Narasimha Kavacham

Sri Nrisimha Kavacha of Prahlad

From the Brahmanda Purana

nṛsiṁha-kavacaṁ vakṣye
prahlādenoditaṁ purā |
sarva-rakṣākaraṁ puṇyaṁ
sarvopadrava-nāśanam ||

I shall now recite the Narasimha-kavacha, formerly spoken by Prahlada Maharaja. It is most pious, vanquishes all kinds of impediments, and provides one with all protection.

sarva-sampat-karaṁ caiva
svarga-mokṣa-pradāyakam |
dhyātvā nṛsiṁhaṁ deveśaṁ
hema-siṁhāsana-sthitam ||

It bestows upon one all opulences and can give one elevation to the heavenly planets or liberation. One should meditate on Lord Narasimha, Lord of the universe, seated upon a golden throne.

vivṛtāsyam tri-nayanaṁ
śarad-indu-sama-prabham |
lakṣmyāliṅgita-vāmāṅgaṁ
vibhūtibhir upāśritam ||

His mouth is wide open, He has three eyes, and He is as radiant as the autumn moon. He is embraced by Lakshmi devi on his left side, and His form is the shelter of all opulences, both material and spiritual.

catur-bhujaṁ komalāṅgaṁ
suvarṇa-kuṇḍala-śobhitam |
saroja-śobhitoraskaṁ
ratna-keyūra-mudritam ||

The Lord has four arms, and His limbs are very soft. He is decorated with golden earrings. His chest is resplendent like the lotus flower, and His arms are decorated with jewel-studded ornaments.

tapta-kāñcana-saṅkāśaṁ
pīta-nirmala-vāsasam |
indrādi-sura-mauli-sthaḥ
sphuran-māṇikya-dīptibhiḥ ||

He is dressed in a spotless yellow garment, which exactly resembles molten gold. He is the original cause of existence, beyond the mundane sphere, for the great demigods headed by Indra. He appears bedecked with rubies, which are blazingly effulgent.

virājita-pada-dvandvaṁ
śaṅkha-cakrādi-hetibhiḥ |
garutmataś ca vinayāt
stūyamānaṁ mudānvitam ||

His two feet are very attractive, and He is armed with various weapons such as the conch, disc, etc. Garuda joyfully offers prayers with great reverence.

sva-hṛt-kamala-saṁvāsaṁ
kṛtvā tu kavacaṁ paṭhet |
nṛsiṁho me śiraḥ pātu
loka-rakṣārtha-sambhavaḥ ||

Having seated Lord Narasimhadeva upon the lotus of one’s heart, one should recite the following mantra: “May Lord Nrisimha, who protects all the planetary systems, protect my head.”

sarvago 'pi stambha-vāsaḥ
phalaṁ me rakṣatu dhvanim |
nṛsiṁho me dṛśau pātu
soma-sūryāgni-locanaḥ ||

Although the Lord is all-pervading, He hid Himself within a pillar. May He protect my speech and the results of my activities. May Lord Narasimha, whose eyes are the sun and fire, protect my eyes.

smṛtaṁ me pātu nṛhariḥ
muni-vārya-stuti-priyaḥ |
nāsaṁ me siṁha-nāsaś ca
mukhaṁ lakṣmī-mukha-priyaḥ ||

May Lord Nrihari, who is pleased by the prayers offered by the best of sages, protect my memory. May He who has the nose of a lion protect my nose, and may He whose face is very dear to the goddess of fortune protect my mouth.

sarva-vidyādhipaḥ pātu
nṛsiṁho rasanaṁ mama |
vaktraṁ patv indu-vadanaṁ
sadā prahlāda-vanditaḥ ||

May Lord Narasimha, who is the knower of all sciences, protect my sense of taste. May He, whose face is as beautiful as the full moon and who is offered prayers by Prahlada Maharaja, protect my face.

