Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

यदक्षरशशिज्योत्स्नामंडितं भुवनत्रयम् । वन्दे सर्वेश्वरीं देवीं महाश्रीसिद्धमातृकाम् ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

yadakṣaraśaśijyotsnāmaṃḍitaṃ bhuvanatrayam | vande sarveśvarīṃ devīṃ mahāśrīsiddhamātṛkām || 13 ||

Translation

Je me prosterne devant la Déesse, Souveraine de tout—Mahāśrī, Mère accomplie des lettres sacrées—par les syllabes de qui les trois mondes sont parés comme de clarté lunaire.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun used correlatively with implied tat

• akṣara-śaśi-jyotsnā-maṇḍitam: adorned with the moonlight of imperishable syllables
• akṣara-śaśi-jyotsnā-maṇḍitam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maṇḍita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √maṇḍ (मण्ड्) + क्त) with akṣara + śaśi + jyotsnā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally; compound: akṣara-śaśi-jyotsnā (determinative) qualifying maṇḍitam

• bhuvana-trayam: the three worlds
• bhuvana-trayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; dvigu compound meaning a set of three

• vande: I worship / I bow to
• vande: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vand (वन्द्)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• sarva-īśvarīm: the all-sovereign (Goddess)
• sarva-īśvarīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular; karmadhāraya: ‘the all-(supreme) goddess’

• devīm: the goddess
• devīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; apposition to sarveśvarīm

• mahā-śrī-siddha-mātṛkām: Mahāśrī-Siddhamātṛkā (the great auspicious perfected Mother of letters)
• mahā-śrī-siddha-mātṛkām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; multi-member tatpuruṣa title/name

Speaker

Narada (hymnic invocation within a Vedanga/śabda-focused context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Devi
• Sarveshvari
• Mahashri
• Matrika

FAQs

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

It venerates the Goddess as Mātṛkā—the divine source of sacred syllables—teaching that sound (akṣara) is not merely linguistic but a cosmic power that illumines and orders the three worlds.

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

Bhakti is expressed as reverent surrender (vande) to the Sarveśvarī, recognizing the Divine as present in mantra and sacred speech; devotion here is practiced through praise, remembrance, and honoring the source of all auspicious power (Mahāśrī).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It points to the sanctity of akṣara (phoneme/syllable), aligning with Śikṣā (phonetics) and Vyākaraṇa (grammar): correct understanding and use of syllables/mantras is treated as spiritually efficacious and world-sustaining.