Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham
Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham
devI mAhAtmyaM devi kavacam
OM namazcaNDikAyai
nyAsaH
asya zrI caNDI kavacasya | brahmA RSiH | anuSTup chandaH |
cAmuNDA devatA | aGganyAsokta mAtaro bIjam | navAvaraNo mantrazaktiH | digbandha devatAH tatvam | zrI jagadambA prItyarthe saptazatI pAThAGgatvena jape viniyogaH ||
OM namazcaNDikAyai
mArkaNDeya uvAca |
OM yadguhyaM paramaM loke sarvarakSAkaraM nRNAm |
yanna kasyacidAkhyAtaM tanme brUhi pitAmaha || 1 ||
brahmovAca |
asti guhyatamaM vipra sarvabhUtopakArakam |
devyAstu kavacaM puNyaM tacchRNuSva mahAmune || 2 ||
prathamaM zailaputrI ca dvitIyaM brahmacAriNI |
tRtIyaM candraghaNTeti kUSmANDeti caturthakam || 3 ||
paJcamaM skandamAteti SaSThaM kAtyAyanIti ca |
saptamaM kAlarAtrIti mahAgaurIti cASTamam || 4 ||
navamaM siddhidAtrI ca navadurgAH prakIrtitAH |
uktAnyetAni nAmAni brahmaNaiva mahAtmanA || 5 ||
agninA dahyamAnastu zatrumadhye gato raNe |
viSame durgame caiva bhayArtAH zaraNaM gatAH || 6 ||
na teSAM jAyate kiJcidazubhaM raNasaGkaTe |
nApadaM tasya pazyAmi zokaduHkhabhayaM na hi || 7 ||
yaistu bhaktyA smRtA nUnaM teSAM vRddhiH prajAyate |
ye tvAM smaranti devezi rakSase tAnnasaMzayaH || 8 ||
pretasaMsthA tu cAmuNDA vArAhI mahiSAsanA |
aindrI gajasamArUDhA vaiSNavI garuDAsanA || 9 ||
mAhezvarI vRSArUDhA kaumArI zikhivAhanA |
lakSmIH padmAsanA devI padmahastA haripriyA || 10 ||
zvetarUpadharA devI IzvarI vRSavAhanA |
brAhmI haMsasamArUDhA sarvAbharaNabhUSitA || 11 ||
ityetA mAtaraH sarvAH sarvayogasamanvitAH |
nAnAbharaNAzobhADhyA nAnAratnopazobhitAH || 12 ||
dRzyante rathamArUDhA devyaH krodhasamAkulAH |
zaGkhaM cakraM gadAM zaktiM halaM ca musalAyudham || 13 ||
kheTakaM tomaraM caiva parazuM pAzameva ca |
kuntAyudhaM trizUlaM ca zArGgamAyudhamuttamam || 14 ||
daityAnAM dehanAzAya bhaktAnAmabhayAya ca |
dhArayantyAyudhAnItthaM devAnAM ca hitAya vai || 15 ||
namaste'stu mahAraudre mahAghoraparAkrame |
mahAbale mahotsAhe mahAbhayavinAzini || 16 ||
trAhi mAM devi duSprekSye zatrUNAM bhayavardhini |
prAcyAM rakSatu mAmaindrI AgneyyAmagnidevatA || 17 ||
dakSiNe'vatu vArAhI nairRtyAM khaDgadhAriNI |
pratIcyAM vAruNI rakSedvAyavyAM mRgavAhinI || 18 ||
udIcyAM pAtu kaumArI aizAnyAM zUladhAriNI |
UrdhvaM brahmANI me rakSedadhastAdvaiSNavI tathA || 19 ||
evaM daza dizo rakSeccAmuNDA zavavAhanA |
jayA me cAgrataH pAtu vijayA pAtu pRSThataH || 20 ||
ajitA vAmapArzve tu dakSiNe cAparAjitA |
zikhAmudyotinI rakSedumA mUrdhni vyavasthitA || 21 ||
mAlAdharI lalATe ca bhruvau rakSedyazasvinI |
trinetrA ca bhruvormadhye yamaghaNTA ca nAsike || 22 ||
zaGkhinI cakSuSormadhye zrotrayordvAravAsinI |
kapolau kAlikA rakSetkarNamUle tu zAGkarI || 23 ||
nAsikAyAM sugandhA ca uttaroSThe ca carcikA |
adhare cAmRtakalA jihvAyAM ca sarasvatI || 24 ||
dantAn rakSatu kaumArI kaNThadeze tu caNDikA |
ghaNTikAM citraghaNTA ca mahAmAyA ca tAluke || 25 ||