nṛsiṁhaḥ pātu me kaṇṭhaṁ
skandhau bhū-bhṛd ananta-kṛt |
divyāstra-śobhita-bhujaḥ
nṛsiṁhaḥ pātu me bhujaḥ ||

May Lord Narasimha protect my throat. He is the sustainer of the earth and the performer of unlimitedly wonderful activities. May He protect my shoulders. His arms are resplendent with transcendental weapons. May He protect my shoulders.

karau me deva-varado
nṛsiṁhaḥ pātu sarvataḥ |
hṛdayaṁ yogi-sādhyas ca
nivāsaṁ pātu me hariḥ ||

May the Lord, who bestows benedictions upon the demigods, protect my hands, and may He protect me from all sides. May He who is achieved by the perfect yogis protect my heart, and may Lord Hari protect my dwelling place.

madhyaṁ pātu hiraṇyākṣa-
vakṣaḥ-kukṣi-vidāraṇaḥ |
nābhiṁ me pātu nṛhariḥ
sva-nābhi-brahma-saṁstutaḥ ||

May He who ripped apart the chest and abdomen of the great demon Hiranyaksha protect my waist, and may Lord Nrihari protect my navel. He is offered prayers by Lord Brahmaa, who has sprung from his own navel.

brahmāṇḍa-koṭayaḥ kaṭyām
yasyāsau pātu me kaṭim |
guhyaṁ me pātu guhyānāṁ
mantrāṇāṁ guhya-rūpa-dṛk ||

May He on whose hips rest all the universes protect my hips. May the Lord protect my private parts. He is the knower of all mantras and all mysteries, but He Himself is not visible.

ūru manobhavaḥ pātu
jānunī nara-rūpa-dṛk |
jaṅghe pātu dhara-dhara-
hartā yo 'sau nṛ-keśarī ||

May He who is the original Cupid protect my thighs. May He who exhibits a human-like form protect my knees. May the remover of the burden of the earth, who appears in a form which is half-man and half-lion, protect my calves.

sura-rājya-pradaḥ pātu
pādau me nṛhariśvaraḥ |
sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ
pātu me sarvaśas tanum ||

May the bestower of heavenly opulence protect my feet. He is the Supreme Controller in the form of a man and lion combined. May the thousand-headed Supreme enjoyer protect my body from all sides and in all respects.

mahograḥ pūrvataḥ pātu
mahā-vīrāgrajo 'ghniṭaḥ |
mahā-viṣṇur dakṣiṇe tu
mahā-jvālas tu nairṛtaḥ ||

May that most ferocious personality protect me from the east. May He who is superior to the greatest heroes protect me from the southeast, which is presided over by Agni. May the Supreme Vishnu protect me from the south, and may that person of blazing luster protect me from the southwest.

paścime pātu sarveśo
diśi me sarvato-mukhaḥ |
nṛsiṁhaḥ pātu vāyavyaṁ
saumyaṁ bhūṣaṇa-vigrahaḥ ||

May the Lord of everything protect me from the west. His face is everywhere, so please may He protect me from this direction. May Lord Narasimha protect me from the northwest, which is predominated by Vaayu, and may He whose form is in itself the supreme ornament protect me from the north, where Soma resides.

īśānyaṁ pātu bhadro me
sarva-maṅgala-dāyakaḥ |
saṁsāra-bhayataḥ pātu
mṛtyor mṛtyur nṛ-keśarī ||

May the all-auspicious Lord, who Himself bestows all-auspiciousness, protect me from the northeast, the direction of the sun-god, and may He who is death personified protect me from fear of the rotation of birth and death in this material world.

idaṁ nṛsiṁha-kavacaṁ
prahlāda-mukha-maṇḍitam |
bhaktimān yaḥ paṭhen nityaṁ
sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate ||

This Narasimha-kavacha has been ornamented by issuing from the mouth of Prahlada Maharaja. A devotee who reads this becomes freed from all sins.

