Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 139

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

पाशांकुशाभयाभीष्टधारिण्योऽरुणविग्रहाः । पत्राग्रेषु पुनः पूज्या लक्ष्म्याद्या वल्लकीकराः ॥ १३९ ॥

Transliteration

pāśāṃkuśābhayābhīṣṭadhāriṇyo'ruṇavigrahāḥ | patrāgreṣu punaḥ pūjyā lakṣmyādyā vallakīkarāḥ || 139 ||

Translation

Wiederum sind an den Blattspitzen Lakṣmī und die anderen zu verehren—rötlich von Gestalt—die Schlinge und Haken tragen, Furchtlosigkeit und die ersehnten Gaben verleihen und Lauten (vallakī) in den Händen halten.

Word by Word

• पाश-अङ्कुश-अभय-अभीष्ट-धारिण्यः: (female deities) bearing noose, goad, fearlessness, and desired boon
• पाश-अङ्कुश-अभय-अभीष्ट-धारिण्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश + अङ्कुश + अभय + अभीष्ट + धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः

• अरुण-विग्रहाः: of reddish form
• अरुण-विग्रहाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ('having a red form')

• पत्र-अग्रेषु: on the petal-tips
• पत्र-अग्रेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः ('on the tips of the petals/leaves')

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (adverb: 'again')

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

• लक्ष्मी-आद्याः: (goddesses) beginning with Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मी-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Lakṣmī')

• वल्लकी-कराः: holding a lute (vīṇā)
• वल्लकी-कराः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लकी + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('having vīṇā/lute in the hands' / 'lute-handed')

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical-ritual context, as part of the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue framework)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi

FAQs

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

It emphasizes precise upacāra and iconographic meditation: worship is performed by placing invoked śaktis (beginning with Lakṣmī) at specific ritual locations (leaf-tips), visualizing them as boon-giving protectors who remove fear and fulfill righteous desires.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as careful, loving, and attentive worship—honoring Lakṣmī and associated goddesses with clear dhyāna (forms and symbols) and correct placement, turning devotion into a disciplined, focused offering.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Kalpa-style procedural ritual knowledge (a Vedāṅga-linked discipline): where to place worship-items (patra-agreṣu), how to visualize deity attributes (pāśa, aṅkuśa, abhaya), and how to structure a step-by-step pūjā sequence.