Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36

The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca

Māruti-kavaca

Devanagari script

वायुपुत्राय वीराय आकाशोदरगामिने । वनपालशिरश्छेत्रे लंकाप्रासादभंजिने ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

vāyuputrāya vīrāya ākāśodaragāmine | vanapālaśiraśchetre laṃkāprāsādabhaṃjine || 36 ||

Translation

Salutations to the heroic son of Vāyu, who moves through the vast expanse of the sky; who cut down the head of the forest-guardian, and who shattered the palaces of Laṅkā.

Word by Word

• वायु-पुत्राय: to the son of Vāyu
• वायु-पुत्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वायोः पुत्रः)

• वीराय: to the hero
• वीराय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• आकाश-उदर-गामिने: to the sky-roaming one
• आकाश-उदर-गामिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आकाशम् उदरं यस्य/आकाशे उदरवत् गच्छति—idiomatic epithet)

• वन-पाल-शिरः-छेत्रे: to the cutter of the heads of the forest-guards
• वन-पाल-शिरः-छेत्रे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + छेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वनपालानां शिरसां छेत्रम् = छेदनम्/कर्तनम्)

• लङ्का-प्रासाद-भञ्जिने: to the breaker of Laṅkā’s palaces
• लङ्का-प्रासाद-भञ्जिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक) + भञ्जिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लङ्कायाः प्रासादान् भञ्जयति)

Speaker

Narada (hymnic praise within a stotra-style passage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Hanuman
• Vayu
• Lanka

FAQs

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

The verse functions as a devotional salutation to Hanumān, remembering his divine strength and service; such remembrance is presented as a bhakti-practice that invokes protection, courage, and steadfastness in dharma.

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

By praising Hanumān’s heroic deeds done in service, it models bhakti as loving remembrance (smaraṇa) and glorification (kīrtana) of the Lord’s foremost devotee—thereby strengthening devotion to Rāma/Vishnu’s avatāra-lineage.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Primarily Vyākaraṇa/semantic clarity: the epithets are karmadhāraya/tatpuruṣa-style compounds (e.g., laṅkā-prāsāda-bhañjine) that encode narrative meaning concisely, illustrating how Sanskrit compound formation carries precise devotional content.