Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 53

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

विष्णो इत्युक्त्वा ठद्वयं स्यादेकोनत्रिंशदर्णवान् । नारदोऽस्य मुनिश्छंदोऽनुष्टुप् च देवता मनोः ॥ ५३ ॥

Transliteration

viṣṇo ityuktvā ṭhadvayaṃ syādekonatriṃśadarṇavān | nārado'sya muniśchaṃdo'nuṣṭup ca devatā manoḥ || 53 ||

Translation

Nachdem man „Viṣṇu“ gesprochen hat, füge man zweimal das Silbenpaar „ṭha“ hinzu; so besteht das Mantra aus neunundzwanzig Silben. Für dieses Mantra ist Nārada der ṛṣi (Seher), Anuṣṭubh der chandas (Versmaß) und Manu die devatā (waltende Gottheit).

Word by Word

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन-रूप (vocative)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्न/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया—पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having said)

• ठद्वयम्: the pair of ‘ṭha’ (two ṭha-s)
• ठद्वयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ठयोः द्वयम्)

• स्यात्: should be / may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; संभाव्यता/विधान (may be/should be)

• एकोनत्रिंशत्-अर्णवान्: having twenty-nine (as oceans/letters)
• एकोनत्रिंशत्-अर्णवान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकोनत्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्या-विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (एकोनत्रिंशत् अर्णवाः यस्य) — ‘having 29 oceans/letters’ (contextual)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (mantra/thing)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध—षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिः: the sage (seer)
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• छन्दः: meter
• छन्दः: Visheshya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अनुष्टुप्: Anuṣṭubh
• अनुष्टुप्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुष्टुप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (छन्दोनाम), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; छन्दोनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवता: deity (presiding deity)
• देवता: Visheshya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मनोः: of Manu
• मनोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध—षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (in an instructional/technical exposition on mantra-lakṣaṇa)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Narada
• Manu

FAQs

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

It teaches the traditional mantra-framework (ṛṣi–chandas–devatā) showing that devotion to Viṣṇu is practiced with Vedic precision—right sound, right metre, and right invocation—so worship is both heartfelt and properly aligned with śāstra.

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

Bhakti here is expressed through mantra-japa addressed to Viṣṇu, but the verse emphasizes disciplined devotion: the devotee follows the correct mantra-structure and invokes the proper seer and deity, making remembrance of Viṣṇu a regulated sādhana.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (metre) and mantra-lakṣaṇa are highlighted—specifically syllable-counting (akṣara/varṇa) and identifying the mantra’s ṛṣi (Nārada), chandas (Anuṣṭubh), and devatā (Manu), which are core practical tools used in Vedic recitation and ritual application.