Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच। सनत्कुमार उवाच— अथ वक्ष्यामि ते वीर पादुकाकवचं शुभम्। पठनीयं सदा यद्धि मन्त्रसिद्धिमभीप्सता॥१॥
Brahmā said. Sanatkumāra said: “Hero, I shall now teach you the auspicious armor of the sandals, which one seeking mantra-perfection should always recite.
Passage 2
ब्रह्मणा धारितं पूर्वं नारायणमुखाम्बुजात्। तद्भूयो ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं करुणाकलितेन मे॥२॥
“Brahmā first received it from Nārāyaṇa's lotus mouth; moved by compassion, Brahmā later taught it to me.
Passage 3
तदहं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि भक्ताय सुमहात्मने। रहस्यं सर्ववेदानां सारभूतं समुद्धृतम्॥३॥
“I shall teach it to you, a devoted and noble soul. It is the extracted essence and secret of all the Vedas.
Passage 4
पादुकाकवचस्यास्य नारायणऋषिः स्वयम्। छन्दो विराडिति प्रोक्तं पादुका परदेवता॥४॥
“Nārāyaṇa himself is the seer of this armor of the sandals; Virāṭ is its meter, and the sandals are its supreme deity.
Passage 5
धर्मकामार्थमोक्षेषु विनियोग उदाहृतः। पठनीयं त्रिसन्ध्यं तत्प्रयत्नेन समाहितैः॥५॥
“Its application is declared to be dharma, desire, prosperity, and liberation. With concentration and care it should be recited at the three daily junctures. Protection of the Body and Faculties
Passage 6
प्रणवो मे शिरः पातु वाग्भवं पातु मेऽलिकम्। मायाबीजं मुखं पातु चक्षुषी कमलावतु॥६॥
“May praṇava protect my head and Vāgbhava my brow. May the Māyā seed protect my mouth and Kamalā my eyes.
Passage 7
हकारो नासिकां पातु सकारः श्रवसी च मे। षकारो गण्डयुग्मं मे शेषं पात्वधरं मम॥७॥
“May ha protect my nose and sa my two ears; may ṣa protect my cheeks and Śeṣa my lower lip.
Passage 8
उत्तरोष्ठं सदा पातु कूटात्मा मन्त्रविग्रहः। द्वितीयः कूटमन्त्रो मे ग्रीवां रक्षतु सर्वदा॥८॥
“May the mantra-bodied first kūṭa always protect my upper lip, and the second kūṭa-mantra always guard my neck.
Passage 9
तृतीयः ककुदं पातु चतुर्थोऽंसयुगं सदा। राममन्त्र उरः पात्वज्ञानेन्धनदीपनः॥९॥
“May the third protect the nape and the fourth both shoulders. May Rāma's mantra, the flame consuming ignorance's fuel, protect my chest.
Passage 10
रामचन्द्रः स्वयं पातु दक्षिणं मे भुजं सदा। मम वामभुजं पातु सहजानन्दिनी स्वयम्॥१०॥
“May Rāmacandra himself always protect my right arm, and Sahajānandinī herself my left.
Passage 11
युग्मं मे हृदयं पातु श्रीरामसहजात्मकम्। रामश्रीपादुका पातु बुद्धिं मे सत्त्वसम्भवाम्॥११॥
“May the Śrī Rāma–Sahajā pair protect my heart; may Rāma's blessed sandals protect my understanding born of purity.
Passage 12
तत्पूजनक्रिया पातु सदा कर्मेन्द्रियाणि मे। नमस्या च सदा पातु ज्ञानेन्द्रियकदम्बकम्॥१२॥
“May their worship always protect my organs of action, and reverence to them my whole cluster of senses of knowledge.
Passage 13
उदरं मे सदा पातु मन्त्रतेजो महाद्भुतम्। नाभिं मे सर्वदा पातु मन्त्रचैतन्यमुत्तमम्॥१३॥
“May the mantra's wondrous splendor always protect my abdomen and its supreme conscious power always protect my navel.
Passage 14
मन्त्रप्रतिष्ठा सततं पातु मे चरणद्वयम्। मन्त्रशक्तिर्गुदं पातु मन्त्रबीजमुपस्थकम्॥१४॥
“May the mantra's establishment continually protect my two feet, its power the anus, and its seed the generative organ.
Passage 15
मन्त्राक्षराणि मे पान्त्वङ्गप्रत्यङ्गविग्रहम्। मन्त्रस्वराः सदा पान्तु शक्तिं मे सर्वकर्मसु॥१५॥
“May the mantra's letters protect the form of all my major and minor limbs; may its vowels always protect my power in every action.
Passage 16
मन्त्रव्यञ्जनसन्दोहः सर्वदावतु मे मनः। बिन्दुः पातु सदा लक्ष्मीं विसर्गो विपदं द्यतु॥१६॥
“May the mantra's collection of consonants always guard my mind, bindu preserve my prosperity, and visarga drive calamity away.
Passage 17
मन्त्रादिः शिर आरभ्य ग्रीवां रक्षतु सर्वदा। कण्ठादारभ्य नाभ्यन्तं मन्त्रमध्यं ममावतु॥१७॥
“May the mantra's beginning always protect me from head to neck, and its middle from throat to navel.
Passage 18
मन्त्रावसानमनिशमधोऽङ्गं मेऽभिरक्षतु। अशेषमन्त्ररूपं मे श्रीरामः सकलं वपुः॥१८॥
“May the mantra's ending constantly guard my lower body, and may Śrī Rāma, the complete form of the entire mantra, guard my whole person. Protection of the Three Bodies and Four States
Passage 19
महदादिश्च भगवान् परतत्त्वं ममावतु। स्थूलदेहं सदा पातु विराट् ब्रह्माण्डरूपधृक्॥१९॥
“May the Lord who is the supreme principle beginning with Mahat protect me; may Virāṭ, bearing the cosmic form, always protect my gross body.
