Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 142

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

पुनः षोडश पत्रेषु पूज्याः षोडश शक्तयः । वामाद्याः कलवीणाभिर्गायंत्यः श्यामविग्रहाः ॥ १४२ ॥

Transliteration

punaḥ ṣoḍaśa patreṣu pūjyāḥ ṣoḍaśa śaktayaḥ | vāmādyāḥ kalavīṇābhirgāyaṃtyaḥ śyāmavigrahāḥ || 142 ||

Translation

また、十六の蓮弁の上に、ヴァーマーをはじめとする十六のシャクティを礼拝すべし。黒みを帯びた御姿にて、妙なるヴィーナーの調べに合わせ、甘美に歌い給う。

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनः (adverb: again)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; (qualifies पत्रेषु)

• पत्रेषु: in the petals/leaves
• पत्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• पूज्याः: to be worshipped / worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Vidhaya (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् (धातु))
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive/नीयतव्य-अर्थ); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; (qualifies शक्तयः)

• शक्तयः: powers/energies (Shaktis)
• शक्तयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), बहुवचन

• वामा-आद्याः: beginning with Vāmā
• वामा-आद्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वामा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-तत्पुरुष: 'beginning with Vāmā'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), बहुवचन

• कल-वीणाभिः: with sweet vīṇās
• कल-वीणाभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल + वीणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (कलवीणा = sweet-toned vīṇā); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• गायन्त्यः: singing
• गायन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गायत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गै (धातु))
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/न्त्, present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), बहुवचन

• श्याम-विग्रहाः: having dark forms
• श्याम-विग्रहाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्याम + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्यामः विग्रहः यस्याः/येषाम्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Shakti
• Vāmā
• Vīṇā

FAQs

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

It presents a meditative-ritual model where divine power is approached as sixteen Śaktis stationed on a sixteen-petalled lotus, indicating completeness of energy (śakti) and the harmonizing of devotion with inner visualization.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as reverent upāsanā—worshipping the Śaktis with attention, beauty, and sacred sound—where song and vīṇā symbolize heartfelt praise offered to the divine presence in a contemplated form.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual-technical procedure (upāsanā-vinyāsa): assigning deities/energies to specific loci (the sixteen petals) and using sacred sound (gāna) as an aid to concentration and correct performance.