Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59

Bhakti-Śraddhā-Ācāra-Māhātmya and the Commencement of the Mārkaṇḍeya Narrative

Devanagari script

केशिहन्त्रे नमस्तुभ्यं मधुहन्त्रे परात्मने । नमो भूम्यादिरूपाय नमश्चैतन्यरुपिणे ॥ ५९ ॥

Transliteration

keśihantre namastubhyaṃ madhuhantre parātmane | namo bhūmyādirūpāya namaścaitanyarupiṇe || 59 ||

Translation

Salam hormat kepada-Mu, pembunuh Keśī; salam kepada-Mu, pembunuh Madhu, Sang Paramātman. Salam kepada-Mu yang berwujud bumi dan unsur-unsur; salam kepada-Mu yang hakikat-Nya kesadaran murni.

Word by Word

• keśi-hantre: to the slayer of Keśī
• keśi-hantre: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśi + hantr̥ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; keśi-hantr̥ = ‘केशिं हन्ति’ इति (agent-noun from √han)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutation particle)

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• madhu-hantre: to the slayer of Madhu
• madhu-hantre: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu + hantr̥ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; madhu-hantr̥ = ‘मधुं हन्ति’ इति (slayer of Madhu)

• parātmane: to the Supreme Self
• parātmane: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• bhūmi-ādi-rūpāya: to the one whose forms are earth and the rest
• bhūmi-ādi-rūpāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi + ādi + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; bhūmi-ādi-rūpa = ‘भूम्यादि-रूपः यस्य’ (having forms such as earth etc.; ādi = ‘etc.’)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• caitanya-rūpiṇe: to the one embodied as consciousness
• caitanya-rūpiṇe: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitanya + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; rūpin = ‘रूपं अस्य अस्ति’ (possessor of form)

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Krishna
• Keśī
• Madhu

FAQs

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

It praises Vishnu/Krishna as both the heroic protector who destroys evil (Keśī, Madhu) and the highest metaphysical reality—present as the cosmos (earth and elements) and as pure consciousness—thus uniting devotion with tattva-jnana.

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

By offering repeated namas (salutations) through divine epithets, it models nāma-stuti: remembering the Lord’s līlā (slaying demons) while contemplating His supreme nature, a classic Narada Purana-style integration of heartfelt praise and inner realization.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Vyākaraṇa/etymic usage in devotional practice: compound epithets like Keśi-hantṛ and Madhu-hantṛ function as meaningful nāmas for japa and stotra recitation; no specific Jyotiṣa or ritual procedure is directly taught in this verse.