Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 140

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

बहिरष्टदलेष्वर्च्या मन्मथाद्या मदोद्धताः । अपरांगा निषंगाद्याः पुष्पास्त्रेषुधनुर्द्धराः ॥ १४० ॥

Transliteration

bahiraṣṭadaleṣvarcyā manmathādyā madoddhatāḥ | aparāṃgā niṣaṃgādyāḥ puṣpāstreṣudhanurddharāḥ || 140 ||

Translation

പുറത്തെ അഷ്ടദളങ്ങളിൽ മന്മഥൻ മുതലായവരെ അർച്ചിക്കണം—മദോന്മത്തരായ ബാഹ്യ പരിചാരകർ; പുഷ്പാസ്ത്രം, തൂണീർ, ബാണങ്ങൾ, ധനുസ്സ് എന്നിവ ധരിച്ചവർ।

Word by Word

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (adverb: 'outside')

• अष्ट-दलेषु: in the eight petals
• अष्ट-दलेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः ('in the eight petals')

• अर्च्याः: to be worshipped
• अर्च्याः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्च् + य (कृत्; अर्च्य)
• Form: कृतान्त—यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थ (gerundive: 'to be worshipped'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मन्मथ-आद्याः: (deities) beginning with Manmatha
• मन्मथ-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्मथ + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Manmatha')

• मद-उद्धताः: puffed up with pride/intoxication
• मद-उद्धताः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + उद्धत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('arrogant due to intoxication/pride')

• अपर-अङ्गाः: having other/secondary limbs (i.e., of another aspect)
• अपर-अङ्गाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ('having other/secondary limbs' / 'of different limbs')

• निषङ्ग-आद्याः: (deities) beginning with Niṣaṅga
• निषङ्ग-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषङ्ग + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Niṣaṅga')

• पुष्प-अस्त्र-इषु-धनुः-धराः: bearing flower-weapons, arrows, and bow
• पुष्प-अस्त्र-इषु-धनुः-धराः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प + अस्त्र + इषु + धनुस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ('bearing flower-weapons, arrows, and bow')

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual-structure context, as preserved in Narada Purana Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha

FAQs

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

It specifies the outer-lotus (aṣṭadala) placement of attendant deities—showing that worship is done in a graded mandala: center deity first, then surrounding powers/attendants, completing the sacred field (kṣetra) of the rite.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined upāsanā: devotion becomes precise service (seva) through correct placement and honoring of associated powers, rather than random worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual-technology—mandala/padma-vinyāsa (deity-arrangement) and iconographic identifiers (weapons/attributes), aligning with procedural knowledge used in kalpa-style practice.