Seeking the protection of Lord Nṛsiṃha
The Nṛsiṃha-kavaca of Prahlāda
Maṅgalāśāsanam
Yasyâ abhavad bhakta-janâ-arti-hantuḥ pitṛtvam anyeṣv avicārya tūrṇam | stambhe ’vatāras, Tam ananya-labhyaṃ Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃhaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye || यस्या ऽभवद् भक्त-जना-ऽर्ति-हन्तुः पितृत्वम् अन्येष्व् अविचार्य तूर्णम् । स्तम्भे ऽवतारस् तम् अनन्य-लभ्यं लक्ष्मी-नृसिंहं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
He destroyer of the tormentor(s) of His devotee(s) instantly manifested Himself in a mere pillar without worrying about who or what would thereby be regarded as His father: In Him, Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha, who is not obtainable through any other means, do I take refuge!
Introduction
As we prepare for the sacred Navarātrī season, I would like to share some verses every day. Let us begin with an invocation to Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha in the form of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca. This invocation is perhaps the most powerful of its kind. As a kavaca (“armor”), it is an apotropaic, protective, contemplative stotra.
There are many such kavacas that help a devotee invoke and invite various divine forms of their preferred deity (iṣṭa-devatā) to protect them from harm, both internally and eternally. The Nṛsiṃha-kavaca derives its special power from two sources:
Firstly, from the supreme protective power of its presiding deity, Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha.
Secondly, from its careful design, which artfully embeds the most sacred and most powerful of Lord Nṛsiṃha’s mantras, the thirty-two-syllabled Mantra-rāja, into the invocation itself.
The design of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca
The 30-odd verses of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca can be organized into a number of sections, each with a distinct purpose.
The opening verse-and-a-half briefly describes the origin of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca as an proclamation of Prahlāda (the supreme beneficiary of the protective power of Lord Nṛsiṃha), and provides a quick summary of the benefits of reciting it.
The next several verses provide a beautiful description of Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha, suitable for invoking a mental image of Him when reciting the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca.
The Nṛsiṃha-kavaca proper then commences, and can itself be divided into two parts:
The first part invokes Lord Nṛsiṃha through His various names and forms for protecting different parts of the physical and mental body. Each form invoked is contextually relevant to that part of the body, and these relations are themselves worth meditating upon.
The second part invokes Lord Nṛsiṃha through His nine supreme names in order to protect the devotee from all eight spatial directions and the ninth, temporal, direction. This is the part which encodes the Mantra-rāja in it.
The next several verses form the phala-śruti, listing out the various benefits of reciting the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca. It can be divided into smaller sections, each describing a specific way of reciting the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca in order to obtain a specific benefit.
Thus, the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca can be worn as an amulet on the wrist for specific benefits.
It can also be recited once a day or thrice a day at one of the three sandhyā junctures (dawn, noon, and dusk).
Repeated recitation and contemplation gives rise to the realization of the powers of the mantra embedded within the kavaca. This can then be further used to consecrate items in order to pacify malefic astrological phenomena or to heal various ailments.
The final part of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca is its majestic concluding verse. While the rest of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca is all in the standard anuṣṭubh meter, the concluding verse is in the grand Sragdharā meter, with four 21-syllabled lines, each further organized into three units of 7 syllables each. The verse portrays a magnificent image of Lord Nṛsiṃha in all His awesomeness, destroying evil in every form while protecting His devotees.
It is to that Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha, Supreme Protector of the Cosmos, that I dedicate my humble attempt to translate this protective stotra. May its recitation and may the contemplation of Lord Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha be of benefit to all devotees.
A fantastic recitation of the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca proper, minus its phala-śruti, can be found here on YouTube.
Verses and Translation
Origin of the Nṛsiṃha-Kavaca
Nṛsiṃha-kavacaṃ vakṣye Prahlādenô uditaṃ purā | 1ab | sarva-rakṣā-karaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvô-upadrava-nāśanam || 1cd || sarva-sampat-karaṃ caîva svarga-mokṣa-pradāyakam | 2ab |
I will now recite the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca formerly pronounced in ancient times by Prahlāda himself, source of protection of all kinds, wholly auspicious, destroyer of all misfortunes, granter of all fortunes, bestower of Heaven and of Liberation alike.
