Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham
Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham
Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham
śani vajrapañjara kavacam
nīlāmbaro nīlavapuḥ kirīṭī
gṛdhrasthitāstrakaro dhanuṣmān |
caturbhujaḥ sūryasutaḥ prasannaḥ
sadā mamasyādvaradaḥ praśāntaḥ ||
brahmā uvāca |
śṛṇudhvaṃ ṛṣayaḥ sarve śani pīḍāharaṃ mahat |
kavacaṃ śanirājasya saurairidamanuttamam ||
kavacaṃ devatāvāsaṃ vajra pañjara saṃṅgakam |
śanaiścara prītikaraṃ sarvasaubhāgyadāyakam ||
atha śrī śani vajra pañjara kavacam |
oṃ śrī śanaiścaraḥ pātu phālaṃ me sūryanandanaḥ | [bhālaṃ]
netre chāyātmajaḥ pātu pātu karṇau yamānujaḥ || 1 ||
nāsāṃ vaivasvataḥ pātu mukhaṃ me bhāskaraḥ sadā |
snigdhakaṇṭhaśca me kaṇṭhaṃ bhujau pātu mahābhujaḥ || 2 ||
skandhau pātu śaniścaiva karau pātu śubhapradaḥ |
vakṣaḥ pātu yamabhrātā kukṣiṃ pātvasitastathā || 3 ||
nābhiṃ grahapatiḥ pātu mandaḥ pātu kaṭiṃ tathā |
ūrū mamāntakaḥ pātu yamo jānuyugaṃ tathā || 4 ||
pādau mandagatiḥ pātu sarvāṅgaṃ pātu pippalaḥ |
aṅgopāṅgāni sarvāṇi rakṣen me sūryanandanaḥ || 5 ||
phalaśrutiḥ
ityetatkavacaṃ divyaṃ paṭhetsūryasutasya yaḥ |
na tasya jāyate pīḍā prīto bhavati sūryajaḥ ||
vyayajanmadvitīyastho mṛtyusthānagatopivā |
kalatrastho gatovāpi suprītastu sadā śaniḥ ||
aṣṭamastho sūryasute vyaye janmadvitīyage |
kavacaṃ paṭhate nityaṃ na pīḍā jāyate kvacit ||
ityetatkavacaṃ divyaṃ saureryannirmitaṃ purā |
dvādaśāṣṭamajanmasthadoṣānnāśayate sadā |
janmalagnasthitān doṣān sarvānnāśayate prabhuḥ ||
iti śrī brahmāṇḍapurāṇe brahmanāradasaṃvāde śanivajrapañjara kavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||
About This Stotram
Overview
The Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham is a 5-verse Sanskrit kavacham dedicated to Lord Shani, invoking his protective presence as a "diamond cage" (vajrapanjara) around the devotee. The text belongs to the kavacham sub-genre of Sanskrit devotional literature — hymns structured as a body-armor of divine names — and is associated with Shaiva and graha-worship traditions.
What are the benefits of chanting Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham?
- Protection from Shani's adverse effects during Sade Sati and Ashtama Shani
- Invocation of Shani's benevolent form as a bestower of boons
- Promotion of happiness and good fortune
- General spiritual and material protection
When is the best time to recite this?
Saturday (Shaniwar) is the most auspicious day for Shani-related practices, and this kavacham is recommended for recitation on that day. It may also be recited during Shani's adverse transit periods or as part of a regular Shani puja.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Shani Vajrapanjara Kavacham has not been definitively traced to a single canonical scripture, though introductory verses associate it with Brahma presenting the hymn to the assembled sages — a common framing device in Puranic and post-Puranic kavacham literature. The kavacham genre appears extensively in texts such as the Skanda Purana and various Tantric compilations from the early medieval period onward. The text has been transmitted through devotional collections dedicated to Lord Shani.
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
- Shani Stotram Dasaratha Krutam — a stotram attributed to King Dasharatha that addresses the same propitiatory purpose toward Lord Shani
- Shani Chalisa — a Hindi Chalisa recited for protection from Shani's malefic planetary influence