Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14
The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca
Māruti-kavaca
नखान्नाखायुधः पातु कुक्षौ पातु कपीश्वरः । वक्षो मुद्रापहारी च पातु पार्श्वे भुजायुधः ॥ १४ ॥
nakhānnākhāyudhaḥ pātu kukṣau pātu kapīśvaraḥ | vakṣo mudrāpahārī ca pātu pārśve bhujāyudhaḥ || 14 ||
नखांचे रक्षण नखायुध करो; कुक्षीचे रक्षण कपीश्वर करो। वक्षस्थळाचे रक्षण मुद्रापहारी करो; आणि पार्श्वांचे रक्षण भुजायुध करो॥१४॥
Narada (in a protective mantra/stotra context within the Adhyaya)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It functions as a rakṣā-verse, assigning divine guardianship to specific parts of the body, expressing surrender and invoking protective aspects of the Lord/His devotees to remove fear and obstacles.
Bhakti is shown as reliance on the divine protector through remembrance and invocation—devotion expressed as trusting the Lord’s names/forms to guard one’s body and life.
It reflects mantra-prayoga and nyāsa-like application (placing protection on body-parts through recitation), aligning with disciplined recitation and phonetic precision emphasized in Vedāṅga traditions such as Śikṣā.