Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

सुदर्शनस्य मनुना कुर्याद्दिग्बंधनं तथा । विंशत्यर्णोक्तवत्कुर्यादाद्ये ध्यानार्चनादिकम् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

sudarśanasya manunā kuryāddigbaṃdhanaṃ tathā | viṃśatyarṇoktavatkuryādādye dhyānārcanādikam || 5 ||

Translation

Mit dem Sudarśana-Mantra vollziehe man auch das Ritual des «Bindens der Himmelsrichtungen» (dig-bandhana). Und wie es für das zwanzigsilbige Mantra gesagt ist, führe man die vorbereitenden Handlungen aus — Meditation, Verehrung und das Übrige.

Word by Word

• sudarśanasya: of Sudarśana
• sudarśanasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sudarśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• manunā: by (the) mantra
• manunā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘by the mantra’

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; √कृ (to do)

• dig-bandhanam: direction-binding (ritual protection)
• dig-bandhanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘दिशां बन्धनम्’ (binding of the directions)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb) ‘thus/likewise’

• viṃśati-arṇa-ukta-vat: as stated for the twenty-syllable (mantra)
• viṃśati-arṇa-ukta-vat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त) + vat (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial -vat); तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘विंशत्यर्णोक्त’ (as stated in the twenty-syllable [mantra]) + -वत् ‘like/according to’

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ādye: in the first (one)
• ādye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; (in/at the first [stage/section])

• dhyāna-arcana-ādikam: meditation, worship, etc.
• dhyāna-arcana-ādikam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार/तत्पुरुष: ‘ध्यानम्, अर्चनम्, आदि च’ (etc. beginning with meditation and worship)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within the Narada Purana dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sudarshana (Sudarśana-cakra)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Sudarśana-mantra practice is not merely recitation: it is framed by protective ritual (dig-bandhana) and begins with inner alignment through dhyāna and devotion through arcana, making the sādhana both safeguarded and spiritually focused.

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

By prescribing dhyāna (contemplation on the deity) and arcana (worship with offerings) as the first steps, the verse places mantra within a bhakti-oriented discipline—approaching Sudarśana as a divine presence, not as a mechanical formula.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights applied ritual procedure (prayoga): dig-bandhana as a protective rite and the structured sequence of preliminaries before mantra-japa, reflecting technical, method-based instruction characteristic of the Purva Bhaga’s Vedāṅga/ritual-science orientation.