Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

हंसो हरिभुजंगेशयुक्तो दीर्घंत्रयेंदुयुक् । तारिण्यंते कपालाय नमोंतो द्वादशाक्षरः ॥ ९७ ॥

Transliteration

haṃso haribhujaṃgeśayukto dīrghaṃtrayeṃduyuk | tāriṇyaṃte kapālāya namoṃto dvādaśākṣaraḥ || 97 ||

Translation

Das zwölfsilbige Mantra endet mit „namo“; es entsteht, indem „haṁsa“ mit „haribhujaṅgeśa“ verbunden wird, zusammen mit langem Vokal und den „drei Monden“ nach mantrischer Vorschrift, und es schließt mit „tāriṇī“ und „kapālāya“.

Word by Word

• haṃsaḥ: Haṃsa (mantra-name / ‘haṃsa’)
• haṃsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hari-bhujaṅga-īśa-yuktaḥ: joined with ‘haribhujaṅgeśa’
• hari-bhujaṅga-īśa-yuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hari + bhujaṅga + īśa + yukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हरिभुजङ्गेशेन युक्तः)

• dīrgha-traya-indu-yuk: joined with three long vowels and the moon-sign
• dīrgha-traya-indu-yuk: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha + traya + indu + yuk (प्रातिपदिक; ‘yuk’ as shortened yukta in transmission)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दीर्घत्रयेण इन्दुना युक्तः)

• tāriṇī-ante: at the end of ‘tāriṇī’
• tāriṇī-ante: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāriṇī + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; सप्तमी-एकवचन ‘अन्ते’ (at the end) with compound sense (तारिण्याः अन्ते)

• kapālāya: to/for Kapāla (skull)
• kapālāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग in some usages), चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक निपात; प्रायः चतुर्थी-संबन्धः (salutation to ...)

• antaḥ: end; (here) ‘ending with’
• antaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाठभेद/संधि-लोपे ‘namoṃto’ = namaḥ + antaḥ

• dvādaśa-akṣaraḥ: having twelve syllables
• dvādaśa-akṣaraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु (द्वादश अक्षराणि यस्य)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue instruction to Narada on technical mantra-lakṣaṇa/vedāṅga-style encoding)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)

FAQs

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

It highlights the dvādaśākṣarī (twelve-syllabled) mantra as a carefully constructed sacred formula, emphasizing that correct syllable-count and endings are part of mantra-śakti and devotional efficacy.

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

By centering the twelve-syllabled mantra that ends in “namo” (a gesture of surrender), the verse frames bhakti as reverent submission to Hari supported by disciplined mantra-prayoga.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Vedāṅga-style technicality: akṣara-counting (twelve syllables), attention to vowel-length (dīrgha-svara), and coded mnemonic terms used to specify mantra components—features aligned with Śikṣā/Vyākaraṇa-informed recitation rules.