Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 162

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

Devanagari script

विंशार्णस्य मुनिर्ब्रह्मा गायत्री छन्द ईरितम् । कृष्णश्च देवता कामो बीजं शक्तिर्द्विठो बुधैः ॥ १६२ ॥

Transliteration

viṃśārṇasya munirbrahmā gāyatrī chanda īritam | kṛṣṇaśca devatā kāmo bījaṃ śaktirdviṭho budhaiḥ || 162 ||

Translation

Pour le mantra de vingt syllabes, Brahmā est déclaré ṛṣi (voyant) et Gāyatrī le mètre (chandas). Kṛṣṇa en est la divinité présidante (devatā) ; Kāma en est la semence (bīja) ; et les sages disent que sa puissance (śakti) est « Dviṭhā ».

Word by Word

• विंश-अर्णस्य: of the twenty-syllabled (mantra)
• विंश-अर्णस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (‘विंशतिर् अर्णानि यस्य/विंशत्यर्णम्’)

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

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• छन्दः: meter
• छन्दः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• ईरितम्: is declared
• ईरितम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → ईरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘said/declared’

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

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

• देवता: presiding deity
• देवता: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कामः: Kāma (desire-god)
• कामः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• बीजम्: seed (bīja)
• बीजम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• शक्तिः: power (śakti)
• शक्तिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• द्विठः: (having) ‘dvi-ṭha’ (two ṭha-s / the syllable ṭha twice)
• द्विठः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + ठ (वर्ण/अक्षर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (‘द्वौ ठौ यस्य’/‘द्वि-ठ’)—mantric specification

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition on mantra-vidya)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Gayatri (Chandas)
• Krishna
• Kama

FAQs

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

It encodes the standard mantra-lakṣaṇa framework—ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, bīja, and śakti—showing that a mantra is approached as a complete Vedic-technique with lineage (ṛṣi), sonic form (metre), divine focus (devatā), and inner potency (bīja–śakti).

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

By naming Kṛṣṇa as the devatā, the verse directs the practitioner’s worshipful attention toward Kṛṣṇa as the mantra’s divine center, aligning technical mantra-recitation with devotional contemplation of the Lord.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (metre) is explicitly taught—Gāyatrī—along with the applied mantra-science used in ritual and japa: identifying the mantra’s ṛṣi, devatā, bīja, and śakti for correct viniyoga (application).