Sri Narasimha Kavacham

nṛsiṃhakavacaṃ vakṣye prahlādenoditaṃ purā |
sarvarakṣā karaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvopadravanāśanam || 1 ||

I recite Narasimha's armour, first taught by Prahlada —
it blesses and protects all, and destroys all troubles.

sarvasaṃpatkaraṃ caiva svargamokṣapradāyakam |
dhyātvā nṛsiṃhaṃ deveśaṃ hemasiṃhāsanasthitam || 2 ||

It gives wealth, heaven and moksha,
when chanted while meditating on Narasimha seated on his golden throne.

vivṛtāsyaṃ trinayanaṃ śaradiṃdusamaprabham |
lakṣmyā liṃgitavāmāṃgaṃ vibhūtibhirupāśritam || 3 ||

He has three eyes, an open mouth, and shines like the autumn moon,
with Lakshmi embracing his left side, radiant in his glory.

caturbhujaṃ komalāṃgaṃ svarṇakuṃḍalaśobhitam |
sarojaśobhitoraskaṃ ratnakeyūramudritam || 4 ||

He has four hands, lovely limbs, and golden earrings,
his chest glows like a lotus, and he wears gem-studded arm bands.

taptakāṃcanasaṃkāśaṃ pītanirmalavāsasam |
iṃdrādisuramaulisthasphuranmāṇikyadīptibhiḥ || 5 ||

He shines like molten gold, dressed in clean yellow robes,
glittering in the ruby light from the crowns of Indra and the gods bowing at his feet.

virājitapadadvaṃdvaṃ śaṃkhacakrādihetibhiḥ |
garutmatā ca vinayāt stūyamānaṃ mudānvitam || 6 ||

His two feet blaze with glory; he bears the conch and discus,
and Garuda humbly sings his praises with joy.

svahṛtkamalasaṃvāsaṃ kṛtvā tu kavacaṃ paṭhet |
nṛsiṃho me śiraḥ pātu lokarakṣārthasaṃbhavaḥ || 7 ||

One who reads this armour after placing Narasimha in the lotus of their heart —
the Lord, born to protect the world, will guard that person's head.

sarvago'pi staṃbhavāsaḥ bhālaṃ me rakṣatu dhvanim |
nṛsiṃho me dṛśau pātu somasūryāgnilocanaḥ || 8 ||

The all-pervading Lord who emerged from the pillar — let him protect my forehead; let my voice be protected by Narasimha,
and let my eyes be guarded by him whose eyes are the sun, moon and fire.

smṛtiṃ me pātu nṛharir munivaryastutipriyaḥ |
nāsaṃ me siṃhanāsastu mukhaṃ lakṣmīmukhapriyaḥ || 9 ||

Let my memory be protected by Narasimha, who delights in the praises of great sages,
let my nose be guarded by his lion-nose, and my mouth by him who is dear to Lakshmi's face.

sarvavidyādhipaḥ pātu nṛsiṃho rasanāṃ mama |
vaktraṃ pātvi nduvadanaṃ sadā prahlādavaṃditaḥ || 10 ||

Let my tongue be protected by Narasimha, lord of all knowledge,
and my face by the moon-faced one whom Prahlada worships.

nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu me kaṃṭhaṃ skaṃdhau bhūbharāṃtakṛt |
divyāstraśobhitabhujo nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu me bhujau || 11 ||

Let Narasimha guard my throat, and the bearer of the world's weight protect my shoulders,
and let Narasimha, whose arms blaze with divine weapons, protect my arms.

karau me devavarado nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu sarvataḥ |
hṛdayaṃ yogisādhyaśca nivāsaṃ pātu me hariḥ || 12 ||

Let the granter of boons protect my hands; let Narasimha protect me on all sides,
let him reachable only by great yogis guard my heart, and Hari protect my home.

madhyaṃ pātu hiraṇyākṣavakṣaḥkukṣividāraṇaḥ |
nābhiṃ me pātu nṛhariḥ svanābhibrahmasaṃstutaḥ || 13 ||

Let the one who ripped open Hiranyakashipu's chest and belly protect my waist,
and let Narasimha, praised by Brahma born from his own navel, protect my navel.

brahmāṃḍakoṭayaḥ kaṭyāṃ yasyāsau pātu me kaṭim |
guhyaṃ me pātu guhyānāṃ maṃtrāṇāṃ guhyarūpadṛk || 14 ||

Let him on whose hips countless universes rest protect my hips,
and let the mysterious one, knowable only through secret mantras, guard my private parts.

