Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

द्वादशार्णो मनुः प्रोक्तो नारदोऽस्य मुनिर्मतः । छंदः प्रोक्तं च गायत्री श्रीगोविन्दोऽस्य देवता । चन्द्राक्षियुगभूतार्णैः सर्वैः पंचांगकल्पनम् ॥ ६६ ॥

Transliteration

dvādaśārṇo manuḥ prokto nārado'sya munirmataḥ | chaṃdaḥ proktaṃ ca gāyatrī śrīgovindo'sya devatā | candrākṣiyugabhūtārṇaiḥ sarvaiḥ paṃcāṃgakalpanam || 66 ||

Translation

Mantra ini disebut berjumlah dua belas suku kata; ṛṣi-nya dipandang sebagai Nārada. Metrenya dinyatakan Gāyatrī, dan dewatanya adalah Śrī Govinda. Dengan seluruh suku kata—dihitung menurut candra, akṣi, yuga, dan bhūta—disusunlah konfigurasi ritual lima bagian (pañcāṅga).

Word by Word

• द्वादशार्णः: twelve-syllabled
• द्वादशार्णः: विशेषण (qualifier of मनुः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशार्ण (प्रातिपदिक; द्वादश + अर्ण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); ‘twelve-syllabled’

• मनुः: the mantra (manu)
• मनुः: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); मन्त्रः (mantra-formula)

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: विधेय (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; प्र√वच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); भूतकृदन्त

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: विधेय (predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• अस्य: of this (mantra)
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Gen. 6), एकवचन (sg.)

• मुनिः: sage (seer)
• मुनिः: विधेय (predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: विधेय (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); भूतकृदन्त

• छन्दः: meter
• छन्दः: कर्ता/विधेय (subject/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: विधेय (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; प्र√वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg.); here predicate with छन्दः

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

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī (meter)
• गायत्री: विधेय (predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• श्रीगोविन्दः: Śrī Govinda
• श्रीगोविन्दः: कर्ता/विधेय
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीगोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + गोविन्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Gen. 6), एकवचन (sg.)

• देवता: presiding deity
• देवता: विधेय (predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• चन्द्राक्षियुगभूतार्णैः: by the (syllables) denoted by ‘moon’, ‘eye’, ‘pair’, ‘elements’
• चन्द्राक्षियुगभूतार्णैः: करण (Karaṇa/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्राक्षियुगभूतार्ण (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्राक्षि + युग + भूत + अर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.)/पुंलिङ्ग (m.) (as mantra-elements), तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (pl.); ‘by/with the syllables indicated by moon-eye-pair-elements’ (technical)

• सर्वैः: with all
• सर्वैः: विशेषण (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (pl.); विशेषणम्

• पञ्चाङ्गकल्पनम्: the fivefold arrangement (pañcāṅga)
• पञ्चाङ्गकल्पनम्: विधेय/कर्म (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाङ्गकल्पन (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + अङ्ग + कल्पन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg.); ‘five-limbed arrangement’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue context, instructing Narada on technical mantra-vidhi)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sri Govinda

FAQs

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

It formalizes a Viṣṇu/Govinda mantra through the classic mantra-lakṣaṇas—syllable-count (arṇa), ṛṣi, chandas, and devatā—showing that devotion is strengthened when worship is aligned with proper Vedic mantra-vidhi.

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

By naming Śrī Govinda as the devatā and prescribing a structured pañcāṅga arrangement, the verse frames bhakti not only as emotion but as disciplined remembrance and worship of Govinda through correctly understood mantra practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (metre) is explicitly identified as Gāyatrī, and the verse points to technical mantra-configuration (pañcāṅga-kalpanā) involving syllable-counting—material typically treated within Vedāṅga-style ritual and phonetic/metrical disciplines.