Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 47

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

नारदोऽस्य मुनिश्छन्दोऽनुष्टुप् च देवता मनोः । रुक्मिणीवल्लभश्चंद्रदृग्वेदांगाक्षिवर्णकैः । पञ्चांगानि प्रकुर्वीत ततो ध्यायेत्सुरेश्वरम् ॥ ४७ ॥

Transliteration

nārado'sya muniśchando'nuṣṭup ca devatā manoḥ | rukmiṇīvallabhaścaṃdradṛgvedāṃgākṣivarṇakaiḥ | pañcāṃgāni prakurvīta tato dhyāyetsureśvaram || 47 ||

Translation

ഈ (മന്ത്ര/വിധി)യുടെ ഋഷി നാരദൻ; ഛന്ദസ് അനുഷ്ടുപ്; ദേവത മനോഃ. ‘രുക്മിണീവല്ലഭ’, ‘ചന്ദ്ര’, ‘ദൃക്’, ‘വേദാംഗ’, ‘അക്ഷി’, ‘വർണ്ണ’ എന്നിവ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്ന അക്ഷരങ്ങളാൽ പഞ്ചാംഗ (ന്യാസ)ം നിർമിച്ച്, തുടർന്ന് സുരേശ്വരനെ ധ്യാനിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• अस्य: of this (mantra)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive/Singular)

• मुनिः: the sage (ṛṣi)
• मुनिः: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• छन्दः: the metre
• छन्दः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• अनुष्टुप्: Anuṣṭubh
• अनुष्टुप्: Samanaadhikarana (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुष्टुप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (छन्दोनाम); प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• देवता: the deity
• देवता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• मनोः: of Manu (the mantra)
• मनोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive/Singular)

• रुक्मिणी-वल्लभः: Rukmiṇī's beloved
• रुक्मिणी-वल्लभः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative/Singular)

• चन्द्र-दृक्-वेद-अङ्ग-अक्षि-वर्णकैः: with the syllables (named) candra, dṛk, veda, aṅga, akṣi
• चन्द्र-दृक्-वेद-अङ्ग-अक्षि-वर्णकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/समाहार (वर्णकैः = syllables/letters named 'candra, dṛk, veda, aṅga, akṣi'); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental/Plural)

• पञ्च-अङ्गानि: the five limbs (ancillaries)
• पञ्च-अङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्च अङ्गानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative/Plural)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should perform
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg)

• सुर-ईश्वरम्: the Lord of the gods
• सुर-ईश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative/Singular)

Speaker

Narada (instructional voice within the Vedāṅga/technical section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Manoḥ (Manu as devatā-name)
• Rukmini-vallabha (Krishna/Vishnu)
• Chandra (Moon)

FAQs

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

It formalizes mantra-practice by stating ṛṣi (seer), chandas (metre), and devatā (deity), then directs the practitioner to complete the fivefold ‘aṅgas’ and culminate in meditation on the Supreme Lord.

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

Even in a technical Vedāṅga setting, the goal is devotional absorption: after the procedural limbs are completed, the practitioner is instructed to meditate on Sureśvara—Vişṇu/Kṛṣṇa—making ritual serve bhakti and inner contemplation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights chandas (metre-identification), varṇa/syllable-based construction, and the standard mantra-viniyoga framework (ṛṣi–chandas–devatā), along with a five-limbed arrangement (pañcāṅga) used in ritual/nyāsa-style practice.