Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 40

Hayagrīva-pūjā-vyākhyāna

Worship Procedure and Mantra-Siddhi of Hayagrīva

Devanagari script

कल्पं शिक्षां च छंदांसि वेदांगानि त्विमानि वै । ततोऽष्टदलमूले तु मातरोऽष्टौ समर्चयेत् ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

kalpaṃ śikṣāṃ ca chaṃdāṃsi vedāṃgāni tvimāni vai | tato'ṣṭadalamūle tu mātaro'ṣṭau samarcayet || 40 ||

Translation

Dies sind wahrlich die Vedāṅgas: Kalpa, Śikṣā und Chandas. Danach soll man am Grund des achtblättrigen Lotos die Acht Mütter in rechter Weise verehren.

Word by Word

• कल्पम्: Kalpa (ritual)
• कल्पम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• शिक्षाम्: Śikṣā (phonetics)
• शिक्षाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• छन्दांसि: Chandas (meters)
• छन्दांसि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• वेद-अङ्गानि: the Vedāṅgas (limbs of the Veda)
• वेद-अङ्गानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अङ्गानि)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• ततः: then / thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद् + तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• अष्ट-दल-मूले: at the base of the eight-petalled (lotus)
• अष्ट-दल-मूले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अष्टदलस्य मूलम्)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• मातरः: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थ; संख्याविशेषण

• समर्चयेत्: should worship duly
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम्-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in a Vedanga/ritual context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Matrikas (Eight Mothers)
• Veda
• Vedanga

FAQs

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

It links Vedic auxiliary knowledge (Vedāṅgas like Kalpa, Śikṣā, and Chandas) with correct ritual performance, culminating in a structured worship (pūjā) of the Eight Mothers on an eight-petalled lotus—showing that precision in recitation and procedure supports effective devotion and worship.

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

Bhakti here is expressed through disciplined worship: devotion is not merely emotion but is enacted via proper Vedic method—right sound (Śikṣā), right metre (Chandas), and right ritual order (Kalpa)—leading to reverent worship of the divine powers (Mātṛkās) within a consecrated diagram.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights Kalpa (how to perform rites), Śikṣā (pronunciation and phonetics for mantra accuracy), and Chandas (metre for Vedic/mantric correctness), implying that ritual success depends on correct procedure, sound, and metrical form.