Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10
Nārada’s Hymn to Viṣṇu
Nāradasya Viṣṇu-stavaḥ
यज्ञेश यज्ञपुरुष कृष्ण विष्णो नमोऽस्तु ते । पद्माक्ष कमलाकान्त गङ्गाजनक केशव । क्षीरोदशायिन् देवेश दामोदर नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १० ॥
yajñeśa yajñapuruṣa kṛṣṇa viṣṇo namo'stu te | padmākṣa kamalākānta gaṅgājanaka keśava | kṣīrodaśāyin deveśa dāmodara namo'stu te || 10 ||
Oh Señor del sacrificio, oh Yajñeśa, oh Yajña-Puruṣa—esencia misma del yajña—oh Kṛṣṇa, oh Viṣṇu: salutaciones a Ti. Oh de ojos de loto, amado de Lakṣmī, origen del Gaṅgā, oh Keśava; oh el que reposa en el Océano de Leche, oh Señor de los devas, oh Dāmodara: salutaciones a Ti.
Narada (stuti within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
The verse identifies Viṣṇu as both the Lord of sacrifice (yajñeśa) and the inner reality of sacrifice (yajñapuruṣa), teaching that ritual attains its highest purpose when it culminates in devotion and surrender to the Supreme.
It models bhakti through concentrated praise using multiple divine names (nāma-stuti), showing that remembrance of the Lord’s forms and attributes—Lotus-eyed, Lakṣmī’s beloved, Kṣīrodaśāyin—purifies the mind and leads toward mokṣa.
Ritual theology is emphasized: the idea of the yajñapuruṣa frames yajña as a sacred act oriented to Viṣṇu. Practically, it supports correct sankalpa and mantra-intent in Vedic rites (kalpa/śrauta-smārta application), where devotion is treated as the inner discipline of ritual.