Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

सुकुमारो हनुं पातु भ्रूयुगं मे धनुर्धरः । नयनं पुंमडरीकाक्षगो नासिकां मे गुणाकरः ॥ ३४ ॥

Transliteration

sukumāro hanuṃ pātu bhrūyugaṃ me dhanurdharaḥ | nayanaṃ puṃmaḍarīkākṣago nāsikāṃ me guṇākaraḥ || 34 ||

Translation

സുകുമാരൻ എന്റെ ഹനുവിനെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ; ധനുർധരൻ എന്റെ ഭ്രൂയുഗത്തെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ. പുണ്ഡരീകാക്ഷൻ എന്റെ നയനങ്ങളെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ; ഗുണാകരൻ എന്റെ നാസികയെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• सु-कुमारः: the very gentle/beautiful youth
• सु-कुमारः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: 'सुन्दरः कुमारः'

• हनुम्: jaw/chin
• हनुम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पातु: may (he) protect
• पातु: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• भ्रू-युगम्: pair of eyebrows
• भ्रू-युगम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रू (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'भ्रुवोः युगम्'

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), षष्ठी (Gen./6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• धनुः-धरः: bow-bearer
• धनुः-धरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'धनुः धरति इति'

• नयनम्: eye
• नयनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुम्-मडरीक-अक्ष-गः: lotus-eyed (epithet)
• पुम्-मडरीक-अक्ष-गः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम् (प्रातिपदिक) + मडरीक/मण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि (epithet): 'यस्य अक्षे मडरीकं (कमलवत्) ...' (textual form puṃmaḍarīkākṣa-); गः = 'having/going' as suffixal member

• नासिकाम्: nose
• नासिकाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Acc./2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), षष्ठी (Gen./6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुण-आकरः: mine of virtues
• गुण-आकरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'गुणानाम् आकरः'

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada a protective limb-mantra/nyasa)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It applies divine names as a protective covering for specific bodily parts, turning the body into a field of remembrance (smaraṇa) and surrender to Vishnu as the inner guardian.

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

Bhakti here is practical: the devotee repeatedly invokes Vishnu’s epithets while mentally placing them on the limbs, cultivating constant dependence on the Lord rather than on personal strength.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse reflects a technical, applied use of mantra—akin to nyāsa and viniyoga—showing disciplined recitation and mental placement, a method often taught alongside ritual procedure and phonetic precision (śikṣā).