Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15

The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca

Māruti-kavaca

Devanagari script

लंकानिभंजनः पातु पृष्टदेशे निरंतरम् । नाभिं श्रीरामभक्तस्तु कटिं पात्वनिलात्मजः ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

laṃkānibhaṃjanaḥ pātu pṛṣṭadeśe niraṃtaram | nābhiṃ śrīrāmabhaktastu kaṭiṃ pātvanilātmajaḥ || 15 ||

Translation

Que le Destructeur de Laṅkā protège mon dos sans relâche. Que le dévot de Śrī Rāma protège mon nombril, et que le fils du Dieu du Vent protège ma taille.

Word by Word

• लङ्कानिभञ्जनः: destroyer of Lanka
• लङ्कानिभञ्जनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का + निभञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (लङ्कायाः निभञ्जनः/भञ्जनः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• पृष्ठदेशे: at the back region
• पृष्ठदेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (पृष्ठस्य देशः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• निरन्तरम्: constantly/without interruption
• निरन्तरम्: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नाभिम्: the navel
• नाभिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रीरामभक्तः: devotee of Śrī Rāma
• श्रीरामभक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीराम + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (श्रीरामस्य भक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कटिम्: the waist
• कटिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; in text as पात्व- due to sandhi with following vowel

• अनिलात्मजः: son of the Wind-god
• अनिलात्मजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (अनिलस्य आत्मजः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Sri Rama
• Hanuman (Anilatmaja)
• Anila (Vayu)

FAQs

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

It functions as a rakṣā-prayoga (protective invocation), assigning divine guardianship to specific body regions through remembrance of Śrī Rāma and Hanumān, reinforcing faith (śraddhā) and continuous God-consciousness.

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

Bhakti is shown as living reliance on the Lord and His greatest devotee: Śrī Rāma is invoked as the victorious protector, and Hanumān is praised by identity—‘Śrī Rāma’s devotee’—teaching that devotion itself becomes a channel of protection and grace.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-prayoga and nyāsa-like application (mapping protection to body parts), a practical ritual technique used in stotra/kavacha recitation, aligned with the Vedanga-oriented instructional tone of Book 1.3.