Shloka 16
Nārāyaṇa-kavaca — The Armor of Lord Nārāyaṇa
मामुग्रधर्मादखिलात्प्रमादा- न्नारायण: पातु नरश्च हासात् । दत्तस्त्वयोगादथ योगनाथ: पायाद्गुणेश: कपिल: कर्मबन्धात् ॥ १६ ॥
mām ugra-dharmād akhilāt pramādān nārāyaṇaḥ pātu naraś ca hāsāt dattas tv ayogād atha yoga-nāthaḥ pāyād guṇeśaḥ kapilaḥ karma-bandhāt
Que Nārāyaṇa me protège des voies religieuses fausses et excessives, et de la négligence qui me fait déchoir de mon devoir; et que le Seigneur en Sa forme de Nara me garde de l’orgueil. Que Dattātreya, maître du yoga, me préserve de toute chute dans le bhakti-yoga, et que Kapila, seigneur des vertus, me délivre des liens du karma.
FAQs
In this verse of the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca, the devotee prays that Lord Nārāyaṇa protect him from pramāda—heedlessness that leads one into danger and spiritual downfall.
The kavaca invokes specific divine personalities for specific vulnerabilities: Nārāyaṇa for protection from grave irreligion and negligence, Nara from frivolity, Datta from lack of yoga, and Kapila from karmic bondage.
Use it as a daily reminder to avoid carelessness, curb distracting humor that derails focus, maintain steady sādhana (yoga/bhakti practice), and act without entangling attachment—seeking shelter of the Lord.