Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13

The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca

Māruti-kavaca

Devanagari script

पातु कंठे तु दैत्यारिः स्कंधौ पातु सुरारिजित् । भुजौ पातु महातेजाः करौ च चरणायुधः ॥ १३ ॥

Transliteration

pātu kaṃṭhe tu daityāriḥ skaṃdhau pātu surārijit | bhujau pātu mahātejāḥ karau ca caraṇāyudhaḥ || 13 ||

Translation

Que le Pourfendeur des daitya protège ma gorge ; que le Vainqueur des ennemis des devas protège mes épaules. Que le Très-Rayonnant protège mes bras, et que Celui dont les pieds sont l’arme protège mes mains.

Word by Word

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/विधिलिङ् sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• कण्ठे: in the throat/at the neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and/then
• तु: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), emphasis/contrast

• दैत्यारिः: enemy of the demons
• दैत्यारिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: दैत्यानाम् अरिः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्कन्धौ: the two shoulders
• स्कन्धौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति रूप (Nominative/Accusative dual); here Locative sense intended by context ‘on the shoulders’ but form is dual; taken as द्वितीया (Karma) with implied ‘protect (the) shoulders’

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुरारिजित्: conqueror of the enemies of the gods
• सुरारिजित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + अरि + जित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (सुराणाम् अरयः—तान् जितवान्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भुजौ: the two arms
• भुजौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूप; here द्वितीया (Accusative/Karma) with implied ‘protect the arms’

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महातेजाः: the great-splendoured one
• महातेजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (महत्तेजः यस्य/महत्तेजः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करौ: the two hands
• करौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्विवचन; प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूप; here द्वितीया (Karma) ‘the two hands’

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

• चरणायुधः: he whose weapon is his feet
• चरणायुधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (चरणः आयुधं यस्य/चरणेण आयुधम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching a protective, mantra-based application within the Vedanga/ritual-technical context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It applies Vishnu’s divine epithets as a body-guarding invocation (rakṣā/kavacha), aligning the devotee’s limbs with remembrance of the Lord as the destroyer of demonic forces and protector of dharma.

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

Bhakti here is practical and continuous: the devotee mentally places Vishnu’s protection on each body-part, turning daily embodied life into uninterrupted nāma-smaraṇa and surrender (śaraṇāgati).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-viniyoga in a kavacha format—structured assignment of divine names to specific limbs—showing a technical, ritualized use of sacred speech consistent with Vedanga-style applied practice.