संस्तूय कवचं धृत्वा प्रणमेद्दण्डवद्भुवि । येषां चेयमिष्टदेवी तेषां नित्यक्रिया मुने
Having praised her, donned the protective mantra, he should bow down on the ground; for those whose chosen deity is this goddess, this is their daily practice, O sage.
विद्यारम्भे च वर्षान्ते सर्वेषां पञ्चमीदिने । सर्वोपयुक्तं मूलं च वैदिकाष्टाक्षरः परः
At the beginning of studies, at the end of the year, and on the fifth day for all, the root mantra is always used, and the supreme Vedic eight-syllabled mantra.
येषां येनोपदेशो वा तेषां स मूल एव च । सरस्वती चतुर्थ्यन्तं वह्निजायान्तमेव च
For those to whom it has been taught, that is their root mantra; Sarasvati's mantra ending with 'caturthi' and 'vahnijāyā' as well.
लक्ष्मीमायादिकं चैव मन्त्रोऽयं कल्पपादपः । पुरा नारायणश्चेमं वाल्मीकाय कृपानिधिः
This mantra, beginning with Lakshmi and Maya, is the wish-fulfilling tree; formerly, compassionate Narayana gave it to Valmiki.
प्रददौ जाह्नवीतीरे पुण्यक्षेत्रे च भारते । भृगुर्ददौ च शुक्राय पुष्करे सूर्यपर्वणि
He gave it on the banks of the Ganges, in the holy land of Bharata; Bhrigu gave it to Shukra at Pushkara during the solar festival.
चन्द्रपर्वणि मारीचो ददौ वाक्पतये मुदा । भृगोश्चैव ददौ तुष्टो ब्रह्मा बदरिकाश्रमे
On the lunar festival, Marichi gladly gave it to Vakpati; and Brahma, pleased with Bhrigu, gave it at Badarika Ashrama.
आस्तिकस्य जरत्कारुर्ददौ क्षीरोदसन्निधौ । विभाण्डको ददौ मेरौ ऋष्यशृङ्गाय धीमते
Jaratkaru, the son of Āstika, gave (the knowledge) at the shore of the Milk Ocean; Vibhāṇḍaka gave it to the wise Ṛṣyaśṛṅga on Mount Meru.
शिवः कणादमुनये गौतमाय ददौ मुदा । सूर्यश्च याज्ञवल्क्याय तथा कात्यायनाय च
Śiva joyfully gave it to Kaṇāda Muni and to Gautama; likewise, Sūrya gave it to Yājñavalkya and also to Kātyāyana.
शेषः पाणिनये चैव भारद्वाजाय धीमते । ददौ शाकटायनाय सुतले बलिसंसदि
Śeṣa gave it to Pāṇini and to the wise Bhāradvāja; he gave it to Śākaṭāyana in the assembly of Bali in Sutala.
चतुर्लक्षजपेनैव मन्त्रः सिद्धो भवेन्नृणाम् । यदि स्यान्मन्त्रसिद्धो हि बृहस्पतिसमो भवेत्
By reciting it four hundred thousand times, the mantra becomes perfected for people; if one attains mantra-siddhi, he becomes equal to Bṛhaspati.
कवचं शृणु विप्रेन्द्र यद्दत्तं ब्रह्मणा पुरा । विश्वस्रष्टा विश्वजयं भृगवे गन्धमादने
Hear, O foremost of Brahmins, the armor that was formerly given by Brahmā, the creator of the universe, to Bhṛgu on Mount Gandhamādana, called Viśvajaya.
भृगुरुवाच ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मज्ञानविशारद । सर्वज्ञ सर्वजनक सर्वेश सर्वपूजित
Bhṛgu said: O Brahmā, best among knowers of Brahman, expert in the knowledge of Brahman, all-knowing, progenitor of all, lord of all, worshipped by all,
सरस्वत्याश्च कवचं ब्रूहि विश्वजयं प्रभो । अयातयामं मन्त्राणां समूहसंयुतं परम्
Tell me, O Lord, the Viśvajaya armor of Sarasvatī, endowed with the collection of mantras that are unbroken and supreme.
ब्रह्मोवाच शृणु वत्स प्रवक्ष्यामि कवचं सर्वकामदम् । श्रुतिसारं श्रुतिसुखं श्रुत्युक्तं श्रुतिपूजितम्
Brahmā said: Listen, my child, I will declare the armor that grants all desires, the essence of the Vedas, delightful to hear, spoken of in the Vedas, and honored by the Vedas.
उक्तं कृष्णेन गोलोके मह्यं वृन्दावने वने । रासेश्वरेण विभुना रासे वै रासमण्डले
It was spoken to me by Kṛṣṇa in Goloka, in the forest of Vṛndāvana, by the Lord of the Rāsa dance, in the circle of the Rāsa.
