Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham
Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham
Devi Mahatmyam Devi Kavacham
devī māhātmyaṃ devi kavacam
oṃ namaścaṇḍikāyai
nyāsaḥ
asya śrī caṇḍī kavacasya | brahmā ṛṣiḥ | anuṣṭup chandaḥ |
cāmuṇḍā devatā | aṅganyāsokta mātaro bījam | navāvaraṇo mantraśaktiḥ | digbandha devatāḥ tatvam | śrī jagadambā prītyarthe saptaśatī pāṭhāṅgatvena jape viniyogaḥ ||
oṃ namaścaṇḍikāyai
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |
oṃ yadguhyaṃ paramaṃ loke sarvarakṣākaraṃ nṛṇām |
yanna kasyacidākhyātaṃ tanme brūhi pitāmaha || 1 ||
brahmovāca |
asti guhyatamaṃ vipra sarvabhūtopakārakam |
devyāstu kavacaṃ puṇyaṃ tacchṛṇuṣva mahāmune || 2 ||
prathamaṃ śailaputrī ca dvitīyaṃ brahmacāriṇī |
tṛtīyaṃ candraghaṇṭeti kūṣmāṇḍeti caturthakam || 3 ||
pañcamaṃ skandamāteti ṣaṣṭhaṃ kātyāyanīti ca |
saptamaṃ kālarātrīti mahāgaurīti cāṣṭamam || 4 ||
navamaṃ siddhidātrī ca navadurgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ |
uktānyetāni nāmāni brahmaṇaiva mahātmanā || 5 ||
agninā dahyamānastu śatrumadhye gato raṇe |
viṣame durgame caiva bhayārtāḥ śaraṇaṃ gatāḥ || 6 ||
na teṣāṃ jāyate kiñcidaśubhaṃ raṇasaṅkaṭe |
nāpadaṃ tasya paśyāmi śokaduḥkhabhayaṃ na hi || 7 ||
yaistu bhaktyā smṛtā nūnaṃ teṣāṃ vṛddhiḥ prajāyate |
ye tvāṃ smaranti deveśi rakṣase tānnasaṃśayaḥ || 8 ||
pretasaṃsthā tu cāmuṇḍā vārāhī mahiṣāsanā |
aindrī gajasamārūḍhā vaiṣṇavī garuḍāsanā || 9 ||
māheśvarī vṛṣārūḍhā kaumārī śikhivāhanā |
lakṣmīḥ padmāsanā devī padmahastā haripriyā || 10 ||
śvetarūpadharā devī īśvarī vṛṣavāhanā |
brāhmī haṃsasamārūḍhā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā || 11 ||
ityetā mātaraḥ sarvāḥ sarvayogasamanvitāḥ |
nānābharaṇāśobhāḍhyā nānāratnopaśobhitāḥ || 12 ||
dṛśyante rathamārūḍhā devyaḥ krodhasamākulāḥ |
śaṅkhaṃ cakraṃ gadāṃ śaktiṃ halaṃ ca musalāyudham || 13 ||
kheṭakaṃ tomaraṃ caiva paraśuṃ pāśameva ca |
kuntāyudhaṃ triśūlaṃ ca śārṅgamāyudhamuttamam || 14 ||
daityānāṃ dehanāśāya bhaktānāmabhayāya ca |
dhārayantyāyudhānītthaṃ devānāṃ ca hitāya vai || 15 ||
namaste'stu mahāraudre mahāghoraparākrame |
mahābale mahotsāhe mahābhayavināśini || 16 ||
trāhi māṃ devi duṣprekṣye śatrūṇāṃ bhayavardhini |
prācyāṃ rakṣatu māmaindrī āgneyyāmagnidevatā || 17 ||
dakṣiṇe'vatu vārāhī nairṛtyāṃ khaḍgadhāriṇī |
pratīcyāṃ vāruṇī rakṣedvāyavyāṃ mṛgavāhinī || 18 ||
udīcyāṃ pātu kaumārī aiśānyāṃ śūladhāriṇī |
ūrdhvaṃ brahmāṇī me rakṣedadhastādvaiṣṇavī tathā || 19 ||
evaṃ daśa diśo rakṣeccāmuṇḍā śavavāhanā |
jayā me cāgrataḥ pātu vijayā pātu pṛṣṭhataḥ || 20 ||
ajitā vāmapārśve tu dakṣiṇe cāparājitā |
śikhāmudyotinī rakṣedumā mūrdhni vyavasthitā || 21 ||
mālādharī lalāṭe ca bhruvau rakṣedyaśasvinī |
trinetrā ca bhruvormadhye yamaghaṇṭā ca nāsike || 22 ||
śaṅkhinī cakṣuṣormadhye śrotrayordvāravāsinī |
kapolau kālikā rakṣetkarṇamūle tu śāṅkarī || 23 ||
nāsikāyāṃ sugandhā ca uttaroṣṭhe ca carcikā |
adhare cāmṛtakalā jihvāyāṃ ca sarasvatī || 24 ||
dantān rakṣatu kaumārī kaṇṭhadeśe tu caṇḍikā |
ghaṇṭikāṃ citraghaṇṭā ca mahāmāyā ca tāluke || 25 ||
kāmākṣī cibukaṃ rakṣedvācaṃ me sarvamaṅgalā |
grīvāyāṃ bhadrakālī ca pṛṣṭhavaṃśe dhanurdharī || 26 ||
