Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 126

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

सप्तविंशतिधा जप्त्वा प्राचीदिग्वदनः पुमान् । देवासुरनिभं चापि परचक्रं निवारयेत् ॥ १२६ ॥

Transliteration

saptaviṃśatidhā japtvā prācīdigvadanaḥ pumān | devāsuranibhaṃ cāpi paracakraṃ nivārayet || 126 ||

Translation

Facing the eastern quarter, a man who recites this twenty-seven times can ward off even an enemy host, whether of the nature of devas or of asuras.

Word by Word

• सप्तविंशतिधा: twenty-seven times / in 27-fold manner
• सप्तविंशतिधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तविंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + धा (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण; ‘-धा’ प्रत्ययेन ‘सप्तविंशतिधा’ = 27 प्रकारेण/27 वारम्

• जप्त्वा: having recited (muttered)
• जप्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘जप्’ धातोः; पूर्वक्रिया—“having recited/muttered”

• प्राची-दिक्-वदनः: a man facing the eastern direction
• प्राची-दिक्-वदनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—प्राचीदिक् (पूर्वदिशा) इति षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावेन + वदनः (मुखः) = “पूर्वदिशामुखः/पूर्वाभिमुखः”

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘पुमान्’ = पुमांस्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्

• देव-असुर-निभम्: resembling gods and demons
• देव-असुर-निभम्: Karma (कर्म) विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘देव’ + ‘असुर’ इति द्वन्द्वसमासः (देवासुर) + ‘निभ’ (सदृश) विशेषणम्; कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्

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

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• पर-चक्रम्: the enemy force/army
• पर-चक्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः—परस्य चक्रम् = “शत्रोः सैन्यम्/बलम्”

• निवारयेत्: should ward off / repel
• निवारयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; causative sense in usage: “should ward off/prevent”

Speaker

Narada (in instruction mode within a technical/ritual context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

FAQs

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

It presents a prayoga (practical application) of mantra-japa: correct direction (east) and a fixed count (27) are treated as spiritually potent parameters that generate protective efficacy (rakṣā) against hostile influences.

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

While primarily technical, it implies bhakti through disciplined remembrance (japa) and reliance on sacred sound; protection is framed as a fruit of faithful, rule-bound recitation rather than mere physical strength.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-prayoga principles used in ritual science: dik-niyama (directional rule—facing east) and saṅkhyā-niyama (numerical rule—27 recitations), both central to applied Vedic ritual procedure.