Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

सर्वदुष्टांतकः पातु धात्वष्टककलेवरम् । प्राणादिदशजीवेशान्सर्वशिष्टेष्टदोऽवतु ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

sarvaduṣṭāṃtakaḥ pātu dhātvaṣṭakakalevaram | prāṇādidaśajīveśānsarvaśiṣṭeṣṭado'vatu || 41 ||

Translation

Möge der Vernichter aller Bosheit diesen Leib schützen, der aus den acht Elementbestandteilen gebildet ist; und möge der Spender dessen, was die Rechtschaffenen begehren, die zehn Lebenskräfte, beginnend mit prāṇa, die Herren des verkörperten Lebens, behüten.

Word by Word

• सर्वदुष्टान्तकः: the destroyer of all wicked (ones)
• सर्वदुष्टान्तकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-दुष्ट-अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां दुष्टानां अन्तकः)

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धातु-अष्टक-कलेवरम्: the body consisting of the eight elements
• धातु-अष्टक-कलेवरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु-अष्टक-कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धातूनाम् अष्टकस्य कलेवरम्)

• प्राण-आदि-दश-जीव-ईशान्: the lords of the ten vital beings beginning with prāṇa
• प्राण-आदि-दश-जीव-ईशान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण-आदि-दश-जीव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः (प्राणादयः दश ये जीवाः तेषाम् ईशाः)

• सर्व-शिष्ट-इष्ट-दः: the giver of desired boons to all the virtuous
• सर्व-शिष्ट-इष्ट-दः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-शिष्ट-इष्ट-द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (सर्वेषां शिष्टानाम् इष्टं ददाति इति)

• अवतु: may (he) protect
• अवतु: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada (mantra-style protective utterance within the Vedanga/technical section; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumara is assumed for this pada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sarvaduṣṭāntaka (epithet of a protective deity, commonly Vishnu in Purana usage)
• Prāṇa (vital force)

FAQs

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

It functions as a rakṣā (protective) invocation: protection is sought both for the physical constitution (the body’s elemental constituents) and for the subtle life-system (the ten vital forces), implying that spiritual protection must cover gross and subtle layers of embodied existence.

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

Bhakti is expressed as śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in the Lord who destroys evil and grants the righteous their desired good; the devotee entrusts even bodily vitality (prāṇa and allied forces) to divine guardianship.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects a technical, Vedanga-adjacent view of the person: the body as a structured aggregate of constituents (dhātu-aṣṭaka) and life governed by prāṇa and related forces—useful for ritual purity, disciplined living, and mantra-based protection practices.