Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 138

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

इति श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे पूर्वभागे बृहदुपाख्याने तृतीयपादे कार्तवीर्यकवचकथनं नाम सप्तसप्ततितोमोऽध्यायः ॥ ७७ ॥

Transliteration

iti śrībṛhannāradīyapurāṇe pūrvabhāge bṛhadupākhyāne tṛtīyapāde kārtavīryakavacakathanaṃ nāma saptasaptatitomo'dhyāyaḥ || 77 ||

Translation

Demikian berakhir Bab Ketujuh Puluh Tujuh, bernama “Kisah Kavaca Pelindung Kārtavīrya”, dalam Pūrva-bhāga (Bahagian Pertama) Śrī Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa, di dalam Bṛhad-upākhyāna (Naratif Agung), pada Pada Ketiga.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसंहारार्थक-अव्यय (quotative/closing particle)

• श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे: in the Śrī Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa
• श्रीबृहन्नारदीयपुराणे: अधिकरण (Location/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + बृहत् + नारदीय + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (title-compound; determinative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वभागे: in the first part
• पूर्वभागे: अधिकरण (Location/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बृहदुपाख्याने: in the great narrative (section)
• बृहदुपाख्याने: अधिकरण (Location/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत् + उपाख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘great’ + ‘episode’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृतीयपादे: in the third pāda/section
• तृतीयपादे: अधिकरण (Location/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीय + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘third’ + ‘quarter/section’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्तवीर्यकवचकथनम्: the narration of Kartavīrya’s armor (hymn)
• कार्तवीर्यकवचकथनम्: विषय/नामधेय (Topic/title)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तवीर्य + कवच + कथन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): कार्तवीर्यस्य कवचस्य कथनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: named
• नाम: नामनिर्देशक (Title marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (indeclinable indicating ‘named/called’)

• सप्तसप्ततितमः: seventy-seventh
• सप्तसप्ततितमः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + सप्तति + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numeral compound) ‘77th’; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) अध्यायः

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; in colophon sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (colophon/section-closure formula; not part of the dialogue content)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhan-Nāradīya Purāṇa
• Kārtavīrya

FAQs

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

This is a colophon that seals the teaching by formally marking the completion of Adhyāya 77, preserving textual integrity and indicating the precise placement of the Kārtavīrya-kavaca narrative within the Third Pada of the Pūrva-bhāga.

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

It does not directly teach bhakti; instead, it frames the devotional/ritual content by naming the chapter topic (kavaca), which is commonly used as a faith-based protective recitation within Purāṇic practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse highlights textual organization and transmission practice—chapter titling, sectioning (pāda), and colophon conventions—supporting accurate preservation and recitation, which underpins applied disciplines like mantra-prayoga and ritual procedure.