Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

बिभ्राणं गोसहस्रैर्वृतममरपतिं प्रौढहस्तैककुंभप्रश्चोतत्सौधधारास्नपितमभिनवांभोजपत्राभनेत्रम् ॥ ६८ ॥

Transliteration

bibhrāṇaṃ gosahasrairvṛtamamarapatiṃ prauḍhahastaikakuṃbhapraścotatsaudhadhārāsnapitamabhinavāṃbhojapatrābhanetram || 68 ||

Translation

Er erblickte den Herrn der Götter, umringt von Tausenden Kühen—gebadet von Wasserströmen, die aus einem hohen Palast herabflossen, als ein starkhändiger Mann einen einzigen Krug ausgoss—seine Augen glichen den frischen Blättern eines eben aufgeblühten Lotus.

Word by Word

• बिभ्राणम्: bearing, holding
• बिभ्राणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; present active participle used adjectivally

• गो-सहस्रैः: by thousands of cows
• गो-सहस्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सहस्र), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां सहस्राणि)

• वृतम्: surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• अमर-पतिम्: the lord of the immortals (Indra)
• अमर-पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अमराणां पतिः)

• प्रौढ-हस्त-एक-कुम्भ-प्रश्चोतत्-सौध-धारा-स्नपितम्: bathed by streams from a palace, pouring from a single pot held in a strong hand
• प्रौढ-हस्त-एक-कुम्भ-प्रश्चोतत्-सौध-धारा-स्नपितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रौढ (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रश्चोतत् (प्र + च्युत्/च्यव् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय) + सौध (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नपित (स्नप्/स्ना धातु, क्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; अन्ते भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्नपित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रौढहस्तैककुम्भ’ = one pot in a strong hand; ‘प्रश्चोतत्सौधधारा’ = streams pouring from a palace; whole: ‘bathed by the palace-streams pouring from the single pot held in a strong hand’

• अभिनव-अम्भोज-पत्र-आभ-नेत्रम्: having eyes like fresh lotus petals
• अभिनव-अम्भोज-पत्र-आभ-नेत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिनव (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भोज (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आभ (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यस्य नेत्रे अभिनवाम्भोजपत्राभे’ = whose eyes are like fresh lotus-petals

Speaker

Narada (narration within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Gau (cows)
• Devas (Amaras)

FAQs

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

The verse uses auspicious visual markers—lotus-like eyes, ceremonial bathing, and sacred cattle—to signal divine majesty and purity, presenting a darśana (vision) that elevates the mind toward reverence and dharmic order.

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

Though not a direct bhakti instruction, it models bhakti’s inner posture: attentive contemplation of divine qualities (śrī-lakṣaṇa) such as purity (snāna/abhiṣeka imagery) and auspicious beauty (lotus eyes), which naturally awakens devotion and faith.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights chandas-style poetic compounding and alaṅkāra (imagery) rather than a specific Vedāṅga rule; it exemplifies how Sanskrit compounds (samāsa) compress ritual and iconographic detail into a single metrical statement.