Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 15
Nārāyaṇa-kavaca — The Armor of Lord Nārāyaṇa
रक्षत्वसौ माध्वनि यज्ञकल्प: स्वदंष्ट्रयोन्नीतधरो वराह: । रामोऽद्रिकूटेष्वथ विप्रवासे सलक्ष्मणोऽव्याद् भरताग्रजोऽस्मान् ॥ १५ ॥
rakṣatv asau mādhvani yajña-kalpaḥ sva-daṁṣṭrayonnīta-dharo varāhaḥ rāmo ’dri-kūṭeṣv atha vipravāse salakṣmaṇo ’vyād bharatāgrajo ’smān
The Supreme indestructible Lord is ascertained through the performance of ritualistic sacrifices and is therefore known as Yajñeśvara. In His incarnation as Lord Boar, He raised the planet earth from the water at the bottom of the universe and kept it on His pointed tusks. May that Lord protect me from rogues on the street. May Paraśurāma protect me on the tops of mountains, and may the elder brother of Bharata, Lord Rāmacandra, along with His brother Lakṣmaṇa, protect me in foreign countries.
There are three Rāmas. One Rāma is Paraśurāma (Jāmadāgnya), another Rāma is Lord Rāmacandra, and a third Rāma is Lord Balarāma. In this verse the words rāmo ’dri-kūṭeṣv atha indicate Lord Paraśurāma. The brother of Bharata Mahārāja and Lakṣmaṇa is Lord Rāmacandra.
FAQs
This verse invokes the Lord’s avatāras—Varāha and Rāma—as living protectors, teaching that remembering and praying to the Lord’s incarnations grants spiritual and practical protection in all situations.
The kavaca lists forms of the Lord suited to different dangers and places: Varāha is praised as the sacrificial Lord who rescued the earth, while Rāma with Lakṣmaṇa is invoked for protection in rugged terrains and during exile—symbolizing safety in hardship.
Use this verse as a daily remembrance: when facing “exile-like” phases (loss, instability, isolation) or “mountain-like” obstacles, consciously take shelter of the Lord through prayer, steadiness in dharma, and devotion.