Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43
The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca
Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta
तत्सर्वं पातु मे सर्वलोकनाथेश्वरेश्वरः । वज्रात्सारतरं चेदं शरीरं कवचावृतम् ॥ ४३ ॥
tatsarvaṃ pātu me sarvalokanātheśvareśvaraḥ | vajrātsārataraṃ cedaṃ śarīraṃ kavacāvṛtam || 43 ||
សូមព្រះអង្គអធិបតីដ៏អធិបតី—ជាព្រះម្ចាស់លើសលប់ ទោះលើព្រះម្ចាស់នៃលោកទាំងអស់—ការពារខ្ញុំគ្រប់វិធី។ ដោយកាយនេះគ្របដោយកវចៈការពារ សូមឲ្យកាយនេះរឹងមាំជាងវជ្រៈ។
Narada (as the reciter/teacher of the kavacha-prayoga within the dialogue tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It asserts that true protection comes from the Supreme Lord, and that a kavacha functions as devotional surrender that makes the practitioner inwardly firm—“vajra-like”—against fear, harm, and instability.
Bhakti is shown as refuge-taking (śaraṇāgati): the devotee appeals to the highest Lord as the sole protector, and the kavacha becomes an expression of constant remembrance and dependence on divine grace.
It reflects mantra-prayoga (applied recitation) used in ritual and protective contexts—how a structured kavacha is invoked for safeguarding the body and mind, aligning with technical liturgical practice rather than abstract philosophy alone.