Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 126

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

मातंग्याद्याः प्रविन्यस्येद्यथावद्देशिकोत्तमः । मातंगीं महदाद्यां तां महालक्ष्मीपदादिकाम् ॥ १२६ ॥

Transliteration

mātaṃgyādyāḥ pravinyasyedyathāvaddeśikottamaḥ | mātaṃgīṃ mahadādyāṃ tāṃ mahālakṣmīpadādikām || 126 ||

Translation

শ্রেষ্ঠ দেশিক আচার্য মাতঙ্গী প্রভৃতি দেবীদের যথাবিধি ন্যাস করবেন; এবং মহৎ-তত্ত্ব থেকে আরম্ভ সেই মাতঙ্গীকে মহালক্ষ্মী-পদ প্রভৃতি সহ সম্যক প্রতিষ্ঠা করবেন।

Word by Word

• मातङ्गी-आद्याः: (those) beginning with Mātaṅgī
• मातङ्गी-आद्याः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (तत्पुरुष: मातङ्गी-आद्याः ‘beginning with Mātaṅgī’) Accusative plural

• प्रविन्यस्येत्: should arrange/place
• प्रविन्यस्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वि + न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should place/arrange’

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘properly/as prescribed’)

• देशिक-उत्तमः: the best teacher (guru)
• देशिक-उत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देशिक (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय: उत्तमः देशिकः) Nominative singular

• मातङ्गीम्: Mātaṅgī
• मातङ्गीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• महत्-आद्याम्: beginning with ‘Mahat’
• महत्-आद्याम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत्पुरुष: महत्-आद्या ‘beginning with Mahat’) Accusative singular; qualifies ‘मातङ्गीम्’

• ताम्: her/that
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular pronoun

• महा-लक्ष्मी-पद-आदिकाम्: starting with the station/word of Mahālakṣmī
• महा-लक्ष्मी-पद-आदिकाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत्पुरुष: महालक्ष्म्याः पदम्; तदादिका ‘starting with the पद of Mahālakṣmī’) Accusative singular; qualifies ‘मातङ्गीम्/ताम्’

Speaker

Narada (instructional narration within the Vedanga/ritual-technical section, as taught in the Narada Purana dialogue tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Mataṅgī
• Mahālakṣmī
• Mahat (tattva)

FAQs

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

It emphasizes disciplined, rule-based ritual practice (yathāvat) under a qualified teacher (deśika), where inner spiritual principles (tattvas like Mahat) are integrated with deity worship through nyāsa.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as precise devotional service: the devotee approaches the Goddess through guided installation and remembrance, treating worship as a sanctified alignment of body, mantra, and cosmic principle.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual procedure and mantra-application are foregrounded—especially nyāsa (mantra placement/installation) performed “according to rule,” reflecting technical competence akin to kalpa-style ritual discipline within the Purana’s Vedanga-oriented material.