Budha Kavacham
Budha Kavacham
Budha Kavacham
budha kavacam
asya śrībudhakavacastotramantrasya, kaśyapa ṛṣiḥ,
anuṣṭup chandaḥ, budho devatā, budhaprītyarthaṃ jape viniyogaḥ |
atha budha kavacam
budhastu pustakadharaḥ kuṅkumasya samadyutiḥ |
pītāmbaradharaḥ pātu pītamālyānulepanaḥ || 1 ||
kaṭiṃ ca pātu me saumyaḥ śirodeśaṃ budhastathā |
netre jñānamayaḥ pātu śrotre pātu niśāpriyaḥ || 2 ||
ghrāṇaṃ gandhapriyaḥ pātu jihvāṃ vidyāprado mama |
kaṇṭhaṃ pātu vidhoḥ putro bhujau pustakabhūṣaṇaḥ || 3 ||
vakṣaḥ pātu varāṅgaśca hṛdayaṃ rohiṇīsutaḥ |
nābhiṃ pātu surārādhyo madhyaṃ pātu khageśvaraḥ || 4 ||
jānunī rauhiṇeyaśca pātu jaṅghe??ukhilapradaḥ |
pādau me bodhanaḥ pātu pātu saumyo??ukhilaṃ vapuḥ || 5 ||
atha phalaśrutiḥ
etaddhi kavacaṃ divyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam |
sarvarogapraśamanaṃ sarvaduḥkhanivāraṇam || 6 ||
āyurārogyaśubhadaṃ putrapautrapravardhanam |
yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi sarvatra vijayī bhavet || 7 ||
|| iti śrībrahmavaivartapurāṇe budhakavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||
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