The Gayatri Mantra-Kavacha

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.12.3.1)

नारद उवाच । स्वामिन्सर्वजगन्नाथ संशयोऽस्ति मम प्रभो । चतुःषष्टिकलाभिज्ञ पातकाद्योगविद्वर

nārada uvāca svāminsarvajagannātha saṁśayo'sti mama prabho catuḥṣaṣṭikalābhijña pātakādyogavidvara

Narada said: O Lord, Master of all the worlds, O Lord who knows the sixty-four arts, O best among the knowers of yoga, I have a doubt.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.12.3.2)

मुच्यते केन पुण्येन ब्रह्मरूपः कथं भवेत् । देहश्च देवतारूपो मन्त्ररूपो विशेषतः

mucyate kena puṇyena brahmarūpaḥ kathaṁ bhavet dehaśca devatārūpo mantrarūpo viśeṣataḥ

By what merit is one freed from sin, and how does one become of the very form of Brahman — the body becoming, in particular, of the form of the deity and of the form of the mantra?

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.12.3.3)

कर्म तच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि न्यासं च विधिपूर्वकम् । ऋषिश्छन्दोऽधिदैवं च ध्यानं च विधिवद्विभो

karma tacchrotumicchāmi nyāsaṁ ca vidhipūrvakam ṛṣiśchando'dhidaivaṁ ca dhyānaṁ ca vidhivadvibho

O Lord, I wish to hear of that rite, the nyasa performed according to due procedure, and its sage, meter, presiding deity, and meditation-verse, all in proper form.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.12.3.4)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । अस्त्येकं परमं गुह्यं गायत्रीकवचं तथा । पठनाद्धारणान्मर्त्यः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca astyekaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ gāyatrīkavacaṁ tathā paṭhanāddhāraṇānmartyaḥ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Shri Narayana said: There exists one supreme and secret text, the Gayatri-kavacha; by reciting or wearing it a mortal is freed from all sins.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.12.3.5)

सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति देवीरूपश्च जायते । गायत्रीकवचस्यास्य ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः

sarvānkāmānavāpnoti devīrūpaśca jāyate gāyatrīkavacasyāsya brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ

He obtains all his desires and becomes of the very form of the Devi. Of this Gayatri-kavacha, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara —

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.12.3.6)

ऋषयो ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वश्छन्दांसि नारद । ब्रह्मरूपा देवतोक्ता गायत्री परमा कला

ṛṣayo ṛgyajuḥsāmātharvaśchandāṁsi nārada brahmarūpā devatoktā gāyatrī paramā kalā

— O Narada, are its sages; the Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva are its meters; its deity is declared to be of the form of Brahman, and Gayatri is its supreme power.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.12.3.7)

तद्बीजं भर्ग इत्येषा शक्तिरुक्ता मनीषिभिः । कीलकं च धियः प्रोक्तं मोक्षार्थे विनियोजनम्

tadbījaṁ bharga ityeṣā śaktiruktā manīṣibhiḥ kīlakaṁ ca dhiyaḥ proktaṁ mokṣārthe viniyojanam

'Bhargaḥ' is declared to be its seed (bīja); the wise have called this its power (śakti); 'dhiyaḥ' is declared to be its pin (kīlaka); its application is for the sake of liberation.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.12.3.8)

चतुर्भिर्हृदयं प्रोक्तं त्रिभिर्वर्णेः शिरः स्मृतम् । चतुर्भिः स्याच्छिखा पश्चात् त्रिभिस्तु कवचं स्मृतम्

caturbhirhṛdayaṁ proktaṁ tribhirvarṇeḥ śiraḥ smṛtam caturbhiḥ syācchikhā paścāt tribhistu kavacaṁ smṛtam

With four syllables the heart is declared, with three syllables the head is remembered; then with four syllables comes the tuft, and with three syllables the armor is remembered.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.12.3.9)

चतुर्भिर्नेत्रमुद्दिष्टं चतुर्भिः स्यात्तदस्त्रकम् । अथ ध्यानं प्रवक्ष्यामि साधकाभीष्टदायकम्

caturbhirnetramuddiṣṭaṁ caturbhiḥ syāttadastrakam atha dhyānaṁ pravakṣyāmi sādhakābhīṣṭadāyakam

With four syllables the eyes are designated, and with four syllables comes the weapon. Now I shall declare the meditation-verse, which grants the aspirant's cherished desire.

