Baneshwara Kavacha Sahita Shiva Stavaraja
Shree shiva stavaraajah' (baaneshvara kavacha sahitam') - brahmavaivarta puraanaantargatam'
Om namo mahaadevaaya |
Kavacham'
Baanaasura uvaacha |
Maheshvara mahaabhaaga kavacham' yatprakaashitam |
Sam'saarapaavanam' naama kri'payaa kathaya prabho || 43 ||
Maheshvara uvaacha |
Shri'nu vakshyaami he vatsa kavacham' paramaadbhutam |
Aham' tubhyam' pradaasyaami gopaneeyam' sudurlabham || 44 ||
Puraa durvaasase dattam' trailokyavijayaaya cha |
Mamaivedam' cha kavacham' bhaktyaa yo dhaarayetsudheeh' || 45 ||
Jetum' shaknoti trailokyam' bhagavannavaleelayaa |
Sam'saarapaavanasyaasya kavachasya prajaapatih' || 46 ||
Ri'shishchhandashcha gaayatree devo'ham' cha maheshvarah' |
Dharmaarthakaamamoksheshu viniyogah' prakeertitah' || 47 ||
Panchalakshajapenaiva siddhidam' kavacham' bhavet |
Yo bhavetsiddhakavacho mama tulyo bhavedbhuvi |
Tejasaa siddhiyogena tapasaa vikramena cha || 48 ||
Shambhurme mastakam' paatu mukham' paatu maheshvarah' |
Dantapanktim' neelakant'ho'pyadharosht'ham' harah' svayam || 49 ||
Kant'ham' paatu chandrachood'ah' skandhau vri'shabhavaahanah' |
Vakshah'sthalam' neelakant'hah' paatu pri'sht'ham' digambarah' || 50 ||
Sarvaangam' paatu vishveshah' sarvadikshu cha sarvadaa |
Svapne jaagarane chaiva sthaanurme paatu santatam || 51 ||
Iti te kathitam' baana kavacham' paramaadbhutam |
Yasmai kasmai na daatavyam' gopaneeyam' prayatnatah' || 52 ||
Yatphalam' sarvateerthaanaam' snaanena labhate narah' |
Tatphalam' labhate noonam' kavachasyaiva dhaaranaat || 53 ||
Idam' kavachamajnyaatvaa bhajenmaam' yah' sumandadheeh' |
Shatalakshaprajapto'pi na mantrah' siddhidaayakah' || 54 ||
Sautiruvaacha |
Idam' cha kavacham' proktam' stotram' cha shri'nu shaunaka |
Mantraraajah' kalpatarurvasisht'ho dattavaanpuraa || 55 ||
Om namah' shivaaya |
Stavaraajah'
Baanaasura uvaacha |
Vande suraanaam' saaram' cha suresham' neelalohitam |
Yogeeshvaram' yogabeejam' yoginaam' cha gurorgurum || 56 ||
Jnyaanaanandam' jnyaanaroopam' jnyaanabeejam' sanaatanam |
Tapasaam' phaladaataaram' daataaram' sarvasampadaam || 57||
Taporoopam' tapobeejam' tapodhanadhanam' varam |
Varam' varenyam' varadameed'yam' siddhaganairvaraih' || 58 ||
Kaaranam' bhuktimukteenaam' narakaarnavataaranam |
Aashutosham' prasannaasyam' karunaamayasaagaram || 59 ||
Himachandana kundendu kumudaambhoja sannibham |
Brahmajyotih' svaroopam' cha bhaktaanugrahavigraham || 60 ||
Vishayaanaam' vibhedena bibhratam' bahuroopakam |
Jalaroopamagniroopa-maakaasharoopameeshvaram || 61 ||
Vaayuroopam' chandraroopam' sooryaroopam' mahatprabhum' |
Aatmanah' svapadam' daatum' samarthamavaleelayaa || 62 ||
Bhaktajeevanameesham' cha bhaktaanugrahakaarakam |
Vedaa na shaktaa yam' stotum' kimaham' staumi tam' prabhum || 63 ||
Aparichchhinnameeshaana-mahovaangmanasoh' param |
Vyaaghracharmaambaradharam' vri'shabhastham' digambaram |
Trishoolapat't'ishadharam' sasmitam' chandrashekharam' || 64 ||
Ityuktvaa stavaraajena nityam' baanah' susam'yatah' |
Praanamachchhankaram' bhaktyaa durvaasaashcha muneeshvarah' || 65 ||
Idam' dattam' vasisht'hena gandharvaaya puraa mune |
Kathitam' cha mahaastotram' shoolinah' paramaadbhutam' || 66 ||
Idam' stotram' mahaapunyam' pat'hedbhaktyaa cha yo narah' |
Snaanasya sarvateerthaanaam' phalamaapnoti nishchitam || 67 ||
Aputro labhate putram' varshamekam' shri'noti yah' |
Sam'yatashcha havishyaashee pranamya shankaram' gurum || 68 ||
Galatkusht'hee mahaashoolee varshamekam' shri'noti yah' |
Avashyam' muchyate rogaadvyaasavaakyamiti shrutam || 69 ||
Kaaraagaare'pi baddho yo naiva praapnoti nirvri'tim |
Stotram' shrutvaa maasamekam' muchyate bandhanaaddhri'vam || 70 ||
Bhrasht'araajyo labhedraajyam' bhaktyaamaasam' shri'noti yah' |
Maasam' shrutvaa sam'yatashcha labhedbhrasht'adhano dhanam || 71 ||
Yakshmagrasto varshamekamaastiko yah' shri'noti chet |
Nishchitam' muchyate rogaachchhankarasya prasaadatah' || 72 ||
Yah' shri'noti sadaa bhaktyaa stavaraajamimam' dvijah' |
