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.
पञ्चलक्षजपेनैव सिद्धं तु कवचं भवेत् । यदि स्यात्सिद्धकवचो बृहस्पतिसमो भवेत्
By reciting it five hundred thousand times, the armor becomes perfected; if one has perfected the armor, one becomes equal to Bṛhaspati.
महावाग्मी कवीन्द्रश्च त्रैलोक्यविजयी भवेत् । शक्नोति सर्वं जेतुं च कवचस्य प्रसादतः
One becomes a great orator, a foremost poet, and a conqueror of the three worlds; by the grace of the armor, one is able to conquer all.
इदं च कण्वशाखोक्तं कवचं कथितं मुने । स्तोत्रं पूजाविधानं च ध्यानं च वन्दनं शृणु
This armor, as spoken in the Kanva branch, has been described to you, O sage. Now listen to the hymn, the method of worship, the meditation, and the salutation.
याज्ञवल्क्यकृतं सरस्वतीस्तोत्रवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच वाग्देवतायाः स्तवनं श्रूयतां सर्वकामदम् । महामुनिर्याज्ञवल्क्यो येन तुष्टाव तां पुरा
The praise of Sarasvati composed by Yajnavalkya. Shri Narayana said: Hear the hymn to the goddess of speech, which grants all desires, by which the great sage Yajnavalkya once worshipped her.
गुरुशापाज्ज स मुनिर्हतविद्यो बभूव ह । तदा जगाम दुःखार्तो रविस्थानं सुपुण्यदम्
Because of his teacher's curse, the sage lost his knowledge; afflicted by sorrow, he went to the highly sacred place of the sun.
सम्प्राप्य तपसा सूर्यं लोलार्के दृष्टिगोचरे । तुष्टाव सूर्यं शोकेन रुरोद च मुहुर्मुहुः
Having reached the sun through austerity, and seeing the shining orb within his sight, he praised the sun in his grief and wept again and again.
सूर्यस्तं पाठयामास वेदं वेदाङ्गमीश्वरः । उवाच स्तौहि वाग्देवीं भक्त्या च स्मृतिहेतवे
The sun, lord of the Vedas and their limbs, taught him the Veda and said: 'Praise the goddess of speech with devotion for the sake of memory.'
तमित्युक्त्वा दीननाथोऽप्यन्तर्धानं चकार सः । मुनिः स्नात्वा च तुष्टाव भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरः
Having said this, the compassionate lord disappeared. The sage, after bathing, worshipped her with devotion and a bowed head.
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच कृपां कुरु जगन्मातर्मामेवं हततेजसम् । गुरुशापात्स्मृतिभ्रष्टं विद्याहीनं च दुःखितम्
Yajnavalkya said: Show mercy, O Mother of the Universe, to me whose brilliance is destroyed; cursed by my teacher, deprived of memory and knowledge, and suffering.
ज्ञानं देहि स्मृतिं विद्यां शक्तिं शिष्यप्रबोधिनीम् । ग्रन्थकर्तृत्वशक्तिं च सुशिष्यं सुप्रतिष्ठितम्
Grant me knowledge, memory, learning, and the power to awaken my disciples; also the ability to compose texts, and a well-established, excellent disciple.