Canto 6 - Chapter 8: The text of the (holy) Narayana-Kavaca (a prayer invoking the protection of Lord Narayana) taught (to Indra)

Discourse VIII

The text of the (holy) Nārāyaṇa-Kavaca (a prayer invoking the protection of Lord Nārāyaṇa) taught (to Indra)

The king (Parikṣit) submitted : O divine sage, teach me that prayer (serving as a protective armour against all evils and) invoking the succour of Lord Nārāyaṇa (hence spoken of as identical with Him, there being perfect identity between God and the means of realizing Him), protected by which Indra (who is endowed with a thousand eyes) thoroughly and entirely subdued as though in sport the enemy's troops along with their mounts and enjoyed the fortune of all the three worlds (heaven, earth and the intermediate region); and (further) tell me how, protected by that armour, he was able to conquer the enemies who came to take his life on the field of battle. (1-2)

Śrī Śuka replied : Appointed as a priest, Viśwarūpa (son of Twaṣṭā) taught the Kavaca (prayer serving as a protection), named after Lord Nārāyaṇa, to the great Indra, who had inquired about it. Listen to it with undivided attention on this occasion. (3)

Viśwarūpa began : In the face of danger, a devotee who has finished his bath and other purificatory rites (such as Sandhyā) should wash his hands and feet, (thrice) sip a little water (with the Lord's names Keśava, Nārāyaṇa and Mādhava on his lips) and, (thus) purified, squat (on a proper seat) with his face (turned) towards the north and wearing a ring of the sacred Kuśa grass (on the ring finger of each hand). (And) after silently performing (what is known as) the Nyāsa (consecration or spiritualization) of the (various) members of his body and hands with the two Mantras (sacred formulas mentioned hereafter), he should arm himself with the protective covering (in the shape of the following prayer) sacred to Lord Nārāyaṇa. (To commence the rite of Nyāsa or consecration) he should (first of all mentally) locate the syllables of the (eight-syllabled Mantra) "OM Namo Nārāyaṇāya"—OM and so on—in order of sequence in his feet, knee-joints, thighs, belly, region of the heart, chest, mouth and (crown of) the head (thus identifying his body with the Mantra and thereby spiritualizing it and making it fit for putting on the divine armour), or even in the reverse order (known as the Samhāra-Nyāsa, as opposed to the Utpatti-Nyāsa, placing the syllables 'YA' and so on—followed by an Anuswāra or nasal sound represented by the letter 'm'—in his head, mouth etc.). (4—6)
Thereafter he should perform the Karanyāsa (consecration or spiritualization of the parts of both his hands) with the twelve-syllabled Mantra (OM Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya), locating the syllables beginning with OM and ending with 'YA' in his (eight) fingers and (upper and lower) thumb-joints. (7)
(Thirdly) he should place the (first) syllable 'OM' of the following Mantra "OM Viṣṇave Namaḥ" in his heart, then 'Vi' (the first letter of the second syllable) in the crown of his head, and 'S' (the second letter of the same syllable) in the middle of his eye-brows, and the (third) syllable 'Na' in the Śikhāṇ (the tuft of hair more or less in the rear of the crown). (8)
He should (mentally) unite (identify) the (fourth) syllable 'Ve' with his eyes and the (fifth) syllable 'Na' with all the joints (of his body). Then putting the (last) syllable 'Ma'—followed by a Visarga (a distinct hard aspiration, represented by the letter 'h') and the interjection 'Phaṭ'—to the use of driving away evil spirits, he should assign it to all the (ten) directions (in order to block them against the inroads of evil spirits and demons etc., repeating the formula "Maḥ Astrāya Phaṭ" and snapping the thumb and the middle finger together successively in each direction sought to be so blocked). (In this way) the wise devotee becomes a (very) embodiment (as it were) of the Mantra. (9-10)
He should (then) visualize himself as (one with) the Supreme Self, possessed of six divine attributes (viz., power, virtue, fame, affluence, wisdom and aversion to the pleasures of sense, each in its fullest measure), the object of his meditation, manifested in the form of learning, glory and asceticism, and repeat the following prayer:—(11)

