Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 73

The Account of Kārtavīrya’s Protective Kavaca

Kārtavīrya-kavaca-vṛttānta

Devanagari script

चातुर्थिकाः पाक्षिकाश्च मास्याः षाण्मासिकाश्च ये । सांवत्सरा दुर्निवार्या ज्वराः परमदारुणाः ॥ ७३ ॥

Transliteration

cāturthikāḥ pākṣikāśca māsyāḥ ṣāṇmāsikāśca ye | sāṃvatsarā durnivāryā jvarāḥ paramadāruṇāḥ || 73 ||

Translation

ไข้ที่กลับมาในวันที่สี่ ไข้รายปักษ์ ไข้รายเดือน ไข้ทุกหกเดือน และไข้ยืดเยื้อทั้งปี—ล้วนร้ายแรงยิ่งและยากจะปัดเป่า

Word by Word

• चातुर्थिकाः: four-day (fevers)
• चातुर्थिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चातुर्थिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (jvarāḥ understood)

• पाक्षिकाः: fortnightly (fevers)
• पाक्षिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• मास्याः: monthly (fevers)
• मास्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (epic variant -yāḥ for -yāḥ/-yāḥ; here meaning -yāḥ≈-yāḥ/-yāḥ; intended: मास्याः = मासिकाः); विशेषण

• षाण्मासिकाः: six-monthly (fevers)
• षाण्मासिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षाण्मासिक (प्रातिपदिक: षाण्/षट् + मासिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः द्विगु (षाण्मासिक = six-monthly)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• ये: which
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• सांवत्सराः: year-long/annual (fevers)
• सांवत्सराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दुर्निवार्याः: hard to avert
• दुर्निवार्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्निवार्य (प्रातिपदिक: दुर् + निवार्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (hard-to-ward-off)

• ज्वराः: fevers
• ज्वराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• परमदारुणाः: extremely dreadful
• परमदारुणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (exceedingly + dreadful)

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a technical/śāstric register within Book 1.3)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka (fear)

Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)

FAQs

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

It highlights that suffering can manifest in patterned, time-bound cycles; recognizing the nature of affliction (here, recurring fevers) is the first step toward disciplined remedy—combining śāstric knowledge, right conduct, and appropriate healing measures.

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

While the verse is primarily technical (disease classification), it supports Bhakti indirectly by teaching vigilance and steadiness: prolonged or recurring illness can obstruct sādhana, so understanding and addressing it protects one’s capacity for worship, japa, and dharmic living.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

A time-based diagnostic framework—classifying jvara by recurrence intervals (fourth day, fortnight, month, half-year, year)—reflects the Purana’s technical-science strand in Book 1.3, aligned with systematic śāstra-style enumeration and applied knowledge.