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.
ॐ सर्ववर्णात्मिकायै स्वाहा पादयुग्मं सदावतु । ॐ वागधिष्ठातृदेव्यै स्वाहा सर्वं सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Sarvavarṇātmikāyai Svāhā' always protect both my feet; may 'Oṃ Vāgadhiṣṭhātṛdevyai Svāhā' always protect my entire being.
ॐ सर्वकण्ठवासिन्यै स्वाहा प्राच्यां सदावतु । ॐ सर्वजिह्वाग्रवासिन्यै स्वाहाग्निदिशि रक्षतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Sarvakaṇṭhavāsinyai Svāhā' always protect me in the east; may 'Oṃ Sarvajihvāgravāsinyai Svāhā' protect me in the direction of fire (southeast).
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं सरस्वत्यै बुधजनन्यै स्वाहा । सततं मन्त्रराजोऽयं दक्षिणे मां सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Aiṃ Hrīṃ Klīṃ Sarasvatyai Budhajananyai Svāhā'—the king of mantras—always protect me on the south.
ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं त्र्यक्षरो मन्त्रो नैर्ऋत्यां सर्वदावतु । ॐ ऐं जिह्वाग्रवासिन्यै स्वाहा मां वारुणेऽवतु
May the three-syllable mantra 'Aiṃ Hrīṃ Śrīṃ' always protect me in the southwest; may 'Oṃ Aiṃ Jihvāgravāsinyai Svāhā' protect me in the west.
ॐ सर्वाम्बिकायै स्वाहा वायव्ये मां सदावतु । ॐ ऐं श्रीं क्लीं गद्यवासिन्यै स्वाहा मामुत्तरेऽवतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Sarvāmbikāyai Svāhā' always protect me in the northwest; may 'Oṃ Aiṃ Śrīṃ Klīṃ Gadyavāsinyai Svāhā' protect me in the north.
ॐ ऐं सर्वशास्त्रवासिन्यै स्वाहैशान्यां सदावतु । ॐ ह्रीं सर्वपूजितायै स्वाहा चोर्ध्वं सदावतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Aiṃ Sarvaśāstravāsinyai Svāhā' always protect me in the northeast; may 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Sarvapūjitāyai Svāhā' always protect me above.
ॐ ह्रीं पुस्तकवासिन्यै स्वाहाधो मां सदावतु । ॐ ग्रन्थबीजस्वरूपायै स्वाहा मां सर्वतोऽवतु
May the mantra 'Oṃ Hrīṃ Pustakavāsinyai Svāhā' always protect me below; may 'Oṃ Granthabījasvarūpāyai Svāhā' protect me on all sides.
इति ते कथितं विप्र ब्रह्ममन्त्रौघविग्रहम् । इदं विश्वजयं नाम कवचं ब्रह्मरूपकम्
Thus, O brāhmaṇa, I have described to you the embodiment of the multitude of Brahma mantras; this is the armor called 'Conquest of the Universe,' having the form of Brahma.
पुरा श्रुतं धर्मवक्त्रात्पर्वते गन्धमादने । तव स्नेहान्मयाख्यातं प्रवक्तव्यं न कस्यचित्
Long ago, this was heard from the mouth of Dharma on Mount Gandhamādana; out of affection for you, I have explained it—this should not be told to anyone else.
गुरुमभ्यर्च्य विधिवद्वस्त्रालङ्कारचन्दनैः । प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भूमौ कवचं धारयेत्सुधीः
Having duly worshipped the guru with garments, ornaments, and sandal paste, and having bowed down to the ground like a staff, the wise should wear this armor.