"May Śrī Hari, denoted by (the mystical syllable) OM, afford me protection on all sides as well as from all dangers—Śrī Hari, who has His lotus-feet placed on the back of Garuḍa (the king of the birds), nay, who wields in His eight arms (hands) a conch, discus (lit., that which is provided with a number of spokes), shield, sword, mace, arrow, bow and noose and who is (naturally) possessed of the eight mystic powers (the faculty of assuming an atomic form and so on). (12)
(Appearing) in the form of the divine Fish, may He protect me in water from the (various) species of aquatic creatures, representing the noose of Varuṇa (the god of water). May He, who appeared of His own will in the form of a religious student, dwarfish in stature, guard me on land; and may the same Lord, appearing in His cosmic form as Trivikrama (He who measured the entire universe in less than three paces) guard me in the air. (13)
May the almighty Lord Nṛṣimha (who appeared in a queer form, half man and half lion), the Slayer of Hiranyakaśipu (the leader of the demon hosts), protect me in places full of danger, such as a forest (infested with wild beasts etc.) and the fore-front of a battle—Lord Nṛsīrha at whose tremendous peals of laughter, when He raised them, the quarters violently echoed and embryos were discharged (from the wombs of Asura women). (14)
May the celebrated divine Boar, in whose (sacred) person the (various) sacrifices stand represented, and who lifted up the earth on His tusk, protect me on the road, May Rāma (Lord Paraśurāma) guard up on mountain-peaks and may Śrī Rāma (the elder brother of Bharata), accompanied by (His still younger brother) Lakṣmaṇa, protect us (when we are) away from home. (15)
May (the divine sage) Nārāyaṇa keep me aloof from violent religious practices (such as the employment of spells for malevolent purposes) and all (sins of) omission; and the sage Nara, from pride. May Datta (Lord Dattātreya), the Master of Yoga, guard me against (the risk of) abandoning the practice of Yoga and may Lord Kapila, the Lord of Prakṛti (consisting of the three Guṇas), save me from the bondage of actions (prompted by the aforesaid three Guṇas). (16)
May (the divine sage) Sanatkumāra guard me against (the shafts of) Love; Lord Hayagrīva (having the head of a horse), from (the sin of) neglecting (omitting to salute) the (images of) gods met with on the way; Nārada (the foremost of celestial sages), against drawbacks in the worship of the Deity (in the shape of the thirty-two transgressions* enumerated in the works on Devotion); and may Śrī Hari manifested as the divine Tortoise keep me away from every description of hell. (17)
May Lord Dhanwantari guard me against unwholesome diet and Lord Rṣabhadeva, whose mind is perfectly subdued, from the fear of the pairs of opposites. Again, may Lord Yajña save me from public scandal; Lord Balarāma (the elder Brother of Śrī Kṛṣṇa), from death at the hands of a human being and Śeṣa (the lord of serpents), from (the clutches of) the class of serpents known as the Krodhavāśas. (18)
May Lord Dwaipāyana (the divine sage Vedavyāsa, so-called because He was born in an island) guard me against ignorance and Lord Buddha, against heretical creeds and neglect of duties. (And) may Lord Kalki, who assumed that glorious manifestation for the preservation of righteousness protect me from (the impurities of) the Kali age, the refuse (dirtiest period) of time. (19)
May Lord Keśava (the Supreme Deity the Ruler of even Brahmā and Śiva) protect me with His mace in the morning (the first of the six divisions of the day, each consisting of two hours); Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Protector of cows), who holds a flute (in His hand), through the Saṅgava hours (the second part of the day); Lord Nārāyaṇa (who has His abode in water and who weild an uplifted javelin), in the forenoon and (the all-pervading) Lord Viṣṇu, carrying Sudarśana (the chief of all discuses) in His hand, at midday. (20)
May Lord Madhusūdana (the Slayer of the demon Madhu), who wields a terrible bow, protect me in the afternoon and Lord Mādhava (the Spouse of Goddess Lakṣmī) manifested in three glorious forms (Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva), at dusk. May Lord Hṛṣikeśa guard me in the first part of the night (and) Lord Padmanābha (who has a lotus spring from His navel), alone, during the second part (till midnight) as well as at midnight (during the third part). (21)
May the Lord bearing the mark of Śrīvatsa (a white curl of hair representing the foot-print of the sage Bhṛgu) on His chest, protect me in the latter (fourth) part of the night; Lord Janārdana (who is supplicated by men), carrying a sword (in His hand), at the close (during the fifth part) of the night; Dāmodara (Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as bound at the waist with a string to a wooden mortar used for threshing paddy etc.), by mother Yaśodā as a punishment for His childish pranks), at dawn and Lord Viśweśwara (the Ruler of the universe), manifested as the Time-Spirit (or Death), during both twilights (morning and evening). (22)

