Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

न भवतु भयं किंचित्कवचेनावृतस्य मे । आंगुतुकामानखिलानस्मद्वसुविलुंपकान् ॥ ५१ ॥

Transliteration

na bhavatu bhayaṃ kiṃcitkavacenāvṛtasya me | āṃgutukāmānakhilānasmadvasuviluṃpakān || 51 ||

Translation

Möge keinerlei Furcht in mir sein, da ich von diesem schützenden Panzer umhüllt bin; möge er alle Eindringlinge abwehren, die auf eine Gelegenheit lauern und mein Gut plündern wollen.

Word by Word

• na: not / may not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• bhavatu: let it be / may it be
• bhavatu: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (भय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• kiṃcit: any (at all)
• kiṃcit: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of bhayam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (किञ्चित् सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite)

• kavacena: by armor
• kavacena: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavaca (कवच प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• āvṛtasya: of (me) who is covered/protected
• āvṛtasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive qualifier of me)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-vṛ (आवृ धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘आवृत’ = covered/protected

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• āṃgutukān: intruding/outsider (persons)
• āṃgutukān: Karma (कर्म/object of karotu understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āṃgutuka (आंगुतुक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन; अर्थः ‘आगन्तुक’ (intruders/outsiders) इत्यर्थे पाठभेदसम्भवः

• kāmān: desirers / those intent (on)
• kāmān: Karma (कर्म/object; appositional to āṃgutukān)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (काम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• akhilān: all
• akhilān: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of the object group)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (अखिल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सर्ववाचक (all)

• asmad-vasu-viluṃpakān: plunderers of our wealth
• asmad-vasu-viluṃpakān: Karma (कर्म/object; apposition/qualification)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) + vasu (वसु) + vi-luṃpaka (विलुम्पक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘अस्मद्वसु’ = our wealth; ‘विलुम्पक’ = plunderer; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching/reciting a protective kavacha-prayoga within the Vedanga/ritual-technical context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

FAQs

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

It expresses the fruit (phala) of kavacha-protection: fearlessness and safeguarding of one’s life and resources through a sanctified protective covering.

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

Though framed as protection, the verse implies surrender to a higher sacred power embodied in the kavacha; fear is removed when one relies on divine protection rather than mere personal strength.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects prayoga-style ritual application—how a protective kavacha/mantra is intended to function (removing fear and repelling harmful intruders), aligning with technical, procedure-oriented instruction.