Contemplating Lord Nṛsiṃha before reciting the Kavaca
dhyātvā Nṛsiṃhaṃ devêśaṃ hema-siṃhâ-āsana-sthitam || 2cd || vivṛtâ-āsyaṃ tri-nayanaṃ śarad-indu-sama-prabham | 3ab | Lakṣmyā āliṅgita-vāmâ-aṅgaṃ vibhūtibhir upāśritam || 3cd || catur-bhujaṃ komalâ-aṅgam svarṇa-kuṇḍala-śobhitam | 4ab | Śriyā suśobhitô-uraskaṃ ratna-keyūra-mudritam || 4cd || tapta-kāñcana-saṅkāśaṃ pīta-nirmala-vāsasam | 5ab | Indrâ-ādi-sura-mauliṣṭha-sphuran-māṇikya-dīptibhiḥ || 5cd || virājita-pada-dvandvaṃ śaṅkha-cakrâ-ādi-hetibhiḥ | 6ab | Garutmatā ca vinayāt stūyamānaṃ mudâ-anvitam || 6cd || sva-hṛt-kamala-saṃvāsaṃ kṛtvā tu Kavacaṃ paṭhet | 7ab |
After meditating upon Lord Nṛsiṃha, Lord of all the gods, seated upon a golden throne with His mouth opened wide with His three shining eyes (Sun, Moon, Fire) radiant like the autumn moon His left side embraced by Mahālakṣmī Ultimate refuge for all sources of power four-handed soft-limbed adorned with golden earrings His chest radiant with Śrī marked by bejeweled armbands Complexion resembling molten gold, Wearing a stainless yellow garment His two feet shining with the sparkling lights from the gems that coruscate in the crowns resting on the foreheads of the gods led by Indra Praised, with full delight and with humility, by His divine weapons like the Conch and the Discus and by Garuḍa, one must install Him in one’s heart-lotus and then recite the Kavaca as follows:
The Nṛsiṃha-Kavaca proper
Protection for the body
Nṛsiṃho me śiraḥ pātu loka-rakṣā-ātma-sambhavaḥ || 7cd || sarvago api staṃbha-vāsaḥ phālaṃ me rakṣatu dhvaniṃ | 8ab | Nṛsiṃho me dṛśau pātu Soma-Sūryâ-Agni-locanaḥ || 8cd || smṛtiṃ me pātu Nṛharir muni-varya-stuti-priyaḥ | 9ab | nāsāṃ me Siṃha-nāsas tu mukhaṃ Lakṣmī-mukha-priyaḥ || 9cd || sarva-vidyā-adhipaḥ pātu Nṛsiṃho rasanāṃ mama | 10ab | vaktraṃ pātv Indu-vadanaṃ sadā Prahlāda-vanditaḥ || 10cd || Nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu me kaṇṭhaṃ skandhau bhū-bharaṇâ-antakṛt | 11ab | divyâ-astra-śobhita-bhujo Nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu me bhujau || 11cd || karau me deva-varado Nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu sarvataḥ | 12ab | hṛdayaṃ yogi-sādhyaś ca nivāsaṃ pātu me Hariḥ || 12cd || madhyaṃ pātu Hiraṇyâ-akṣa-vakṣaḥ-kukṣi-vidāraṇaḥ | 13ab | nābhiṃ me pātu Nṛhariḥ sva-nābhi-Brahma-saṃstutaḥ || 13cd || Brahmâṇḍa-koṭayaḥ kaṭyāṃ yasyâ asau pātu me kaṭim | 14ab | guhyaṃ me pātu guhyānāṃ mantrāṇāṃ mantra-rūpa-dhṛk || 14cd || ūrū Mano-bhavaḥ pātu jānunī nara-rūpa-dhṛt | 15ab | jaṅghe pātu Dharā-bhāra-hartā yo asau Nṛ-kesarī || 15cd || Sura-rājya-pradaḥ pātu pādau me Nṛharîśvaraḥ | 16ab | Sahasra-śīrṣā Puruṣaḥ pātu me sarvaśas tanum || 16cd ||
