Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

The Narration of the Navamī Vow Observed Across the Twelve Months

Devanagari script

दंडं पाशं चक्रशंखौ गंधाद्यैरुपचारकैः । संपूज्य महिषं तत्र भद्रकाल्यै समालभेत् ॥ २० ॥

Transliteration

daṃḍaṃ pāśaṃ cakraśaṃkhau gaṃdhādyairupacārakaiḥ | saṃpūjya mahiṣaṃ tatra bhadrakālyai samālabhet || 20 ||

Translation

Nachdem man Stab (daṇḍa), Schlinge (pāśa), Diskus (cakra) und Muschelhorn (śaṅkha) mit rituellen Gaben wie Duftstoffen und dergleichen ordnungsgemäß verehrt hat, soll man dort Bhadrakālī einen Büffel als Opfergabe darbringen.

Word by Word

• दण्डम्: a staff
• दण्डम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (पूज्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पाशम्: a noose
• पाशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चक्र-शंखौ: the discus and the conch
• चक्र-शंखौ: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (cakra and conch)

• गन्ध-आद्यैः: with perfumes and the like
• गन्ध-आद्यैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गन्धः आदिः येषां तैः = with perfumes etc.)

• उपचारकैः: with ritual offerings/services
• उपचारकैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पूजोपचार-विशेष (means/offerings of worship)

• संपूज्य: having worshipped (properly)
• संपूज्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive; adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): “having duly worshipped”

• महिषम्: a buffalo
• महिषम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (समालभेत्-क्रियायाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: देशाधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: there/in that place/occasion)

• भद्रकाल्यै: for Bhadrakālī
• भद्रकाल्यै: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• समालभेत्: should offer/sacrifice
• समालभेत्: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrakali
• Chakra
• Shankha

FAQs

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

It frames Bhadrakālī worship as a formal, rule-based rite: first honoring sacred emblems with upacāras, then performing the culminating offering, emphasizing ritual completeness (saṁpūjya) and intentionality in worship.

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

Bhakti here is expressed through disciplined pūjā—service with offerings (gandha, etc.) and reverence to divine symbols—showing devotion as structured worship rather than mere sentiment.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa (ritual procedure) through the sequence of upacāras and the prescribed offering (samālabhet), illustrating how rites are performed according to specific injunctions.