Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

गोविंदाय रमा पश्चाद्दशार्णं च समुद्धरेत् । मनुस्वरयुतौ सर्गयुक्तौ भृगुतदूर्द्धूगौ ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

goviṃdāya ramā paścāddaśārṇaṃ ca samuddharet | manusvarayutau sargayuktau bhṛgutadūrddhūgau || 23 ||

Translation

“ഗോവിന്ദായ” എന്നു ജപിച്ചതിന് ശേഷം “രമാ” എന്നു ഉച്ചരിച്ച്, പിന്നെ ദശാക്ഷരീ മന്ത്രം ചേർക്കണം. അത് അനുസ്വാരയുക്തമായി, ‘സ’യോട് സംയുക്തമായി, ‘സർഗ’യുക്തമായി, മുകളിൽ ‘ഭൃഗു’ സ്വരവിധാനം വെച്ച് ശാസ്ത്രോക്തമായി ഉച്ചരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• govindāya: to/for Govinda
• govindāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ramā: Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• ramā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ramā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• paścāt: afterwards
• paścāt: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• daśārṇam: Daśārṇa (name/region/term)
• daśārṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśārṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक निपात)

• samuddharet: should utter/recite; should lift up
• samuddharet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• manusvara-yutau: the two endowed with anusvāra
• manusvara-yutau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manusvara (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त, √yuj)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); past participial adjective 'yuta' = 'endowed with'

• sarga-yuktau: the two joined with 'sarga'
• sarga-yuktau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त, √yuj)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); past participial adjective 'yukta' = 'joined with'

• bhṛgu-tat-ūrdhūgau: the two 'ūrdhūga' (upward-going) of Bhṛgu/that (technical epithet)
• bhṛgu-tat-ūrdhūgau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक) + tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ūrdhūga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); compound adjective (interpretive/technical)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Vishnu)
• Ramā (Lakshmi)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that devotion to Govinda is strengthened when the mantra is formed and pronounced exactly as taught—uniting Vishnu (Govinda) with Lakshmi (Ramā) through disciplined Vedic phonetics.

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

Bhakti here is not only emotion but also careful upāsanā: the devotee honors the deity by preserving the mantra’s sequence, sound, and intonation, treating correct recitation as an act of reverence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) is highlighted—especially anusvāra usage, syllable-joining rules, and technical markers (like ‘bhṛgu’) indicating precise vowel/intonation placement in mantra-recitation.