May Lord Nṛsiṃha who manifested Himself for the protection of the cosmos protect my head! May He omnipresent, yet making His dwelling in a pillar protect my forehead, my sound! May Lord Nṛsiṃha whose eyes are Moon Sun Fire protect my two eyes! May Lord Nṛhari delighted by the praise-songs of the greatest of saints protect my memory! May the Lion-nosed Lord protect my nose! May the Lord who delights in Lakṣmī’s face whose face delights Lakṣmī protect my face! May Lord Nṛsiṃha Overlord of all learning protect my sense of taste! May the Lord whose face is [like] the Moon protect my mouth! May Lord Nṛsiṃha unceasingly worshipped by Prahlāda protect my throat! May He who brings about the end of the demons who are a burden to Mother Earth protect my two shoulders! May Lord Nṛsiṃha whose arms are ornamented with divine arms protect my two arms! May Lord Nṛsiṃha who bestows boons even upon the gods protect my two hands from all danger! May Lord Hari who is realized by true yogins protect my heart—His dwelling-place! May the Lord who ripped open the chest-cavity of the demon Hiraṇyâkṣa protect my torso! May Lord Nṛhari worshipped by Brahmā who resides in His navel protect my navel! May He in whose lap lie billions of cosmoses protect my loins! May He who takes the form of the mantra to rule all secret mantras protect my secret places! May the Mind-bord Lord protect my two thighs! May He who took the form of a human protect my two knees! May the Man-Lion Lord who relieved the earth of her burdens protect my two calves! May Lord Nṛhari who grants lordship even over the gods protect my two feet! May the Cosmic Person1 with Infinite Heads protect my body in every way, in every direction!
Protection in all the directions
Mahô-ugraḥ pūrvataḥ pātu, Mahā-vīrâ-agrajo Agnitaḥ | 17ab | Mahā-viṣṇur dakṣiṇe tu, Mahā-jvālas tu nairṛtau || 17cd || paścime pātu Sarvêśo diśi me Sarvato-mukhaḥ | 18ab | Nṛsiṃhaḥ pātu vāyavyāṃ, saumyāṃ Bhīṣaṇa-vigrahaḥ || 18cd || Īśānyāṃ pātu Bhadro me sarva-maṅgala-dāyakaḥ | 19ab | saṃsāra-bhayataḥ pātu mṛtyor Mṛtyur Nṛ-kesarī || 19cd ||
May the exceedingly fierce Lord protect me from the east! May He foremost of the great heroes protect me from the south-east (ruled by Agni)! May Lord Mahāviṣṇu protect me from the south! May the Lord who is an infinite flame protect me from the southwest (ruled by the demon Nirṛti)! May the Lord of All who is All-Facing protect me from the west! May Lord Nṛsiṃha Himself protect me from the northwest (ruled by Vāyu)! May the Lord with the terrifying form protect me from the north (ruled by the Moon)! May the ever-auspicious Lord granter of all things auspicious protect me from the northeast (ruled by Śiva Īśāna)! May the Man-Lion Lord who is Death to death itself protect me from the angst of saṃsāra!
The phala-śruti
General benefits of reciting the Nṛsiṃha-kavaca
idaṃ Nṛsiṃha-kavacaṃ Prahlāda-mukha-maṇḍitam | 20ab | bhaktimān yaḥ paṭhen nityaṃ sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate || 20cd || putravān dhanavān loke dīrghâ-āyur upajāyate | 21ab | yaṃ yaṃ kāmayate kāmaṃ taṃ taṃ prāpnoty asaṃśayam || 21cd || sarvatra jayam āpnoti, sarvatra vijayī bhavet | 22ab |
Those who, filled with devotion, daily read this Nṛsiṃha-Kavaca which ornamented the mouth of Prahlāda obtains release from all their sins. They obtain offspring, worldly wealth, and long life: Whatever desire they desire, they obtain it all— No doubt! Everywhere they find wins, everywhere they will be victorious!
