Shloka 14

Aśokāṣṭamī and Mahānavamī: Durgā Navamī-vrata, mantra-nyāsa, forms, weapons, and offerings

Devanagari script

पाता च पाण्डुरा प्रोक्ता आलीढं हरितं तथा / म (मा) हिषो ऽस्य स खड्गाग्रप्रकचग्रहमुष्टिकः

Transliteration

pātā ca pāṇḍurā proktā ālīḍhaṃ haritaṃ tathā / ma (mā) hiṣo 'sya sa khaḍgāgraprakacagrahamuṣṭikaḥ

Translation

‘পাতা’ ও ‘পাণ্ডুরা’ বলা হয়েছে; তদ্রূপ ‘আলীল্ঢ’ ও ‘হরিত’। এর বাহন মহিষ বলা হয়—যাঁর মুষ্টি খড়্গের তীক্ষ্ণ অগ্র দৃঢ়ভাবে ধারণ করে।

Word by Word

• पाता: Pātā (name)
• पाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पाण्डुरा: pale/whitish (name)
• पाण्डुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण/नाम

• प्रोक्ता: is said/called
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + √वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कथिता/उच्यते’ इत्यर्थे

• आलीढम्: Ālīḍha (name; ‘licked/embraced’)
• आलीढम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + √लिह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; (नामरूपेण)

• हरितम्: green (name)
• हरितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण/नाम

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• मा: do not (particle)
• मा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle); पाठभेदः ‘म’/‘मा’

• हिषः: hiṣa (unclear; possibly ‘buffalo’)
• हिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठदोष/दुर्लभ-शब्दः (सम्भवतः ‘महिषः’ = buffalo)

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खड्ग-अग्र-प्रकच-ग्रह-मुष्टिकः: one with a fist/handle grasping the sword-point (epithet)
• खड्ग-अग्र-प्रकच-ग्रह-मुष्टिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकच (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + मुष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः (खड्गस्य अग्रं/प्रकचं गृह्णाति इति/ग्रहः; मुष्टिकः = fist/handle)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue, instructing Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Embodied symbols (mount, stance, weapon) encode functions—stability (buffalo), readiness (ālīḍha stance), decisive protection (sword).

Vedantic Theme: Upāsanā uses concrete symbols to discipline fear and awaken inner strength (tejas) under divine refuge.

Application: In protective prayer, visualize the deity in ālīḍha stance on a buffalo, gripping a sword—cultivate steadiness and decisive action in adversity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.133.13 (color-forms); Garuda Purana 1.133.15 (worship of sword/trident; mantra)

Characters & Entities

• Buffalo (Mahiṣa)

FAQs

What is the importance of these named descriptors (Pātā, Pāṇḍurā, Ālīḍha, Harita) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a catalog-style identification of specific named forms/attributes, preserving traditional descriptors used for recognition in Purāṇic narration and iconographic memory.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; instead, it provides descriptive identifiers (including a buffalo reference and a weapon-bearing figure), which may belong to a broader chapter context of classifying beings, forms, or attendants in Purāṇic cosmology.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to read the Garuda Purana with attention to technical lists and traditional descriptors—checking chapter context and variant readings before drawing ritual or afterlife conclusions.