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Shloka 5

Nārāyaṇa-kavaca — The Armor of Lord Nārāyaṇa

श्रीविश्‍वरूप उवाच धौताङ्‌घ्रिपाणिराचम्य सपवित्र उदङ्‍मुख: । कृतस्वाङ्गकरन्यासो मन्त्राभ्यां वाग्यत: शुचि: ॥ ४ ॥ नारायणपरं वर्म सन्नह्येद् भय आगते । पादयोर्जानुनोरूर्वोरुदरे हृद्यथोरसि ॥ ५ ॥ मुखे शिरस्यानुपूर्व्यादोंङ्कारादीनि विन्यसेत् । ॐ नमो नारायणायेति विपर्ययमथापि वा ॥ ६ ॥

śrī-viśvarūpa uvāca dhautāṅghri-pāṇir ācamya sapavitra udaṅ-mukhaḥ kṛta-svāṅga-kara-nyāso mantrābhyāṁ vāg-yataḥ śuciḥ

Viśvarūpa sprach: Wenn Furcht aufkommt, wasche man zuerst Hände und Füße und vollziehe Ācamana zur Reinigung; setze dich würdevoll nach Norden gewandt, berühre Kuśa-Gras und bewahre Schweigen. Dann vollziehe mit dem acht- und dem zwölfsilbigen Mantra Hand- und Glied-Nyāsa und rüste dich mit der Schutzrüstung Nārāyaṇas. Während du ‘oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya’ rezitierst, lege das Nyāsa der Reihe nach von den Füßen über Knie, Schenkel, Bauch, Herz, Brust, Mund bis zum Haupt; danach auch in umgekehrter Reihenfolge.

śrī-viśvarūpaḥŚrī Viśvarūpa
śrī-viśvarūpaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī-viśvarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; संज्ञा (proper name)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
dhauta-aṅghri-pāṇiḥhaving washed (his) feet and hands
dhauta-aṅghri-pāṇiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootdhauta (कृदन्त, √dhāv/√dhū ‘to wash’) + aṅghri (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘धौतौ अङ्घ्री च पाणी च यस्य’ इति (washed feet and hands)
ācamyahaving performed ācamana
ācamya:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootā-cam (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘आचम्य’ = having sipped water (ācamana)
sa-pavitraḥwith sacred grass (pavitra) / wearing pavitra
sa-pavitraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootsa (उपसर्ग/सह-भाव) + pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘पवित्रेण सह’/‘पवित्रयुक्तः’
udaṅ-mukhaḥfacing north
udaṅ-mukhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootudak (दिक्-प्रातिपदिक ‘north’) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘उदङ् दिशि मुखं यस्य’
kṛta-sva-aṅga-kara-nyāsaḥhaving done the nyāsa on one’s limbs and hands
kṛta-sva-aṅga-kara-nyāsaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛta (कृदन्त, √kṛ ‘to do’) + sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘कृतः स्वाङ्ग-करन्यासः येन’ = who has performed body- and hand-nyāsa
mantrābhyāmwith two mantras
mantrābhyām:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootmantra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन
vāk-yataḥrestrained in speech
vāk-yataḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvāc (प्रातिपदिक) + yata (कृदन्त, √yam ‘to restrain’)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘वाचा यतः’ = restrained in speech
śuciḥpure
śuciḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootśuci (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण
N
Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

This verse instructs that when fear arises one should take shelter of the Narayana-centered “armor,” mentally placing divine protection over the body—signifying complete dependence on Nārāyaṇa.

Viśvarūpa teaches this protective discipline as a devotional safeguard in times of danger, directing the practitioner to consciously invoke Nārāyaṇa’s protection through sacred placement (nyāsa).

When anxiety or threat arises, remember Nārāyaṇa, recite His name/mantra, and cultivate mindful God-centered protection—training the mind to respond to fear with surrender rather than panic.