Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । अथ वक्ष्ये कृष्णमंत्रान्भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदान् । ब्रह्माद्या यान्समाराध्य सृष्ट्यादिकरणे क्षमाः ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | atha vakṣye kṛṣṇamaṃtrānbhuktimuktiphalapradān | brahmādyā yānsamārādhya sṛṣṭyādikaraṇe kṣamāḥ || 5 ||

Translation

Sanatkumāra sprach: Nun werde ich die Kṛṣṇa-Mantras darlegen, die die Früchte sowohl weltlichen Genusses als auch der Befreiung verleihen—Mantras, durch deren rechte Verehrung selbst Brahmā und die anderen Götter befähigt werden, Schöpfung und die übrigen kosmischen Wirkungen zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: now/then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भसूचक (discourse marker) ‘now/then’

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कृष्णमन्त्रान्: Kṛṣṇa-mantras
• कृष्णमन्त्रान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘कृष्णस्य मन्त्राः’

• भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदान्: granting the fruits of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘भुक्ति-मुक्ति-फलस्य प्रदाः’ (givers of fruits of enjoyment and liberation), ‘कृष्णमन्त्रान्’ इति विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्माद्याः: Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘ब्रह्मा आदिः येषाम्’ (Brahmā and others)

• यान्: whom/which
• यान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative) ‘whom/which’

• समाराध्य: having worshipped
• समाराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having duly worshipped/propitiated’

• सृष्ट्यादिकरणे: in (their) performing creation and so on
• सृष्ट्यादिकरणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सृष्टि-आदि-करणे’ (in the act of creation etc.)

• क्षमाः: capable
• क्षमाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘ब्रह्माद्याः’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘capable/competent’

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It introduces Kṛṣṇa-mantras as a complete spiritual means—capable of granting both bhukti (well-being in worldly life) and mukti (final liberation), showing mantra-bhakti as a bridge between prosperity and transcendence.

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

By stating that even Brahmā and other divine beings attain competence through properly worshiping Kṛṣṇa, the verse emphasizes bhakti expressed as reverent mantra-upāsanā (devotional worship through mantras).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to mantra-prayoga and upāsanā as technical disciplines—proper recitation and worship that produce defined results—aligning with Vedāṅga-style precision in sacred sound and ritual application.