Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 96

Vyākaraṇa-saṅgraha: Pada–Vibhakti–Kāraka–Lakāra–Samāsa

Devanagari script

इतरेतरयोगे तु रामकृष्णौ समाहृतौ । रामकृष्णं द्विज द्वै द्वै ब्रह्म चैकमुपास्यते ॥ ९६ ॥

Transliteration

itaretarayoge tu rāmakṛṣṇau samāhṛtau | rāmakṛṣṇaṃ dvija dvai dvai brahma caikamupāsyate || 96 ||

Translation

وأمّا في الاقتران المتبادل (itaretara-yoga) فإن اسمي «راما» و«كريشنا» يُجمعان معًا. يا ذا الميلادين، إن عبادة «راما-كريشنا»—وإن نُطق بهما كاثنين—هي عبادة البراهمان الواحد.

Word by Word

• इतरेतर-योगे: in mutual-connection (sense)
• इतरेतर-योगे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतरेतर + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात

• राम-कृष्णौ: Rama and Krishna
• राम-कृष्णौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• समाहृतौ: are brought together/collected
• समाहृतौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + हृ (धातु) → समाहृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• राम-कृष्णम्: Rama-and-Krishna (as a unit)
• राम-कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/एकवचन-निर्देशः)

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• द्वै: two
• द्वै: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), द्विवचनार्थक-रूपम् (पाठे ‘द्वै’ = ‘two’)

• द्वै: two (again)
• द्वै: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• उपास्यते: is worshipped
• उपास्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is worshipped)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Krishna
• Brahman

FAQs

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

It teaches name-worship (nāma-upāsanā) with a Vedāntic conclusion: even if one invokes Rāma and Kṛṣṇa as two, the object of worship is the one, indivisible Brahman.

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

It validates bhakti through sacred names—chanting and meditating on “Rāma-Kṛṣṇa”—while clarifying that true devotion culminates in the realization of one supreme Reality behind all divine forms.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vyākaraṇa/śabda-śāstra is implicitly relevant: the verse points to ‘itaretara-yoga’ (a grammatical/compound-sense notion) to show how two terms can indicate a single intended reality in worship.