Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 85

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

तारः श्रीभुवनाकामो ङेंतं श्रीकृष्णमीरयेत् । श्रीगोविंदं ततः प्रोच्य गोपीजनपदं ततः ॥ ८५ ॥

Transliteration

tāraḥ śrībhuvanākāmo ṅeṃtaṃ śrīkṛṣṇamīrayet | śrīgoviṃdaṃ tataḥ procya gopījanapadaṃ tataḥ || 85 ||

Translation

ആദ്യം താരക അക്ഷരം ജപിച്ച്, പിന്നെ ‘ശ്രീഭുവനകാമ’ എന്നു ഉച്ചരിക്കണം. തുടർന്ന് ‘ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണ’ എന്നു, പിന്നെ ‘ശ്രീഗോവിന്ദ’ എന്നു, അവസാനം ‘ഗോപീജനപദ’ എന്നു പറയണം.

Word by Word

• tāraḥ: Tāra (a mantra-syllable/name)
• tāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śrī-bhuvana-kāmaḥ: Śrībhuvanakāma (name/epithet)
• śrī-bhuvana-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) ‘desiring the auspicious worlds’ (mantra-name)

• ṅeṃtam: the seed-syllable ‘ṅeṃta’
• ṅeṃtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: (पाठ-विशेष/बीजाक्षर) ṅeṃta (अव्यय/मन्त्रबीज)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज/बीजाक्षर (mantric seed-syllable), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• śrī-kṛṣṇam: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• śrī-kṛṣṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘Śrī-Kṛṣṇa’

• īrayet: should utter/recite
• īrayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īr (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śrī-govindam: Śrī Govinda
• śrī-govindam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• procya: having uttered
• procya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having said/uttered’

• gopī-jana-padam: the term ‘gopījana’/the word pertaining to the gopīs
• gopī-jana-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) ‘the word/term of the gopīs’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga-oriented context of mantra/phonetics and name-recitation)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sri Krishna
• Govinda
• Gopis

FAQs

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

It prescribes an ordered recitation of sacred epithets of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—treating sound (varṇa) and divine names as a disciplined spiritual method that purifies the mind and fixes devotion.

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

Bhakti is expressed here as structured nāma-japa: invoking Kṛṣṇa through progressively intimate names (Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, and gopī-related epithet), emphasizing loving remembrance through sanctified speech.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-prayoga: the verse stresses correct utterance and sequence of syllables/names, reflecting Vedanga attention to sound-precision in ritual and japa.