Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

अनंगानंगकुसुमा भूयश्चानंगमेखला । अनंगमदना सर्वा मदविभ्रममंथरा ॥ ५७ ॥

Transliteration

anaṃgānaṃgakusumā bhūyaścānaṃgamekhalā | anaṃgamadanā sarvā madavibhramamaṃtharā || 57 ||

Translation

นางเป็นอนังคาอีกครั้ง; ดอกไม้ของนางคือ ‘อนังคกุสุม’; สายรัดเอวคือ ‘อนังคเมขลา’; ทั้งกายเป็นมทนะของอนังคาเอง—อ่อนระโหยเพราะความเมามายและมายาอันไหวเอน।

Word by Word

• अनङ्गा: (she who is) Ananga / bodiless (epithet)
• अनङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• अनङ्गकुसुमा: having flowers of Ananga (Cupid)
• अनङ्गकुसुमा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्ग + कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): अनङ्गस्य कुसुमानि; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भूयः: again, further
• भूयः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनः/अधिकम् अर्थे (adverb: again/further)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अनङ्गमेखला: wearing Ananga as a girdle / with Cupid-girdle
• अनङ्गमेखला: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्ग + मेखला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अनङ्गस्य मेखला; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अनङ्गमदना: whose love/desire is of Ananga (Cupid)
• अनङ्गमदना: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनङ्ग + मदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अनङ्गस्य मदनः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वा: all, wholly
• सर्वा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• मदविभ्रममन्थरा: slow/swaying due to intoxication and amorous delusion
• मदविभ्रममन्थरा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + विभ्रम + मन्थर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative): मद-विभ्रम-कारणेन मन्थरा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Characters & Entities

• Ananga
• Madana
• Kama

FAQs

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

The verse intensifies the imagery of desire (Kāma/Ananga) and intoxicated delusion (mada-vibhrama), implicitly highlighting how fascination and sensual bewilderment can bind the mind—an important contrast to the Purana’s broader aim of directing attention toward dharma and higher knowledge.

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

By portraying the mind’s pull toward kāma and its ‘languid sway,’ the verse functions as a foil to bhakti: devotion requires steadiness (niścaya) and purification of attention, whereas passion-driven delusion disperses awareness and weakens spiritual resolve.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse showcases technical Sanskrit usage—dense compounds (samāsa) and deliberate epithet-repetition (anuprāsa/śleṣa-like effect) around ‘Ananga/Madana,’ reflecting the kind of linguistic precision associated with Vyākaraṇa and refined poetic diction often discussed alongside Vedanga learning.