Sarasvatī Kavaca

The Sarasvatī Kavaca is a hymn of protection, a kavaca (armour), addressed to Sarasvatī. It puts a form or name of Sarasvatī on each part of the body and in each of the ten directions, so that her presence surrounds the reciter on every side. It is found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakriti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 4. Dharma first gave it to Brahmā. Brahmā gave it to Bhṛgu Maharshi on the mountain Gandhāmādana. It belongs to the Kāṇva-śākhā of the Śukla Yajurveda.

Who taught it

In the fourth chapter of the Prakriti Khaṇḍa, the ṛshi Nārada hears from Brahmā the account of this kavaca. Brahmā tells him that Dharma himself gave the kavaca to Brahmā, and Brahmā passed it to Bhṛgu on the holy mountain Gandhāmādana. It belongs to the Kāṇva-śākhā, one of the recensions of the Śukla Yajurveda linked with the teaching of Yājñavalkya. The kavaca is very rare and strong. It is to be received from a qualified guru and practised with devotion and discipline.

The kavaca

The kavaca puts names and forms of Sarasvatī on each limb, organ and direction as rakshā (protection). In this way the body of the reciter, and the space around it, is wrapped in her presence. She guards the body, and also the mind, the speech and the intellect.

Head and face

• The śiras (crown of the head): Sārasvatī
• The lalāṭa (forehead): Mahāvidyā
• The netra (eyes): Medhā-rūpiṇī, the form of retentive intelligence
• The śrotra (ears): Śrutidevatā, the presiding devatā of Vedic hearing
• The nāsikā (nose): Surabhī
• The mukha (mouth): Vāgīśvarī, the sovereign of all speech
• The danta (teeth): Candrakalā
• The jihvā (tongue): Sarasvatī in her most direct form

Neck and shoulders

• The kaṇṭha (throat): Bhāratī
• The skandha (shoulders): