Sri Varaha Kavacham
Sri Varaha Kavacham – śrī varāha kavacaṃ
ādyaṃ raṃgamiti proktaṃ vimānaṃ raṃga saṃjñitaṃ |
śrīmuṣṇaṃ veṃkaṭādriṃ ca sālagrāmaṃ ca naimiśaṃ||
totādriṃ puṣkaraṃ caiva naranārāyaṇāśramaṃ |
aṣṭau me mūrtayaḥ saṃti svayaṃ vyaktā mahītale||
śrī sūta uvāca |
śrīrudramukha nirṇīta murāri guṇasatkathā |
saṃtuṣṭā pārvatī prāha śaṃkaraṃ lokaśaṃkaraṃ ||1||
śrī pārvatī uvāca |
śrīmuṣṇeśasya māhātmyaṃ varāhasya mahātmanaḥ |
śrutvā tṛptirna me jātā manaḥ kautūhalāyate |
śrotuṃ taddeva māhātmyaṃ tasmādvarṇaya me punaḥ ||2||
śrī śaṃkara uvāca |
śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi śrīmuṣṇeśasya vaibhavaṃ |
yasya śravaṇamātreṇa mahāpāpaiḥ pramucyate |
sarveṣāmeva tīrthānāṃ tīrtha rājo'bhidhīyate ||3||
nitya puṣkariṇī nāmnī śrīmuṣṇe yā ca vartate |
jātā śramāpahā puṇyā varāha śramavāriṇā ||4||
viṣṇoraṃguṣṭha saṃsparśātpuṇyadā khalu jāhnavī |
viṣṇoḥ sarvāṃgasaṃbhūtā nityapuṣkariṇī śubhā ||5||
mahānadī sahastreṇa nityadā saṃgatā śubhā |
sakṛtsnātvā vimuktāghaḥ sadyo yāti hareḥ padaṃ ||6||
tasyā āgneya bhāge tu aśvatthacchāyayodake |
snānaṃ kṛtvā pippalasya kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇaṃ ||7||
dṛṣṭvā śvetavarāhaṃ ca māsamekaṃ nayedyadi |
kālamṛtyuṃ vinirjitya śriyā paramayā yutaḥ ||8||
ādhivyādhi vinirmukto grahapīḍāvivarjitaḥ |
bhuktvā bhogānanekāṃśca mokṣamaṃte vrajet dhruvaṃ ||9||
aśvatthamūle'rkavāre nitya puṣkariṇī taṭe |
varāhakavacaṃ japtvā śatavāraṃ jiteṃdriyaḥ ||10||
kṣayāpasmārakuṣṭhādyaiḥ mahārogaiḥ pramucyate |
varāhakavacaṃ yastu pratyahaṃ paṭhate yadi ||11||
śatru pīḍāvinirmukto bhūpatitvamavāpnuyāt |
likhitvā dhārayedyastu bāhumūle gale'tha vā ||12||
bhūtapretapiśācādyāḥ yakṣagaṃdharvarākṣasāḥ |
śatravo ghorakarmāṇo ye cānye viṣajaṃtavaḥ |
naṣṭa darpā vinaśyaṃti vidravaṃti diśo daśa ||13||
śrīpārvatī uvāca |
tadbrūhi kavacaṃ mahyaṃ yena gupto jagattraye |
saṃcareddevavanmartyaḥ sarvaśatruvibhīṣaṇaḥ |
yenāpnoti ca sāmrājyaṃ tanme brūhi sadāśiva ||14||
śrīśaṃkara uvāca |
śṛṇu kalyāṇi vakṣyāmi vārāhakavacaṃ śubhaṃ |
yena gupto labhenmartyo vijayaṃ sarvasaṃpadaṃ ||15||
aṃgarakṣākaraṃ puṇyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanaṃ |
sarvarogapraśamanaṃ sarvadurgrahanāśanaṃ ||16||
viṣābhicāra kṛtyādi śatrupīḍānivāraṇaṃ |
noktaṃ kasyāpi pūrvaṃ hi gopyātgopyataraṃ yataḥ ||17||
varāheṇa purā proktaṃ mahyaṃ ca parameṣṭhine |
yuddheṣu jayadaṃ devi śatrupīḍānivāraṇaṃ ||18||
varāhakavacāt gupto nāśubhaṃ labhate naraḥ |
varāhakavacasyāsya ṛṣirbrahmā prakīrtitaḥ ||19||
chaṃdo'nuṣṭup tathā devo varāho bhūparigrahaḥ |
prakṣālya pādau pāṇī ca samyagācamya vāriṇā ||20||
kṛta svāṃga karanyāsaḥ sapavitra udaṃmukhaḥ |
oṃ bhūrbhavassuvariti namo bhūpataye'pi ca ||21||
namo bhagavate paścātvarāhāya namastathā |
evaṃ ṣaḍaṃgaṃ nyāsaṃ ca nyasedaṃguliṣu kramāt ||22||
namaḥ śvetavarāhāya mahākolāya bhūpate |
yajñāṃgāya śubhāṃgāya sarvajñāya parātmane ||23||
srava tuṃḍāya dhīrāya parabrahmasvarūpiṇe |
vakradaṃṣṭrāya nityāya namo'ṃtairnāmabhiḥ kramāt ||24||
aṃgulīṣu nyasedvidvān karapṛṣṭhataleṣvapi |
dhyātvā śvetavarāhaṃ ca paścānmaṃtramudīrayet ||25||
dhyānaṃ |
oṃ śvetaṃ varāhavapuṣaṃ kṣitimuddharaṃtaṃ
śaṃghārisarva varadābhaya yukta bāhuṃ |
dhyāyennijaiśca tanubhiḥ sakalairupetaṃ
pūrṇaṃ vibhuṃ sakalavāṃchitasiddhaye'jaṃ ||26||
kavacaṃ |
