नखानामुद्द्योतैर्नवनलिनरागं विहसतां कराणां ते कान्तिं कथय कथयामः कथमुमे। कयाचिद्वा साम्यं भजतु कलया हन्त कमलं यदि क्रीडल्लक्ष्मीचरणतललाक्षारुणदलम्॥
nakhānām uddyōtair nava-nalina-rāgaṁ vihasatāṁ karāṇāṁ tē kāntiṁ kathaya kathayāmaḥ katham umē। kayācit vā sāmyaṁ bhajatu kalayā hanta kamalaṁ yadi krīḍal-lakṣmī-caraṇa-tala-lākṣāruṇa-dalam॥
Translation
O Uma, how can we describe the luster of your hands, whose nails’ brilliance surpasses new lotuses’ hue? Perhaps a lotus, sporting Lakshmi’s lac-red foot-sole petal, might attain partial similarity.
Word by word
- nakhānām
- of nails
- uddyōtaiḥ
- with brilliance
- nava-nalina
- new lotus
- rāgaṁ
- hue
- vihasatāṁ
- surpassing
- karāṇāṁ
- of hands
- tē
- your
- kāntiṁ
- luster
- kathaya
- describe
- kathayāmaḥ
- we describe
- katham
- how
- umē
- O Uma
- kayācit
- with something
- vā
- or
- sāmyaṁ
- similarity
- bhajatu
- may attain
- kalayā
- by portion
- hanta
- alas
- kamalaṁ
- lotus
- yadi
- if
- krīḍat
- sporting
- lakṣmī
- Lakshmi
- caraṇa-tala
- sole of foot
- lākṣā
- lac
- aruṇa
- red
- dalam
- petal
Meaning
The Goddess’s hands (karāṇāṁ), with nails (nakhānām) brighter than new lotuses (nava-nalina), defy description (katham kathayāmaḥ). Only a lotus touched by Lakshmi’s lac-red feet (lākṣāruṇa-dalam) might faintly compare. Addressed as umē, her hands embody divine grace. In Śrīvidyā, they represent kriyā śakti (action-power). The verse reflects Shakta devotion, celebrating her hands’ unmatched radiance.