Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 11
Nārāyaṇa-kavaca — The Armor of Lord Nārāyaṇa
आत्मानं परमं ध्यायेद् ध्येयं षट्शक्तिभिर्युतम् । विद्यातेजस्तपोमूर्तिमिमं मन्त्रमुदाहरेत् ॥ ११ ॥
ātmānaṁ paramaṁ dhyāyed dhyeyaṁ ṣaṭ-śaktibhir yutam vidyā-tejas-tapo-mūrtim imaṁ mantram udāharet
After completing the chanting, one should meditate that, in quality, he is one with the Supreme Personality, the Paramapuruṣa—endowed with the six opulences and worthy of meditation. Holding Him in the heart as the embodiment of sacred knowledge, divine splendor, and austerity, one should then recite this protective prayer to Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca.
FAQs
This verse instructs meditating on the Supreme Lord as the highest object of contemplation—endowed with six potencies—and then reciting the protective mantra, forming the inner basis of the Narayana-kavacha.
To establish that the Lord is not merely a deity to be invoked externally, but the very embodiment of spiritual knowledge, divine power, and purifying austerity—making the mantra effective when recited with proper understanding and meditation.
Before chanting prayers for protection, first center the mind on the Supreme Lord with reverence and clarity, then chant steadily—treating the practice as both meditation and surrender rather than a mechanical ritual.