nīlagrīvā bahiḥ kaṇṭhe nalikāṃ nalakūbarī |
skandhayoḥ khaḍginī rakṣedbāhū me vajradhāriṇī || 27 ||
hastayordaṇḍinī rakṣedambikā cāṅgulīṣu ca |
nakhāñchūleśvarī rakṣetkukṣau rakṣetkuleśvarī || 28 ||
stanau rakṣenmahādevī manaḥśokavināśinī |
hṛdaye lalitā devī udare śūladhāriṇī || 29 ||
nābhau ca kāminī rakṣedguhyaṃ guhyeśvarī tathā |
pūtanā kāmikā meḍhraṃ gude mahiṣavāhinī || 30 ||
kaṭyāṃ bhagavatī rakṣejjānunī vindhyavāsinī |
jaṅghe mahābalā rakṣetsarvakāmapradāyinī || 31 ||
gulphayornārasiṃhī ca pādapṛṣṭhe tu taijasī |
pādāṅgulīṣu śrī rakṣetpādādhastalavāsinī || 32 ||
nakhān daṃṣṭrakarālī ca keśāṃścaivordhvakeśinī |
romakūpeṣu kaumārī tvacaṃ vāgīśvarī tathā || 33 ||
raktamajjāvasāmāṃsānyasthimedāṃsi pārvatī |
antrāṇi kālarātriśca pittaṃ ca mukuṭeśvarī || 34 ||
padmāvatī padmakośe kaphe cūḍāmaṇistathā |
jvālāmukhī nakhajvālāmabhedyā sarvasandhiṣu || 35 ||
śukraṃ brahmāṇi! me rakṣecchāyāṃ chatreśvarī tathā |
ahaṅkāraṃ mano buddhiṃ rakṣenme dharmadhāriṇī || 36 ||
prāṇāpānau tathā vyānamudānaṃ ca samānakam |
vajrahastā ca me rakṣetprāṇaṃ kalyāṇaśobhanā || 37 ||
rase rūpe ca gandhe ca śabde sparśe ca yoginī |
sattvaṃ rajastamaścaiva rakṣennārāyaṇī sadā || 38 ||
āyū rakṣatu vārāhī dharmaṃ rakṣatu vaiṣṇavī |
yaśaḥ kīrtiṃ ca lakṣmīṃ ca dhanaṃ vidyāṃ ca cakriṇī || 39 ||
gotramindrāṇi! me rakṣetpaśūnme rakṣa caṇḍike |
putrān rakṣenmahālakṣmīrbhāryāṃ rakṣatu bhairavī || 40 ||
panthānaṃ supathā rakṣenmārgaṃ kṣemakarī tathā |
rājadvāre mahālakṣmīrvijayā sarvataḥ sthitā || 41 ||
rakṣāhīnaṃ tu yat-sthānaṃ varjitaṃ kavacena tu |
tatsarvaṃ rakṣa me devi! jayantī pāpanāśinī || 42 ||
padamekaṃ na gacchettu yadīcchecchubhamātmanaḥ |
kavacenāvṛto nityaṃ yatra yatraiva gacchati || 43 ||
tatra tatrārthalābhaśca vijayaḥ sārvakāmikaḥ |
yaṃ yaṃ cintayate kāmaṃ taṃ taṃ prāpnoti niścitam || 44 ||
paramaiśvaryamatulaṃ prāpsyate bhūtale pumān |
nirbhayo jāyate martyaḥ saṅgrāmeṣvaparājitaḥ || 45 ||
trailokye tu bhavetpūjyaḥ kavacenāvṛtaḥ pumān |
idaṃ tu devyāḥ kavacaṃ devānāmapi durlabham || 46 ||
yaḥ paṭhetprayato nityaṃ trisandhyaṃ śraddhayānvitaḥ |
daivīkalā bhavettasya trailokyeṣvaparājitaḥ | 47 ||
jīvedvarṣaśataṃ sāgramapamṛtyuvivarjitaḥ |
naśyanti vyādhayaḥ sarve lūtāvisphoṭakādayaḥ || 48 ||
sthāvaraṃ jaṅgamaṃ caiva kṛtrimaṃ caiva yadviṣam |
abhicārāṇi sarvāṇi mantrayantrāṇi bhūtale || 49 ||
bhūcarāḥ khecarāścaiva julajāścopadeśikāḥ |
sahajā kulajā mālā ḍākinī śākinī tathā || 50 ||
antarikṣacarā ghorā ḍākinyaśca mahābalāḥ |
grahabhūtapiśācāśca yakṣagandharvarākṣasāḥ || 51 ||
brahmarākṣasavetālāḥ kūṣmāṇḍā bhairavādayaḥ |
naśyanti darśanāttasya kavace hṛdi saṃsthite || 52 ||
mānonnatirbhavedrājñastejovṛddhikaraṃ param |
yaśasā vardhate so'pi kīrtimaṇḍitabhūtale || 53 ||
japetsaptaśatīṃ caṇḍīṃ kṛtvā tu kavacaṃ purā |
yāvadbhūmaṇḍalaṃ dhatte saśailavanakānanam || 54 ||
tāvattiṣṭhati medinyāṃ santatiḥ putrapautrikī |
dehānte paramaṃ sthānaṃ yatsurairapi durlabham || 55 ||
prāpnoti puruṣo nityaṃ mahāmāyāprasādataḥ |
labhate paramaṃ rūpaṃ śivena saha modate || 56 ||
|| iti vārāhapurāṇe hariharabrahma viracitaṃ devyāḥ kavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||
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.