Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 132

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

वसुदेवपदं प्रोच्य निगडच्छेदशब्दतः । वासुदेवाय वर्मास्त्रे स्वाहांतो मनुरीरितः ॥ १३२ ॥

Transliteration

vasudevapadaṃ procya nigaḍacchedaśabdataḥ | vāsudevāya varmāstre svāhāṃto manurīritaḥ || 132 ||

Translation

Nachdem das Wort «Vasudeva» gesprochen wurde, abgeleitet aus dem Ausdruck „der die Fesseln zerschneidet“, wird das Mantra für das schützende ‘varmāstra’, die Waffen-Rüstung, gelehrt: Es ist an «Vāsudevāya» gerichtet und endet mit dem Ausruf «svāhā».

Word by Word

• वसुदेव-पदम्: the word ‘Vasudeva’
• वसुदेव-पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘the word/pada “Vasudeva”’

• प्रोच्य: having uttered
• प्रोच्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), from √वच् with prefix प्र; ‘having uttered/said’

• निगड-च्छेद-शब्दतः: from/by the word ‘nigaḍaccheda’
• निगड-च्छेद-शब्दतः: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निगड (प्रातिपदिक) + छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from/by the word (called) “nigaḍaccheda”’; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष + तस्

• वासुदेवाय: to Vasudeva
• वासुदेवाय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; dative ‘to Vasudeva’

• वर्म-अस्त्रे: in the armour-weapon (protective astra)
• वर्म-अस्त्रे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘in/with the armour-weapon (protective mantra-weapon)’

• स्वाहा-अन्तः: ending with ‘svāhā’
• स्वाहा-अन्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाहा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘ending with “svāhā”’; qualifies मन्त्रः (implicit)

• मनुः: the mantra-formula
• मनुः: Karta/Viṣaya (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन् (धातु) + उ (उणादि) → मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘mantra/formula’

• ईरितः: is declared
• ईरितः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) (क्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘is stated/declared’

Speaker

Narada (teaching in the Vedanga/technical-mantra context, traditionally within dialogue to the Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vasudeva
• Vasudeva (Vishnu/Krishna as Vāsudeva)

FAQs

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

It frames Vāsudeva as the liberator—“the cutter of fetters”—and teaches that invoking his name within a protective mantra is both a ritual act and a symbol of release from bondage (inner and outer).

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

Bhakti appears here as name-centered devotion: the practitioner anchors protection and liberation in direct address to Vāsudeva, treating his nāma as the decisive spiritual instrument.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical mantra-vidhi: (1) deity-address in the dative (“vāsudevāya”), (2) purposeful etymological framing (nigadaccheda), and (3) the ritual closing particle “svāhā,” typical of mantra usage in protective/oblation contexts.