ūrū manobhavaḥ pātu jānunī nararūpadhṛk |
jaṃghe pātu dharābhārahartā yo'sau nṛkesarī || 15 ||

Let the mind-born one guard my thighs; let him in human form guard my knees,
and let the man-lion who lifts the earth's burden protect my calves.

surarājyapradaḥ pātu pādau me nṛharīśvaraḥ |
sahasraśīrṣā puruṣaḥ pātu me sarvaśastanum || 16 ||

Let the lord who gives sovereignty to the gods protect my feet,
and let the thousand-headed Purusha protect my whole body.

mahograḥ pūrvataḥ pātu mahāvīrāgrajato'gnitaḥ |
mahāviṣṇurdakṣiṇe tu mahājvālastu nairṛtau || 17 ||

Let the ferocious one guard my east; let the mighty one guard the south-east,
let great Vishnu guard the south, and the blazing one guard the south-west.

paścime pātu sarveśo diśi me sarvatomukhaḥ |
nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu vāyavyāṃ saumyāṃ bhīṣaṇavigrahaḥ || 18 ||

Let the lord of all guard the west, facing in every direction,
let Narasimha guard the north-west, and the awesome-formed one guard the north.

īśānyāṃ pātu bhadro me sarvamaṃgal̤adāyakaḥ |
saṃsārabhayataḥ pātu mṛtyormṛtyurnṛkesarī || 19 ||

Let the auspicious giver of all good things protect the north-east,
and let Narasimha — death to death itself — protect me from the fear of life and death.

idaṃ nṛsiṃhakavacaṃ prahlādamukhamaṃḍitam |
bhaktimānyaḥ paṭhennityaṃ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate || 20 ||

This armour of Narasimha, spoken by Prahlada,
read daily with devotion, frees one from all sins.

putravān dhanavān loke dīrghāyurupajāyate |
yaṃ yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ taṃ taṃ prāpnotyasaṃśayam || 21 ||

The bhakta gains children, wealth and a long life,
and every wish is granted, without fail.

sarvatra jayamāpnoti sarvatra vijayī bhavet |
bhūmyaṃtarikṣadivyānāṃ grahāṇāṃ vinivāraṇam || 22 ||

One who seeks victory everywhere will gain it,
and be freed from the evil influence of earth, sky and planets.

vṛścikoragasaṃbhūtaviṣāpaharaṇaṃ param |
brahmarākṣasayakṣāṇāṃ dūrotsāraṇakāraṇam || 23 ||

This armour removes poison from snakes and scorpions,
and drives away evil spirits, demons and Yakshas far away.

bhūrje vā tāl̤apatre vā kavacaṃ likhitaṃ śubham |
karamūle dhṛtaṃ yena sidhyeyuḥ karmasiddhayaḥ || 24 ||

If this auspicious armour is written on a palm leaf or tree bark
and worn on the wrist, all one's efforts bear fruit.

devāsuramanuṣyeṣu svaṃ svameva jayaṃ labhet |
ekasaṃdhyaṃ trisaṃdhyaṃ vā yaḥ paṭhenniyato naraḥ || 25 ||

One gains victory over humans, gods and demons alike —
the person who reads it faithfully at one or all three daily prayer times.

sarvamaṃgal̤amāṃgal̤yaṃ bhuktiṃ muktiṃ ca viṃdati |
dvātriṃśati sahasrāṇi paṭhecchuddhātmanāṃ nṛṇām || 26 ||

That pure-hearted person gets all auspicious things, joy, wealth and moksha,
by reading it thirty-two thousand times.

kavacasyāsya maṃtrasya maṃtrasiddhiḥ prajāyate |
anena maṃtrarājena kṛtvā bhasmābhimaṃtraṇam || 27 ||

Reciting this mantra — the king of mantras — bestows mastery over it,
along with wearing of sacred ash chanted with this mantra.

tilakaṃ vinyasedyastu tasya grahabhayaṃ haret |
trivāraṃ japamānastu dattaṃ vāryabhimaṃtrya ca || 28 ||