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.12.3.10)

मुक्ताविद्रुमहेमनीलधवलच्छायैर्मुखैस्त्रीक्षणै- र्युक्तामिन्दुनिबद्धरत्नमुकुटां तत्त्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम् । गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुशकशाः शुभ्रं कपालं गुणं शङ्खं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्तीं भजे

muktāvidrumahemanīladhavalacchāyairmukhaistrīkṣaṇai- ryuktāmindunibaddharatnamukuṭāṁ tattvārthavarṇātmikām gāyatrīṁ varadābhayāṅkuśakaśāḥ śubhraṁ kapālaṁ guṇaṁ śaṅkhaṁ cakramathāravindayugalaṁ hastairvahantīṁ bhaje

I worship that Gayatri, whose faces gleam with the hues of pearl, coral, gold, sapphire, and white, each face bearing three eyes, wearing a jeweled crown set with the crescent moon, whose very form is made of the syllables expressing the meaning of the tattvas — who bears in her hands the gesture of boon-granting, the gesture of fearlessness, a goad, a whip, a white skull-bowl, a rosary, a conch, a discus, and a pair of lotuses.

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.12.3.11)

गायत्री पूर्वतः पातु सावित्री पातु दक्षिणे । ब्रह्मसन्ध्या तु मे पश्चादुत्तरायां सरस्वती

gāyatrī pūrvataḥ pātu sāvitrī pātu dakṣiṇe brahmasandhyā tu me paścāduttarāyāṁ sarasvatī

May Gayatri protect me from the east, may Savitri protect me from the south; may Brahma-sandhya protect me from the west, and Sarasvati from the north.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.12.3.12)

पार्वती मे दिशं रक्षेत्पावकीं जलशायिनी । यातुधानी दिशं रक्षेद्यातुधानभयङ्करी

pārvatī me diśaṁ rakṣetpāvakīṁ jalaśāyinī yātudhānī diśaṁ rakṣedyātudhānabhayaṅkarī

May Parvati protect my south-eastern direction, and may Jalashayini — she who rests upon the waters — and Yatudhani, the terror of demons, protect my other directions.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.12.3.13)

पावमानी दिशं रक्षेत्पवमानविलासिनी । दिशं रौद्री च मे पातु रुद्राणी रुद्ररूपिणी

pāvamānī diśaṁ rakṣetpavamānavilāsinī diśaṁ raudrī ca me pātu rudrāṇī rudrarūpiṇī

May Pavamani, she who delights in the purifying wind, protect my direction; and may Raudri, Rudrani of Rudra's own form, protect my direction.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.12.3.14)

ऊर्ध्वं ब्रह्माणी मे रक्षेदधस्ताद्वैष्णवी तथा । एवं दश दिशो रक्षेत्सर्वाङ्गं भुवनेश्वरी

ūrdhvaṁ brahmāṇī me rakṣedadhastādvaiṣṇavī tathā evaṁ daśa diśo rakṣetsarvāṅgaṁ bhuvaneśvarī

May Brahmani protect me from above, and likewise Vaishnavi from below. Thus may the ten directions be protected, and may Bhuvaneshvari protect my whole body.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.12.3.15)

तत्पदं पातु मे पादौ जङ्घे मे सवितुः पदम् । वरेण्यं कटिदेशे तु नाभिं भर्गस्तथैव च

tatpadaṁ pātu me pādau jaṅghe me savituḥ padam vareṇyaṁ kaṭideśe tu nābhiṁ bhargastathaiva ca

May the word 'tat' protect my feet, and 'savituḥ' my shins; may 'vareṇyaṃ' protect my waist, and likewise 'bhargaḥ' my navel.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.12.3.16)

देवस्य मे तद्धृदयं धीमहीति च गल्लयोः । धियः पदं च मे नेत्रे यः पदं मे ललाटकम्

devasya me taddhṛdayaṁ dhīmahīti ca gallayoḥ dhiyaḥ padaṁ ca me netre yaḥ padaṁ me lalāṭakam

May 'devasya' protect my heart, and 'dhīmahi' my cheeks; may the word 'dhiyaḥ' protect my eyes, and the word 'yaḥ' my forehead.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.12.3.17)

