Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27

Pañca-prakṛti-nirūpaṇa and Mantra-vidhi: Rādhā, Mahālakṣmī, Durgā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī; plus Sāvitrī-Pañjara

Devanagari script

पितास्माकं मुनिश्रेष्ठ मानसीं कल्पदैहिकीम् । ततः पश्चात्पंचवक्त्रं कृष्णं प्राह महामते ॥ २७ ॥

Transliteration

pitāsmākaṃ muniśreṣṭha mānasīṃ kalpadaihikīm | tataḥ paścātpaṃcavaktraṃ kṛṣṇaṃ prāha mahāmate || 27 ||

Translation

Ô meilleur des sages, notre père fit d’abord naître une création mentale, puis une création façonnée en corps. Ensuite, ô grand d’esprit, il s’adressa à Kṛṣṇa, celui aux cinq visages.

Word by Word

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां श्रेष्ठः)

• मानसीम्: mental, of the mind
• मानसीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• कल्पदैहिकीम्: having a body as if (by) imagination / formed by will
• कल्पदैहिकीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्प-दैहिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कल्पा च सा दैहिकी च)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thereafter/from that’

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘afterwards’

• पञ्चवक्त्रम्: the five-faced one
• पञ्चवक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह्/अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (or one of the Sanaka brothers) speaking to Narada (dialogue context within Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara
• Kṛṣṇa (pañcavaktra, five-faced)

FAQs

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

It highlights a graded process of manifestation—first as a mental projection and then as embodied form—pointing to the primacy of consciousness/intention before material expression in Purāṇic cosmology.

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

While not directly prescribing bhakti practices, it frames divine order (kalpa) and purposeful creation as the background in which devotion operates—devotees align mind (mānasī) and body (daihikī) toward the Divine through disciplined worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects kalpa-style ordering (ritual/systematic arrangement) and conceptual sequencing—useful for understanding how Purāṇic cosmology often parallels Vedāṅga categories like Kalpa (structured procedure) and related technical narration.