सर्वेषां कवचानां च सारभूतमिदं मुने द्वात्रिंशदक्षरो मन्त्रो ललाटं मे सदाऽवतु
O sage, among all armors, this is the very essence; the thirty-two-syllabled mantra should always protect my forehead.
ॐ ह्रीं क्लीं श्रीं गमिति वै सततं पातु लोचनम्
Om hrīṃ klīṃ śrīṃ ga—may this ever protect my eyes.
ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीमिति परं सन्ततं पातु नासिकाम् दन्तांश्च तालुकां जिह्वां पातु मे षोडशाक्षरः
Om hrīṃ śrīṃ klīṃ—may this supreme mantra always protect my nose, and the sixteen-syllabled mantra protect my teeth, palate, and tongue.
ॐ लं श्रीं लम्बोदरायेति स्वाहा गण्डं सदा ऽवतु
Om laṃ śrīṃ lambodarāya svāhā—may this always protect my cheeks.
ॐ श्रीं गं गजाननायेति स्वाहा स्कन्धं सदाऽवतु
Om śrīṃ gaṃ gajānānāya svāhā—may this always protect my shoulders.
ॐ क्लीं ह्रीमिति कङ्कालं पातु वक्षःस्थलं परम्
Om klīṃ hrīṃ—may this protect my skeleton and the supreme chest.
प्राच्यां लम्बोदरः पातु चाग्नेय्यां विघ्ननायकः
In the east, may Lambodara protect; in the southeast, Vighnanāyaka.
पश्चिमे पार्वतीपुत्रो वायव्यां शंकरात्मजः
In the west, the son of Pārvatī; in the northwest, the son of Śaṃkara.
ऐशान्यामेकदन्तश्च हेरम्बः पातु चोर्ध्वतः स्वप्ने जागरणे चैव पातु मां योगिनां गुरुः
In the northeast, Ekadanta; above, may Heramba protect. In dream and in waking, may the guru of yogis guard me.
इति ते कथितं वत्स सर्वमन्त्रौघविग्रहम्
Thus, O child, I have told you the embodiment of all collections of mantras.
श्रीकृष्णेन पुरा दत्तं गोलोके रासमण्डले
Once, this was given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Goloka, within the circle of the rāsa.
मया दत्तं च तुभ्यं च यस्मै कस्मै न दास्यसि
I have given it to you, but you must not give it to just anyone.
गुरुमभ्यर्च्य विधिवत्कवचं धारयेत्तु यः
Whoever, having duly worshipped the guru, wears this armor—
अश्वमेधसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च
—gains the merit of a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Vājapeya rites.
इदं कवचमज्ञात्वा यो भजेच्छंकरात्मजम्
Whoever worships the son of Śaṃkara without knowing this armor—
इति संसारमोहनं नाम कवचम् परमानन्दसंयुक्ता देवास्तस्थुः समीपतः
Thus is the armor named 'Delusion of the World.' The gods, filled with supreme bliss, stood nearby.
नारायण उवाच गन्धर्वा मुनयः शैलाः पश्यन्तः सुमहोत्सवम्
Nārāyaṇa said: Gandharvas, sages, and mountains beheld the great festival.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे दुर्गा स्मेराननसरोरुहा
At that moment, Durgā, her face like a smiling lotus, appeared.
पार्वत्युवाच कथं मत्स्वामिनो वीर्य्यममोघं रक्षितं प्रभो
Pārvatī said: How was the unfailing potency of my lord protected, O master?
रतिभङ्गे कृते देवैर्ब्रह्मणा प्रेरितैस्त्वया
When the gods, prompted by Brahmā and by you, caused the disruption of pleasure—
सर्वे देवास्त्वत्पुरतस्तदन्विष्यन्तु सादरम्
Let all the gods, with respect, search for that in your presence.
पार्वतीवचनं श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य जगदीश्वरः
Hearing Pārvatī's words, the Lord of the universe smiled.
श्रीविष्णुरुवाच शिवस्यामोघवीर्य्यं यत्तत्पुरा केन निर्हृतम्
Śrī Viṣṇu said: By whom, in former times, was Śiva's unfailing potency removed?
सभामानयत क्षिप्रं न चेद्दण्डमिहार्हथ
Bring him to the assembly at once, or else you deserve punishment here.
विष्णोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा समालोच्य परस्परम्
Hearing those words of Viṣṇu, they discussed them among themselves.
ब्रह्मोवाच स वञ्चितो भवत्वत्र पुण्याहे पुण्यकर्मणि
Brahmā said: He is deprived here, on this auspicious day, in meritorious acts.
श्रीमहादेव उवाच स वञ्चितो भवत्वत्र सेवने पूजने तव
Śrī Mahādeva said: He is deprived here, in your service and worship.
यम उवाच एकादशीव्रते चैव तद्वीर्य्यं येन निर्हृतम्
Yama said: And in the observance of Ekādaśī, by whom that potency was taken away.
इन्द्र उवाच भवत्वत्र यशो लुप्तं तत्पुण्यं कर्म सन्ततम्
Indra said: Here, his fame is lost, and that merit, that action, is continually so.
वरुण उवाच शूद्रयाजकपत्न्याश्च गर्भे तद्येन निर्हृतम्
Varuṇa said: And in the womb of a Śūdra priest's wife, by whom that potency was taken away.