Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

The Exposition of the Table of Contents of the Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa

Devanagari script

नरकादिवधस्तत्र कृष्णेन विहितोऽद्भुतः । कृष्णखंडमिदं विप्र नृणां संसारखंडनम् ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

narakādivadhastatra kṛṣṇena vihito'dbhutaḥ | kṛṣṇakhaṃḍamidaṃ vipra nṛṇāṃ saṃsārakhaṃḍanam || 20 ||

Translation

അവിടെ നരകാദികളുടെ അത്ഭുതവധം ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ നിർവഹിച്ചു. ഹേ വിപ്ര, ഇത് കൃഷ്ണഖണ്ഡം; മനുഷ്യരുടെ സംസാരബന്ധം ഛേദിക്കുന്നതു॥

Word by Word

• नरकादि-वधः: the slaying of Naraka etc.
• नरकादि-वधः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + आदि + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नरकादीनां वधः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कृष्णेन: by Krishna
• कृष्णेन: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विहितः: was done/ordained
• विहितः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'वधः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अद्भुतः: wonderful
• अद्भुतः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'वधः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कृष्ण-खण्डम्: the Krishna-section
• कृष्ण-खण्डम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; understood 'इदम्' as apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य खण्डम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; appositive determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• संसार-खण्डनम्: the cutting off of worldly existence
• संसार-खण्डनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement; predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + खण्डन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य खण्डनम्)

Speaker

Sage Nārada (addressing a Vipra/Brahmin interlocutor within the anukramaṇikā-style summary)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Naraka

FAQs

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

It frames the Kṛṣṇa-khaṇḍa as a liberating portion of the Purāṇa: hearing and internalizing Kṛṣṇa’s wondrous deeds is presented as a means to sever saṃsāra (the cycle of transmigration).

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

By highlighting Kṛṣṇa’s divine act (the slaying of Naraka and others) and calling the section “saṃsāra-khaṇḍanam,” it implies that bhakti expressed through śravaṇa (listening) and smaraṇa (remembrance) of Kṛṣṇa’s līlā leads toward freedom from bondage.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; its practical takeaway is Purāṇic śravaṇa as a devotional discipline oriented to mokṣa.