Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 89
Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana
Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras
कृष्णेति द्व्यक्षरः प्रोक्तः कामादिः स्यात्त्रिवर्णकः । सैव ङेंतो युगार्णः स्यात्कृष्णाय नम इत्यपि ॥ ८९ ॥
kṛṣṇeti dvyakṣaraḥ proktaḥ kāmādiḥ syāttrivarṇakaḥ | saiva ṅeṃto yugārṇaḥ syātkṛṣṇāya nama ityapi || 89 ||
‘കൃഷ്ണ’ എന്ന നാമം ദ്വ്യക്ഷരമാണെന്ന് പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു. ‘കാമ’ത്തോടെ ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന ബീജം ത്രിവർണകം. അതേ ദത്തിവാചക (ങേ-അന്ത) രൂപത്തിൽ ‘കൃഷ്ണായ നമഃ’ എന്ന ദ്വിപദമന്ത്രവും ആകുന്നു.
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on mantra/phonetics within Vedanga-Vyakarana framing)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It presents devotion in a technically precise way: the sacred name “Kṛṣṇa” and the salutation formula “kṛṣṇāya namaḥ” are treated as mantras whose power is preserved through correct phonetic and grammatical formation.
Bhakti here is expressed as nāma-japa and namaskāra—addressing the Lord directly in the dative (“unto Kṛṣṇa”) and offering reverent surrender (“namaḥ”), showing devotion grounded in proper mantra usage.
Vyākaraṇa and mantra-śāstra: it notes syllable/phoneme counting (akṣara/varṇa) and the use of the dative case ending (ṅe-ending, -āya) in forming a correct devotional mantra.