Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

सर्वबुद्धिप्रदे वर्णनीये सर्वभृगुः सदृक् । सिद्धिप्रदे डाकिनीये तारो वज्रः सभौतिकः ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

sarvabuddhiprade varṇanīye sarvabhṛguḥ sadṛk | siddhiprade ḍākinīye tāro vajraḥ sabhautikaḥ || 12 ||

Translation

في دعاء الاستحضار الذي يهب كلَّ فطنةٍ وعقل، هو المستحقّ للثناء—كبهṛگو بين الحكماء، ذو رؤيةٍ مباركة. وفي دعاء الاستحضار الذي يمنح السِّدّهيات (التحقّقات)، هو الداكيني؛ وهو تارا؛ وهو الفَجْرَة (الڤَجْرَ/الڤَجْرَة: الفاجرا)—حاضرٌ وفاعلٌ في عالم الوجود المتجسّد المادّي.

Word by Word

• सर्वबुद्धि-प्रदे: in/at the giver of all intellect
• सर्वबुद्धि-प्रदे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + बुद्धि + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक); प्रद (√दा धातु, क्तिन्-प्रत्यय/प्रद-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (locative epithet)

• वर्णनीये: in the praiseworthy/commendable (one)
• वर्णनीये: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्णनीय (प्रातिपदिक; √वर्ण् धातु + अनीय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), विशेषणम्

• सर्व-भृगुः: the all-(like) Bhṛgu / universal Bhṛgu
• सर्व-भृगुः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संज्ञा

• सदृक्: similar, like
• सदृक्: कर्ता-विशेषण (कर्ता-विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश्/सदृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सिद्धि-प्रदे: in/at the giver of success (siddhi)
• सिद्धि-प्रदे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• डाकिनीये: in/at (the one) called Ḍākinīya
• डाकिनीये: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: डाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (name/epithet)

• तारः: Tāra
• तारः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संज्ञा

• वज्रः: Vajra
• वज्रः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संज्ञा

• स-भौतिकः: together with the material/elemental (aspect)
• स-भौतिकः: कर्ता-विशेषण (कर्ता-विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + भौतिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a technical/mantra-vidya context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Tārā
• Vajra
• Ḍākinī

FAQs

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

It presents a mantra-centric identification where the same supreme sacred power is praised as the giver of intelligence and as the giver of siddhi, appearing under multiple technical names (Tārā, Vajra, Ḍākinī) while remaining active even in embodied, material life.

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

Bhakti here works through nāma and stuti: the devotee praises what is “varṇanīya” (worthy of glorification) and approaches the divine through recognized names/forms, trusting that remembrance and invocation refine buddhi and support spiritual attainments.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects technical mantra-vidyā usage: selecting specific invocatory formulas for distinct results (buddhi-prada vs. siddhi-prada) and understanding deity-designations (Tārā, Vajra, Ḍākinī) as functional mantra labels within ritual and esoteric practice.