ॐ गोपेशाय स्वाहेति स्कन्धं पातु सदा मम
Om, to the Lord of the Gopis, svaha—may He always protect my shoulder.
उदरं पातु मे नित्यं मुकुन्दाय नमः सदा
May Mukunda, to whom I always offer salutations, eternally protect my abdomen.
ॐ विष्णवे नमो बाहुयुग्मं पातु सदा मम
Om, salutations to Vishnu—may He always protect both my arms.
ॐ नमो नारायणायेति नखरन्ध्रं सदाऽवतु
Om, salutations to Narayana—may He always protect the pores of my nails.
ॐ सर्वेशाय स्वाहेति कङ्कालं पातु मे सदा
Om, to the Lord of all, svaha—may He always protect my skeleton.
ॐ गोपीरमणनाथाय पादौ पातु सदा मम
Om, to the Lord beloved by the Gopis—may He always protect my feet.
ॐ केशवाय स्वाहेति मम केशान्सदाऽवतु
Om, to Keshava, svaha—may He always protect my hair.
ॐ माधवाय स्वाहेति मे लोमानि सदाऽवतु
Om, to Madhava, svaha—may He always protect my body hair.
परिपूर्णतमः कृष्णः प्राच्यां मां सर्वदाऽवतु 3.31.
May Krishna, who is utterly complete, always protect me in the eastern direction.
पूर्णब्रह्मस्वरूपश्च दक्षिणे मां सदाऽवतु
May the embodiment of the complete Brahman always protect me in the southern direction.
गोविन्दः पातु मां शश्वद्वायव्यां दिशि नित्यशः
May Govinda eternally protect me in the western direction.
ऐशान्यां मां सदा पातु वृन्दावनविहारकृत्
May He who delights in Vrindavan always protect me in the northeastern direction.
सदैव माधवः पातु बलिहारी महाबलः
May Madhava, the mighty and destroyer of Bali, always protect me.
स्वप्ने जागरणे शश्वत्पातु मां माधवः सदा
May Madhava always protect me, both in sleep and in waking, at all times.
इति ते कथितं वत्स सर्वमन्त्रौघविग्रहम्
Thus, O child, I have told you the entire collection of mantras.
| मया श्रुतं कृष्णवक्त्रात्प्रवक्तव्यं न कस्यचित्
I have heard this from Krishna's own mouth; it must not be spoken to anyone.
कण्ठे वा दक्षिणे बाहौ सोऽपि विष्णुर्न संशयः
Whether worn on the neck or on the right arm, it is Vishnu himself—there is no doubt.
यदि स्यात्सिद्धकवचो जीवन्मुक्तो भवेत्तु सः
If the protective mantra is perfected, one becomes liberated while living.
राजसूयसहस्राणि वाजपेयशतानि च 3.31.
A thousand Rājasūya sacrifices and hundreds of Vājapeya rituals,
महादानानि यान्येव प्रादक्षिण्यं भुवस्तथा
And all the great gifts, as well as circumambulating the earth,
व्रतोपवासनियमं स्वाध्यायाध्ययनं तपः
Observances of vows, fasts, discipline, self-study, recitation, and austerity—
यदि स्यात्सिद्धकवचः सर्वं प्राप्नोति निश्चितम् यो भवेत्सिद्धकवचः सर्वज्ञः स भवेद्ध्रुवम्
If one possesses the perfected armor, he certainly attains all; whoever has the perfected armor surely becomes all-knowing.
इदं कवचमज्ञात्वा भजेत्कृष्णं सुमन्दधीः
He who worships Krishna without knowing this armor is truly of very dull intellect.
गृहीत्वा कवचं वत्स महीं निःक्षत्रियां कुरु
Take up the armor, dear one, and make the earth free of kṣatriyas.
राज्यं देयं शिरो देयं प्राणा देयाश्च पुत्रक
The kingdom may be given, the head may be given, even life itself may be given, O son.
भृगुरुवाच सुखदं मोक्षदं सारं शत्रुसंहारकारणम्
Bhrigu said: That which brings happiness, grants liberation, is the essence, and the cause of the destruction of enemies—
अधुना भगवन्मन्त्रं स्तोत्रं पूजाविधिं प्रभो
Now, O Lord, please teach the mantra, the hymn, and the method of worship, O Master.
महादेव उवाच मन्त्रेषु मन्त्रराजोऽयं महान्सप्तदशाक्षरः
Mahadeva said: Among mantras, this is the king of mantras, the great seventeen-syllabled one.
सिद्धोऽयं पञ्चलक्षेण जपेन मुनिपुंगवः तर्पणं तद्दशांशं च तद्दशांशं च मार्जनम्
This is perfected by reciting it five hundred thousand times, O best of sages; then one should offer libations, and purify with one-tenth of that.
मन्त्रसिद्धस्य पुंसश्च विश्वं करतले मुने
For the person perfected in mantra, O sage, the whole universe is in the palm of his hand.