Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind

Chapter 8: The Narayana-kavaca Shield. Text 4-6

श्रीविश्वरूप उवाच
धौताङ्घ्रिपाणिराचम्य सपवित्र उदङ्मुखः ।
कृतस्वाङ्गकरन्यासो मन्त्राभ्यां वाग्यतः शुचिः ॥४॥
नारायणपरं वर्म सन्नह्येद् भय आगते ।
पादयोर्जानुनोरूर्वोरुदरे हृद्यथोरसि ॥५॥
मुखे शिरस्यानुपूर्व्यादोंकारादीनि विन्यसेत् ।
ॐ नमो नारायणायेति विपर्ययमथापि वा ॥६॥

Å›rÄ«-viÅ›varÅ«pa uvÄca
dhautÄá¹…ghri-pÄṇir Äcamya
sapavitra udaṅ-mukhaḥ
ká¹›ta-svÄá¹…ga-kara-nyÄso
mantrÄbhyÄá¹ vÄg-yataḥ Å›uciḥ
nÄrÄyaṇa-paraá¹ varma
sannahyed bhaya Ägate
pÄdayor jÄnunor Å«rvor
udare há¹›dy athorasi
mukhe Å›irasy ÄnupÅ«rvyÄd
oá¹kÄrÄdÄ«ni vinyaset
oá¹ namo nÄrÄyaṇÄyeti
viparyayam athÄpi vÄ

 Å›rÄ«-viÅ›varÅ«paḥ uvÄca - ÅšrÄ« ViÅ›varÅ«pa said; dhauta - having completely washed; aá¹…ghri - feet; pÄṇiḥ - hands; Äcamya - performing Äcamana (sipping a little water three times after chanting the prescribed mantra); sa-pavitraḥ - wearing rings made of kuÅ›a grass (on the ring finger of each hand); udak-mukhaḥ - sitting facing the north; ká¹›ta - making; sva-aá¹…ga-kara-nyÄsaḥ - mental assignment of the eight parts of the body and twelve parts of the hands; mantrÄbhyÄm - with the two mantras (oá¹ namo bhagavate vÄsudevÄya and oá¹ namo nÄrÄyaṇÄya); vÄk-yataḥ - keeping oneself silent; Å›uciḥ - being purified; nÄrÄyaṇa-param - fully intent on Lord NÄrÄyaṇa; varma - armor; sannahyet - put on oneself; bhaye - when fear; Ägate - has come; pÄdayoḥ - on the two legs; jÄnunoḥ - on the two knees; Å«rvoḥ - on the two thighs; udare - on the abdomen; há¹›di - on the heart; atha - thus; urasi - on the chest; mukhe - on the mouth; Å›irasi - on the head; ÄnupÅ«rvyÄt - one after another; oá¹kÄra-ÄdÄ«ni - beginning with oá¹kÄra; vinyaset - one should place; oá¹ - the praṇava; namaḥ - obeisances; nÄrÄyaṇÄya - unto NÄrÄyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iti - thus; viparyayam - the reverse; atha api - moreover; vÄ - or.


Text

ViÅ›varÅ«pa said: If some form of fear arrives, one should first wash his hands and legs clean and then perform Äcamana by chanting this mantra: om apavitraḥ pavitro vÄ sarvÄvasthÄá¹ gato ’pi vÄ/ yaḥ smaret puṇá¸arÄ«kÄká¹£aá¹ sa bahyÄbhyantaraḥ Å›uciḥ/ Å›rÄ«-viṣṇu Å›rÄ«-viṣṇu Å›rÄ«-viṣṇu. Then one should touch kuÅ›a grass and sit gravely and silently, facing north. When completely purified, one should touch the mantra composed of eight syllables to the eight parts of his body and touch the mantra composed of twelve syllables to his hands. Thus, in the following manner, he should bind himself with the NÄrÄyaṇa coat of armor. First, while chanting the mantra composed of eight syllables [oá¹ namo nÄrÄyaṇÄya], beginning with the praṇava, the syllable om, one should touch his hands to eight parts of his body, starting with the two feet and progressing systematically to the knees, thighs, abdomen, heart, chest, mouth and head. Then one should chant the mantra in reverse, beginning from the last syllable [ya], while touching the parts of his body in the reverse order. These two processes are known as utpatti-nyÄsa and saá¹hÄra-nyÄsa respectively.

Purport