Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 116

Rādhā-sambaddha-mantra-vyākhyā

Rādhā-Related Mantras Explained

Devanagari script

दधानां बाहुभिर्नेत्रैर्दयासुप्रीतिशीतलैः । पश्यंती साधके अस्त्रषट्कोणाब्जमहीपुरे ॥ ११६ ॥

Transliteration

dadhānāṃ bāhubhirnetrairdayāsuprītiśītalaiḥ | paśyaṃtī sādhake astraṣaṭkoṇābjamahīpure || 116 ||

Translation

Sang Dewi, yang memanggul lengan-lengan ilahi dan bermata sejuk oleh welas asih serta kasih mendalam, memandang sang sādhaka di kota-suci tanah berbentuk teratai berheksagon, lengkap dengan tatanan ‘astra’.

Word by Word

• dadhānām: bearing/holding
• dadhānām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Feminine Accusative Singular); ‘bearing/holding’

• bāhubhiḥ: with (her) arms
• bāhubhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental Plural)

• netraiḥ: with (her) eyes
• netraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental Plural)

• dayā-suprīti-śītalaiḥ: cool/soothing with compassion and great love
• dayā-suprīti-śītalaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dayā + suprīti + śītala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (सामान्यतः), तृतीया बहुवचन (Instrumental Plural); द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार): ‘cool/soothing with compassion and deep affection’—netraiḥ इति विशेषण

• paśyantī: she, looking
• paśyantī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Feminine Nominative Singular); ‘seeing/looking’

• sādhake: upon/at the practitioner
• sādhake: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Masculine, Locative Singular)

• astra-ṣaṭ-koṇa-abja-mahīpure: in the bhūpura of the weapon-hexagon-lotus (yantra)
• astra-ṣaṭ-koṇa-abja-mahīpure: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: astra + ṣaṭ + koṇa + abja + mahīpura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Neuter, Locative Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘in the earth-city (mahīpura) [i.e., bhūpura] of the weapon-hexagon-lotus’ (astra-ṣaṭkoṇa-abja)

Speaker

Narada (continuing a technical description of worship/visualization as taught in the dialogue with Sanatkumara tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that divine grace is not abstract: the deity’s compassionate, cooling gaze is invoked through precise inner visualization—placing the sādhaka within a protected, sanctified mandala (lotus and hexagon) empowered by astra-mantras.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as attentive upāsanā: the devotee contemplates the deity’s gentle, affectionate presence and receives her grace through disciplined worship and meditative focus on the sacred diagram.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa-style ritual application is implied—constructing/visualizing a mandala (lotus, hexagon) and employing astra-mantras as protective/empowering elements within formal worship procedure.