Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 85

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

तारः श्रीभुवनाकामो ङेंतं श्रीकृष्णमीरयेत् । श्रीगोविंदं ततः प्रोच्य गोपीजनपदं ततः ॥ ८५ ॥

Transliteration

tāraḥ śrībhuvanākāmo ṅeṃtaṃ śrīkṛṣṇamīrayet | śrīgoviṃdaṃ tataḥ procya gopījanapadaṃ tataḥ || 85 ||

Translation

پہلے تارک اَکشَر کا جپ کرے، پھر ‘شری بھوناکام’ کہے۔ اس کے بعد ‘شری کرشن’ کا نام لے؛ پھر ‘شری گووند’ اور آخر میں ‘گوپی جنپد’ کا اُچار کرے۔

Word by Word

• tāraḥ: Tāra (a mantra-syllable/name)
• tāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śrī-bhuvana-kāmaḥ: Śrībhuvanakāma (name/epithet)
• śrī-bhuvana-kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) ‘desiring the auspicious worlds’ (mantra-name)

• ṅeṃtam: the seed-syllable ‘ṅeṃta’
• ṅeṃtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: (पाठ-विशेष/बीजाक्षर) ṅeṃta (अव्यय/मन्त्रबीज)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज/बीजाक्षर (mantric seed-syllable), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• śrī-kṛṣṇam: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• śrī-kṛṣṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘Śrī-Kṛṣṇa’

• īrayet: should utter/recite
• īrayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īr (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śrī-govindam: Śrī Govinda
• śrī-govindam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• procya: having uttered
• procya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having said/uttered’

• gopī-jana-padam: the term ‘gopījana’/the word pertaining to the gopīs
• gopī-jana-padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) ‘the word/term of the gopīs’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga-oriented context of mantra/phonetics and name-recitation)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sri Krishna
• Govinda
• Gopis

FAQs

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

It prescribes an ordered recitation of sacred epithets of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—treating sound (varṇa) and divine names as a disciplined spiritual method that purifies the mind and fixes devotion.

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

Bhakti is expressed here as structured nāma-japa: invoking Kṛṣṇa through progressively intimate names (Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, and gopī-related epithet), emphasizing loving remembrance through sanctified speech.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā (phonetics) and mantra-prayoga: the verse stresses correct utterance and sequence of syllables/names, reflecting Vedanga attention to sound-precision in ritual and japa.