Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

The Account of the Lalitā Hymn, the Protective Armor

Kavaca), and the Thousand Names (Sahasranāma

Devanagari script

पातु मामूर्ध्वतः शश्चद्दैवताकुलसुंदरी । अधो नीलपताकाख्या विजया सर्वतश्च माम् ॥ २८ ॥

Transliteration

pātu māmūrdhvataḥ śaścaddaivatākulasuṃdarī | adho nīlapatākākhyā vijayā sarvataśca mām || 28 ||

Translation

മുകളിൽ നിന്ന് ദേവഗണങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട സദാമംഗളമയിയായ സുന്ദരി ദേവി എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കട്ടെ; താഴെ നിന്ന് ‘നീലപതാകാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധയായ വിജയാ എന്നെ രക്ഷിക്കട്ടെ; അവൾ എല്ലാദിക്കുകളിലും എന്നെ കാത്തുകൊള്ളട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• पातु: may (she) protect
• पातु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/विधिलिङ् sense), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• ऊर्ध्वतः: from above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक (directional)

• शश्चत्: always
• शश्चत्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), कालवाचक (temporal)

• दैवताकुलसुन्दरी: the beautiful one of the divine host
• दैवताकुलसुन्दरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवता (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: दैवताकुलस्य सुन्दरी (beauty of the divine family/host)

• अधः: from below
• अधः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक (directional)

• नीलपताकाख्या: called ‘Nīlapatākā’
• नीलपताकाख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + पताका (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: नीलपताका-आख्या (named ‘Blue-bannered’)

• विजया: Vijayā
• विजया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वतः: from all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), सर्वदिक्/परितः (from all sides)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada a protective stotra/nyasa-style kavaca)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vijayā
• Nīlapatākā
• Daivata-gaṇa (divine hosts)

FAQs

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

It functions as a protective invocation (kavaca-style), assigning divine guardianship to the vertical directions—above and below—so the practitioner is symbolically enclosed by sacred protection.

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

Bhakti is expressed as surrender and remembrance: the devotee entrusts personal safety to divine powers (Vijayā/Nīlapatākā and the divine hosts), strengthening faith and continuous God-centered awareness.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied ritual procedure—directional protection and mantra-prayoga (kavaca/nyāsa logic), a technical, practice-oriented use of sacred speech aligned with Vedanga-style ritual discipline.