Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca

Māruti-kavaca

Devanagari script

नखान्नाखायुधः पातु कुक्षौ पातु कपीश्वरः । वक्षो मुद्रापहारी च पातु पार्श्वे भुजायुधः ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

nakhānnākhāyudhaḥ pātu kukṣau pātu kapīśvaraḥ | vakṣo mudrāpahārī ca pātu pārśve bhujāyudhaḥ || 14 ||

Translation

Que Nakhāyudha, dont l’arme est l’ongle, me protège aux ongles ; que Kapīśvara, Seigneur des vānara, protège le ventre. Que Mudrāpahārī protège la poitrine, et que Bhujāyudha, dont l’arme est le bras, protège les flancs.

Word by Word

• नखात्: from the nails
• नखात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; used adverbially ‘from/with the nails’

• नखायुधः: he whose weapon is (his) nails
• नखायुधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (नखाः आयुधं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कुक्षौ: in the belly/at the abdomen
• कुक्षौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• कपीश्वरः: lord of the monkeys
• कपीश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (कपीनाम् ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्षः: the chest
• वक्षः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; here द्वितीया (Karma) ‘the chest’

• मुद्रापहारी: stealer of the signet-ring
• मुद्रापहारी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्रा + अपहारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (मुद्रां अपहरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

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

• पार्श्वे: at the side/flank
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (also used as masculine in some traditions), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• भुजायुधः: he whose weapon is (his) arms
• भुजायुधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज + आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (भुजः/भुजौ आयुधं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (in a protective mantra/stotra context within the Adhyaya)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kapishvara (Hanuman)

FAQs

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

It functions as a rakṣā-verse, assigning divine guardianship to specific parts of the body, expressing surrender and invoking protective aspects of the Lord/His devotees to remove fear and obstacles.

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

Bhakti is shown as reliance on the divine protector through remembrance and invocation—devotion expressed as trusting the Lord’s names/forms to guard one’s body and life.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-prayoga and nyāsa-like application (placing protection on body-parts through recitation), aligning with disciplined recitation and phonetic precision emphasized in Vedāṅga traditions such as Śikṣā.