निवातकवच

{ nivātakavaca(s) }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

NIVĀTAKAVACA(S)   A sect of Daityas.
1) Birth.
Daityas were the off-springs of Kaśyapaprajāpati by Diti. Two sons called Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu and a daughter called Siṁhikā were born to the Prajāpati of Diti. Siṁhikā was married by Vipracitti and to them were born Rāhu and others who became famous as the Saiṁhikeyas. Hiraṇyakaśipu had four famous sons called Anuhlāda, Hlāda, Prahlāda (the great devotee of Viṣṇu) and Saṁhlāda. (Some texts refer to them as Anuhrāda, Hrāda, Prahrāda and Saṁhrāda). Hlāda's son was called Hrāda, Saṁhlāda's sons were called Āyuṣmān, Śibi and Bāṣkala, and Prahlāda's son was called Virocana. Mahābali was Virocana's son and Bāṇa was the eldest of the hundred sons of Mahābali. Four crores of asuras called Nivātakavacas were born in the family of Prahlāda. The army of the Asuras, which routed the Devas many a time, was formed by the Nivātakavacas and Kālakeyas. [Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 19] .
2) Fight against Rāvaṇa.
After securing boons from Brahmā Nivātakavacas lived in the city of Maṇimatī and they were a terror to the world. Rāvaṇa longed once to defeat them and so besieged their city with his army. The two sides fought fiercely for hundreds of years. At last Brahmā intervened and conciliated them. From that day onwards the Nivātakavacas became friends of Rāvaṇa. [Uttara Rāmāyaṇa] .
3) Annihilation.
The Nivātakavacas in company with the Kālakeyas attacked Devaloka. Indra, who could not withstand the attack, sent his charioteer Mātali to Arjuna and brought him down. Most of the Nivātakavacas and Kālakeyas were killed in the fight by Arjuna. (See under Kālakeya).

प्राचीन चरित्रकोश

निवातकवच n.  दैर्त्यो का एक दल । हिरण्यकशिपु पुत्र संह्राद के पुत्रों को यह ‘सामूहिक’ नाम प्राप्त था । इस दल के दैत्य रावण के मित्र थे, एवं इंद्र को भी अजेय थे [वा.रा.उ.२३] । पांडवों के वनवासकाल में अर्जुन के साथ इनका युद्ध हुआ, एवं अर्जुन ने इनका संहार किया [म.व.१६७.१०,१६९.२] ; [भा.५.२१४,६.६] ; [पद्म. सृ.६] ।
निवातकवच II. n.  कश्यप एवं पुलोमा के पौलोम तथा कालकेय नामक दैत्य पुत्रों के लिये प्रयुक्त सामूहिक नाम । इनकी संख्या साठ सहस्त्र या चौहत्तर सहस्त्र थी (कश्यप देखिये) ।

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

नि-वात—कवच  m.  m. one whose armour is imp°, N. of the grandson of हिरण्य-कषिपु

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नि वात कवच

pl. of a class of दानवs or दैत्यs, [MBh.]; [R.]; [Pur.]

Shabda-Sagara

निवातकवच  m.  ( -चः) A demon, the grandson of HIRANYAKASIPU.
E. निवात, and कवच a cuirass.

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निवात कवच