varāhaḥ pūrvataḥ pātu dakṣiṇe daṃḍakāṃtakaḥ |
hiraṇyākṣaharaḥ pātu paścime gadayā yutaḥ ||27||
uttare bhūmihṛtpātu adhastādvāyuvāhanaḥ |
ūrdhvaṃ pātu hṛṣīkeśo digvidikṣu gadādharaḥ ||28||
prātaḥ pātu prajānāthaḥ kalpakṛtsaṃgame'vatu |
madhyāhne vajrakeśastu sāyāhne sarvapūjitaḥ ||29||
pradoṣe pātu padmākṣo rātrau rājīvalocanaḥ |
niśīṃdra garvahā pātu pātūṣaḥ parameśvaraḥ ||30||
aṭavyāmagrajaḥ pātu gamane garuḍāsanaḥ |
sthale pātu mahātejāḥ jale pātvavanīpatiḥ ||31||
gṛhe pātu gṛhādhyakṣaḥ padmanābhaḥ puro'vatu |
jhillikā varadaḥ pātu svagrāme karuṇākaraḥ ||32||
raṇāgre daityahā pātu viṣame pātu cakrabhṛt |
rogeṣu vaidyarājastu kolo vyādhiṣu rakṣatu ||33||
tāpatrayāttapomūrtiḥ karmapāśācca viśvakṛt |
kleśakāleṣu sarveṣu pātu padmāpatirvibhuḥ ||34||
hiraṇyagarbhasaṃstutyaḥ pādau pātu niraṃtaraṃ |
gulphau guṇākaraḥ pātu jaṃghe pātu janārdanaḥ ||35||
jānū ca jayakṛtpātu pātūrū puruṣottamaḥ |
raktākṣo jaghane pātu kaṭiṃ viśvaṃbharo'vatu ||36||
pārśve pātu surādhyakṣaḥ pātu kukṣiṃ parātparaḥ |
nābhiṃ brahmapitā pātu hṛdayaṃ hṛdayeśvaraḥ ||37||
mahādaṃṣṭraḥ stanau pātu kaṃṭhaṃ pātu vimuktidaḥ |
prabhaṃjana patirbāhū karau kāmapitā'vatu ||38||
hastau haṃsapatiḥ pātu pātu sarvāṃgulīrhariḥ |
sarvāṃgaścibukaṃ pātu pātvoṣṭhau kālanemihā ||39||
mukhaṃ tu madhuhā pātu daṃtān dāmodaro'vatu |
nāsikāmavyayaḥ pātu netre sūryeṃdulocanaḥ ||40||
phālaṃ karmaphalādhyakṣaḥ pātu karṇau mahārathaḥ |
śeṣaśāyī śiraḥ pātu keśān pātu nirāmayaḥ ||41||
sarvāṃgaṃ pātu sarveśaḥ sadā pātu satīśvaraḥ |
itīdaṃ kavacaṃ puṇyaṃ varāhasya mahātmanaḥ ||42||
yaḥ paṭhet śṛṇuyādvāpi tasya mṛtyurvinaśyati |
taṃ namasyaṃti bhūtāni bhītāḥ sāṃjalipāṇayaḥ ||43||
rājadasyubhayaṃ nāsti rājyabhraṃśo na jāyate |
yannāma smaraṇātbhītāḥ bhūtavetāl̤arākṣasāḥ ||44||
mahārogāśca naśyaṃti satyaṃ satyaṃ vadāmyahaṃ |
kaṃṭhe tu kavacaṃ baddhvā vaṃdhyā putravatī bhavet ||45||
śatrusainya kṣaya prāptiḥ duḥkhapraśamanaṃ tathā |
utpāta durnimittādi sūcitāriṣṭanāśanaṃ ||46||
brahmavidyāprabodhaṃ ca labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ |
dhṛtvedaṃ kavacaṃ puṇyaṃ māṃdhātā paravīrahā ||47||
jitvā tu śāṃbarīṃ māyāṃ daityeṃdrānavadhītkṣaṇāt |
kavacenāvṛto bhūtvā deveṃdro'pi surārihā ||48||
bhūmyopadiṣṭakavaca dhāraṇānnarako'pi ca |
sarvāvadhyo jayī bhūtvā mahatīṃ kīrtimāptavān ||49||
aśvatthamūle'rkavāre nitya puṣkariṇītaṭe |
varāhakavacaṃ japtvā śatavāraṃ paṭhedyadi ||50||
apūrvarājya saṃprāptiṃ naṣṭasya punarāgamaṃ |
labhate nātra saṃdehaḥ satyametanmayoditaṃ ||51||
japtvā varāhamaṃtraṃ tu lakṣamekaṃ niraṃtaraṃ |
daśāṃśaṃ tarpaṇaṃ homaṃ pāyasena ghṛtena ca ||52||
kurvan trikālasaṃdhyāsu kavacenāvṛto yadi |
bhūmaṃḍalādhipatyaṃ ca labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ ||53||
idamuktaṃ mayā devi gopanīyaṃ durātmanāṃ |
varāhakavacaṃ puṇyaṃ saṃsārārṇavatārakaṃ ||54||
mahāpātakakoṭighnaṃ bhuktimuktiphalapradaṃ |
vācyaṃ putrāya śiṣyāya sadvṛttāya sudhīmate ||55||
śrī sūtaḥ –
iti patyurvacaḥ śrutvā devī saṃtuṣṭamānasā |
vināyaka guhau putrau prapede dvau surārcitau ||56||
kavacasya prabhāvena lokamātā ca pārvatī |
ya idaṃ śṛṇuyānnityaṃ yo vā paṭhati nityaśaḥ |
sa muktaḥ sarvapāpebhyo viṣṇuloke mahīyate ||57||
iti śrīvarāha kavacaṃ saṃpūrṇaṃ |
Meaning