• The thirty-two transgressions to which a worshipper of the Deity is liable are as follows:—(1)
  To ride into the premises sacred to a deity or to enter a place of worship (even) with wooden sandals under one's feet; (2)
  failure to celebrate or attend (when invited) sacred festivals such as the Rāthayātrā (conducting the Deity in a festive procession on a chariot on the day appointed for the same). Janmāṣṭami (the Birthday of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and so on; (3)
  failure to salute an image of the Deity after beholding it; (4)
  to visit a temple in an impure state; (5)
  to salute the Deity by raising only one hand; (6)
  to go on walking round the Lord without pausing a while before Him after every full round, or merely walking round in front of the Lord; (7)
  to squat with one's legs stretched in front of the Deity; (8)
  to squat with one's knees up and encircled by one's arms before the Deity; (9)
  to lie down before the Lord; (10)
  to dine before the Deity; (11)
  to tell a lie before the Deity; (12)
  to speak loudly before the Deity; (13)
  to talk with another before the Deity; (14)
  to exclaim in front of the Lord; (15)
  to quarrel in front of the Deity; (16)
  to torment another before the Lord; (17)
  to bless another before the Deity; (18)
  to speak harsh words to another before the Deity; (19)
  to cover oneself all over with a blanket before the Deity; (20)
  to revile another before the Deity; (21)
  to extol another before the Deity; (22)
  to utter indecent words before the Deity; (23)
  to fast before the Deity; (24)
  to worship the Lord with ordinary materials even when one can afford to offer Him more valuable articles; (25)
  to eat or drink anything that has not been offered to the Deity; (26)
  failure to offer to the Lord a fruit peculiar to the season before giving it to anyone else; (27)
  to offer some fruit or vegetable with its front part removed from it for being cooked as food for the use of the Deity; (28)
  to sit with one's back over against the Deity; (29)
  to salute anyone else before the Deity; (30)
  failure to greet one's preceptor, enquire after his health and extol him; (31)
  to indulge in self-praise and (32)
  to revile any Deity whatsoever.

(Addressing Sudarśana, a divine attendant of Lord Viṣṇu, who when commanded by Him, assumes the form of a discus and is employed by Him in destroying His adversaries or the enemies of His devotees,) Revolving all round, (when) hurled by the Lord in the form of a discus with a rim fierce as the fire raging at the time of universal dissolution, (pray,) completely burn, (O) completely burn (my) enemy's host at once, (even) as fire helped by the wind consumes (a pile of) hay. (23)
(Similarly addressing the Lord's mace, Kaumodakī in living form,) Beloved as You are of the invincible Lord (whose servant I am), and sending forth sparks whose impact is as deadly as that of a thunderbolt, O mace, (pray), thoroughly crush, (O) completely pound the Kūṣmāṇḍas (a class of imps), Vaināyakas (a class of malevolent demigods who are living obstacles to all noble and benevolent undertakings), Yakṣas (a species of ghosts), Rākṣasas (ogres), Bhūtas (ghosts) and Grahas (a class of evil demons who seize upon children); and pulverize, (O) crumble to dust, (my) adversaries. (24)
(Addressing the conch of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, named Pāñcajanya,) Blown by Śrī Kṛṣṇa and shaking the hearts of (my) foes with your terrific blast, O lord of conches, may You (be pleased to) drive away the Yātudhānas (ogres), Pramathas (a class of attendants of Lord Śiva), evil spirits, Mātṛkās (female imps posing as mothers), goblins, Brahmārākṣasas* (the ghosts of Brāhmaṇas who in their lifetime carry away the wives of others and the property of a Brāhmaṇa) and other evil-eyed spirits. (25)
Directed by the Lord, O sharp-edged Nandaka (the foremost of all swords), may you (be pleased to) cut down, O mow down, my enemies' host. (Pray,) cover the eyes of (my) wicked foes, O shield with a hundred moon-like buttons! and blind the eyes of the evil-eyed. (26)

