Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

गोपवृंदयुतं वंशीं वादयंतं स्मरेत्सुधीः । एवं ध्यात्वा जपेदादावयुतद्वितयं बुधः ॥ ५० ॥

Transliteration

gopavṛṃdayutaṃ vaṃśīṃ vādayaṃtaṃ smaretsudhīḥ | evaṃ dhyātvā japedādāvayutadvitayaṃ budhaḥ || 50 ||

Translation

Der Weise soll des Herrn gedenken, begleitet von einer Schar von Kuhhirten, wie Er die Flöte spielt. Nachdem er so meditiert hat, soll der Gelehrte zu Beginn das Mantra zwanzigtausendmal wiederholen.

Word by Word

• गोप-वृन्द-युतम्: accompanied by a group of cowherds
• गोप-वृन्द-युतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (accompanied by a group of cowherds)

• वंशीम्: flute
• वंशीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• वादयन्तम्: playing (causing to sound)
• वादयन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वादय् (णिजन्त/causative of वद्/वाद्) (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of मुकुन्दम् (understood)

• स्मरेत्: should meditate/remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुधीः: the wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्या (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having meditated'

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदौ (अव्यय/सप्तमी-रूपेण)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb): 'at first/in the beginning'

• अयुत-द्वितयम्: two ayutas (twenty thousand)
• अयुत-द्वितयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (measure/number expression)

• बुधः: the learned person
• बुधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching in the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue framework)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna (Vishnu as flute-playing cowherd)

FAQs

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

It links inner visualization (smaraṇa/dhyāna) of the flute-playing Lord with disciplined mantra repetition, showing that bhakti is strengthened by both devotion and regulated practice.

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

Bhakti is expressed as loving remembrance of Krishna amid the gopas (a devotional form), and it is stabilized through japa—devotion supported by sustained repetition after proper meditation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes procedural sādhanā—dhyāna followed by a prescribed japa-saṅkhyā (count). This reflects technical discipline in ritual/mantric practice rather than grammar or astrology.