Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59

Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative

Devanagari script

केशिहन्त्रे नमस्तुभ्यं मधुहन्त्रे परात्मने । नमो भूम्यादिरूपाय नमश्चैतन्यरुपिणे ॥ ५९ ॥

Transliteration

keśihantre namastubhyaṃ madhuhantre parātmane | namo bhūmyādirūpāya namaścaitanyarupiṇe || 59 ||

Translation

السجودُ لكَ يا قاتلَ كِشِي؛ السجودُ لكَ يا قاتلَ مَدْهُو، يا الذاتَ العُليا. السجودُ لكَ يا من صورتُه الأرضُ وسائرُ العناصر؛ السجودُ لكَ يا من حقيقتُه وعيٌ خالصٌ محض.

Word by Word

• keśi-hantre: to the slayer of Keśī
• keśi-hantre: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśi + hantr̥ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; keśi-hantr̥ = ‘केशिं हन्ति’ इति (agent-noun from √han)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutation particle)

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• madhu-hantre: to the slayer of Madhu
• madhu-hantre: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu + hantr̥ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; madhu-hantr̥ = ‘मधुं हन्ति’ इति (slayer of Madhu)

• parātmane: to the Supreme Self
• parātmane: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• bhūmi-ādi-rūpāya: to the one whose forms are earth and the rest
• bhūmi-ādi-rūpāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi + ādi + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; bhūmi-ādi-rūpa = ‘भूम्यादि-रूपः यस्य’ (having forms such as earth etc.; ādi = ‘etc.’)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• caitanya-rūpiṇe: to the one embodied as consciousness
• caitanya-rūpiṇe: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitanya + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; rūpin = ‘रूपं अस्य अस्ति’ (possessor of form)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Krishna
• Keśī
• Madhu

FAQs

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

It praises Vishnu/Krishna as both the heroic protector who destroys evil (Keśī, Madhu) and the highest metaphysical reality—present as the cosmos (earth and elements) and as pure consciousness—thus uniting devotion with tattva-jnana.

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

By offering repeated namas (salutations) through divine epithets, it models nāma-stuti: remembering the Lord’s līlā (slaying demons) while contemplating His supreme nature, a classic Narada Purana-style integration of heartfelt praise and inner realization.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Vyākaraṇa/etymic usage in devotional practice: compound epithets like Keśi-hantṛ and Madhu-hantṛ function as meaningful nāmas for japa and stotra recitation; no specific Jyotiṣa or ritual procedure is directly taught in this verse.