Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 92

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

जपस्तु त्रिविधः प्रोक्तो वाचिकोपांशुमानसः । त्रिविधेऽपि च विप्रेन्द्र पूर्वात्पूर्वात्परो वरः ॥ ९२ ॥

Transliteration

japastu trividhaḥ prokto vācikopāṃśumānasaḥ | trividhe'pi ca viprendra pūrvātpūrvātparo varaḥ || 92 ||

Translation

持诵（japa）被说为三种：出声诵（vācika）、低声默诵（upāṁśu）、意中持诵（mānasa）。在这三者之中，噢婆罗门之最胜者，后后之法皆胜于前前。

Word by Word

• japaḥ: japa
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tu: indeed; however
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adversative/emphatic particle (निपात)

• trividhaḥ: threefold
• trividhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—द्विगु (‘of three kinds’)

• proktaḥ: is said; is taught
• proktaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative verbal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prokta (कृदन्त; past passive participle from √vac ‘to say’ with pra-)
• Form: PPP (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; passive ‘is said’

• vācika-upāṃśu-mānasaḥ: (as) vocal, whispered, and mental
• vācika-upāṃśu-mānasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācika + upāṃśu + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—द्वन्द्व (enumerative: verbal, whispered, mental) qualifying japaḥ

• trividhe: among the three kinds
• trividhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ‘in the threefold (set)’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (अपि—‘even/also’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• vipra-indra: O best of Brahmins
• vipra-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (viprāṇām indraḥ)

• pūrvāt: than the former
• pūrvāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; used comparatively ‘than the former’

• pūrvāt: than the former (again)
• pūrvāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; repetition for gradation

• paraḥ: the subsequent (one)
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘the later/following (one)’

• varaḥ: better; superior
• varaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective to paraḥ

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It ranks mantra-repetition practices by subtlety: as japa becomes more internal—moving from loud to whispered to purely mental—it becomes more refined, concentrated, and spiritually efficacious.

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

Bhakti is strengthened by steady remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Divine Name/mantra; manasa-japa embodies continuous inner devotion, less dependent on external conditions and more rooted in heartfelt absorption.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to disciplined mantra-prayoga (practical application): correct modes of recitation and mental repetition—skills supported by Śikṣā (phonetics) for vācika/upāṁśu and by meditative focus for mānasa.