Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 140

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

वह्निरूपा तथा दस्रा ह्यमाविघ्ना भुजंगमा । षण्मुखा रविरूपा च माता दुर्गा दिशा तथा ॥ १४० ॥

Transliteration

vahnirūpā tathā dasrā hyamāvighnā bhujaṃgamā | ṣaṇmukhā ravirūpā ca mātā durgā diśā tathā || 140 ||

Translation

അവൾ അഗ്നിരൂപിണി; ബലവും ആരോഗ്യവും നൽകുന്നവൾ (ദസ്രാ); അവൾ തീർച്ചയായും വിഘ്നനാശിനി; ഭുജംഗ-ശക്തിരൂപത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിത. അവൾ ഷൺമുഖി, രവിരൂപിണി; അവൾ മാതാ ദുർഗ്ഗയും ദിക്കുകളുടെ അധിഷ്ഠാത്രി ശക്തിയും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वह्निरूपा: fire-formed
• वह्निरूपा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वह्नेः रूपा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• दस्रा: Dasrā (name)
• दस्रा: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम/विशेषणरूपेण)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed)

• अमा: near/at hand (as prefixal sense)
• अमा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: at home/near; here likely intensifier in compound)

• विघ्ना: obstacle (as epithet)
• विघ्ना: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (context suggests epithet; could be ‘without obstacle’ intended as अविघ्ना)

• भुजंगमा: serpent-going one; serpent (name/epithet)
• भुजंगमा: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as name/epithet)

• षण्मुखा: six-faced
• षण्मुखा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (six-faced)

• रविरूपा: sun-formed
• रविरूपा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रवेः रूपा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुर्गा: Durgā
• दुर्गा: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (देवी-नाम)

• दिशा: direction (as epithet/name)
• दिशा: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्/दिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as name/epithet)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

Speaker

Narada (instructive narration within Vedanga-oriented enumeration of devata-forms)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Durga
• Agni (Vahni)
• Surya (Ravi)
• Dikpalas (Directions)
• Serpent-power (Bhujangama)

FAQs

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

The verse compresses a theological map of the Divine Mother’s many functional manifestations—fire (purification), sun (illumination), directions (protection and order), and serpent-power (latent energy)—showing that one Shakti operates through multiple cosmic and ritual domains.

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

By presenting Durgā as the all-pervading Mother who removes obstacles and sustains cosmic order, the verse supports bhakti as wholehearted reliance on the Divine—seeing one compassionate power behind varied forms encountered in worship and daily life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects the Vedanga-style method of devata-nirūpaṇa—linking deities to elemental forces (Agni), luminaries (Ravi), and spatial quarters (Diśā) used in ritual orientation, protective rites, and certain jyotiṣa-informed (astrological) considerations of direction and solar power.