Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 102

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

स्त्रीहुंकारी क्षेमकारी चतुरक्षररूपिणी । श्रीविद्यामतवर्णांगी काली याम्या नृपार्णका ॥ १०२ ॥

Transliteration

strīhuṃkārī kṣemakārī caturakṣararūpiṇī | śrīvidyāmatavarṇāṃgī kālī yāmyā nṛpārṇakā || 102 ||

Translation

അവൾ സ്ത്രീരൂപ ‘ഹുങ്കാരി’ ശക്തി; ക്ഷേമകാരിണി (രക്ഷയും മംഗളവും നൽകുന്നവൾ); കൂടാതെ ചതുരക്ഷര മന്ത്രസ്വരൂപിണി. അവൾ ശ്രീവിദ്യാ-സ്വഭാവിനി, വർണമയമായ അംഗങ്ങളുള്ളവൾ; അവൾ ‘കാളി’, ‘യാമ്യാ’, ‘നൃപാർണകാ’ എന്നും വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्त्रीहुंकारी: Strīhuṃkārī
• स्त्रीहुंकारी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + हुंकारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (स्त्री-रूपा हुंकारी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षेमकारी: Kṣemakārī (maker of welfare)
• क्षेमकारी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम + कारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेमं करोति), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चतुरक्षररूपिणी: having the form of four syllables
• चतुरक्षररूपिणी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + अक्षर + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (चत्वारि अक्षराणि यस्याः रूपम्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रीविद्यामतवर्णांगी: whose limbs/complexion accord with the Śrīvidyā doctrine
• श्रीविद्यामतवर्णांगी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीविद्या-मत + वर्ण + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रीविद्यामते वर्णः अङ्गेषु यस्याः/वर्णाङ्गी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• याम्या: Yāmyā
• याम्या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नृपार्णका: Nṛpārṇakā
• नृपार्णका: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + अर्णका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नृपस्य अर्णका/नृपार्णका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (within a didactic listing of mantra-devatā names/tantric-phonetic epithets; dialogue traditionally framed with Sanatkumāra)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Sri Vidya
• Yama

FAQs

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

It presents the Devī as mantra itself—identified with huṃkāra and with a four-syllabled mantric form—teaching that spiritual power is accessed through precise sacred sound (akṣara/varṇa) and its devatā-consciousness.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as mantra-upāsanā: devotion is not only emotional praise but disciplined remembrance and recitation of the Devī’s names and seed-sounds, recognizing her as the protective, welfare-giving presence (kṣemakārī).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Śikṣā and Vyākaraṇa are implied through the focus on akṣaras/varṇas (letters/phonemes) and their correct mantric identity—showing how sound-units are treated as meaningful, power-bearing components in ritual recitation.