Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 148

Pañca-prakṛti-nirūpaṇa and Mantra-vidhi: Rādhā, Mahālakṣmī, Durgā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī; plus Sāvitrī-Pañjara

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मी कुमारी गायत्री रक्तांगी हंसवाहिनी । बिभ्रत्कमंडलुं चाक्षं स्रुवस्रुवौ पातु नैर्ऋतिम् ॥ १४८ ॥

Transliteration

brahmī kumārī gāyatrī raktāṃgī haṃsavāhinī | bibhratkamaṃḍaluṃ cākṣaṃ sruvasruvau pātu nairṛtim || 148 ||

Translation

Que Brahmī—Kumārī, Gāyatrī, aux membres rouges et assise sur un cygne—portant le kamaṇḍalu et le rosaire, et tenant la louche (sruva) et la cuillère d’offrande—protège la direction du sud-ouest (Nairṛti).

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मी: Brahmī
• ब्रह्मी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (देवी-नाम)

• कुमारी: Kumārī / the maiden goddess
• कुमारी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (देवी-नाम/विशेषण)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (देवी-नाम)

• रक्त-अङ्गी: red-limbed / having red body
• रक्त-अङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—रक्तानि अङ्गानि यस्याः/रक्ताङ्गी

• हंस-वाहिनी: whose vehicle is a swan
• हंस-वाहिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; हंसः वाहनं यस्याः

• बिभ्रत्: bearing, holding
• बिभ्रत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle/वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपदी; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचन-सम्बद्ध (देवी-विशेषण)

• कमण्डलुम्: water-pot
• कमण्डलुम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of bibhrat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अक्षम्: akṣa (rosary-seed/die)
• अक्षम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of bibhrat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘अक्ष’ = पासक/अक्षसूत्र-बीज (die/seed) अथवा ‘eye’ (contextually: rosary/akṣa-seeds)

• स्रुव-स्रुवौ: two ladles (sruva and sruva)
• स्रुव-स्रुवौ: Karma (कर्म/Object of bibhrat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुव + स्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व—स्रुवं च स्रुवं च (two ladles)

• पातु: may (she) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नैर्ऋतिम्: the south-west direction
• नैर्ऋतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैर्ऋति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिशि-विशेषः (नैर्ऋत्य-दिक् = दक्षिण-पश्चिम)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual listing context, addressed within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Brahmi
• Kumari
• Gayatri
• Hamsavahini

FAQs

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

It assigns a specific divine form—Brahmī/Gāyatrī—to guard the south-west (Nairṛti), showing how mantra-deities are invoked for protection and ritual completeness in directional rites.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverential invocation: the devotee remembers the deity’s names, attributes, and symbols and seeks refuge (pātu) for protection—devotion enacted through liturgical remembrance.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual science: the use of homa implements (sruva/sruva) and ascetic-ritual symbols (kamaṇḍalu, akṣamālā) within a structured directional-protection framework used alongside mantra-recitation.