Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 107

The Exposition of the Krishna Mantra (Kṛṣṇa-mantra-prakāśa): Nyāsa, Dhyāna, Worship, Yantra, and Prayoga

Devanagari script

रात्रौ चेन्मदनाक्रांतचेतसं नन्दनन्दनम् । यजेद्रासपरिश्रांतं गोपीमंडलमध्यगम् ॥ १०७ ॥

Transliteration

rātrau cenmadanākrāṃtacetasaṃ nandanandanam | yajedrāsapariśrāṃtaṃ gopīmaṃḍalamadhyagam || 107 ||

Translation

Si, la nuit, l’esprit est envahi par la passion, qu’on adore le Fils de Nanda (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) comme épuisé après la danse du Rāsa, se tenant au milieu du cercle des gopīs.

Word by Word

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: सम्बन्ध (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• मदन-आक्रान्त-चेतसम्: whose mind is overcome by love (Cupid)
• मदन-आक्रान्त-चेतसम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक)+आ+क्रम् (धातु)+चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—मदनेन आक्रान्तं चेतः यस्य (तत्पुरुष; ‘mind overcome by Cupid’)

• नन्द-नन्दनम्: Nanda’s son (Krishna)
• नन्द-नन्दनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द (प्रातिपदिक)+नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—नन्दस्य नन्दनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः—यज् ‘देवपूजासंगतिकरणदानेषु’

• रास-परिश्रान्तम्: wearied from the rāsa-dance
• रास-परिश्रान्तम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रास (प्रातिपदिक)+परि+श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—रासेन परिश्रान्तः (तत्पुरुष)

• गोपी-मण्डल-मध्य-गम्: standing in the midst of the circle of gopīs
• गोपी-मण्डल-मध्य-गम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)+मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)+मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)+गम् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—गोपीमण्डलस्य मध्ये गतः (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; ‘gone/standing in the midst’)

Speaker

Narada (teaching, in a didactic/ritual-instruction context; traditionally framed within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Nanda
• Gopis
• Madana (Kama)

FAQs

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

It prescribes a devotional remedy: when the mind is disturbed by desire at night, one redirects that energy into Kṛṣṇa-upāsanā by contemplating and worshipping Śrī Kṛṣṇa in a specific sacred form (Rāsa context), transforming passion into bhakti.

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

Bhakti is shown as practical inner discipline: instead of suppressing the mind, the devotee consciously fixes it on Kṛṣṇa (Nanda-nandana) through a vivid devotional visualization, making remembrance and worship the means to purify emotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects ritual-application of dhyāna and manasika-pūjā (mental worship) with time-specific instruction (rātrau—night), aligning practice with disciplined observance rather than grammar/astrology directly.