Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 180

Rādhā-sambaddha-mantra-vyākhyā

Rādhā-Related Mantras Explained

Devanagari script

शक्तिवृन्दैर्वृतां ध्यायेद्देवीं नित्यार्चनक्रमे । त्रिषट्कोणयुतं पद्ममष्टपत्रं ततो बहिः ॥ १८० ॥

Transliteration

śaktivṛndairvṛtāṃ dhyāyeddevīṃ nityārcanakrame | triṣaṭkoṇayutaṃ padmamaṣṭapatraṃ tato bahiḥ || 180 ||

Translation

Im Ablauf der täglichen Verehrung soll man die Göttin meditativ schauen, umgeben von Scharen von Śaktis. Und man stelle sich einen Lotos mit der sechsstrahligen Figur (zwei ineinander greifende Dreiecke) vor, und außen darum einen achtblättrigen Lotos.

Word by Word

• शक्ति-वृन्दैः: by groups of powers (śaktis)
• शक्ति-वृन्दैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शक्तीनां वृन्दानि)

• वृताम्: surrounded
• वृताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (देवीम्): 'surrounded'

• ध्यायेत्: one should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नित्य-अर्चन-क्रमे: in the daily worship procedure
• नित्य-अर्चन-क्रमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (कृदन्त/भाव, अर्च्) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सप्तमी: 'in the procedure of daily worship'

• त्रि-षट्-कोण-युतम्: having eighteen angles
• त्रि-षट्-कोण-युतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + षट् (संख्या) + कोण (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त, यु/योज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'having (tri+ṣaṭ=) eighteen angles'

• पद्मम्: lotus (diagram)
• पद्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अष्ट-पत्रम्: eight-petaled
• अष्ट-पत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु: 'eight-petaled' (पद्मम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada, teaching the nityārcana-vidhi)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śakti

FAQs

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

It teaches dhyāna as an essential limb of daily worship: the Devī is contemplated as the conscious center, encircled by her operative śaktis, and the mind is steadied through precise yantric visualization (triṣaṭkoṇa within an aṣṭapatra lotus).

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

Bhakti here is expressed as focused loving contemplation (dhyāna) within nityārcana—approaching the Devī not abstractly, but as present with her attendant powers, using a sacred form (padma/yantra) to sustain remembrance and reverence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical procedure (arcana-krama) and sacred geometry used in worship (yantra/padma with triṣaṭkoṇa and aṣṭapatra), a practical application aligned with auxiliary ritual disciplines (kalpa-style procedural precision).