A kavacha, an armour, of fifty-seven verses addressed to Varaha, the boar who lifted the earth. It opens by naming eight places: Adhyam Rangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Salagrama, Naimisha, Totadri, Pushkara and Naranarayanashrama. Srimushnam in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, is the principal Bhuvaraha kshetra among them, and the kavacha is recited there and in Varaha shrines elsewhere in the south.
Significance
The text opens with a map rather than a name, and the eight places are not a random list. They are the ashta svayam-vyakta kshetras, the eight sites where Vishnu is held to have appeared of his own accord rather than been installed by human hands: Srirangam, Srimushnam, Tirumala, Saligrama, Naimisharanya, Totadri, Pushkara and Badarikashrama. Beginning here tells the reciter what kind of protection is being asked for. It is not local. The armour is being drawn from eight points across the subcontinent at once.
What a kavacha does is assign parts of the body to parts of the deity. Head, forehead, eyes, ears, throat, arms, heart, navel, thighs, feet, each given to a named form, so that by the end of the recitation nothing has been left uncovered. That is the whole architecture of the genre, and Varaha suits it: a form that went down into water to bring something back is the natural one to ask for cover.
Verse fifty-six is the odd one. It brings in Parvati and her two sons, Vinayaka and Guha, inside a Vaishnava kavacha, and the verses give no reason for it. Rather than explain it away, it is worth noticing as evidence that the text comes from a setting where the Shaiva and Vaishnava households were the same households. The closing verses say that one who hears or recites this daily is freed from sins and is honoured in Vishnuloka.
How and when to chant
Morning, after bathing, facing east, is the usual way with any kavacha. Some reciters perform the nyasa, touching each part of the body as the corresponding verse names it; others simply read the fifty-seven verses through. Both are current, and the second is what most householders do.
Fifty-seven verses take about twelve to fifteen minutes read steadily. If that is too much on a working morning, families commonly keep the full reading for Sundays or for the fortnightly dwadashi and read only the opening kshetra verses and the closing ones on other days. Nothing in the text forbids this, though a teacher who gave you the kavacha may have said otherwise, and their instruction takes precedence over a website.
Because Varaha is the one who raised the earth from water, many families connect him with land: some recite this before starting construction, before a bhoomi pooja, or while a property matter is unresolved. How old that association is, the kavacha itself does not say. What it does say is plainer, that it is for daily recitation and daily protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a kavacham?
Which eight kshetras does the kavacham name?
Where is Srimushnam?
Which Varaha is this addressed to?
Can this kavacham be recited daily, and by whom?
Why do Parvati, Vinayaka and Guha appear in verse 56?
What do the closing verses promise?
Is the Varaha Kavacham the same as the Bhu Varaha Stotram?
Related Stotras
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