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

دن میں چھ سو اور رات میں اکیس ہزار (سانس) ہوتے ہیں۔ یوں جسم دھاری جیوا ‘اجپا’ نامی گایتری کا ہمیشہ، بے تکلف، مسلسل جپ کرتا رہتا ہے۔

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.