धृत्वा वेदविभागं च पुराणान्यखिलानि च
Having retained it, divided the Vedas and all the Purāṇas.
शातातपश्च संवर्त्तो वसिष्ठश्च पराशरः
Śātātapa, Saṃvarta, Vasiṣṭha, and Parāśara,
ऋष्यशृङ्गो भरद्वाजश्चास्तीको देवलस्तथा 2.4.
Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Bharadvāja, Āstīka, and Devala are mentioned here.
कवचस्यास्य विप्रेन्द्र ऋषिरेष प्रजापतिः
O best of Brahmins, the sage of this armor is Prajāpati.
सर्वतत्त्वपरिज्ञाने सर्वार्थेऽपि च साधने
In the complete understanding of all principles and in the accomplishment of all purposes,
ॐ ह्रीं सरस्वत्यै स्वाहा शिरो मे पातु सर्वतः
Om hrīṃ, for Sarasvatī, svāhā—may she protect my head in every way.
ॐ सरस्वत्यै स्वाहेति श्रोत्रं पातु निरन्तरम्
Om, for Sarasvatī, svāhā—may she always protect my ears.
ॐ ह्रीं वाग्वादिन्यै स्वाहा नासां मे सर्वतोऽवतु
Om hrīṃ, for Vāgvādinī, svāhā—may she protect my nose from all sides.
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं ब्राह्म्यै स्वाहेति दन्तपंक्तीः सदाऽवतु
Om śrīṃ hrīṃ, for Brāhmī, svāhā—may she always protect my row of teeth.
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं पातु मे ग्रीवां स्कन्धं मे श्रीं सदाऽवतु
Om śrīṃ hrīṃ—may she protect my neck, and may śrīṃ always protect my shoulders.
ॐ ह्रीं विद्यास्वरूपायै स्वाहा मे पातु नाभिकाम्
Om hrīṃ, for the embodiment of knowledge, svāhā—may she protect my navel.
ॐ सर्ववर्णात्मिकायै पादयुग्मं सदाऽवतु
Om, for the one who is the essence of all sounds, may she always protect my pair of feet.
ॐ सर्वकण्ठवासिन्यै स्वाहा प्राच्यां सदाऽवतु 2.4.
Om, for the one who dwells in all throats, svāhā—may she always protect me in the east.
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं सरस्वत्यै बुधजनन्यै स्वाहा
Om aiṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ, for Sarasvatī, mother of the wise, svāhā.
ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं त्र्यक्षरो मन्त्रो नैर्ऋत्यां मे सदाऽवतु
Om hrīṃ śrīṃ—the three-syllabled mantra—may it always protect me in the southwest.
ॐ सदम्बिकायै स्वाहा वायव्ये मां सदाऽवतु
Om, for Sadambikā, svāhā—may she always protect me in the northwest.
ॐ सर्वशास्त्रवासिन्यै स्वाहैशान्यां सदाऽवतु
Om, for the one who dwells in all scriptures, svāhā—may she always protect me in the northeast.
ऐं ह्रीं पुस्तकवासिन्यै स्वाहाऽधो मां सदाऽवतु
Aiṃ hrīṃ, for the one who dwells in books, svāhā—may she always protect me below.
इति ते कथितं विप्र सर्वमन्त्रौघविग्रहम्
Thus, O Brahmin, I have told you the entire collection of mantras.
पुरा श्रुतं धर्मवक्त्रात्पर्वते गन्धमादने
Once, this was heard from the mouth of Dharma on Gandhamādana mountain.
गुरुमभ्यर्च्य विधिवद्वस्त्रालङ्कार चन्दनैः
Having duly worshipped the guru with garments, ornaments, and sandalwood paste,
पञ्चलक्षजपेनैव सिद्धं तु कवचं भवेत्
By reciting five hundred thousand times, the protective charm becomes perfected.
महावाग्मी कवीन्द्रश्च त्रैलोक्यविजयी भवेत् 2.4.
He becomes a great orator, foremost among poets, and victorious over the three worlds.
इदं ते काण्वशाखोक्तं कथितं कवचं मुने
O sage, this protective charm as taught in the Kāṇva branch has been explained to you.
नारायण उवाच गङ्गाशापेन कलया कलहाद्भारते सरित्
Nārāyaṇa said: By the curse of Gaṅgā, through a portion of herself, the river of Bhārata arose from conflict.
पुण्यदा पुण्यजननी पुण्यतीर्थस्वरूपिणी
She is the giver of merit, the mother of virtue, and the embodiment of holy pilgrimage sites.
तपस्विनां तपोरूपा तपस्याकाररूपिणी
For ascetics, she is the form of austerity, taking the shape of penance itself.
ज्ञाने सरस्वतीतोये गतं यैर्मानवैर्भुवि
In the waters of Sarasvatī, the knowledge attained by those humans on earth,
भारते कृतपापश्च स्नात्वा तत्रैव लीलया
In Bhārata, one who has committed sin, by bathing there in play,
चतुर्दश्यां पौर्णमास्यामक्षयायां दिनक्षये
On the fourteenth day, on the imperishable full moon, at the end of the day,