Shloka 19

Kāmākṣā-māhātmya (Glory of Kāmākṣā) with Siddhanātha Account

Devanagari script

उवाच तत्त्वं सुरहस्यभूतं यद्द्वादशार्णार्थनिजस्वरूपम् । ततस्तु सा शैलसुता महेशं मारांतक यावदभिप्रणम्य ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

uvāca tattvaṃ surahasyabhūtaṃ yaddvādaśārṇārthanijasvarūpam | tatastu sā śailasutā maheśaṃ mārāṃtaka yāvadabhipraṇamya || 19 ||

Translation

Rồi ông nói về Chân lý tối thượng—bí mật ngay cả đối với chư thiên—tức bản tánh chân thật ẩn trong ý nghĩa của thần chú mười hai âm. Khi ấy, Ái nữ của Núi (Pārvatī) cúi lạy trọn vẹn trước Maheśa, Đấng diệt Māra (Kāma), và lắng nghe tiếp.

Word by Word

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धा. वच परिभाषणे)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; parasmaipada

• tattvam: the truth/principle
• tattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• sura-hasya-bhūtam: (that) which was a divine secret
• sura-hasya-bhūtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + hasya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; √bhū)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; PPP ‘become/being’ qualifying tattvam; ‘secret of the gods’

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; यत्-तत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to tattvam

• dvādaśa-arṇa-artha-nija-svarūpam: whose own nature is the meaning of the twelve syllables
• dvādaśa-arṇa-artha-nija-svarūpam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + arṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + nija (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; long tatpuruṣa qualifying yat/tattvam: ‘whose own form is the meaning of the twelve syllables’

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ablatival adverb ‘thereupon/from that’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (contrast/emphasis)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used as subject

• śaila-sutā: the mountain’s daughter
• śaila-sutā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + sutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘daughter of the mountain’ (Pārvatī)

• maheśam: Maheśa (Śiva)
• maheśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• mārāntaka: O slayer of Māra
• mārāntaka: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māra (प्रातिपदिक) + antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative epithet of Śiva ‘slayer of Māra (Kāma)’

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; limitative particle ‘until/as far as’

• abhipraṇamya: having bowed (to him)
• abhipraṇamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-pra-√nam (धा. नम प्रणामे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having bowed down’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the dialogue scene; the teaching is attributed to Maheśa/Śiva in this verse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī (Śailasutā)
• Śiva (Maheśa)
• Kāma (Māra)

FAQs

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

It frames mantra-upadeśa as a revelation of tattva—the inner reality—described as a divine secret, and links mantra-meaning (artha) to realizing one’s essential nature (nija-svarūpa).

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

Bhakti is implied through reverent surrender: Pārvatī’s full prostration to Maheśa models the disciple’s humility and receptivity, through which sacred mantra-knowledge becomes transformative rather than merely verbal.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It emphasizes artha (meaning) of mantra—pointing to disciplined mantra-interpretation supported by Vyākaraṇa (correct understanding of words) and Śikṣā (proper recitation), so the ‘twelve-syllabled’ teaching is grasped in both sound and sense.