Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 103
The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras
सर्वं दुष्टमृगवशं करिसर्वपदं ततः । सर्वसत्त्ववशंकरिसर्वलोकं ततः परम् ॥ १०३ ॥
sarvaṃ duṣṭamṛgavaśaṃ karisarvapadaṃ tataḥ | sarvasattvavaśaṃkarisarvalokaṃ tataḥ param || 103 ||
Muôn loài đều rơi vào quyền lực của những thú dữ hung ác; rồi đến “voi” giẫm nát mọi nẻo đường. Vượt lên nữa là voi khiến tất cả chúng sinh quy phục—và vượt lên nữa, (là) voi khuất phục mọi thế giới.
Sanatkumara (in dialogue with Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
The verse uses a graded metaphor of “being brought under control” to point toward progressively greater powers—moving from ordinary domination to a higher, world-subduing supremacy, implying that spiritual mastery surpasses mere physical force.
While not explicitly naming Bhakti, the progression suggests that the highest refuge is not brute domination but a superior, all-pervading sovereignty—consistent with Narada Purana’s broader arc where ultimate control and protection are attributed to the Supreme (often realized through Vishnu-bhakti).
The verse primarily demonstrates didactic upamā (illustrative metaphor) used in technical instruction; it is more rhetorical than ritualistic, showing how concise images are employed to convey hierarchy and gradation in teachings.