Durga Ashtakshara Kavacham
Shree durgaasht'aakshara kavacham'
Shree bhairava uvaacha |
Adhunaa devi vakshye'ham' kavacham' mantragarbhakam |
Durgaayaah' saarasarvasvam' kavacheshvarasanjnyakam || 1 ||
Paramaarthapradam' nityam' mahaapaatakanaashanam |
Yogipriyam' yogigamyam' devaanaamapi durlabham || 2 ||
Vinaa daanena mantrasya siddhirdevi kalau bhavet |
Dhaaranaadasya deveshi shivastrailokyanaayakah' || 3 ||
Bhairavee bhairaveshaanee vishnurnaaraayano balee |
Brahmaa paarvati lokesho vighnadhvam'see gajaananah' || 4 ||
Senaaneeshcha mahaaseno jishnurlekharshabhah' priye |
Sooryastamo'paho loke chandro'mri'tavidhistathaa || 5 ||
Bahunoktena kim' devi durgaakavachadhaaranaat |
Martyo'pyamarataam' yaati saadhako mantrasaadhakah' || 6 ||
Kavachasyaasya deveshi ri'shih' prokto maheshvarah' |
Chhando'nusht'up priye durgaa devataa'sht'aaksharaa smri'taa |
Chakribeejam' cha beejam' syaanmaayaashaktiriteeritaa || 7 ||
Om me paatu shiro durgaa hreem' me paatu lalaat'akam |
Dum' netre'sht'aaksharaa paatu chakree paatu shrutee mama || 8 ||
Mam' t'ham' gand'au cha me paatu deveshee raktakund'alaa |
Vaayurnaasaam' sadaa paatu raktabeejanishoodinee || 9 ||
Lavanam' paatu me chosht'hau chaamund'aa chand'aghaatinee |
Bhekee beejam' sadaa paatu dantaanme raktadantikaa || 10 ||
Om hreem' shreem' paatu me kant'ham' neelakant'haankavaasinee |
Om aim' kleem' paatu me skandhau skandamaataa maheshvaree || 11 ||
Om sauh' kleem' me paatu baahoo deveshee bagalaamukhee |
Aim' shreem' hreem' paatu me hastau shivaashataninaadinee || 12 ||
Sauh' aim' hreem' paatu me vaksho devataa vindhyavaasinee |
Om hreem' shreem' kleem' paatu kukshim' mama maatanginee paraa || 13 ||
Om hreem' aim' paatu me paarshve himaachalanivaasinee |
Om streem' hroom' aim' paatu pri'sht'ham' mama durgatinaashinee || 14 ||
Om kreem' hrum' paatu me naabhim' devee naaraayanee sadaa |
Om aim' kleem' sauh' sadaa paatu kat'im' kaatyaayanee mama || 15 ||
Om hreem' shreem' paatu shishnam' me devee shreebagalaamukhee |
Aim' sauh' kleem' sauh' paatu guhyam' guhyakeshvarapoojitaa || 16 ||
Om hreem' aim' shreem' ha sauh' paayaadooroo mama manonmanee |
Om joom' sah' sauh' jaanu paatu jagadeeshvarapoojitaa || 17 ||
Om aim' kleem' paatu me janghe meruparvatavaasinee |
Om hreem' shreem' geem' sadaa paatu gulphau mama ganeshvaree || 18 ||
Om hreem' dum' paatu me paadau paarvatee shod'ashaaksharee |
Poorve maam' paatu brahmaanee vahnau paatu cha vaishnavee || 19 ||
Dakshine chand'ikaa paatu nairri'tye naarasim'hikaa |
Pashchime paatu vaaraahee vaayavye maaparaajitaa || 20 ||
Uttare paatu kaumaaree chaishaanyaam' shaambhavee tathaa |
Oordhvam' durgaa sadaa paatu paatvadhastaachchhivaa sadaa || 21 ||
Prabhaate tripuraa paatu nisheethe chhinnamastakaa |
Nishaante bhairavee paatu sarvadaa bhadrakaal'ikaa || 22 ||
Agnerambaa cha maam' paatu jalaanmaam' jagadambikaa |
Vaayormaam' paatu vaagdevee vanaadvanajalochanaa || 23 ||
Sim'haat sim'haasanaa paatu sarpaat sarpaantakaasanaa |
Rogaanmaam' raajamaatangee bhootaadbhooteshavallabhaa || 24 ||
Yakshebhyo yakshinee paatu rakshobhyo raakshasaantakaa |
Bhootapretapishaachebhyah' sumukhee paatu maam' sadaa || 25 ||
Sarvatra sarvadaa paatu om hreem' durgaa navaaksharaa |
Ityevam' kavacham' guhyam' durgaasarvasvamuttamam || 26 ||
Mantragarbham' maheshaani kavacheshvarasanjnyakam |
Vittadam' punyadam' punyam' varma siddhipradam' kalau || 27 ||
Varma siddhipradam' gopyam' paraapararahasyakam |
Shreyaskaram' manumayam' roganaashakaram' param || 28 ||
Mahaapaatakakot'ighnam' maanadam' cha yashaskaram |