नः पातु मे पदं मूर्ध्नि शिखायां मे प्रचोदयात् । तत्पदं पातु मूर्धानं सकारः पातु भालकम्

naḥ pātu me padaṁ mūrdhni śikhāyāṁ me pracodayāt tatpadaṁ pātu mūrdhānaṁ sakāraḥ pātu bhālakam

May the word 'naḥ' protect the crown of my head, and 'pracodayāt' my tuft; may the syllable 'tat' protect my head, and the syllable 'sa' protect my forehead.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.12.3.18)

चक्षुषी तु विकारार्णस्तुकारस्तु कपोलयोः । नासापुटं वकारार्णो रेकारस्तु मुखे तथा

cakṣuṣī tu vikārārṇastukārastu kapolayoḥ nāsāpuṭaṁ vakārārṇo rekārastu mukhe tathā

May the syllable 'vi' protect my two eyes, and 'tu' my cheeks; may the syllable 'va' protect my nostrils, and likewise 're' my mouth.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.12.3.19)

णिकार ऊर्ध्वमोष्ठं तु यकारस्त्वधरोष्ठकम् । आस्यमध्ये भकारार्णो र्गोकारश्चिबुके तथा

ṇikāra ūrdhvamoṣṭhaṁ tu yakārastvadharoṣṭhakam āsyamadhye bhakārārṇo rgokāraścibuke tathā

May the syllable 'ṇi' protect my upper lip, and 'ya' my lower lip; may 'bha' protect the middle of my mouth, and likewise 'rgo' my chin.

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.12.3.20)

देकारः कण्ठदेशे तु वकारः स्कन्धदेशकम् । स्यकारो दक्षिणं हस्तं धीकारो वामहस्तकम्

dekāraḥ kaṇṭhadeśe tu vakāraḥ skandhadeśakam syakāro dakṣiṇaṁ hastaṁ dhīkāro vāmahastakam

May 'de' protect my throat, and 'va' my shoulders; may 'sya' protect my right hand, and 'dhī' my left hand.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.12.3.21)

मकारो हृदयं रक्षेद्धिकार उदरे तथा । धिकारो नाभिदेशे तु योकारस्तु कटिं तथा

makāro hṛdayaṁ rakṣeddhikāra udare tathā dhikāro nābhideśe tu yokārastu kaṭiṁ tathā

May 'ma' protect my heart, and likewise 'hi' my belly; may 'dhi' protect my navel, and likewise 'yo' my waist.

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.12.3.22)

गुह्यं रक्षतु योकार ऊरू द्वौ नः पदाक्षरम् । प्रकारो जानुनी रक्षेच्चोकारो जङ्घदेशकम्

guhyaṁ rakṣatu yokāra ūrū dvau naḥ padākṣaram prakāro jānunī rakṣeccokāro jaṅghadeśakam

May the syllable 'yo' protect my private parts, and the syllable 'naḥ' my two thighs; may 'pra' protect my knees, and 'co' my shanks.

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.12.3.23)

दकारं गुल्फदेशे तु यकारः पदयुग्मकम् । तकारव्यञ्जनं चैव सर्वाङ्गं मे सदावतु

dakāraṁ gulphadeśe tu yakāraḥ padayugmakam takāravyañjanaṁ caiva sarvāṅgaṁ me sadāvatu

May 'da' protect my ankles, and 'ya' my pair of feet; and may the consonant 'ta' ever protect the whole of my body.

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.12.3.24)

इदं तु कवचं दिव्यं बाधाशतविनाशनम् । चतुःषष्टिकलाविद्यादायकं मोक्षकारकम्

idaṁ tu kavacaṁ divyaṁ bādhāśatavināśanam catuḥṣaṣṭikalāvidyādāyakaṁ mokṣakārakam

This divine armor destroys a hundred afflictions; it bestows knowledge of the sixty-four arts and brings about liberation.

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.12.3.25)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्वापि गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ paraṁ brahmādhigacchati paṭhanācchravaṇādvāpi gosahasraphalaṁ labhet

One is freed from all sins and attains the Supreme Brahman; by reciting it, or even merely by hearing it, one obtains the merit of gifting a thousand cows.