Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

The Classification and Explanation of Yakṣiṇī Mantras

Kālī and Tārā Vidyās

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । वाग्देवता वतारोऽन्यः कालिकेति प्रकीर्तिता । तस्या मन्त्रं प्रवक्ष्यामि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणाम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | vāgdevatā vatāro'nyaḥ kāliketi prakīrtitā | tasyā mantraṃ pravakṣyāmi bhuktimuktipradaṃ nṛṇām || 1 ||

Translation

สนัตกุมารกล่าวว่า—อวตารอีกประการของเทวีแห่งวาจาเป็นที่สรรเสริญว่า ‘กาลิกา’ บัดนี้เราจักประกาศมนต์ของพระนาง ซึ่งประทานทั้งความสุขทางโลกและโมกษะแก่มนุษย์।

Word by Word

• सनत्-कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्-कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सनत्-नामकः कुमारः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्-देवता: the goddess of speech
• वाक्-देवता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वाचः देवता)

• अवतारः: incarnation
• अवतारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying avatāraḥ)

• कालिका: Kālikā
• कालिका: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निपात (quotative particle)

• प्रकीर्तिता: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (is celebrated/called)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall expound
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदम्: granting enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्रददाति) विशेषण (qualifying mantraṃ)

• नृणाम्: of men; of people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Vagdevata (Vag Devi)
• Kalika (Kali)

FAQs

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

It introduces Kālī as a form of Vāgdevī (the power of sacred speech) and frames her mantra as a means to attain both worldly well-being (bhukti) and ultimate freedom (mukti).

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

By presenting a mantra to be received and practiced with reverence, it points to mantra-upāsanā as a devotional discipline where divine grace is accessed through consecrated speech.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It emphasizes mantra-vidyā—precise preservation and use of sacred sound (connected to Śikṣā/phonetics and ritual application)—as a technical means for spiritual and practical results.