Tasyaasaadhyam' tribhuvane naasti kinchichcha shaunaka || 73 ||
Kadaachidbandhuvichchhedo na bhavettasya bhaarate |
Achalam' paramaishvaryam' labhate naatra sam'shayah' || 74 ||
Susam'yato'ti bhaktyaa cha maasamekam' shri'noti yah' |
Abhaaryo labhate bhaaryaam' suvineetaam' sateem' varaam || 75 ||
Mahaamoorkhashcha durmedhaa maasamekam' shri'noti yah' |
Buddhim' vidyaam' cha labhate guroopadeshamaatratah' || 76 ||
Karmaduh'khee daridrashcha maasam' bhaktyaa shri'noti yah' |
Dhruvam' vittam' bhavettasya shankarasya prasaadatah' || 77 ||
Iha loke sukham' bhuktvaa kri'tvaakeertim' sudurlabhaam |
Naanaa prakaara dharmam' cha yaatyante shankaraalayam || 78 ||
Paarshadapravaro bhootvaa sevate tatra shankaram |
Yah' shri'noti trisandhyam' cha nityam' stotramanuttamam || 79 ||
Iti shreebrahmavaivarte mahaapuraane brahmakhand'e sautishaunakasam'vaade shankarastotra kathanam' naama ekonavim'shodhyaayah' ||
Meaning
The “Sri Shiva Stavaraja with Bana Kavacham,” found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, is one of the most potent hymns dedicated to Lord Shiva. It contains two sacred portions:
(1) The Bana Kavacham — a divine armor of protection
(2) The Stavaraja — the king of hymns in praise of Mahadeva
Together they form a complete spiritual shield and a path to divine grace, inner peace, and liberation.
Kavacham Summary
Banasura asks Lord Shiva to reveal the secret “Samsara-Pavana Kavacham,” the armor that purifies worldly existence. Shiva explains that it was once given to Sage Durvasa and is extremely rare and powerful. Anyone who wears this kavacham with devotion becomes radiant, fearless, protected in all directions, in all states of life, whether awake or asleep.
The kavacham invokes Shiva to guard every part of the devotee’s body:
Mahadeva protects the head, Neelakantha the mouth and teeth, Chandrashekhara the neck, Vrishabhavahana the shoulders, Digambara the back, Vishveshwara the whole body, and Sthanu protects always and everywhere.
Wearing this kavacham grants the spiritual merit of all pilgrimages and purifies sins more deeply than any ritual. Without understanding this kavacham, even a hundred thousand mantras do not bear fruit.
Stavaraja Summary
The hymn continues with Banasura praising Shiva as the essence of all gods, the lord of yogis, the seed of knowledge, the giver of liberation, and the ocean of compassion. Shiva is described as the form of all five elements and the cosmic functions—creation, preservation, and dissolution.
The Stavaraja declares Shiva as:
• the supreme consciousness beyond the Vedas
• the embodiment of Brahma-jyoti
• the remover of worldly bondage
• the swift bestower of boons
• the one whose grace even gods long for
Shiva appears in countless forms — as water, fire, sky, moon, sun, wind — portraying His all-pervasiveness. He wears the tiger skin, holds the trident, has the crescent moon on His matted hair, and is the compassionate protector of all beings.
The phalashruti explains that listening to this stotra daily removes terrible diseases, frees prisoners, restores lost kingdoms, grants children to the childless, wealth to the poor, wisdom to the dull-minded, and success in every endeavor. It even ensures liberation and service in Shiva’s divine abode.
Essence
Combined, the Bana Kavacham and Stavaraja represent surrender, protection, purification, and divine upliftment.
They transform fear into fearlessness, sorrow into strength, ignorance into wisdom, and attachment into peace.
Benefits:
• Strong divine protection against dangers, enemies, negativity
• Disease removal, long life, freedom from suffering
• Wealth, prosperity, success, regained fortunes
• Removal of karmic burdens and bondage
• Blessing of children, harmonious family life
• Spiritual upliftment and final liberation
• Attainment of Shiva’s abode and service
Frequently Asked Questions
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