Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 138

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

बाणानभ्यर्चयेद्दिक्षु पंचमं पुरतो यजेत् । दलमध्येऽथ संपूज्या अनंगकुसुमादिकाः ॥ १३८ ॥

Transliteration

bāṇānabhyarcayeddikṣu paṃcamaṃ purato yajet | dalamadhye'tha saṃpūjyā anaṃgakusumādikāḥ || 138 ||

Translation

Man verehre die vier Bāṇas in den Himmelsrichtungen und den fünften vorne. Dann sind in der Mitte der Blütenblätter Anaṅgakusumā und die übrigen (Gottheiten/Gaben) gebührend zu ehren.

Word by Word

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अभ्यर्चयेत्: should worship (with reverence)
• अभ्यर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth (one)
• पञ्चमम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place: 'in front')

• यजेत्: should worship/offer sacrifice
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दल-मध्ये: in the middle of the petal
• दल-मध्ये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ('in the middle of the petal')

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक (particle: 'then/next')

• सम्पूज्याः: to be duly worshipped
• सम्पूज्याः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√पूज् + य (कृत्-प्रत्यय; पूज्य)
• Form: कृतान्त—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक (gerundive: 'to be worshipped'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अनङ्ग-कुसुम-आदिकाः: (deities) such as Anaṅga-kusuma and others
• अनङ्ग-कुसुम-आदिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनङ्ग + कुसुम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Anaṅga-kusuma')

Speaker

Narada (teaching a technical ritual arrangement within Vedanga/kalpa-style instructions)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa
• Anaṅgakusumā
• Anaṅga (Kāma)

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined, diagram-based worship: honoring deities in the quarters and then the central/petal focus, showing that inner and outer order (dik and madhya) supports successful ritual concentration.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as careful upacāra—devotion made tangible through precise placement and honoring of invoked powers, culminating in focused worship at the lotus center.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-style ritual procedure: dik-pūjā (directional worship), sequencing (four in the quarters, fifth in front), and mandala/lotus-petal placement used in technical pūjā-vidhi.