अतीव गोपनीयं च कल्पवृक्षसमं परम् । अश्रुताद्भुतमन्त्राणां समूहैश्च समन्वितम्
It is exceedingly secret, supreme like the wish-fulfilling tree, and endowed with collections of mantras that are unheard and wondrous.
यद्धृत्वा भगवाञ्छुक्रः सर्वदैत्येषु पूजितः । यद्धृत्वा पठनाद् ब्रह्मन् बुद्धिमांश्च बृहस्पतिः
By bearing this, Śukra is always worshipped among the Daityas; by bearing and reciting it, O Brahmin, Bṛhaspati became wise.
पठनाद्धारणाद्वाग्मी कवीन्द्रो वाल्मिको मुनिः । स्वायम्भुवो मनुश्चैव यद्धृत्वा सर्वपूजितः
By reciting and wearing it, the sage Vālmīki became the eloquent chief of poets; likewise, Manu Svāyambhuva, by bearing it, became worshipped by all.
कणादो गौतमः कण्वः पाणिनिः शाकटायनः । ग्रन्धं चकार यद्धृत्वा दक्षः कात्यायनः स्वयम्
Kaṇāda, Gautama, Kaṇva, Pāṇini, Śākaṭāyana, and Dakṣa Kātyāyana himself composed treatises after bearing it.
धृत्वा वेदविभागं च पुराणान्यखिलानि च । चकार लीलामात्रेण कृष्णद्वैपायनः स्वयम्
Having borne it, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana effortlessly divided the Vedas and composed all the Purāṇas.
शातातपश्च संवर्तो वसिष्ठश्च पराशरः । यद्धृत्वा पठनाद् ग्रन्थं याज्ञवल्क्यश्चकार सः
Śātātapa, Saṃvarta, Vasiṣṭha, and Parāśara, by bearing and reciting it, and Yājñavalkya composed his treatise.
ऋष्यशृङ्गो भरद्वाजश्चास्तिको देवलस्तथा । जैगीषव्यो ययातिश्च धृत्वा सर्वत्र पूजिताः
Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Bhāradvāja, Āstika, Devala, Jaigīṣavya, and Yayāti, by bearing it, are honored everywhere.
कवचस्यास्य विप्रेन्द्र ऋषिरेव प्रजापतिः । स्वयं छन्दश्च बृहती देवता शारदाम्बिका
O foremost of Brahmins, the seer of this armor is Prajāpati himself; its meter is Bṛhatī, and the deity is Śāradāmbikā.
सर्वतत्त्वपरिज्ञानसर्वार्थसाधनेषु च । कवितासु च सर्वासु विनियोगः प्रकीर्तितः
Its application is declared to be for the complete knowledge of all principles, the accomplishment of all aims, and in all forms of poetry.
श्रीं ह्रीं सरस्वत्यै स्वाहा शिरो मे पातु सर्वतः । श्रीं वाग्देवतायै स्वाहा भालं मे सर्वदावतु
May the mantra 'Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Sarasvatyai Svāhā' always protect my head on all sides; may 'Śrīṃ Vāgdevatāyai Svāhā' always protect my forehead.
ॐ ह्रीं सरस्वत्यै स्वाहेति श्रोत्रे पातु निरन्तरम् । ओं श्रीं ह्रीं भगवत्यै सरस्वत्यै स्वाहा नेत्रयुग्मं सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Sarasvatyai Svāhā' always protect my ears without interruption; may 'Oṃ Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Bhagavatyai Sarasvatyai Svāhā' always protect both my eyes.
ऐं ह्रीं वाग्वादिन्यै स्वाहा नासां मे सर्वदावतु । ह्रीं विद्याधिष्ठातृदेव्यै स्वाहा चोष्ठं सदावतु
May the mantra 'Aiṃ Hrīṃ Vāgvādinyai Svāhā' always protect my nose; may 'Hrīṃ Vidyādhiṣṭhātṛdevyai Svāhā' always protect my lips.
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं ब्राह्म्यै स्वाहेति दन्तपंक्तिं सदावतु । ऐमित्येकाक्षरो मन्त्रो मम कण्ठं सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Śrīṃ Hrīṃ Brāhmyai Svāhā' always protect my rows of teeth; may the single-syllable mantra 'Aiṃ' always protect my throat.
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं पातु मे ग्रीवां स्कन्धौ मे श्रीं सदावतु । ॐ ह्रीं विद्याधिष्ठातृदेव्यै स्वाहा वक्षः सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Śrīṃ Hrīṃ' always protect my neck, and may 'Śrīṃ' always protect my shoulders; may 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Vidyādhiṣṭhātṛdevyai Svāhā' always protect my chest.
ॐ ह्रीं विद्याधिस्वरूपायै स्वाहा मे पातु नाभिकाम् । ॐ ह्रीं क्लीं वाण्यै स्वाहेति मम हस्तौ सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Vidyādhisvarūpāyai Svāhā' protect my navel; may 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Klīṃ Vāṇyai Svāhā' always protect my hands.