Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

बिभ्राणं गोसहस्रैर्वृतममरपतिं प्रौढहस्तैककुंभप्रश्चोतत्सौधधारास्नपितमभिनवांभोजपत्राभनेत्रम् ॥ ६८ ॥

Transliteration

bibhrāṇaṃ gosahasrairvṛtamamarapatiṃ prauḍhahastaikakuṃbhapraścotatsaudhadhārāsnapitamabhinavāṃbhojapatrābhanetram || 68 ||

Translation

അവൻ ദേവാധിപതിയെ ദർശിച്ചു—ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് പശുക്കൾ ചുറ്റിനിന്നു, ഉയർന്ന സൗധത്തിൽ നിന്നൊഴുകുന്ന ജലധാരകളാൽ അഭിഷേകിതനായി, ശക്തമായ കൈ ഒരേയൊരു കുംഭം മറിച്ച് വെള്ളം ഒഴുക്കുമ്പോൾ; അവന്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ പുതുതായി വിരിഞ്ഞ താമരപ്പത്രങ്ങളുപോലെ ആയിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• बिभ्राणम्: bearing, holding
• बिभ्राणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; present active participle used adjectivally

• गो-सहस्रैः: by thousands of cows
• गो-सहस्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सहस्र), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां सहस्राणि)

• वृतम्: surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• अमर-पतिम्: the lord of the immortals (Indra)
• अमर-पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अमराणां पतिः)

• प्रौढ-हस्त-एक-कुम्भ-प्रश्चोतत्-सौध-धारा-स्नपितम्: bathed by streams from a palace, pouring from a single pot held in a strong hand
• प्रौढ-हस्त-एक-कुम्भ-प्रश्चोतत्-सौध-धारा-स्नपितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रौढ (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रश्चोतत् (प्र + च्युत्/च्यव् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय) + सौध (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नपित (स्नप्/स्ना धातु, क्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; अन्ते भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्नपित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रौढहस्तैककुम्भ’ = one pot in a strong hand; ‘प्रश्चोतत्सौधधारा’ = streams pouring from a palace; whole: ‘bathed by the palace-streams pouring from the single pot held in a strong hand’

• अभिनव-अम्भोज-पत्र-आभ-नेत्रम्: having eyes like fresh lotus petals
• अभिनव-अम्भोज-पत्र-आभ-नेत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिनव (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भोज (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आभ (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यस्य नेत्रे अभिनवाम्भोजपत्राभे’ = whose eyes are like fresh lotus-petals

Speaker

Narada (narration within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Gau (cows)
• Devas (Amaras)

FAQs

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

The verse uses auspicious visual markers—lotus-like eyes, ceremonial bathing, and sacred cattle—to signal divine majesty and purity, presenting a darśana (vision) that elevates the mind toward reverence and dharmic order.

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

Though not a direct bhakti instruction, it models bhakti’s inner posture: attentive contemplation of divine qualities (śrī-lakṣaṇa) such as purity (snāna/abhiṣeka imagery) and auspicious beauty (lotus eyes), which naturally awakens devotion and faith.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights chandas-style poetic compounding and alaṅkāra (imagery) rather than a specific Vedāṅga rule; it exemplifies how Sanskrit compounds (samāsa) compress ritual and iconographic detail into a single metrical statement.