The Nṛsiṃha-kavaca as an amulet
bhūmy-antarikṣa-divyānāṃ grahāṇāṃ vinivāraṇam || 22cd || vṛścikô-uraga-sambhūta-viṣâ-apaharaṇaṃ param | 23ab | brahmarākṣasa-yakṣāṇāṃ dūrô-utsāraṇa-kāraṇam || 23cd || bhūrje vā tāla-patre vā Kavacaṃ likhitaṃ śubham | 24ab | kara-mūle dhṛtaṃ yena sidhyeyuḥ karma-siddhayaḥ || 24cd || devâ-asura-manuṣyeṣu svaṃ svam eva jayaṃ labhet | 25ab |
When this purely auspicious Kavaca— which undoes the malefic effects of graspers whether earthly, atmospheric, or astronomical, which is the supreme antidote for poisons produced by scorpions and snakes and the like, which exorcises and utterly expels all manners of spirits— is written on birch-bark or palmyra and tied to the wrist, one obtains success in all their deeds, one obtains victory over gods, antigods, and humans, each in their own way.
Reciting at one or three sandhyā times
eka-sandhyaṃ tri-sandhyaṃ vā yaḥ paṭhen niyato naraḥ || 25cd || sarva-maṅgala-māṅgalyaṃ bhuktiṃ muktiṃ ca vindati | 26ab |
One who regularly recites this Kavaca daily either at one Juncture or at each of the Three Junctures2 obtains the auspiciousness of all auspicious things worldly wealth, and liberation as well.
Realizing the mantra embedded in the Kavaca
dvātriṃśati-sahasrāṇi paṭhet śuddhâ-ātmanāṃ nṛṇām || 26cd || Kavacasyâ asya mantrasya mantra-siddhiḥ prajāyate | 27ab | anena Mantra-rājena kṛtvā bhasmâ-abhimantraṇam || 27cd || tilakaṃ vinyased yas tu tasya graha-bhayaṃ haret | 28ab | trivāraṃ japamānas tu dattaṃ vāry abhimantrya ca || 28cd || prāśayed yo naro mantraṃ Nṛsiṃha-dhyānam ācaran | 29ab | tasya rogāḥ praṇaśyanti ye ca syuḥ kukṣi-sambhavāḥ || 29cd || kim atra bahunô uktena Nṛsiṃha-sadṛśo bhavet | 30ab | manasā cintitaṃ yat tu sa tac câ āpnoty asaṃśayam || 30cd ||
Those pure-souled people who recite this 32,000 times are able to realize the mantra power encoded in this Kavaca. One who then uses this King of Mantras to consecrate holy ash and wears a tilaka on their forehead loses all fear of malefic astrological phenomena. One who consecrates holy water while reciting this three times and then sips it while contemplating Lord Nṛsiṃha with the mantra overcomes all their diseases, including those that might be internally produced. What more needs to be said: One comes to resemble Lord Nṛsiṃha! Whatever one contemplates at that point, one surely realizes it— No doubt!
Closing meditation
garjantaṃ garjayantaṃ nija-bhuja-paṭalaṃ sphoṭayantaṃ haṭhantam dīpyantaṃ tāpayantaṃ divi bhuvi Diti-jaṃ kṣepayantaṃ kṣipantaṃ | krandantaṃ roṣayantaṃ diśi diśi satataṃ saṃharantaṃ bharantaṃ vikṣantaṃ ghūrṇayantaṃ kara-nikara-śatair Divya-siṃhaṃ namāmi ||
Thundering Reverberating Clapping His hands explosively Smashing Shining Scorching the demon-son of Diti on earth and in the heavens Obliterating him Hurling him Roaring Raging Destroying evil in every direction Supporting good in every direction Gazing Churning the universe with His innumerable hands: To that Divine Man-Lion Lord Nṛsiṃha do I bow down!
|| Śrī-Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha-parabrahmaṇe namaḥ ||
This is of course a clear reference to the opening of the Puruṣa-sūkta, the famous Vedic hymn to the Primordial Cosmic Person who is here identified with Lord Nṛsiṃha.
While the three sandhyās or Junctures are generally set aside for solemn prayer (including the thrice-daily mandatory sandhyā-vandana rite), they are even more significant in the context of Lord Nṛsiṃha since He specifically manifested Himself at dusk in order to circumvent the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu’s protective boon. Lord Nṛsiṃha is truly the “God of the gaps”, as He transcends any human-made boundaries we might set up. To go back to the Puruṣa-sūkta, one line from there is especially applicable to Him:
etāvān asya mahimā; ato jyāyāġś ca Pūruṣaḥ |His magnificence is this vast: and the Cosmic Person is greater than that too.
Can you record and post the audio