Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32
The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras
भूताहे कृष्णपक्षस्य मध्यरात्रे तमोघने । स्नात्त्वा रक्ताम्बरधरो रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनः ॥ ३२ ॥
bhūtāhe kṛṣṇapakṣasya madhyarātre tamoghane | snāttvā raktāmbaradharo raktamālyānulepanaḥ || 32 ||
Pada hari Bhūtāha di paruh gelap (kṛṣṇapakṣa), tepat tengah malam saat gelap pekat, setelah mandi hendaknya mengenakan busana merah serta memakai kalung bunga merah dan olesan merah.
Narada (instructional narration within the ritual/observance section)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It prescribes a strict ritual discipline of time (midnight in the dark fortnight) and purity (bathing), using symbolic ritual markers (red clothing, garlands, and unguents) to focus intention and devotion during a powerful liminal period.
Bhakti here is expressed through regulated worship—external acts like bathing and wearing prescribed attire become supports for single-pointed remembrance and reverence during a carefully chosen sacred time.
Ritual timing and calendrical precision—observing the kṛṣṇa-pakṣa and the specified madhyarātra moment reflects applied jyotiṣa-style reckoning and kalpa-style procedure for correct performance.