Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 140

The Description of the Four Durgā Mantras

Devanagari script

बहिरष्टदलेष्वर्च्या मन्मथाद्या मदोद्धताः । अपरांगा निषंगाद्याः पुष्पास्त्रेषुधनुर्द्धराः ॥ १४० ॥

Transliteration

bahiraṣṭadaleṣvarcyā manmathādyā madoddhatāḥ | aparāṃgā niṣaṃgādyāḥ puṣpāstreṣudhanurddharāḥ || 140 ||

Translation

Trên tám cánh ngoài, nên lễ bái Manmatha và các vị khác—ngạo mạn như say—là các tùy thuộc bên ngoài, mang vũ khí hoa, ống tên, mũi tên và cung.

Word by Word

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (adverb: 'outside')

• अष्ट-दलेषु: in the eight petals
• अष्ट-दलेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट + दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः ('in the eight petals')

• अर्च्याः: to be worshipped
• अर्च्याः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्च् + य (कृत्; अर्च्य)
• Form: कृतान्त—यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थ (gerundive: 'to be worshipped'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मन्मथ-आद्याः: (deities) beginning with Manmatha
• मन्मथ-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्मथ + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Manmatha')

• मद-उद्धताः: puffed up with pride/intoxication
• मद-उद्धताः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद + उद्धत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('arrogant due to intoxication/pride')

• अपर-अङ्गाः: having other/secondary limbs (i.e., of another aspect)
• अपर-अङ्गाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ('having other/secondary limbs' / 'of different limbs')

• निषङ्ग-आद्याः: (deities) beginning with Niṣaṅga
• निषङ्ग-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषङ्ग + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('beginning with Niṣaṅga')

• पुष्प-अस्त्र-इषु-धनुः-धराः: bearing flower-weapons, arrows, and bow
• पुष्प-अस्त्र-इषु-धनुः-धराः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प + अस्त्र + इषु + धनुस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ('bearing flower-weapons, arrows, and bow')

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/ritual-structure context, as preserved in Narada Purana Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Manmatha

FAQs

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

It specifies the outer-lotus (aṣṭadala) placement of attendant deities—showing that worship is done in a graded mandala: center deity first, then surrounding powers/attendants, completing the sacred field (kṣetra) of the rite.

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

Bhakti here is expressed as disciplined upāsanā: devotion becomes precise service (seva) through correct placement and honoring of associated powers, rather than random worship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual-technology—mandala/padma-vinyāsa (deity-arrangement) and iconographic identifiers (weapons/attributes), aligning with procedural knowledge used in kalpa-style practice.