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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 ||

นาม ‘กฤษณะ’ กล่าวกันว่าเป็นสองพยางค์ ส่วนพีชะที่ขึ้นต้นด้วย ‘กาม’ มีสามเสียงพยัญชนะ และสูตรเดียวกันนั้นเมื่อเป็นรูปกรรตุวิภัตติให้ (ลงท้ายแบบ ṅe) ก็เป็นมนตร์สองคำว่า ‘กฤษณายะ นะมะห์’.

kṛṣṇa‘kṛṣṇa’
kṛṣṇa:
Viṣaya (विषय/उद्धृतपद)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (quoted form as mantra-element)
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (उद्धरणचिह्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; quotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)
dvi-akṣaraḥtwo-syllabled
dvi-akṣaraḥ:
Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdvi + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘dvi akṣaraḥ’ (two-syllabled)
proktaḥis declared
proktaḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (वच् धातु) + kta (कृत्प्रत्यय)
Formक्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used predicatively ‘is said’
kāma-ādiḥ(the form) beginning with ‘kāma’
kāma-ādiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkāma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘kāmaḥ ādiḥ yasya’ / ‘beginning with kāma’ (as a series/seed)
syātmay be / is to be
syāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (अस् धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
tri-varṇakaḥthree-lettered
tri-varṇakaḥ:
Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roottri + varṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘tri varṇakaḥ’ (three-lettered)
that (same)
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)
ṅeṃtaḥ(called) ṅeṃta-ending
ṅeṃtaḥ:
Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootṅeṃta (प्रातिपदिक; mantra-technical term)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; technical designation (mantra ending with ṅeṃ)
yuga-arṇaḥyuga-syllabled (technical count)
yuga-arṇaḥ:
Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootyuga + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘yugasya arṇaḥ’ / ‘having yuga-count of syllables’ (technical)
syātmay be / is to be
syāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (अस् धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
kṛṣṇāyato Kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇāya:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन
namaḥsalutation
namaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बोधन/नमस्कार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnamas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत् प्रयोग; interjection/particle of salutation (नमः-प्रयोग)
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (उद्धरणचिह्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; quotative particle
apialso
api:
Sambandha (समुच्चय/अपि)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; particle (अपि = also/even)

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on mantra/phonetics within Vedanga-Vyakarana framing)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

K
Krishna

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.