Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

लीलादंडहरिः प्रोक्तो मन्वब्धधियुगवह्निभिः । वेदैः पंचां गकं भागैर्मंत्रवर्णोत्थितैः क्रमात् ॥ ५४ ॥

Transliteration

līlādaṃḍahariḥ prokto manvabdhadhiyugavahnibhiḥ | vedaiḥ paṃcāṃ gakaṃ bhāgairmaṃtravarṇotthitaiḥ kramāt || 54 ||

Translation

Demikianlah nama “Līlā-daṇḍa-hari” dinyatakan—terbentuk menurut tertib daripada suku kata mantra yang terbit melalui Veda, dengan pembahagian lima bahagian, serta melalui penanda bilangan yang disebut manvantara, lautan, budi (dhi), yuga dan api.

Word by Word

• लीलादण्डहरिः: Hari (Kṛṣṇa) with the līlā-staff
• लीलादण्डहरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (लीलायाः दण्डः यस्य/लीलादण्डेन युक्तः हरिः) — ‘Hari with the play-stick’

• प्रोक्तः: is declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (क्रिया—वर्णन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• मनु-अब्धि-धि-युग-वह्निभिः: by the (bhūta-saṅkhyā) numerals: manu, ocean, intellect, yuga, fire
• मनु-अब्धि-धि-युग-वह्निभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + धि (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थः — ‘by (the numbers) Manu, ocean, intellect, yuga, fire’ (used as bhūta-saṅkhyā)

• वेदैः: by the Vedas
• वेदैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)

• अङ्गकम्: a set/section (aṅgaka)
• अङ्गकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भागैः: by parts/sections
• भागैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• मन्त्र-वर्ण-उत्थितैः: arisen from the mantra’s syllables
• मन्त्र-वर्ण-उत्थितैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘arisen from mantra-letters’; भागैः इति विशेषणम्

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/तसिल्-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘in order, successively’

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a Vedanga/technical explanatory mode, traditionally within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

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

It presents Hari’s name as not merely devotional poetry but as a Veda-grounded mantra-form, implying that remembrance of Vishnu is aligned with revealed sound (śabda) and its ordered structure.

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

By identifying Hari through mantra-derived syllables and ordered components, it frames bhakti as disciplined japa/recitation rooted in Vedic sound-science—devotion expressed through correctly understood and sequenced sacred names.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to Śikṣā (phonetics: varṇa/syllable formation) and Vyākaraṇa-style analysis (derivation by parts), using a fivefold division and numeric/cosmic markers to systematize mantra construction.