Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

The Recitation of the Thousand Names of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (Yugala-Sahasranāma) and Śaraṇāgati-Dharma

Devanagari script

गोपिकानंदनः कृष्णो गोपानंदः सतां गतिः । बकप्राणहरो विष्णुर्बकमुक्तिप्रदो हरिः ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

gopikānaṃdanaḥ kṛṣṇo gopānaṃdaḥ satāṃ gatiḥ | bakaprāṇaharo viṣṇurbakamuktiprado hariḥ || 40 ||

Translation

കൃഷ്ണൻ ഗോപികമാരുടെ ആനന്ദം, ഗോപന്മാരുടെ ഹർഷം, സജ്ജനരുടെ പരമാശ്രയം. വിഷ്ണുരൂപത്തിൽ ബകന്റെ പ്രാണൻ ഹരിച്ചു; ഹരിരൂപത്തിൽ അവനേയ്ക്ക് മോക്ഷവും ദാനമാക്കി.

Word by Word

• गोपिका-नन्दनः: son of the gopīs
• गोपिका-नन्दनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपिका (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोपिकायाः नन्दनः)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गोप-आनन्दः: joy of the cowherds
• गोप-आनन्दः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोपानाम् आनन्दः)

• सताम्: of the good (saints)
• सताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सत्-शब्दः), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• गतिः: refuge; goal
• गतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बक-प्राण-हरः: slayer who took Baka’s life-breath
• बक-प्राण-हरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बकस्य प्राणान् हरति इति)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बक-मुक्ति-प्रदः: giver of liberation to Baka
• बक-मुक्ति-प्रदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (बकाय/बकस्य मुक्तिं प्रददाति इति)

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (in dialogue within the Purva Bhaga context, commonly framed around teachings transmitted among sages such as Narada and the Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Vishnu
• Hari
• Baka

FAQs

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

It presents Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa as both intimate (beloved of gopīs and gopas) and absolute (goal of the saintly), highlighting His grace that can grant liberation even to a hostile being like Baka.

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

By praising the Lord through His līlā-based epithets, the verse models bhakti as loving remembrance: seeing Kṛṣṇa as one’s joy and final refuge, and trusting His compassionate power to remove sin and grant mokṣa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse functions as a stuti using meaningful divine epithets (nāma-artha), aligning with the practical use of correct wording and sense (vyākaraṇa/nirukta-style attention to name-meaning) for devotional recitation.