Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 140

Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas

Devanagari script

दधतीं चित्रवसनां धरां भगवतीं स्मरेत् । एवं ध्यात्वा जपेल्लक्षं दशांशं पायसेन तु ॥ १४० ॥

Transliteration

dadhatīṃ citravasanāṃ dharāṃ bhagavatīṃ smaret | evaṃ dhyātvā japellakṣaṃ daśāṃśaṃ pāyasena tu || 140 ||

Translation

Hendaklah mengingati Dhārā, Sang Bhagavatī, yang menanggung segala makhluk, berselimutkan busana beraneka warna. Setelah bermeditasi demikian, hendaklah mengulang japa sebanyak satu lakh (100,000) kali, lalu mempersembahkan sepersepuluhnya sebagai oblation dengan pāyasa (bubur susu beras).

Word by Word

• dadhatīm: holding/bearing
• dadhatīm: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛ (धातु) → dadhatī (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present participle/शतृ), Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; from √dhṛ (धृ) ‘to hold’

• citra-vasanām: wearing splendid garments
• citra-vasanām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; samāsa: citra-vasana = ‘having variegated garments’

• dharām: Dharā (Earth goddess)
• dharām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• bhagavatīm: divine, venerable
• bhagavatīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhagavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• smaret: one should meditate/remember
• smaret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ/vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष) Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; prakāra-avyaya (adverb of manner/प्रकार)

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु) → dhyātvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा), from √dhyai (ध्यै) ‘to meditate’; avyaya-kriyāviśeṣaṇa

• japet: should recite (japa)
• japet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ/vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• lakṣam: one lakh (100,000)
• lakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; saṅkhyā-vācaka (numeral noun)

• daśa-aṃśam: a tenth part (as offering)
• daśa-aṃśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana; samāsa: daśa-aṃśa = ‘tenth part’

• pāyasena: with rice-pudding (pāyasa)
• pāyasena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā Ekavacana

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; avadhāraṇa/viśeṣa-nipāta (emphatic particle/अवधारण)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on ritual/technical practice)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Dharā (Earth Goddess)

FAQs

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

It links inner contemplation (smaraṇa/dhyāna of Dharā as the sustaining Divine) with outer discipline—fixed-count mantra-japa and a proportional offering—showing that ritual is meant to be grounded in devotional visualization.

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

Bhakti appears here as remembrance and meditation on the Goddess’s form and qualities (supporting, auspicious, beautifully adorned), which then sanctifies the mantra practice and the concluding offering.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights ritual quantification and procedure—lakṣa-japa (100,000 recitations) and daśāṃśa (one-tenth) as the completion offering, with pāyasa specified as the ritual substance—typical of technical prayoga guidance.