Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 103
Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana
Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras
सोऽहं वह्निप्रियांतोऽयं मंत्रो वस्वक्षरः परः । पंचब्रह्मात्मकस्यास्य मंत्रस्य मुनि सत्तमः ॥ १०३ ॥
so'haṃ vahnipriyāṃto'yaṃ maṃtro vasvakṣaraḥ paraḥ | paṃcabrahmātmakasyāsya maṃtrasya muni sattamaḥ || 103 ||
Dieses höchste Mantra, beginnend mit „so’ham“ und endend mit „vahnipriyā“, umfasst acht Silben. Für dieses Mantra, das der Natur des Pañcabrahma (fünffaches Brahman) entspricht, ist der erhabenste Weise der ṛṣi, der Seher.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Vedanga/Mantra-śāstra context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It defines a mantra by its exact markers (beginning “so’ham,” ending “vahnipriyā”) and declares it “supreme,” linking it to pañcabrahma—indicating that correct mantra-form and its metaphysical ground are both essential for effective upāsanā and liberation-oriented practice.
By presenting a precisely characterized mantra meant for contemplation and repetition, the verse supports bhakti/upāsanā through disciplined japa: devotion becomes steady when the mantra is known in its authentic form and contemplated as embodying the highest reality (para, pañcabrahma).
Mantra-śāstra procedure: identifying a mantra’s syllable-count (aṣṭākṣara), its defining boundaries (ādi/anta—beginning/ending words), and its ṛṣi (seer), which are standard technical steps used in ritual application and correct recitation.