From whatever evil spirits, comets and even men, reptiles and other biting (carnivorous) animals, ghosts or even sins we have had fear, all these and whoever (else) have stood in the way of our welfare may go to complete destruction through the (mere) utterance of the (infallible) weapon of the Divine Name. (27-28)
May the glorious and mighty Garuda, who is extolled through hymns (of the Sāmaveda, such as the Bṛhad and Rathantara), nay, who is Veda personified, and (even so) Viśwaksena (one of the principal attendants of the Lord) protect me from all dangers with their (very) names. (29)
May (all) the names and forms and weapons of Śrī Hari, and whoever carries Him on his back, protect us from all adversities and may the foremost of His attendants guard our intellect, Indriyas (the senses of perception as well as the organs of action), mind and life (itself). (30)
"Even as, really speaking, it is the Lord alone who constitutes whatever there is with form and without form, may all our troubles come to an end as a corollary to this truth (since this prayer too is inspired by the Lord and must therefore turn out to be an accomplished fact.) (31)
(Nay,) even as the Lord, though undifferentiated in the eye of those who have realized their identity with Him, Himself acquires by (dint of) His own Māyā (creative energy) potencies (of various kinds) as well as forms and names, jewels and weapons, may the same omniscient and all-pervading Lord Śrī Hari protect us on the strength of this very fact by all His manifestations at every place and time. (32-33)
(Finally) may Lord Narasinha (the divine Man-Lion) defend us in (all) the quarters as well as in the intervening corners, above and below and all round, inside as well as outside, dispelling the fear of (all) His people (devotees) by His roar and having eclipsed all luminaries by His own (all-absorbing) effulgence." (34)

O Indra, this prayer, imbued with the spirit of Lord Nārāyaṇa (and affording protection even as an armour), has been (duly) taught to you. Protected by this, you will easily and completely conquer (all) the generals of the demon troops. (35)
Anyone whom the man wearing (protected by) this armour may behold with his eyes or duly touch with his feet, is immediately and completely rid of (all) fear. (36)
(And) no fear from a ruler, robbers, evil spirits and so on, nor from a tiger and other ferocious animals nor from any other quarter can ever seize the man who has his mind fixed on this sacred text (prayer). (37)
Of yore, a certain Brāhmaṇa, who was a scion of the sage Kuśika and had his mind fixed on this sacred text, cast off his body in a desert through concentration of mind accompanied by retention of breath. (38)
Surrounded by ladies, Citraratha, the chief of the Gandharvas once flew in his aerial car over the spot where the Brāhmaṇa had died and instantly fell down with his car, head downwards. Picking up the bones (of the deceased Brāhmaṇa) according to the advice of (the sages known as) the Vālakhilyas (who apprised him of the wonderful efficacy of the Nārāyaṇa-Kavaca and told him that it was impossible for him to proceed further unless and until the bones had been removed from there), he dropped them into the (holy) river Saraswati, which flew in an easterly direction (close by), bathed (in the sacred stream) and (then) returned to his own abode (the realm of the Gandharvas), amazed (over the incident). (39-40)

Śrī Śuka continued : (All) beings (men) bow to him who listens to this (prayer) at an opportune moment (when he is threatened with some danger) and who fixes his mind on it; nay, he is rid of all fear. (41)
Having learnt this prayer from Viśwarūpa, Indra (who performed a hundred sacrifices in his previous life, which entitled him to this rank) completely and decidedly conquered the demons in battle and enjoyed the sovereignty of (all) the three worlds (heaven, earth and the intermediate region). (42)

Thus ends the eighth discourse, entitled "The text of the Nārāyaṇa-Kavaca taught" in Book Six of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā.