Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

छिन्नमस्ता रमा बीजं स्वाहा शक्तिरुदीरिता । आं खङ्गाय हृदाख्यातमीं खङ्गाय शिरः स्मृतम् ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

chinnamastā ramā bījaṃ svāhā śaktirudīritā | āṃ khaṅgāya hṛdākhyātamīṃ khaṅgāya śiraḥ smṛtam || 4 ||

Translation

Bagi Chinnamastā, bīja (benih-mantra) disebut ‘ramā’, dan śakti dinyatakan sebagai ‘svāhā’. Suku kata ‘āṃ khaṅgāya’ diajarkan sebagai mantra-hati, dan ‘īṃ khaṅgāya’ diingat sebagai mantra-kepala.

Word by Word

• chinnamastā: Chinnamastā
• chinnamastā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chinna (√chid धातु + kta) + mastā/mastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि: 'chinnaṃ mastakaṃ yasyāḥ' (she whose head is severed)

• ramā: Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• ramā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ramā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• bījam: seed-syllable (bīja)
• bījam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• svāhā: svāhā
• svāhā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक/मन्त्रशब्द)
• Form: मन्त्र-निपात (mantric exclamation), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• śaktiḥ: power (śakti)
• śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• udīritā: is declared
• udīritā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√īr (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → udīrita (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle): 'is declared/uttered'

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

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

• hṛd-ākhyātam: declared as the heart-(mantra part)
• hṛd-ākhyātam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāta (√khyā धातु + kta)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'hṛdi ākhyātam' (declared as the heart)

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

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

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• smṛtam: is said/remembered as
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle): 'is remembered/said'

Speaker

Narada (teaching mantra-vidhi in a technical/Vedanga-style register)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Chinnamasta

FAQs

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

It codifies the mantra-structure (bīja and śakti) and assigns specific seed-syllables for heart and head applications, showing how inner centers are ritually aligned with the deity’s power.

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

Bhakti here takes a disciplined form: devotion is expressed through correct mantra-utterance and nyāsa, treating worship as a precise offering of mind, speech, and body to the deity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Mantra-prayoga and nyāsa procedure—technical rules of applying syllables to specific bodily loci (hṛdaya, śiras), reflecting a ritual-science approach to sacred sound.