Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

धनकर्या समायुक्तो महादुरित नाशनः । इष्वासनेषुधृक्पातु विदिशं मम वायवीम् ॥ २२ ॥

Transliteration

dhanakaryā samāyukto mahādurita nāśanaḥ | iṣvāsaneṣudhṛkpātu vidiśaṃ mama vāyavīm || 22 ||

Translation

ധനം‑സമൃദ്ധി നൽകുകയും മഹാദുരിതം നശിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന ധനുര്ധരനും ബാണധാരിയും ആയ പ്രഭു എന്റെ വായവീ (വടക്ക്‑പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിശയെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• धनकर्या-समायुक्तः: endowed with the dhana-karī (bestower of wealth)
• धनकर्या-समायुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनकर्या (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुक्त (कृदन्त; सम्-आ-युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-क्त ‘समायुक्त’

• महादुरित-नाशनः: destroyer of great sin/misfortune
• महादुरित-नाशनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महादुरित (प्रातिपदिक; महा+दुरित) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; √नश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘महद् दुरितं नाशयति’

• इष्वासन-इषुधृक्: the bearer of bow and arrows
• इष्वासन-इषुधृक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्वासन (प्रातिपदिक; इषु+आसन) + इषुधृक् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; इषु + √धृ धातु, ‘धृक्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—‘इष्वासनश्च इषुधृक् च’ (bow-holder and arrow-bearer)

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

• विदिशम्: the direction/quarter (Vidishā)
• विदिशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदिश्/विदिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मम: my / of me
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th, Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of me / my’

• वायवीम्: the north-western direction
• वायवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd, Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वायव्यां दिशि’ (north-west)

Speaker

Narada (in a protective/dik-bandha style invocation as part of the technical/ritual discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Vayu (as the directional deity/quarter)
• Archer-protector deity (unnamed in this verse)

FAQs

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

It functions as a protective invocation for a specific direction (the Vāyavī quarter), affirming that divine guardianship removes major sin and obstacles while establishing ritual safety.

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

Bhakti is expressed as trusting remembrance and surrender—calling upon a divine protector with reverence, seeking both inner purification (sin-destruction) and outer protection (guarding a direction).

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual procedure—directional assignment (dik-vibhāga) and protective sealing (dik-bandha) used in mantra-prayoga, a technical feature aligned with Vedic ritual sciences.