Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

महालोहितभोक्तारो वेताला ये च गुह्यकाः । गंधर्वाप्सरसः सिद्धा ये च देवादियोनयः ॥ ६६ ॥

Transliteration

mahālohitabhoktāro vetālā ye ca guhyakāḥ | gaṃdharvāpsarasaḥ siddhā ye ca devādiyonayaḥ || 66 ||

Translation

Die, welche großes Blut verzehren, die Vetālas und die verborgenen Guhyakas; die Gandharvas und Apsaras; die Siddhas; und auch jene, deren Geburt aus göttlichen und anderen übermenschlichen Geschlechtern stammt—alle sind mit eingeschlossen.

Word by Word

• महा-लोहित-भोक्तारः: eaters/consumers of great blood
• महा-लोहित-भोक्तारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लोहित (प्रातिपदिक) + भोक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—(महा-लोहित) कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः + भोक्तृ-शब्देन षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महालोहितस्य भोक्तारः)

• वेतालाः: vetālas (ghoulish spirits)
• वेतालाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुह्यकाः: guhyakas (yakṣa-attendants)
• गुह्यकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसः: gandharvas and apsarases
• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• सिद्धाः: siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• देव-आदि-योनयः: origins/wombs of gods and others
• देव-आदि-योनयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—देव-आदीनां योनयः (origins/wombs of gods etc.)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vetala
• Guhyaka
• Gandharva
• Apsaras
• Siddha

FAQs

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

It widens the puranic scope of creation by explicitly naming many non-human and semi-divine classes of beings, implying that dharma and cosmic order encompass all yonis—not only humans and devas.

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

By listing diverse beings (from fearsome to celestial), the verse supports the puranic idea that the Lord’s governance and grace extend to all realms; bhakti is not restricted by birth-category (yoni) in the cosmic hierarchy.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects technical puranic taxonomy used alongside śāstric disciplines (especially nirukta/semantic classification and jyotiṣa-style cosmological mapping) to categorize beings and realms for ritual, narrative, and doctrinal clarity.