kAmAkSI cibukaM rakSedvAcaM me sarvamaGgalA |
grIvAyAM bhadrakAlI ca pRSThavaMze dhanurdharI || 26 ||
nIlagrIvA bahiH kaNThe nalikAM nalakUbarI |
skandhayoH khaDginI rakSedbAhU me vajradhAriNI || 27 ||
hastayordaNDinI rakSedambikA cAGgulISu ca |
nakhAJchUlezvarI rakSetkukSau rakSetkulezvarI || 28 ||
stanau rakSenmahAdevI manaHzokavinAzinI |
hRdaye lalitA devI udare zUladhAriNI || 29 ||
nAbhau ca kAminI rakSedguhyaM guhyezvarI tathA |
pUtanA kAmikA meDhraM gude mahiSavAhinI || 30 ||
kaTyAM bhagavatI rakSejjAnunI vindhyavAsinI |
jaGghe mahAbalA rakSetsarvakAmapradAyinI || 31 ||
gulphayornArasiMhI ca pAdapRSThe tu taijasI |
pAdAGgulISu zrI rakSetpAdAdhastalavAsinI || 32 ||
nakhAn daMSTrakarAlI ca kezAMzcaivordhvakezinI |
romakUpeSu kaumArI tvacaM vAgIzvarI tathA || 33 ||
raktamajjAvasAmAMsAnyasthimedAMsi pArvatI |
antrANi kAlarAtrizca pittaM ca mukuTezvarI || 34 ||
padmAvatI padmakoze kaphe cUDAmaNistathA |
jvAlAmukhI nakhajvAlAmabhedyA sarvasandhiSu || 35 ||
zukraM brahmANi! me rakSecchAyAM chatrezvarI tathA |
ahaGkAraM mano buddhiM rakSenme dharmadhAriNI || 36 ||
prANApAnau tathA vyAnamudAnaM ca samAnakam |
vajrahastA ca me rakSetprANaM kalyANazobhanA || 37 ||
rase rUpe ca gandhe ca zabde sparze ca yoginI |
sattvaM rajastamazcaiva rakSennArAyaNI sadA || 38 ||
AyU rakSatu vArAhI dharmaM rakSatu vaiSNavI |
yazaH kIrtiM ca lakSmIM ca dhanaM vidyAM ca cakriNI || 39 ||
gotramindrANi! me rakSetpazUnme rakSa caNDike |
putrAn rakSenmahAlakSmIrbhAryAM rakSatu bhairavI || 40 ||
panthAnaM supathA rakSenmArgaM kSemakarI tathA |
rAjadvAre mahAlakSmIrvijayA sarvataH sthitA || 41 ||
rakSAhInaM tu yat-sthAnaM varjitaM kavacena tu |
tatsarvaM rakSa me devi! jayantI pApanAzinI || 42 ||
padamekaM na gacchettu yadIcchecchubhamAtmanaH |
kavacenAvRto nityaM yatra yatraiva gacchati || 43 ||
tatra tatrArthalAbhazca vijayaH sArvakAmikaH |
yaM yaM cintayate kAmaM taM taM prApnoti nizcitam || 44 ||
paramaizvaryamatulaM prApsyate bhUtale pumAn |
nirbhayo jAyate martyaH saGgrAmeSvaparAjitaH || 45 ||
trailokye tu bhavetpUjyaH kavacenAvRtaH pumAn |
idaM tu devyAH kavacaM devAnAmapi durlabham || 46 ||
yaH paThetprayato nityaM trisandhyaM zraddhayAnvitaH |
daivIkalA bhavettasya trailokyeSvaparAjitaH | 47 ||
jIvedvarSazataM sAgramapamRtyuvivarjitaH |
nazyanti vyAdhayaH sarve lUtAvisphoTakAdayaH || 48 ||
sthAvaraM jaGgamaM caiva kRtrimaM caiva yadviSam |
abhicArANi sarvANi mantrayantrANi bhUtale || 49 ||
bhUcarAH khecarAzcaiva julajAzcopadezikAH |
sahajA kulajA mAlA DAkinI zAkinI tathA || 50 ||
antarikSacarA ghorA DAkinyazca mahAbalAH |
grahabhUtapizAcAzca yakSagandharvarAkSasAH || 51 ||
brahmarAkSasavetAlAH kUSmANDA bhairavAdayaH |
nazyanti darzanAttasya kavace hRdi saMsthite || 52 ||
mAnonnatirbhavedrAjJastejovRddhikaraM param |
yazasA vardhate so'pi kIrtimaNDitabhUtale || 53 ||
japetsaptazatIM caNDIM kRtvA tu kavacaM purA |
