Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

ऊं वज्राय शिखा प्रोक्ता ऐं पाशाय तनुच्छदम् । औमंकुशाय नेत्रं स्याद्विसर्गो वसुरक्षयुक् ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

ūṃ vajrāya śikhā proktā aiṃ pāśāya tanucchadam | aumaṃkuśāya netraṃ syādvisargo vasurakṣayuk || 5 ||

Translation

‘ઊં વજ્રાય’ શિખા-ન્યાસ તરીકે કહેવાયું છે; ‘ઐં પાશાય’ દેહ-આવરણ (તનુચ્છદ) છે. ‘ઔમ્ અંકુશાય’ નેત્ર-ન્યાસ માટે; અને વિસર્ગ ‘વસુ-રક્ષા’યુક્ત થઈ રક્ષામુદ્રા રૂપે પ્રયોગ્ય છે।

Word by Word

• ūṃ: ūṃ
• ūṃ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūṃ (बीजाक्षर)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (bīja-syllable), अव्यय

• vajrāya: for the vajra
• vajrāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śikhā: śikhā (topknot/crest; mantra-limb)
• śikhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• proktā: is stated
• proktā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → prokta (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle): 'is said'

• aiṃ: aiṃ
• aiṃ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aiṃ (बीजाक्षर)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (bīja-syllable), अव्यय

• pāśāya: for the noose
• pāśāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tanu-chadam: body-covering (armor; mantra-limb)
• tanu-chadam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + chada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'tanoḥ chadam' (covering of the body)

• aum: aum
• aum: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aum (बीजाक्षर/प्रणव)
• Form: मन्त्रबीज (bīja-syllable), अव्यय

• aṃkuśāya: for the goad
• aṃkuśāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃkuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• netram: eye (mantra-limb)
• netram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• syāt: should be/is to be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• visargaḥ: visarga (ḥ)
• visargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: visarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vasu-rakṣa-yuk: joined with (the syllables) vasu and rakṣa
• vasu-rakṣa-yuk: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + yuk (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'vasu-rakṣayā yuktaḥ' (joined with 'vasu-rakṣa')

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada within the Vedanga/ritual-technical section)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Vasus
• Vajra
• Pasha
• Ankusha
• Aum (Pranava)

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-nyāsa—placing seed-syllables on specific body-points—to consecrate the practitioner’s body as a protected, ritually fit instrument for worship and mantra-japa.

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

By prescribing protective and sanctifying nyāsa, it supports disciplined worship (upāsanā) so devotion can be practiced with steadiness, purity, and focus, free from ritual obstacles.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights technical ritual procedure—nyāsa, kavaca/āvaraṇa, and phonetic elements like visarga—showing applied Śikṣā (sound/phonetics) and mantra-prayoga within Vedic practice.