Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 149

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

तप्तस्वर्णनिभं फणींद्रनिकरैःक्लृप्तांग भूषंप्रभुं स्तर्तॄणां शमयन्तमुग्रमखिलं नॄणां विषं तत्क्षणात् । चंच्वग्रप्रचलद्भुजंगमभयं पाण्योर्वरं बिभ्रतं पक्षोच्चारितसामगीतममलं श्रीपक्षिराजं भजे ॥ १४९ ॥

Transliteration

taptasvarṇanibhaṃ phaṇīṃdranikaraiḥklṛptāṃga bhūṣaṃprabhuṃ startṝṇāṃ śamayantamugramakhilaṃ nṝṇāṃ viṣaṃ tatkṣaṇāt | caṃcvagrapracaladbhujaṃgamabhayaṃ pāṇyorvaraṃ bibhrataṃ pakṣoccāritasāmagītamamalaṃ śrīpakṣirājaṃ bhaje || 149 ||

Translation

I worship the stainless, glorious King of Birds, Śrī Pakṣirāja Garuḍa—the Lord whose body shines like heated gold, adorned with hosts of serpent-kings as ornaments; who in an instant pacifies and destroys the fierce poison that afflicts all people; who in his two hands bears the boon of fearlessness against the moving serpents; and whose pure chant is the Sāma-melody uttered by his wings.

Word by Word

• tapta-svarṇa-nibham: resembling heated gold
• tapta-svarṇa-nibham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त, √tap) + svarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying garuḍam/pakṣirājam

• phaṇīndra-nikaraiḥ: by multitudes of serpent-kings
• phaṇīndra-nikaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phaṇīndra (प्रातिपदिक) + nikara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• klṛpta-aṅga-bhūṣam: adorned with arranged body-ornaments
• klṛpta-aṅga-bhūṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: klṛpta (कृदन्त, √kḷp) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi-like sense but form used adjectivally: 'whose body-ornament is arranged'

• prabhum: the lord
• prabhum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• stṛtṝṇām: of the spreaders/attackers (contextual)
• stṛtṝṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stṛtṛ (प्रातिपदिक; agent noun from √stṛ/स्तॄ ‘to spread/cover’, here ‘those who spread/extend’)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śamayantam: pacifying/quelled
• śamayantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śamayat (कृदन्त, present active participle from √śam)
• Form: Present Active Participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त/शतृ), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• ugram: fierce
• ugram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying viṣam

• akhilam: entire/all
• akhilam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying viṣam

• nṝṇām: of men/people
• nṝṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• viṣam: poison
• viṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat-kṣaṇāt: immediately
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially; Ablative sense ‘from that moment’

• cañcū-agra-pracalad-bhujaṅgama-bhayam: causing fear by serpents moving at the beak-tip
• cañcū-agra-pracalad-bhujaṅgama-bhayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cañcū (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + pracalat (कृदन्त, √cal) + bhujaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); complex determinative: ‘fear (caused) by serpents moving at the tip of (his) beak’

• pāṇyoḥ: in the two hands
• pāṇyoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी) or Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); here locative ‘in (his) hands’

• varam: a boon/excellent (thing)
• varam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• bibhratam: bearing/holding
• bibhratam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bibhrat (कृदन्त, present active participle from √bhṛ)
• Form: Present Active Participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त/शतृ), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• pakṣa-uccārita-sāma-gītam: whose Sāma-song is uttered by the wings
• pakṣa-uccārita-sāma-gītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uccārita (कृदन्त, √car with ud-; ‘uttered’) + sāman (प्रातिपदिक) + gīta (कृदन्त, √gai)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘Sāma-chant sung/uttered by (his) wings’

• amalam: pure, spotless
• amalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying pakṣirājam

• śrī-pakṣirājam: the glorious king of birds (Garuḍa)
• śrī-pakṣirājam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣirāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhaje: I worship
• bhaje: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st Person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Narada (stotra-style praise within the instructional flow to Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Pakṣirāja)
• Nāgas/Serpent-kings (Phaṇīndras)
• Sāma Veda (Sāmagīta)

FAQs

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

The verse presents Garuḍa as a protective divine power who neutralizes poison and fear, teaching that sincere stotra-bhakti and remembrance of the Lord’s attendants (like Garuḍa) functions as both spiritual refuge and practical protection.

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

It models bhakti through direct worship (bhaje) with vivid contemplation of the deity’s attributes—radiance, lordship, compassion, and protection—showing that devotion is strengthened by guṇa-smaraṇa (remembering divine qualities).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse invokes Sāma-gīta imagery (Sāma Veda chant), pointing to mantra-recitation and melodic intonation as a protective prayoga—an applied, technical use of sacred sound aligned with Vedic tradition.