Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

शांतिस्तथाविधा चापि नीचसर्गान्वितास्तथा । वाग्भवं कामराजाख्यं शक्तिबीजाह्वयं तथा ॥ ४२ ॥

Transliteration

śāṃtistathāvidhā cāpi nīcasargānvitāstathā | vāgbhavaṃ kāmarājākhyaṃ śaktibījāhvayaṃ tathā || 42 ||

Translation

وكذلك يوجد البِيجا المسمّى «شَانتي»، وغيرها من هذا الصنف، كما توجد بِيجاتٌ متّصلة بالفيض الأدنى. ومن البِيجات ما يُعرف بـ«فاغبهافا»، و«كاماراجا»، وكذلك «شَكتي-بيجا».

Word by Word

• शान्तिः: peace; Śānti (name)
• शान्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विधा: of such a kind
• विधा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• नीचसर्गान्विताः: endowed with low/mean emanations
• नीचसर्गान्विताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीचसर्ग + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषसमासः (नीचसर्गैः अन्विताः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वाग्भवम्: Vāgbhava (the ‘speech-born’ seed/mantra)
• वाग्भवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाचः भवः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कामराजाख्यम्: called ‘Kāmarāja’
• कामराजाख्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामराज + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कामराज इति आख्यं); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शक्तिबीजाह्वयम्: named ‘Śaktibīja’
• शक्तिबीजाह्वयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्ति + बीज + आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शक्तेः बीजस्य आह्वयम्/नाम); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/पुनरुक्ति (adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/vedāṅga-style enumeration within Purva Bhaga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Shanti
• Vagbhava
• Kamaraja
• Shaktibija

FAQs

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

This verse functions as a technical catalogue of mantra-bījas, indicating that specific seed-syllables (such as Śānti, Vāgbhava, Kāmarāja, and Śaktibīja) are recognized as distinct powers used for ritual and contemplative purposes, including pacification (śānti) and other graded applications.

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

By naming bījas used in worship, the verse supports bhakti in its ritualized form—devotion expressed through mantra-recitation and disciplined practice—where sound (mantra) becomes a vehicle for focused remembrance and reverence in pūjā and japa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse highlights a technical, applied-mantra tradition aligned with vedāṅga-style precision: identifying mantra categories by name and function, which is relevant to correct ritual application (prayoga), phonetic accuracy, and systematic classification used by practitioners.