Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76

Rādhā-sambaddha-mantra-vyākhyā

Rādhā-Related Mantras Explained

Devanagari script

त्रिनेत्रां बाहुभिः षड्भिरुपेतां कमलासनाम् । कह्लारपाशपुंड्रेक्षुकोदंडान्वामबाहुभिः ॥ ७६ ॥

Transliteration

trinetrāṃ bāhubhiḥ ṣaḍbhirupetāṃ kamalāsanām | kahlārapāśapuṃḍrekṣukodaṃḍānvāmabāhubhiḥ || 76 ||

Translation

He should contemplate Her as three-eyed, endowed with six arms, seated upon a lotus; and in Her left hands holding a blue lotus, a noose (pāśa), a sugarcane stalk, and a bow.

Word by Word

• tri-netrām: three-eyed (goddess)
• tri-netrām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + netra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘three-eyed’

• bāhubhiḥ: with arms
• bāhubhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ṣaḍbhiḥ: with six
• ṣaḍbhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; numeral

• upetām: endowed; possessed
• upetām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upeta (कृदन्त; √i उप+इ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle (क्त) ‘endowed with’

• kamala-āsanām: (her) who has a lotus-seat
• kamala-āsanām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala + āsana (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘lotus-seat’ (one seated on a lotus / having lotus as seat)

• kahlāra-pāśa-puṃḍra-ikṣu-kodaṃḍān: blue-lotus, noose, puṃḍra, sugarcane, and bow
• kahlāra-pāśa-puṃḍra-ikṣu-kodaṃḍān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kahlāra + pāśa + puṃḍra + ikṣu + kodaṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व listing weapons/objects

• vāma-bāhubhiḥ: with the left arms
• vāma-bāhubhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘with left arms’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, describing the dhyāna/iconographic form)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devi (three-eyed lotus-seated goddess)

FAQs

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

It gives a dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (meditative iconography): by fixing the mind on the deity’s defining marks—three eyes, lotus-seat, and sacred implements—the practitioner stabilizes concentration and aligns worship with scriptural form (rūpa).

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent visualization and remembrance (smaraṇa) of the deity’s auspicious form; the devotee approaches through focused contemplation of her attributes, which supports steady devotion during pūjā and japa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects a technical, ritual-facing discipline: precise dhyāna and iconographic specification used alongside mantra practice—an applied liturgical method typical of Vedanga-adjacent ritual procedure (kalpa-style precision).