Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

रव्यर्णो ब्रह्मगायत्रीकृष्णा ऋष्यादयोऽस्य तु । बीजैरमाब्धियुग्मार्णैः षडंगानि प्रकल्पयेत् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

ravyarṇo brahmagāyatrīkṛṣṇā ṛṣyādayo'sya tu | bījairamābdhiyugmārṇaiḥ ṣaḍaṃgāni prakalpayet || 10 ||

Translation

ഈ മന്ത്രത്തിന്റെ രവ്യർണം ‘ര’; ഛന്ദസ് ബ്രഹ്മഗായത്രി; ദേവത ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണൻ. ‘അമാ’, ‘അബ്ധി’, ‘യുഗ്മ’ എന്നിവ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്ന അക്ഷര-ബീജങ്ങളാൽ ഷഡംഗന്യാസമായി ഋഷി മുതലായ അംശങ്ങൾ വിന്യസിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• रवि-अर्णः: having the syllable/letter 'ravi' (sun-like)
• रवि-अर्णः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ravi + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (nom), एकवचन (sg); कर्मधारय: 'ravi-śabda-sadṛśaḥ arṇaḥ/varṇaḥ' (sun-like syllable/letter)

• ब्रह्मगायत्री-कृष्णा: (the) Brahma-gāyatrī Kṛṣṇā
• ब्रह्मगायत्री-कृष्णा: Karta/Pradhāna-nirdeśa (कर्ता/प्रधाननिर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-gāyatrī + kṛṣṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (nom), एकवचन (sg); तत्पुरुष: 'brahma-gāyatrī' as qualifier of 'kṛṣṇā' (name of chandas/devatā/śakti per context)

• ऋषि-आदयः: the seers and others
• ऋषि-आदयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (nom), बहुवचन (pl); तत्पुरुष: 'ṛṣayaḥ ādayaḥ' = 'ṛṣi and others'

• अस्य: of this (mantra)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (sg)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (contrast/emphasis)

• बीजैः: with seed-syllables
• बीजैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (pl)

• अमा-अब्धि-युग्म-अर्णैः: with the syllables denoted by amā/abdhi/yugma
• अमा-अब्धि-युग्म-अर्णैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amā + abdhi + yugma + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc)/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut) तृतीया (instr), बहुवचन (pl); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative) indicating specific letters/syllables denoted by 'amā', 'abdhi', 'yugma' (code-words)

• षडङ्गानि: the six limbs (aṅgas)
• षडङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut), द्वितीया (acc), बहुवचन (pl); द्विगु: 'six limbs'

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/assign
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Nārada the technical procedure)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Surya (implied by ravyarṇa)

FAQs

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

It formalizes how a Kṛṣṇa-oriented mantra is ritually “installed” in the practitioner through ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa, linking devotion (devatā: Kṛṣṇa) with precise Vedic-technical discipline (ṛṣi/chandas/bīja specification).

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

Bhakti here is not merely emotional; it is embodied through mantra-upāsanā—recognizing Kṛṣṇa as devatā and approaching him via regulated practice (nyāsa), which purifies and steadies the devotee’s mind and senses.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-śāstra procedure: identifying chandas (Brahma-gāyatrī), devatā (Kṛṣṇa), and applying ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa using bīja syllables encoded through conventional code-words (amā/abdhi/yugma) for letters or numbers.