Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 72

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

अग्रे मनोभवां रक्तां रक्तपुष्पाद्यलंकृताम् । इक्षुकार्मुकपुष्पेषुधारिणीं सस्मिताननाम् ॥ ७२ ॥

Transliteration

agre manobhavāṃ raktāṃ raktapuṣpādyalaṃkṛtām | ikṣukārmukapuṣpeṣudhāriṇīṃ sasmitānanām || 72 ||

Translation

Before him stood Manobhavā, Kāma’s beloved—crimson in hue, adorned with red flowers and the like—bearing a sugarcane bow and flower-arrows, her face gently smiling.

Word by Word

• अग्रे: in front, ahead
• अग्रे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative sense)

• मनोभवाम्: Manobhavā (the mind-born one; Kāma’s consort)
• मनोभवाम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समास: मनसः भवः इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• रक्ताम्: red
• रक्ताम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• रक्तपुष्पादि-अलंकृताम्: adorned with red flowers and the like
• रक्तपुष्पादि-अलंकृताम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्तपुष्पादि + अलंकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (अलंकृत = adorned); समास: रक्तपुष्पादिभिः अलंकृता इति (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• इक्षु-कार्मुक-पुष्प-इषु-धारिणीम्: bearing a sugarcane bow and flower-arrows
• इक्षु-कार्मुक-पुष्प-इषु-धारिणीम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इक्षु + कार्मुक + पुष्प + इषु + धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: इक्षुकार्मुकं च पुष्पेषवश्च तान् धारयतीति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समुच्चयभाव)

• स-स्मित-आननाम्: having a smiling face
• स-स्मित-आननाम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + स्मित + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: स्मितं आननं यस्याः सा

Speaker

Narada (narrating within the dialogue tradition attributed to Narada Purana)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Characters & Entities

• Manobhava (Kama)
• Manobhava (as epithet)
• Kama (implied)

FAQs

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

The verse uses vivid iconographic imagery—sugarcane bow and flower-arrows—to portray the power of desire (kāma) as an attractive, smiling force that can captivate the mind, a motif often used to caution aspirants about sense-allure.

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

By depicting the charm of desire so concretely, the verse indirectly supports bhakti-discipline: devotion steadies the mind so it is not drawn outward by the ‘flower-arrows’ of attraction, but turned toward the chosen deity and dharma.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse exemplifies refined Sanskrit usage and compound-formation (vyākaraṇa): long samāsas like raktapuṣpādyalaṃkṛtām and puṣpeṣudhāriṇīm show how technical sections employ precise grammatical construction to convey dense meaning.