Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

नौमीकाराक्षरोद्धारां सारात्सारां परात्पराम् । प्रणमामि महादेवीं परमानंदरूपिणीम् ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

naumīkārākṣaroddhārāṃ sārātsārāṃ parātparām | praṇamāmi mahādevīṃ paramānaṃdarūpiṇīm || 17 ||

Translation

Ich verneige mich vor Mahādevī—jener, die durch die heilige Silbe „Naumī“ offenbar wird, die Essenz aller Essenzen, die Höchste jenseits des Höchsten, deren Wesen höchste Wonne ist.

Word by Word

• naumi: I bow to / I praise
• naumi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nū (नू) / √nam (नम्) (irregular/vedic-style usage; here ‘to bow/praise’)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person, Singular, Parasmaipada; meaning ‘I praise/bow’

• īkāra-akṣara-uddhārām: her who is the manifestation of the syllable ‘ī’
• īkāra-akṣara-uddhārām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + uddhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘the extraction/emanation (uddhāra) of the syllable ī’

• sārāt: from the essence
• sārāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (commonly masculine), Ablative (पञ्चमी), Singular; used in comparison ‘from essence’

• sārām: the essence (most excellent)
• sārām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; comparative sense ‘more essential/essence itself’ qualifying devīm

• parāt: from the supreme
• parāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (पञ्चमी), Singular; ‘from the supreme’

• parām: supreme
• parām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘supreme’ qualifying devīm

• praṇamāmi: I prostrate to
• praṇamāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nam (नम्) with pra-
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• mahā-devīm: the great goddess
• mahā-devīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘the great goddess’

• parama-ānanda-rūpiṇīm: whose nature is supreme bliss
• parama-ānanda-rūpiṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘whose form is supreme bliss’

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Devī)

FAQs

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

It functions as an invocation: Devī is praised as the transcendent Reality (parātparā) and as paramānanda itself, indicating that mantra and sound (akṣara) can reveal the highest truth.

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

Bhakti is expressed through praṇāma (reverent surrender) and stuti (praise), presenting devotion as a direct approach to the Supreme Goddess who is beyond all yet accessible through heartfelt salutation and sacred utterance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes akṣara and sacred sound, aligning with Śikṣā (Vedic phonetics) and mantra-prayoga—how precise syllabic utterance is treated as a means to disclose spiritual meaning.