Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

अघासुरविनाशी च विनिद्रीकृतबालकः । आद्य आत्मप्रदः संगी यमुनातीरभोजनः ॥ ५६ ॥

Transliteration

aghāsuravināśī ca vinidrīkṛtabālakaḥ | ādya ātmapradaḥ saṃgī yamunātīrabhojanaḥ || 56 ||

Translation

Siya ang pumatay kay Aghāsura; Siya ang gumising sa mga batang pastol na natutulog; Siya ang Unang Pinagmulan; Siya ang nagbibigay ng kaalaman sa Sarili na nagpapalaya; Siya ang laging Kasama ng mga deboto; at Siya ang kumain sa pampang ng Yamunā.

Word by Word

• अघासुर-विनाशी: destroyer of Aghāsura
• अघासुर-विनाशी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघासुर (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—अघासुरस्य विनाशी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विनिद्रीकृत-बालकः: the child made to sleep / asleep child
• विनिद्रीकृत-बालकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिद्रीकृत (कृदन्त; वि+नि+√द्रा/द्रै (द्राण्) + णिच् + क्त) + बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—विनिद्रीकृतः (निद्रायुक्त/निद्रितः) बालकः

• आद्यः: primeval, first
• आद्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रथम/आदिम’

• आत्म-प्रदः: giver of the Self (liberation)
• आत्म-प्रदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (दा) + प्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—आत्मनः प्रदः (आत्मदानकर्ता)

• संगी: companion; one with associates
• संगी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संगयुक्तः/सहचरः

• यमुना-तीर-भोजनः: one who eats on the bank of the Yamunā
• यमुना-तीर-भोजनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—यमुनातीरे भोजनं यस्य/यमुनातीरे भोजनकर्ता

Speaker

Narada (in a didactic recitation of divine epithets within the Narada Purana’s dialogue framework)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Krishna
• Aghasura
• Yamuna

FAQs

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

The verse compresses key salvific themes into divine epithets: the Lord removes grave sin and fear (Aghāsura’s destruction), restores life and awareness (awakening the boys), grants the highest good (ātma-prada—self-realization), and remains accessible through loving intimacy (saṃgī), grounding transcendence in Krishna’s līlā on the Yamunā.

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

Bhakti is shown as personal and relational: the Lord is “saṃgī,” the devotee’s constant companion, and His līlās (like dining on the Yamunā’s bank) become remembrance-anchors for nāma-smaraṇa and loving contemplation, which culminate in ātma-pradāna—liberating grace.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The practical takeaway is stotra/nāma-recitation as a disciplined practice: precise phrasing and correct recitation support mantra-like remembrance, aligning with Vedanga concerns for accurate verbal form (vyākaraṇa/śikṣā) even when the passage is primarily devotional.