Passage 20
भगवान् तत्र भूतस्थः सूक्ष्मदेहं ममावतु। परं शरीरं मे पातु परमात्मा सनातनः॥२०॥
“May the Lord dwelling within the elements protect my subtle body, and the eternal Supreme Self my causal body.
Passage 21
सरय्वाः पुलिने रम्ये रत्नधाम्नि सुसंस्थितम्। अक्षराख्यं परं ब्रह्म सर्ववेदोपसेवितम्॥२१॥
“On the lovely bank of the Sarayū, firmly established in the jeweled abode, is the supreme Brahman called the Imperishable, served by all the Vedas—
Passage 22
श्रीरामपादुकारूपं सर्वशक्तिसमन्वितम्। जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्याख्यगुणावस्थाविवर्जितम्॥२२॥
“the form of Śrī Rāma's sandals, endowed with every power and beyond the states and qualities called waking, dream, and deep sleep.
Passage 23
तुरीयं तु तुर्यपदगं यदेकं स्वतः समम्। तन्मां पातु विशेषेण सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा॥२३॥
“That unique, self-equipoised fourth reality abiding in the state of turīya—may it especially protect me always in every condition.
Passage 24
योगिनां च शिरोदेशे सहस्रदलपङ्कजे। चिच्चन्द्रमण्डलान्तःस्थहंसपीठोपरि स्थितम्॥२४॥
“It stands above the haṃsa throne within the moon-disc of consciousness, in the thousand-petaled lotus above the yogins' heads.
Passage 25
पराशक्तिसुसम्पर्कसामरस्यरसोद्भवैः। अमृतैश्चित्सुखवहैरभिषिक्तं निरन्तरम्॥२५॥
“It is continually consecrated by consciousness-bliss-bearing nectars arising from the harmonious rasa of intimate contact with the supreme Power.
Passage 26
समस्तमोक्षपदवीसाम्राज्यपदनायकम्। अज्ञानतिमिरस्तोमहरणोद्धुरशक्तिभृत्॥२६॥
“It presides over the sovereign realm of every path to liberation and bears the mighty power that removes the entire mass of ignorance's darkness.
Passage 27
सर्वज्ञानक्रियाशक्तिबीजभूतं परात्परम्। सर्वमन्त्रसमाराध्यं सर्वागमनमस्कृतम्॥२७॥
“It is the transcendent seed of every power of knowledge and action, worshiped by all mantras and revered by every Āgama.
Passage 28
सर्वदैवतसन्दोहसाम्राज्यसुखभाजनम्। वन्दे श्रीपादुकायुग्मं रामस्य परमात्मनः॥२८॥
“I bow to the pair of sandals of Rāma, the Supreme Self, repository of the bliss and sovereignty of the entire assembly of deities. Prayer and Fruit
Passage 29
श्रद्धां देहि धियं देहि भक्तिं देहि परात्मिकाम्। अनुग्रहं कुरु सदा पादुकापरदेवते॥२९॥
“Grant me faith, grant me understanding, and grant me supreme devotion. O sandals, supreme deity, always bestow your grace.
Passage 30
दत्तां बुद्धिं विशुद्धां गिरमतुलतरां वेदवेदाङ्गरूपां श्रेष्ठां लोके प्रतिष्ठां मदगजगमनोद्भूतघण्टानिनादम्। ऐश्वर्यं विश्ववर्यं सुखमधिकतरं कामलोले मृगाक्षी- सन्दोहैः पूर्यमाणो धनवति सदने त्वत्प्रसादाल्लभन्ते॥३०॥
“By your grace one obtains pure understanding, incomparable speech embodying Veda and Vedāṅga, eminent standing in the world, the ringing procession of proud elephants, world-excelling sovereignty, abundant happiness, and a prosperous home filled with lovely, deer-eyed companions.
Passage 31
एवं संस्तूय सततं भज श्रीपादुकायुगम्। भविष्यस्यचिराद्वीर परानुग्रहभाजनम्॥३१॥
“Praise in this way and constantly worship the blessed pair of sandals. Hero, before long you will become a recipient of supreme grace.
Passage 32
कवचं च पठाजस्रं पादुकामन्त्रतत्त्वयुक्। लप्स्यसे परमानन्दं पूर्णं भरत तत्क्षणात्॥३२॥
“Bharata, recite this armor continually, joined to the truth of the sandals' mantra, and in that very moment you will attain full supreme bliss.
Passage 33
सौभाग्यं विपुलं भोग्यमारोग्यं सर्वसम्पदः। प्राप्नुवन्ति जपादस्य जयं च जगति ध्रुवम्॥३३॥
“Through its recitation people obtain abundant good fortune and enjoyment, health, every prosperity, and certain victory in the world.
Passage 34
इदं रहस्यं रघुनन्दनस्य श्रीपादुकासत्कवचं पठन्नरः। अवाप्य धर्मार्थसुकाममुक्तीर्भाग्योदधौ क्रीडति भक्तिसिद्धः॥३४॥
“A person who recites this secret and holy armor of Raghunandana's sandals attains dharma, prosperity, worthy desires, and liberation; perfected in devotion, he sports in an ocean of good fortune.” *Thus ends Chapter Fifty-six, “The Recitation of the Protective Mantra,” in the Reign of the Sandals within the Southern Book of the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the venerable primal Rāmāyaṇa.*