Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

Kṛṣṇādi-mantra-varga-varṇana

Classification of Krishna and Related Mantras

Devanagari script

द्वाविंशत्यक्षरो मन्त्रो वागीशत्वप्रदायकः । ऋषिः स्यान्नारदश्छन्दो गायत्री देवता पुनः ॥ २४ ॥

Transliteration

dvāviṃśatyakṣaro mantro vāgīśatvapradāyakaḥ | ṛṣiḥ syānnāradaśchando gāyatrī devatā punaḥ || 24 ||

Translation

此真言为二十二音节，能赐予言语自在与雄辩之力。其见者（ṛṣi）据说为那罗陀；其韵律为伽耶特丽（Gāyatrī）；其主宰神亦如前所述。

Word by Word

• dvāviṃśati-akṣaraḥ: having twenty-two syllables
• dvāviṃśati-akṣaraḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvāviṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu compound functioning adjectivally

• mantraḥ: the mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vāk-īśatva-pradāyakaḥ: bestower of lordship over speech (eloquence)
• vāk-īśatva-pradāyakaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāk (प्रातिपदिक) + īśatva (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying mantraḥ

• ṛṣiḥ: the seer (ṛṣi)
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• syāt: should be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/निर्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• chandaḥ: the meter
• chandaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/निर्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• devatā: the deity
• devatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Narada (teaching within a technical Vedanga-oriented context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Gayatri

FAQs

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

It defines a mantra through classical Vedic identifiers—syllable-count, ṛṣi, chandas, and devatā—showing that correct mantra-knowledge is a disciplined science and that refined speech (vāk) is a sacred attainment.

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

By linking mantra to its devatā and proper Vedic form, it implies that devotion becomes steadier and more effective when worship is performed with accurate mantra-recitation and understanding of the mantra’s sacred context.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (prosody/metre) and mantra-lakṣaṇa: the verse specifies the Gāyatrī metre and the mantra’s syllable count, which are essential for correct recitation and ritual application.