Sri Rudra Kavacham
Sri Rudra Kavacham
Sri Rudra Kavacham
shrI rudra kavacham
OM asya shrI rudra kavachastotra mahAmantrasya dUrvAsRRiShiH anuShThup ChandaH tryambaka rudro devatA hrAM bIjaM shrIM shaktiH hrIM kIlakaM mama manaso.abhIShTasiddhyarthe jape viniyogaH |
hrAmityAdi ShaDbIjaiH ShaDa~NganyAsaH ||
dhyAnam |
shAntaM padmAsanasthaM shashidharamakuTaM pa~nchavaktraM trinetraM
shUlaM vajraM cha khaDgaM parashumabhayadaM dakShabhAge vahantam |
nAgaM pAshaM cha ghaNTAM pralaya hutavahaM sA~NkushaM vAmabhAge
nAnAla~NkArayuktaM sphaTikamaNinibhaM pArvatIshaM namAmi ||
dUrvAsa uvAcha |
praNamya shirasA devaM svayambhuM parameshvaram |
ekaM sarvagataM devaM sarvadevamayaM vibhum || 1 ||
rudra varma pravakShyAmi a~Nga prANasya rakShaye |
ahorAtramayaM devaM rakShArthaM nirmitaM purA || 2 ||
rudro me chAgrataH pAtu pAtu pArshvau harastathA |
shiro me IshvaraH pAtu lalATaM nIlalohitaH || 3 ||
netrayostryambakaH pAtu mukhaM pAtu maheshvaraH |
karNayoH pAtu me shambhuH nAsikAyAM sadAshivaH || 4 ||
vAgIshaH pAtu me jihvAM oShThau pAtvambikApatiH |
shrIkaNThaH pAtu me grIvAM bAhUMshchaiva pinAkadhRRit || 5 ||
hRRidayaM me mahAdevaH IshvarovyAt stanAntaram |
nAbhiM kaTiM cha vakShashcha pAtu sarvaM umApatiH || 6 ||
bAhumadhyAntaraM chaiva sUkShmarUpaH sadAshivaH |
svaraM rakShatu sarvesho gAtrANi cha yathA kramam || 7 ||
vajrashaktidharaM chaiva pAshA~NkushadharaM tathA |
gaNDashUladharaM nityaM rakShatu tridasheshvaraH || 8 ||
prasthAneShu pade chaiva vRRikShamUle nadItaTe |
sandhyAyAM rAjabhavane virUpAkShastu pAtu mAm || 9 ||
shItoShNAdatha kAleShu tuhi na drumakaNTake |
nirmanuShye.asame mArge trAhi mAM vRRiShabhadhvaja || 10 ||
ityetadrudrakavachaM pavitraM pApanAshanam |
mahAdevaprasAdena dUrvAso munikalpitam || 11 ||
mamAkhyAtaM samAsena na bhayaM vindati kvachit |
prApnoti paramArogyaM puNyamAyuShyavardhanam || 12 ||
vidyArthI labhate vidyAM dhanArthI labhate dhanam |
kanyArthI labhate kanyAM na bhayaM vindate kvachit || 13 ||
aputro labhate putraM mokShArthI mokShamApnuyAt |
trAhi trAhi mahAdeva trAhi trAhi trayImaya || 14 ||
trAhi mAM pArvatInAtha trAhi mAM tripurantaka |
pAshaM khaTvA~Nga divyAstraM trishUlaM rudrameva cha || 15 ||
namaskaromi devesha trAhi mAM jagadIshvara |
shatrumadhye sabhAmadhye grAmamadhye gRRihAntare || 16 ||
gamanAgamane chaiva trAhi mAM bhaktavatsala |
tvaM chittaM tvaM mAnasaM cha tvaM buddhistvaM parAyaNam || 17 ||
karmaNA manasA chaiva tvaM buddhishcha yathA sadA |
jvarabhayaM Chindi sarvajvarabhayaM Chindi grahabhayaM Chindi || 18 ||
sarvashatrUnnivartyApi sarvavyAdhinivAraNam |
rudralokaM sa gachChati rudralokaM sagachChatyonnama iti || 19 ||
iti skandapurANe dUrvAsa proktaM shrI rudrakavacham ||
About This Stotram
Overview
Sri Rudra Kavacham is a kavacham (armor hymn) of 19 verses dedicated to Lord Shiva in his fierce Rudra form. A kavacham is a set of mantras recited to invoke divine protection over the body. This text draws on Vedic imagery of Rudra as a protective deity and belongs to the Shaiva tradition.
What are the benefits of chanting Sri Rudra Kavacham?
- Recitation is said to create a protective shield against fear and danger.
- It is used to ward off negative energies and harmful influences.
- Devotees chant it for strength and courage in difficult situations.
- It supports spiritual practice by removing obstacles.
- Regular recitation is associated with fulfillment of sincere requests.
When is the best time to recite this?
Sri Rudra Kavacham is recited during morning and evening prayers. It is particularly recited during Maha Shivaratri, the Shravana month, and before undertaking challenging tasks. Devotees also recite it during Rudra Abhishekam and other Shiva pujas.
Historical and traditional background
The worship of Rudra as a protective deity originates in the Vedic period. The Rudram hymns in the Taittiriya Aranyaka of the Krishna Yajurveda are the foundational source for Rudra-related prayers. Kavachams as a genre developed over centuries within Shaiva and Tantric traditions. This specific 19-verse version is a recension that has gained use in certain Shaiva devotional lineages. The author is not recorded.
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 to read it in your preferred script.
Related Texts
- Sri Rudram Namakam — the core Vedic hymn to Rudra, which this kavacham supplements.
- Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra — another Shaiva protective mantra recited alongside kavachams.