By applying a tilaka, fear of planetary troubles is removed;
by chanting it for three weeks over water and drinking it,

prāśayedyo naro maṃtraṃ nṛsiṃhadhyānamācaret |
tasya rogāḥ praṇaśyaṃti ye ca syuḥ kukṣisaṃbhavāḥ || 29 ||

after meditating on Narasimha, one who masters this mantra
is cured of all diseases, especially those of the stomach.

kimatra bahunoktena nṛsiṃhasadṛśo bhavet |
manasā ciṃtitaṃ yattu sa taccāpnotyasaṃśayam || 30 ||

What more need be said — none can ever equal Narasimha,
for merely thinking of him in the mind fulfils one's wishes, without doubt.

iti paramarahasyasārametat kavacavaraṃ paṭhatīha yastu bhaktyā |
sa bhavati dhanadhānyaputrabhogī tanuvigame samupaiti nārasiṃham || 31 ||

This armour is the essence of the greatest secret —
one who reads it with devotion gets wealth, grain and children, and at death reaches Narasimha.

taptahāṭakakeśāṃta jvalatpāvakalocana |
vajrāyudhanakhasparśa divyasiṃha namo'stu te || 32 ||

His hair blazes like molten gold, his eyes blaze like fire,
his nails are sharp as thunderbolts — salutation to you, O divine lion!

śrīnṛsiṃho divyasiṃhaḥ sarvābhīṣṭapradāyakaḥ|
ekavīro'dbhutabalo maṃtrayaṃtrakabhaṃjanaḥ||33 ||

Narasimha, the divine lion, fulfils every wish,
the singular, supremely powerful one, destroyer of evil mantras and obstacles.

bhayaṃ nāsti bhayaṃ nāsti nṛsiṃhapadasevanāt|
satyaṃ satyaṃ vaco vacmi śaṃkaro'haṃ trilocanaḥ||34 ||

There is no fear — none at all — for one who serves Narasimha's feet.
I speak the truth. I am Shankara, the three-eyed.

kuto bhītiḥ kuto mṛtyuḥ kutastasya daridratā|
mṛtyurmṛtyuḥ ramānātho yasya nātho nṛkesarī||35 ||

No fear, no death, no poverty for that bhakta
for whom Narasimha — Lakshmi's lord — is the lord; he is death's own death.

bharjanaṃ bhavabījānāṃ vardhanaṃ sukhasaṃpadāṃ|
tarjanaṃ yamadūtānāṃ nṛharernāmagarjanaṃ||36 ||

Narasimha's name roars and burns the seeds of worldly bondage, grows happiness and prosperity,
and the roar of his name drives away even death's messengers.

mātā nṛsiṃhaśca pitā nṛsiṃhaḥ bhrātā nṛsiṃhaśca sakhā nṛsiṃhaḥ|
vidyā nṛsiṃho draviṇaṃ nṛsiṃhaḥ svāmī nṛsiṃhaḥ sakalaṃ nṛsiṃhaḥ||37 ||

Narasimha is mother, father, brother, friend,
Narasimha is wisdom, wealth, master, and everything.

yato nṛsiṃhaḥ parato nṛsiṃho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṃhaḥ|
nṛsiṃhadevādparaṃ na kiṃcit tasmānnṛsiṃhaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye||38 ||

Wherever I go, there is Narasimha —
there is nothing beyond him; I take refuge in Narasimha.

garjaṃtaṃ garjayaṃtaṃ nijabhujapaṭalaṃ sphoṭayaṃtaṃ haṭhaṃtaṃ
rūpyaṃtaṃ tāpayaṃtaṃ divi bhuvi ditijaṃ kṣepayaṃtaṃ kṣipaṃtam |
kraṃdaṃtaṃ roṣayaṃtaṃ diśi diśi satataṃ saṃharaṃtaṃ bharaṃtaṃ
vīkṣaṃtaṃ ghūrṇayaṃtaṃ śaranikaraśatairdivyasiṃhaṃ namāmi || 39 ||

He roars and makes all roar; with his many arms he tears his foes apart,
he hunts and torments the sons of Diti (daityas) in all the worlds, hurling and scattering them,
raging, he slays them in every direction, holding and bearing all at once,
and with hundreds of divine arrows he tears them — I bow to that divine lion.