Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 46

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

तारो ह्यद्भगवानङेंतो रुक्मिणीवल्लभाय च । वह्निजायावधिः प्रोक्तो मंत्रः षोडशवर्णवान् ॥ ४६ ॥

Transliteration

tāro hyadbhagavānaṅeṃto rukmiṇīvallabhāya ca | vahnijāyāvadhiḥ prokto maṃtraḥ ṣoḍaśavarṇavān || 46 ||

Translation

En vérité, ce mantra de seize syllabes, commençant par la syllabe « tāra » et s’achevant par « vahnijāyā », est enseigné comme adressé au Seigneur Bienheureux, l’Aimé de Rukmiṇī.

Word by Word

• तारः: Tāra (the syllable 'oṃ'/tāra)
• तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अद्: (emphatic particle)
• अद्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठभेद/उपपद-निपात (as in hyad-; emphatic)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• अङ्गे: O (dear one)
• अङ्गे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (सम्बोधन/निपातवत्: 'O friend/indeed')

• अन्तः: the end
• अन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• रुक्मिणी-वल्लभाय: to the beloved of Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी-वल्लभाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुक्मिण्याः वल्लभः); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Dative/Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• वह्नि-जाया-अवधिः: ending with (the word) 'vahnijāyā'
• वह्नि-जाया-अवधिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + जाया (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वह्नेः जाया; तदवधिः = up to 'vahnijāyā'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• प्रोक्तः: has been stated
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (has been stated)

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• षोडश-वर्णवान्: having sixteen syllables/letters
• षोडश-वर्णवान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षोडश वर्णाः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavan (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Rukmini

FAQs

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

It defines a specific Vaiṣṇava mantra by its beginning and ending syllables and confirms its sixteen-syllable form, emphasizing disciplined mantra-knowledge (mantra-vidhi) as a means of devotion to Bhagavān (Kṛṣṇa, Rukmiṇī’s beloved).

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

By identifying the Lord as “Rukmiṇī’s beloved,” the verse frames mantra-japa not as mere sound-ritual but as personal devotion directed to Bhagavān with a relational, bhakti-centered focus.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical mantra specification—syllable count (ṣoḍaśa-varṇa) and phonetic boundaries (start/end markers)—which aligns with Śikṣā (phonetics) and the procedural precision expected in mantra practice.