Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 16
Nārāyaṇa-kavaca — The Armor of Lord Nārāyaṇa
मामुग्रधर्मादखिलात्प्रमादा- न्नारायण: पातु नरश्च हासात् । दत्तस्त्वयोगादथ योगनाथ: पायाद्गुणेश: कपिल: कर्मबन्धात् ॥ १६ ॥
mām ugra-dharmād akhilāt pramādān nārāyaṇaḥ pātu naraś ca hāsāt dattas tv ayogād atha yoga-nāthaḥ pāyād guṇeśaḥ kapilaḥ karma-bandhāt
May Lord Nārāyaṇa protect me from unnecessarily following false religious systems and falling from my duties due to madness. May the Lord in His appearance as Nara protect me from unnecessary pride. May Lord Dattātreya, the master of all mystic power, protect me from falling while performing bhakti-yoga, and may Lord Kapila, the master of all good qualities, protect me from the material bondage of fruitive activities.
FAQs
In this verse of the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca, the devotee prays that Lord Nārāyaṇa protect him from pramāda—heedlessness that leads one into danger and spiritual downfall.
The kavaca invokes specific divine personalities for specific vulnerabilities: Nārāyaṇa for protection from grave irreligion and negligence, Nara from frivolity, Datta from lack of yoga, and Kapila from karmic bondage.
Use it as a daily reminder to avoid carelessness, curb distracting humor that derails focus, maintain steady sādhana (yoga/bhakti practice), and act without entangling attachment—seeking shelter of the Lord.