Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 144

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

आग्नेयकोणे विघ्नेशं दुर्गां नैशाचरेः यजेत् । वायव्ये बटुकान् पश्चादीशाने क्षेत्रपं यजेत् ॥ १४४ ॥

Transliteration

āgneyakoṇe vighneśaṃ durgāṃ naiśācareḥ yajet | vāyavye baṭukān paścādīśāne kṣetrapaṃ yajet || 144 ||

Translation

Im südöstlichen Winkel soll man Vighneśa verehren und auch Durgā zum Schutz vor nächtlich umherstreifenden Wesen. Im Nordwesten verehre man die Baṭukas; und im Nordosten verehre man Kṣetrapa, den Hüter des heiligen Bezirks.

Word by Word

• आग्नेय-कोणे: in the southeast corner
• आग्नेय-कोणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आग्नेयः कोणः); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन

• विघ्नेशम्: Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa)
• विघ्नेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्नेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दुर्गाम्: Durgā
• दुर्गाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन

• नैशाचरेः: of the Naiśācara (demonic being)
• नैशाचरेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; (पाठभेदः सम्भाव्यः: नैशाचरैः तृतीया बहुवचन)

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• वायव्ये: in the northwest
• वायव्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक); सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन

• बटुकान्: Baṭukas (youthful attendants)
• बटुकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd), बहुवचन

• पश्चात्: thereafter
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thereafter/then)

• ईशाने: in the northeast
• ईशाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक); सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रपम्: Kṣetrapa (guardian of the field/area)
• क्षेत्रपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्रप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (in instruction mode within a technical/ritual section, traditionally framed as Narada teaching the Sanatkumara brothers)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vighneśa (Gaṇeśa)
• Durgā
• Baṭuka
• Kṣetrapa (Kṣetrapāla)

FAQs

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

It teaches a protective, direction-based ritual arrangement: invoking obstacle-removal (Vighneśa), divine protection (Durgā), fierce guardianship (Baṭukas), and sanctifying boundary-protection (Kṣetrapa) to secure the rite and the sacred space.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined worship (yajet) offered with reverence to specific deities as guardians of the sādhaka and the kṣetra—devotion that becomes practical through ordered, faithful ritual service.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects technical ritual science—directional placement (dik/koṇa), protective deity-invocation, and precinct-guardianship—closely aligned with applied kalpa-style procedure and temple/ritual spatial planning.