Budha Kavacham
Budha Kavacham
बुध कवचम्
अस्य श्रीबुधकवचस्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य, कश्यप ऋषिः,
अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, बुधो देवता, बुधप्रीत्यर्थं जपे विनियोगः ।
अथ बुध कवचम्
बुधस्तु पुस्तकधरः कुङ्कुमस्य समद्युतिः ।
पीताम्बरधरः पातु पीतमाल्यानुलेपनः ॥ 1 ॥
कटिं च पातु मे सौम्यः शिरोदेशं बुधस्तथा ।
नेत्रे ज्ञानमयः पातु श्रोत्रे पातु निशाप्रियः ॥ 2 ॥
घ्राणं गन्धप्रियः पातु जिह्वां विद्याप्रदो मम ।
कण्ठं पातु विधोः पुत्रो भुजौ पुस्तकभूषणः ॥ 3 ॥
वक्षः पातु वराङ्गश्च हृदयं रोहिणीसुतः ।
नाभिं पातु सुराराध्यो मध्यं पातु खगेश्वरः ॥ 4 ॥
जानुनी रौहिणेयश्च पातु जङ्घे??उखिलप्रदः ।
पादौ मे बोधनः पातु पातु सौम्यो??उखिलं वपुः ॥ 5 ॥
अथ फलश्रुतिः
एतद्धि कवचं दिव्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ।
सर्वरोगप्रशमनं सर्वदुःखनिवारणम् ॥ 6 ॥
आयुरारोग्यशुभदं पुत्रपौत्रप्रवर्धनम् ।
यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि सर्वत्र विजयी भवेत् ॥ 7 ॥
॥ इति श्रीब्रह्मवैवर्तपुराणे बुधकवचं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
About This Stotram
Overview
The Budha Kavacham is a 7-verse Sanskrit kavacham dedicated to Lord Budha, the deity of the planet Mercury. The text follows the standard kavacham structure, with an invocation naming Kashyapa as the rishi, Anushtup as the chandas, and Budha as the devata, and is used as a protective hymn to counter adverse astrological effects of Mercury. It belongs to the Navagraha kavacham tradition within Hindu devotional practice.
What are the benefits of chanting Budha Kavacham?
- Protection from Mercury's malefic astrological influences
- Enhancement of intellect, memory, and speech
- Improved communication and success in education
- Removal of obstacles related to Mercury's placement in the horoscope
When is the best time to recite this?
Wednesday (Budhavara) is considered the most auspicious day for reciting this kavacham. The Mercury hora on any given day is also recommended. It is particularly practiced during Mercury's dasha or antardasha periods, or when a practitioner seeks protection from communication-related difficulties or mental disturbances.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Kavachams as a class of protective hymns became prevalent in the Puranic and Tantric periods of Hinduism. The structural elements of this kavacham, including the attribution of rishi, chandas, and devata in the viniyoga, align with the conventions of Vedic hymnology and suggest a composition shaped by learned practitioners. The seer listed as Kashyapa connects the text to the prestigious Vedic lineage associated with that rishi. The exact date of composition and the individual author are not known. The tradition of Graha kavachams developed as a response to the integration of Vedic astrology with devotional practice.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Budha Ashtottara Sata Namavali — the 108-name hymn for Mercury, commonly recited alongside the kavacham
- Bruhaspati Kavacham — the kavacham for Jupiter, part of the same Navagraha protective hymn tradition