Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 181

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

कर्णिकायां ततोऽभ्यर्चयेद्विधिवञ्चांगदेवताः । दलेषु पूजयेत्पश्चाल्लक्ष्म्याद्यावृत्तचामराः ॥ १८१ ॥

Transliteration

karṇikāyāṃ tato'bhyarcayedvidhivañcāṃgadevatāḥ | daleṣu pūjayetpaścāllakṣmyādyāvṛttacāmarāḥ || 181 ||

Translation

Dann soll man in der Karnikā, dem inneren Kelch des Lotos, nach Vorschrift die Gottheiten der Glieder des Herrn verehren. Danach verehre man auf den Blütenblättern Lakṣmī und die anderen, die dargestellt werden, wie sie Cāmara-Fächer (Fliegenwedel) halten und schwingen.

Word by Word

• कर्णिकायाम्: in the pericarp (central whorl)
• कर्णिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थ

• अभ्यर्चयेत्: should worship
• अभ्यर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-र्च्/अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Prakara (प्रकार/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• अङ्गदेवताः: the deities of the limbs
• अङ्गदेवताः: Karma (कर्म/Object of worship)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग-देवता (प्रातिपदिक; अङ्ग + देवता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: अङ्गानां देवताः)

• दलेषु: in/on the petals
• दलेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (afterwards)

• लक्ष्म्याद्याः: Lakṣmī and others
• लक्ष्म्याद्याः: Karma (कर्म/Object of worship)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी-आद्य (प्रातिपदिक; लक्ष्मी + आदि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (आदि-समासः: लक्ष्मी-प्रभृतयः)

• आवृत्तचामराः: (those) holding/with waved fly-whisks
• आवृत्तचामराः: Karma (कर्म/Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवृत्त-चामर (प्रातिपदिक; आवृत्त + चामर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; (चामराणि आवृत्तानि यस्याः/याभिः—अत्र कर्मधारय-रूपेण)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual context, traditionally within Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi
• Aṅga-devatāḥ (limb-deities/auxiliaries)

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion is strengthened by ordered worship: the central seat (karṇikā) is reserved for the core divinity and His aṅga-devatās, while the petals host attendant powers like Lakṣmī—showing a complete, harmonized vision of the divine retinue.

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

Bhakti is expressed not only as feeling but as disciplined upāsanā—honoring the Lord along with His limb-deities and attendants, which cultivates reverence, focus, and a sense of divine presence in every part of the ritual maṇḍala.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa-style ritual ordering (a Vedāṅga application): spatial placement of deities (center vs. petals) and sequential pūjā (tataḥ/paścāt), a technical method used in mantra-nyāsa and iconographic/maṇḍala worship.