Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

प्रणमामि महादेवीं मातृकां परमेश्वरीम् । कालहृल्लोहोलोल्लोहकलानाशनकारिणीम् ॥ ११ ॥

Transliteration

praṇamāmi mahādevīṃ mātṛkāṃ parameśvarīm | kālahṛlloholollohakalānāśanakāriṇīm || 11 ||

Translation

मी महादेवी—मातृका, परमेश्वरी—ला प्रणाम करतो; ‘कालहृत्, लोहो, लोल्लोह’ अशा उग्र ध्वनींनी सूचित अशुभ कला व क्लेशांचा नाश करणारी ती आहे।

Word by Word

• प्रणमामि: I bow down
• प्रणमामि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• महादेवीम्: the great goddess
• महादेवीम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• मातृकाम्: Mātṛkā
• मातृकाम्: कर्म (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; apposition to ‘महादेवीम्’

• परमेश्वरीम्: the supreme goddess (sovereign lady)
• परमेश्वरीम्: कर्म (Object/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; कर्मधारयः (परा ईश्वरी)

• काल-हृत्-लोह-उलोल्लोह-कलानाशन-कारिणीम्: the doer of the destruction of the ‘kalā’ (power/portion) of kāla and (the sounds/terms) hṛt-loha-ulolloha
• काल-हृत्-लोह-उलोल्लोह-कलानाशन-कारिणीम्: कर्म (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + उलोल्लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (qualifies the goddess); (पाठे ‘हृल्लोहोलोल्लोह’ इत्यत्र ध्वन्यनुकरण/बीजाक्षर-समूहः सम्भाव्यः)

Speaker

Narada (as a devotional invocation within the instructional flow; traditional Narada Purana dialogue frame with Sanatkumara)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Mahadevi
• Matrika
• Parameshvari

FAQs

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

It functions as a protective obeisance (praṇāma) to Mātṛkā-Śakti, portraying the Goddess as the remover of time-bound afflictions and inauspicious forces through mantra-power.

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

Bhakti is expressed through direct surrender—“I bow”—to the Supreme Goddess, trusting her supreme agency to dissolve obstacles and purify the practitioner’s path.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to the applied science of sacred sound (mantra-prayoga) and the concept of kalā (time/phase), aligning with Vedāṅga-style technical attention to phonetic/mantric efficacy and timing.