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

मन्त्रवर्णोत्थितैः क्रमात् वेदैः पञ्चाङ्गकैः भागैः, मन्वब्धधियुगवह्निसंज्ञैः संख्याचिह्नैश्च, “लीलादण्डहरिः” इति नाम प्रोक्तम्॥

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.