Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58
The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca
Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta
उत्तिष्ठ पाहि नः सर्वभयेभ्यः स्वसुतानिव । ये चौरा वसुहर्तारो विद्विषो ये च हिंसकाः ॥ ५८ ॥
uttiṣṭha pāhi naḥ sarvabhayebhyaḥ svasutāniva | ye caurā vasuhartāro vidviṣo ye ca hiṃsakāḥ || 58 ||
Erhebe dich und schütze uns vor jeder Furcht, wie du deine eigenen Söhne beschützen würdest—vor Dieben, Räubern des Besitzes, Feinden und Gewalttätern.
Devotees/supplicants (prayer addressed to a protective deity, commonly understood as Vishnu or a guardian form invoked in the Narada Purana’s devotional-ritual context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames the Divine as a compassionate guardian who grants abhaya (fearlessness), asking for protection from both external dangers (thieves, violence) and hostile forces (enemies).
Bhakti is shown as surrender and intimate trust—approaching the Lord as a protector who cares ‘like one’s own children,’ making devotion a lived refuge in daily life.
Its practical takeaway is mantra-prayoga (applied recitation): using a concise protective petition (rakṣā-prārthanā) within ritual or daily worship to cultivate steadiness and safety-conscious dharma.