Twelfth Skandha · Chapter 3
Sourceगायत्रीमन्त्रकवचवर्णनम् नारद उवाच स्वामिन्सर्वजगन्नाथ संशयोऽस्ति मम प्रभो । चतुःषष्टिकलाभिज्ञ पातकाद्योगविद्वर ॥ १ ॥ मुच्यते केन पुण्येन ब्रह्मरूपः कथं भवेत् । देहश्च देवतारूपो मन्त्ररूपो विशेषतः ॥ २ ॥ कर्म तच्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि न्यासं च विधिपूर्वकम् । ऋषिश्छन्दोऽधिदैवं च ध्यानं च विधिवद्विभो ॥ ३ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच अस्त्येकं परमं गुह्यं गायत्रीकवचं तथा । पठनाद्धारणान्मर्त्यः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ॥ ४ ॥ सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति देवीरूपश्च जायते । गायत्रीकवचस्यास्य ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः ॥ ५ ॥ ऋषयो ऋग्यजुःसामाथर्वश्छन्दांसि नारद । ब्रह्मरूपा देवतोक्ता गायत्री परमा कला ॥ ६ ॥ तद्बीजं भर्ग इत्येषा शक्तिरुक्ता मनीषिभिः । कीलकं च धियः प्रोक्तं मोक्षार्थे विनियोजनम् ॥ ७ ॥ चतुर्भिर्हृदयं प्रोक्तं त्रिभिर्वर्णेः शिरः स्मृतम् । चतुर्भिः स्याच्छिखा पश्चात् त्रिभिस्तु कवचं स्मृतम् ॥ ८ ॥ चतुर्भिर्नेत्रमुद्दिष्टं चतुर्भिः स्यात्तदस्त्रकम् । अथ ध्यानं प्रवक्ष्यामि साधकाभीष्टदायकम् ॥ ९ ॥ मुक्ताविद्रुमहेमनीलधवलच्छायैर्मुखैस्त्रीक्षणै- र्युक्तामिन्दुनिबद्धरत्नमुकुटां तत्त्वार्थवर्णात्मिकाम् । गायत्रीं वरदाभयाङ्कुशकशाः शुभ्रं कपालं गुणं शङ्खं चक्रमथारविन्दयुगलं हस्तैर्वहन्तीं भजे ॥ १० ॥ गायत्री पूर्वतः पातु सावित्री पातु दक्षिणे । ब्रह्मसन्ध्या तु मे पश्चादुत्तरायां सरस्वती ॥ ११ ॥ पार्वती मे दिशं रक्षेत्पावकीं जलशायिनी । यातुधानी दिशं रक्षेद्यातुधानभयङ्करी ॥ १२ ॥ पावमानी दिशं रक्षेत्पवमानविलासिनी । दिशं रौद्री च मे पातु रुद्राणी रुद्ररूपिणी ॥ १३ ॥ ऊर्ध्वं ब्रह्माणी मे रक्षेदधस्ताद्वैष्णवी तथा । एवं दश दिशो रक्षेत्सर्वाङ्गं भुवनेश्वरी ॥ १४ ॥ तत्पदं पातु मे पादौ जङ्घे मे सवितुः पदम् । वरेण्यं कटिदेशे तु नाभिं भर्गस्तथैव च ॥ १५ ॥ देवस्य मे तद्धृदयं धीमहीति च गल्लयोः । धियः पदं च मे नेत्रे यः पदं मे ललाटकम् ॥ १६ ॥ नः पातु मे पदं मूर्ध्नि शिखायां मे प्रचोदयात् । तत्पदं पातु मूर्धानं सकारः पातु भालकम् ॥ १७ ॥ चक्षुषी तु विकारार्णस्तुकारस्तु कपोलयोः । नासापुटं वकारार्णो रेकारस्तु मुखे तथा ॥ १८ ॥ णिकार ऊर्ध्वमोष्ठं तु यकारस्त्वधरोष्ठकम् । आस्यमध्ये भकारार्णो र्गोकारश्चिबुके तथा ॥ १९ ॥ देकारः कण्ठदेशे तु वकारः स्कन्धदेशकम् । स्यकारो दक्षिणं हस्तं धीकारो वामहस्तकम् ॥ २० ॥ मकारो हृदयं रक्षेद्धिकार उदरे तथा । धिकारो नाभिदेशे तु योकारस्तु कटिं तथा ॥ २१ ॥ गुह्यं रक्षतु योकार ऊरू द्वौ नः पदाक्षरम् । प्रकारो जानुनी रक्षेच्चोकारो जङ्घदेशकम् ॥ २२ ॥ दकारं गुल्फदेशे तु यकारः पदयुग्मकम् । तकारव्यञ्जनं चैव सर्वाङ्गं मे सदावतु ॥ २३ ॥ इदं तु कवचं दिव्यं बाधाशतविनाशनम् । चतुःषष्टिकलाविद्यादायकं मोक्षकारकम् ॥ २४ ॥ मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति । पठनाच्छ्रवणाद्वापि गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् ॥ २५ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां सहितायां द्वादशस्कन्धे गायत्रीमन्त्रकवचवर्णनं नाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः ॥ ३ ॥
