Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9
The Exposition of Hanumān’s Protective Kavaca
Māruti-kavaca
ऊर्द्ध पातु कपिश्रेष्ठः केसरिप्रियनंदनः । अधस्ताद्विष्णुभक्तस्तु पातु मध्ये च पावनिः ॥ ९ ॥
ūrddha pātu kapiśreṣṭhaḥ kesaripriyanaṃdanaḥ | adhastādviṣṇubhaktastu pātu madhye ca pāvaniḥ || 9 ||
Nguyện bậc tối thượng trong loài khỉ, người con yêu dấu làm Kesarin hoan hỷ, hộ trì con từ phía trên. Nguyện vị bhakta của Viṣṇu hộ trì con từ phía dưới; và nguyện Đấng Tịnh Hóa hộ trì con ở giữa.
Narada (as a protective stotra/mantra within the teaching context)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It invokes all-direction protection (above, below, and the middle) through remembrance of Hanumān—praised as the foremost monkey and exemplary devotee of Viṣṇu—showing that bhakti itself becomes a shield.
By identifying the protector specifically as “viṣṇu-bhakta,” the verse teaches that unwavering devotion to Viṣṇu is the defining power behind spiritual protection, with Hanumān presented as the model of such bhakti.
It reflects practical mantra-recitation structure used in ritual protection (rakṣā): directional safeguarding (ūrdhva/adhastāt/madhye) and epithets (nāma-guṇa) as sanctioned mnemonic/phonetic aids aligned with Śikṣā-style disciplined chanting.