.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-śāstra: the verse flags a technical “mantra-doṣa” involving the placement of the syllable “sa,” warning that such a mantra becomes weak and yields limited results.