yAvadbhUmaNDalaM dhatte sazailavanakAnanam || 54 ||
tAvattiSThati medinyAM santatiH putrapautrikI |
dehAnte paramaM sthAnaM yatsurairapi durlabham || 55 ||
prApnoti puruSo nityaM mahAmAyAprasAdataH |
labhate paramaM rUpaM zivena saha modate || 56 ||
|| iti vArAhapurANe hariharabrahma viracitaM devyAH kavacaM sampUrNam ||
About This Stotram
Overview
The Devi Kavacham is a 55-verse Sanskrit protective hymn (kavacham) that forms part of the ancillary texts of the Devi Mahatmyam in the Markandeya Purana. The text enumerates the different forms of the goddess who guard each part of the devotee's body, creating a comprehensive divine armor. It is a standard component of the full Chandipatha (Devi Mahatmyam recitation) and belongs to the Shakta Puranic tradition.
What are the benefits of chanting Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham?
- The kavacham explicitly assigns a form of the goddess to protect each body part, functioning as a systematic prayer for physical protection.
- Recitation before the main Saptasati text is traditional, and is held to make the overall practice more effective.
- Chanting invokes Durga's omnipresent protective aspect, covering threats from multiple directions and sources.
- The text is used as a standalone protective prayer outside of the full Chandipatha context.
- Regular recitation is associated with courage, removal of obstacles, and spiritual fortification.
When is the best time to recite this?
Morning and evening recitations during Navaratri are the most common occasions. In the full Chandipatha sequence, the Kavacham is recited alongside the Argala Stotram and Kilaka Stotram before the thirteen chapters of the Saptasati. It can also be recited independently at any time for protection.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Devi Kavacham belongs to the Markandeya Purana and is part of the preparatory texts (angas) of the Devi Mahatmyam. The Markandeya Purana is generally dated between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. Within the text, the origin of the Kavacham is attributed to Brahma, who revealed it to the sage Markandeya. The kavacham genre, in which divine names or forms are systematically assigned to protect specific body parts, is a well-established form within both Puranic and Tantric literature. The authorship of the Devi Mahatmyam as a whole is not attributed to a single identified individual.
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
- Devi Mahatmyam Argala Stotram — the other principal preparatory text recited before the Saptasati in the Chandipatha sequence.
- Devi Mahatmyam Durga Saptasati Chapter 1 — the first chapter of the main text that follows the preparatory stotrams.
- Lalita Sahasranama Kavacham — a related kavacham from the Sri Vidya tradition that uses a similar structure of assigning goddess names to body parts.