putravān dhanavān loke
dīrghāyur upajāyate |
kāmāyate yaṁ yaṁ kāmaṁ
taṁ taṁ prāpnoty asaṁśayam ||

Whatever one desires in this world, he can attain without doubt. One can have wealth, many sons, and a long life.

sarvatra jayam āpnoti
sarvatra vijayī bhavet |
bhūmy-antarīkṣa-divyānāṁ
grahāṇāṁ vinivāraṇam ||

He becomes victorious who desires victory, and indeed becomes a conqueror. He wards off the influence of all planets, earthly, heavenly, and everything in between.

vṛścikoraga-sambhūta-
viṣa-praharanaṁ param |
brahma-rākṣasa-yakṣāṇāṁ
durotsāraṇa-kāraṇam ||

This is the supreme remedy for the poisonous effects of serpents and scorpions, and Brahma-raakshasa ghosts and Yakshas are driven far away.

bhuje vā tāla-patre vā
kavacaṁ likhitaṁ śubham |
kara-mūle dhṛtaṁ yena
sidhyeyuḥ karma-siddhayaḥ ||

One may write this most auspicious prayer on his arm, or inscribe it on a palm-leaf and attach it to his wrist, and all his activities will become perfect.

deva-asura-manuṣyeṣu
svam svam eva jayaṁ labhet |
eka-sandhyaṁ tri-sandhyaṁ vā
yaḥ paṭhet niyato naraḥ ||

One who regularly chants this prayer, whether once or thrice (daily), he becomes victorious whether among demigods, demons, or human beings.

sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalyaṁ
bhuktiṁ muktiṁ ca vindati |
dva-triṁśati-sahasrāṇi
paṭhet śuddhātmanaṁ nṛṇām ||

One who, with a purified heart, recites this prayer 32,000 times attains the most auspicious of all auspicious things, and material enjoyment and liberation are already understood to be available to such a person.

kavacasyāsya mantrasya
mantra-siddhiḥ prajāyate |
anena mantra-rājena
kṛtvā bhasmābhir mantrāṇām ||

This Kavacha-mantra is the king of all mantras. One attains by it what would be attained by anointing oneself with ashes and chanting all other mantras.

tilakaṁ vinyaset yas tu
tasya graha-bhayaṁ haret |
tri-vāraṁ japamānas tu
dattaṁ vāry abhimantrya ca ||

Having marked ones body with tilaka, taking achamana with water, and reciting this mantra three times, one will find that the fear of all inauspicious planets is removed.

prasayed yo naro mantraṁ
nṛsiṁha-dhyānam ācaret |
tasya rogāḥ praṇaśyanti
ye ca syuḥ kukṣi-sambhavāḥ ||

That person who recites this mantra, meditating upon Lord Narasimhadeva, has all of his diseases vanquished, including those of the abdomen.

garjantaṁ garjayantaṁ nija-bhuja-paṭalaṁ sphoṭayantaṁ hatantaṁ
rūpyantaṁ tāpayantaṁ divi bhuvi ditijān kṣepayantaṁ kṣipantam |
krandantaṁ roṣayantaṁ diśi diśi satataṁ saṁharantaṁ bharantaṁ
vikṣantaṁ pūrayantaṁ kara-nikara-śataiḥ divya-siṁhaṁ namāmi ||

Lord Narasimha roars loudly and causes others to roar. With His multitudes of arms He tears the demons asunder and kills them in this way. He is always seeking out and tormenting the demonic descendants of Diti, both on this earth planet and in the higher planets, and He throws them down and scatters them. He cries with great anger as He destroys the demons in all directions, yet with His unlimited hands He sustains, protects, and nourishes the cosmic manifestation. I offer my respectful obeisances to the Lord, who has assumed the form of a transcendental lion.

iti śrī-brahmāṇḍa-purāṇe prahlādoktaṁ
śrī-nṛsiṁha-kavacam sampūrṇam ||

Thus ends the Narasimha-kavacha as it is described by Prahlada Maharaja in the Brahmanda Purana.