Shloka 14

Aśokāṣṭamī and Mahānavamī: Durgā Navamī-vrata, mantra-nyāsa, forms, weapons, and offerings

Devanagari script

पाता च पाण्डुरा प्रोक्ता आलीढं हरितं तथा / म (मा) हिषो ऽस्य स खड्गाग्रप्रकचग्रहमुष्टिकः

Transliteration

pātā ca pāṇḍurā proktā ālīḍhaṃ haritaṃ tathā / ma (mā) hiṣo 'sya sa khaḍgāgraprakacagrahamuṣṭikaḥ

Translation

‘پاتا’ اور ‘پانڈُرا’ کہے گئے ہیں؛ اسی طرح ‘آلیڑھ’ اور ‘ہریت’۔ اس کا واهن مہیش (بھینسا) بتایا گیا ہے—جس کی مُٹھی تلوار کے تیز نوک دار اگلے حصے کو مضبوطی سے پکڑتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• पाता: Pātā (name)
• पाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पाण्डुरा: pale/whitish (name)
• पाण्डुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण/नाम

• प्रोक्ता: is said/called
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + √वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कथिता/उच्यते’ इत्यर्थे

• आलीढम्: Ālīḍha (name; ‘licked/embraced’)
• आलीढम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + √लिह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; (नामरूपेण)

• हरितम्: green (name)
• हरितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण/नाम

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• मा: do not (particle)
• मा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle); पाठभेदः ‘म’/‘मा’

• हिषः: hiṣa (unclear; possibly ‘buffalo’)
• हिषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठदोष/दुर्लभ-शब्दः (सम्भवतः ‘महिषः’ = buffalo)

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खड्ग-अग्र-प्रकच-ग्रह-मुष्टिकः: one with a fist/handle grasping the sword-point (epithet)
• खड्ग-अग्र-प्रकच-ग्रह-मुष्टिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकच (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + मुष्टिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः (खड्गस्य अग्रं/प्रकचं गृह्णाति इति/ग्रहः; मुष्टिकः = fist/handle)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue, instructing Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Embodied symbols (mount, stance, weapon) encode functions—stability (buffalo), readiness (ālīḍha stance), decisive protection (sword).

Vedantic Theme: Upāsanā uses concrete symbols to discipline fear and awaken inner strength (tejas) under divine refuge.

Application: In protective prayer, visualize the deity in ālīḍha stance on a buffalo, gripping a sword—cultivate steadiness and decisive action in adversity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.133.13 (color-forms); Garuda Purana 1.133.15 (worship of sword/trident; mantra)

Characters & Entities

• Buffalo (Mahiṣa)

FAQs

What is the importance of these named descriptors (Pātā, Pāṇḍurā, Ālīḍha, Harita) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a catalog-style identification of specific named forms/attributes, preserving traditional descriptors used for recognition in Purāṇic narration and iconographic memory.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; instead, it provides descriptive identifiers (including a buffalo reference and a weapon-bearing figure), which may belong to a broader chapter context of classifying beings, forms, or attendants in Purāṇic cosmology.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to read the Garuda Purana with attention to technical lists and traditional descriptors—checking chapter context and variant readings before drawing ritual or afterlife conclusions.