gāyatrīmantrakavacavarṇanam nārada uvāca svāminsarvajagannātha saṃśayo'sti mama prabho | catuḥṣaṣṭikalābhijña pātakādyogavidvara || 1 || mucyate kena puṇyena brahmarūpaḥ kathaṃ bhavet | dehaśca devatārūpo mantrarūpo viśeṣataḥ || 2 || karma tacchrotumicchāmi nyāsaṃ ca vidhipūrvakam | ṛṣiśchando'dhidaivaṃ ca dhyānaṃ ca vidhivadvibho || 3 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca astyekaṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ gāyatrīkavacaṃ tathā | paṭhanāddhāraṇānmartyaḥ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate || 4 || sarvānkāmānavāpnoti devīrūpaśca jāyate | gāyatrīkavacasyāsya brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ || 5 || ṛṣayo ṛgyajuḥsāmātharvaśchandāṃsi nārada | brahmarūpā devatoktā gāyatrī paramā kalā || 6 || tadbījaṃ bharga ityeṣā śaktiruktā manīṣibhiḥ | kīlakaṃ ca dhiyaḥ proktaṃ mokṣārthe viniyojanam || 7 || caturbhirhṛdayaṃ proktaṃ tribhirvarṇeḥ śiraḥ smṛtam | caturbhiḥ syācchikhā paścāt tribhistu kavacaṃ smṛtam || 8 || caturbhirnetramuddiṣṭaṃ caturbhiḥ syāttadastrakam | atha dhyānaṃ pravakṣyāmi sādhakābhīṣṭadāyakam || 9 || muktāvidrumahemanīladhavalacchāyairmukhaistrīkṣaṇai- ryuktāmindunibaddharatnamukuṭāṃ tattvārthavarṇātmikām | gāyatrīṃ varadābhayāṅkuśakaśāḥ śubhraṃ kapālaṃ guṇaṃ śaṅkhaṃ cakramathāravindayugalaṃ hastairvahantīṃ bhaje || 10 || gāyatrī pūrvataḥ pātu sāvitrī pātu dakṣiṇe | brahmasandhyā tu me paścāduttarāyāṃ sarasvatī || 11 || pārvatī me diśaṃ rakṣetpāvakīṃ jalaśāyinī | yātudhānī diśaṃ rakṣedyātudhānabhayaṅkarī || 12 || pāvamānī diśaṃ rakṣetpavamānavilāsinī | diśaṃ raudrī ca me pātu rudrāṇī rudrarūpiṇī || 13 || ūrdhvaṃ brahmāṇī me rakṣedadhastādvaiṣṇavī tathā | evaṃ daśa diśo rakṣetsarvāṅgaṃ bhuvaneśvarī || 14 || tatpadaṃ pātu me pādau jaṅghe me savituḥ padam | vareṇyaṃ kaṭideśe tu nābhiṃ bhargastathaiva ca || 15 || devasya me taddhṛdayaṃ dhīmahīti ca gallayoḥ | dhiyaḥ padaṃ ca me netre yaḥ padaṃ me lalāṭakam || 16 || naḥ pātu me padaṃ mūrdhni śikhāyāṃ me pracodayāt | tatpadaṃ pātu mūrdhānaṃ sakāraḥ pātu bhālakam || 17 || cakṣuṣī tu vikārārṇastukārastu kapolayoḥ | nāsāpuṭaṃ vakārārṇo rekārastu mukhe tathā || 18 || ṇikāra ūrdhvamoṣṭhaṃ tu yakārastvadharoṣṭhakam | āsyamadhye bhakārārṇo rgokāraścibuke tathā || 19 || dekāraḥ kaṇṭhadeśe tu vakāraḥ skandhadeśakam | syakāro dakṣiṇaṃ hastaṃ dhīkāro vāmahastakam || 20 || makāro hṛdayaṃ rakṣeddhikāra udare tathā | dhikāro nābhideśe tu yokārastu kaṭiṃ tathā || 21 || guhyaṃ rakṣatu yokāra ūrū dvau naḥ padākṣaram | prakāro jānunī rakṣeccokāro jaṅghadeśakam || 22 || dakāraṃ gulphadeśe tu yakāraḥ padayugmakam | takāravyañjanaṃ caiva sarvāṅgaṃ me sadāvatu || 23 || idaṃ tu kavacaṃ divyaṃ bādhāśatavināśanam | catuḥṣaṣṭikalāvidyādāyakaṃ mokṣakārakam || 24 || mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ paraṃ brahmādhigacchati | paṭhanācchravaṇādvāpi gosahasraphalaṃ labhet || 25 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ sahitāyāṃ dvādaśaskandhe gāyatrīmantrakavacavarṇanaṃ nāma tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ || 3 ||
English translation
1-3. Narada spoke O Bhagavan! Thou art the Lord of this world; Thou canst shew favour and disfavour both; Thou art specially versed in the sixty-four Kalas (arts of learning); Thou art the chief of the Yogis. I therefore ask Thee to solve a doubt of mine. By what Punyam a man can become free from all his sins and limitations and he can realise and become of the nature of Brahma. O Lord! And what are duly the Risis, Chhandas, Devatas, Dhyan, and Nyasa, etc., of this meritorious act? I want to hear.