Ashvamedhasahasrasya phaladam' paramaarthadam || 29 ||
Atyantagopyam' deveshi kavacham' mantrasiddhidam |
Pat'hanaatsiddhidam' loke dhaaranaanmuktidam' shive || 30 ||
Ravau bhoorje likheddheemaan kri'tvaa karmaahnikam' priye |
Shreechakraange'sht'agandhena saadhako mantrasiddhaye || 31 ||
Likhitvaa dhaarayedbaahau gut'ikaam' punyavardhineem |
Kim' kim' na saadhayelloke gut'ikaa varmano'chiraat || 32 ||
Gut'ikaam' dhaarayanmoordhni raajaanam' vashamaanayet |
Dhanaarthee dhaarayetkant'he putraarthee kukshimand'ale || 33
Taameva dhaarayenmoordhni likhitvaa bhoorjapatrake |
Shvetasootrena sam'vesht'ya laakshayaa parivesht'ayet || 34 ||
Savarnenaatha sam'vesht'ya dhaarayedraktarajjunaa |
Gut'ikaa kaamadaa devi devanaamapi durlabhaa || 35 ||
Kavachasyaasya gut'ikaam' dhri'tvaa muktipradaayineem |
Kavachasyaasya deveshi gunitum' naiva shakyate || 36 ||
Mahimaa vai mahaadevi jihvaakot'ishatairapi |
Adaatavyamidam' varma mantragarbham' rahasyakam || 37 ||
Avaktavyam' mahaapunyam' sarvasaarasvatapradam |
Adeekshitaaya no dadyaatkuchailaaya duraatmane || 38 ||
Anyashishyaaya dusht'aaya nindakaaya kulaarthinaam |
Deekshitaaya kuleenaaya gurubhaktirataaya cha || 39 ||
Shaantaaya kulashaantaaya shaaktaaya kulavaasine |
Idam' varma shive dadyaatkulabhaagee bhavennarah' || 40 ||
Idam' rahasyam' paramam' durgaakavachamuttamam |
Guhyam' gopyatamam' gopyam' gopaneeyam' svayonivat || 41 ||
Iti shreedeveerahasyatantre shree durgaa kavacham |
Meaning
The Durga Ashtakshara Kavacham is presented by Lord Bhairava as a secret, potent, mantra-filled armor containing the essence of Goddess Durga. It is described as a supreme protective shield that destroys great sins, grants spiritual merit, and bestows divine attainments even sought by yogis and celestial beings. Simply bearing or reciting this kavacha is said to elevate a human to divine states of strength, purity, and victory.
The kavacham invokes Durga in her many cosmic forms and assigns each sacred syllable and manifestation to protect specific parts of the body—from head to feet—ensuring full spiritual and physical defense. Forms like Chamunda, Bagalamukhi, Narayani, Matangi, Katyayani, Vindhyavasini, and others cleanse, empower, and safeguard every limb and organ.
It further offers directional protection by invoking Brahmani, Vaishnavi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, and Varahi to guard the eight directions. The devotee becomes shielded day and night from negative forces—ghosts, demons, diseases, serpent afflictions, evil energies, planetary troubles, and unseen adversities. The kavacha acts as a divine firewall against all harm.
The scripture concludes by describing mystical uses of the kavacha when written on birch bark (Bhojapatra) and worn on the arm, neck, waist, or head: it grants wealth, victory, protection, progeny, authority, and even the ability to attract kings. The text emphasizes that this kavacha is extremely secret and should be given only to the deserving, faithful, noble, and disciplined disciples.
In essence, this is one of the most powerful protective hymns of Goddess Durga, offering total safeguarding of life, health, mind, and spiritual progress, while leading the devotee toward liberation.
Benefits:
• Powerful protection from negative forces
• Removes sins, fears, curses, and obstacles
• Enhances spiritual strength and clarity
• Shields body, mind, and energy fields
• Grants success, prosperity, and divine grace
• Supports deep meditation and higher consciousness
Frequently Asked Questions
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