Shloka 1

Durgā Pūjā, 108-Nāma Japa, and Protective Homa in Preta-Kalpa Observance

Devanagari script

नाम सप्तत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / नवम्यादौ यजेद्दुर्गां ह्रीं दुर्गे रक्षिणीति च / मातर्मातर्वरे दुर्गे सर्वकामार्थसाधनि

Transliteration

nāma saptatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / navamyādau yajeddurgāṃ hrīṃ durge rakṣiṇīti ca / mātarmātarvare durge sarvakāmārthasādhani

Translation

Chapter Thirty-Seven—Hari (Lord Viṣṇu) said: “Beginning with the ninth lunar day (Navamī), one should worship Goddess Durgā, uttering the mantra, ‘Hrīṃ—O Durgā, the Protectress.’ (Pray:) ‘O Mother, most excellent of mothers; O Durgā, accomplisher of all desired aims and purposes.’”

Word by Word

• नाम: named, indeed
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘नाम’ (designation/indeed)

• सप्तत्रिंशः: thirty-seventh
• सप्तत्रिंशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptatriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्विगु (numerical) ‘सप्त च त्रिंशत्’ (=37th); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्यायः)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नवमी-आदौ: at the beginning of the ninth (lunar day), starting from Navamī
• नवमी-आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: navamī (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘नवम्याः आदौ’ (beginning with the ninth day); पुल्लिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship/sacrifice
• यजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (यज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्गाम्: Durgā
• दुर्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ह्रीम्: hrīṃ (seed syllable)
• ह्रीम्: Sambandha (Mantra element/मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hrīm (बीजमन्त्र/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्र-बीजाक्षर (mantric seed syllable)

• दुर्गे: O Durgā
• दुर्गे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• रक्षिणी: O protectress
• रक्षिणी: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √rakṣ (रक्ष् धातु) + inī (णिनि/इनी)
• Form: कृदन्त; णिनि/इनी-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन/प्रथमा, एकवचन (मन्त्रपदे)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मातर्: O mother
• मातर्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• मातर्-वरे: O best of mothers
• मातर्-वरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ ‘मातॄणां वरः/वरा’ (best among mothers); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• दुर्गे: O Durgā
• दुर्गे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• सर्व-काम-अर्थ-साधनि: O accomplisher of all desires and goals
• सर्व-काम-अर्थ-साधनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhani (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘सर्वेषां कामानां अर्थानां च साधनी’ (accomplisher of all desires and aims); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Hari (Lord Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Devī worship with mantra and heartfelt address as protective and wish-fulfilling practice.

Vedantic Theme: Saguṇa-upāsanā as an accessible means for grace and inner steadiness; śaraṇāgati to the Divine Mother.

Application: Observe Navamī worship: establish a simple pūjā, repeat the mantra with attention (‘Hrīṃ…’), and frame requests as protection and right-aimed fulfillment.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space/household shrine or temple

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.38 (Devī-pūjā/vidhi sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Durgā

FAQs

What is the importance of Navamī worship in the Garuda Purana?

This verse prescribes starting worship on Navamī and invokes Durgā specifically as ‘Rakṣiṇī’—the Protectress—highlighting Navamī as a ritually potent time for seeking protection and fulfillment of aims.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teachings?

In the Ācāra Kāṇḍa, the text emphasizes practical observances (vrata, pūjā, mantra). Here, devotion to Durgā is presented as a means to secure protection and accomplish desired goals, complementing the Purāṇa’s focus on dharmic practice.

What is a practical application of this verse today?

One may observe Navamī with focused Devī pūjā and a protective prayer—remembering Durgā as ‘Rakṣiṇī’—as a discipline for courage, ethical resolve, and seeking wellbeing for oneself and one’s family.