4-25. Narayana said O Narada! There is but one and the only one way to this and though that is very secret, I will disclose that to you.
It is the Gayatri-Kavacha. It can destroy all sins. Therefore to recite or to hold it on one's body enables the man to become free from all his sins and to get all his desires fulfilled and he gets the Sayuya Mukti with the Devi (be merged in the DevT-Body). Now hear the Risis, Chhandas, etc., of this Kavacha Brahma, Visnu and Mahes'vara are the Risis; the Rik, Yajus, Sama and Atharva Vedas are the Chhandas; the Parama Kala Gayatri of the nature of Brahma is the Devata; “Tat” in Gayatri is the Vija; “Bharga” is the S’akti; and “Dhiyah” is the Kilaka; and its viniyoga (application) is in getting the Moksa (liberation.). With the first four syllables touch the heart; with the next three letters touch the head; with the next four letters touch the tuft on the crown of the head; with the next three letters on the Kavacha; with the next four letters on the eyes and with the last four letters make the Nyasa, all over the body repeating “Astraya Phat,”
O Narada! Hear now the Dhyanam of Gayatri, that grants all desires. The Gayatri Devi has five faces; one of which is of white colour; and the other four is of pearl, Vidruma, golden, and Nilakantamani colour respectively. Each face has got three eyes; on the head there is a crown of jewels and the digit of the Moon is shining there. Her body
is composed of the twenty-four tattvas. She has ten hands On the top right and left hands there are two lotuses; lower down, there are disc and conch shell; lower down, there are rope and skull; lower down, there are noose and goad; and on the bottom hands right and left she is making signs of “No fear” and “ready to grant boons.” Thus meditating on S’ri Gayatri, one is to recite the Kavacha thus Let the Gayatri Devi protect my front; Savitri Devi protect my right; the Sandhya Devi, my back and the Devi Sarasvati, my left. Let my Mother Parvati Devi protect my quarters. Let Jalas'ayini protect the southeast; Yatudhana Bhayankari protect my South-west; Pavamanavilasini my north-west; Rudrarupini Rudrani protect my north-east. Let Brahmani protect my top and Vaisnavi protect my nether regions. Let the word “Tat” in the Gayatri protect my legs; “Savituh” protect my Knees; “Varenyam,” protect my loins;
“Bhargah,” my navel. Let “Devasya” protect my heart; “Dhimahi” protect my neck; “Dhiyah,” protect my eyes; “Yah,” protect my forehead; “Nah” protect my head; and “Prachodayat” protect the tuft on the crown of my head.
Again let the “Tat” of the twenty-four syllabled Gayatri protect my head; “Sa,” protect my forehead; “Vi” protect my eyes; “Tu” my cheeks; “Va,” protect my nostrils; “Re,” my mouth; “ni” protect my upper lip; “Yah” protect my lower lip; “Bha” within my face; “rgo,” protect my cheeks; “De,” my throat; “Va” my shoulders; “Sya” my right hand; “Dhi” my navel; “ma,” my heart, “Hi,” my belly; “Dhi,” my navel; “Yo” my loins; “Yo”, my anus; “nah,” my thighs, “Pra,” my Knees; “Cho” my shanks “Da” my heels; “Ya” my legs; and let “at” protect all my sides. O Narada! This divine Kavacha of the Devi Gayatri can baffle hundreds and thousands of obstructions and evils; can grant sixty-four Kalas and liberation. By the glory of this Kavacha, man can become free from all evils and can attain the state of Brahma. Moreover whoever reads or hears this acquires the fruits of making a gift of a thousand cows.
Here ends the Third Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the description of the Kavacha of S’ri Gayatri Devi in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 31978, revision 84745 (2016-10-10T12:58:44Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk12ch03.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.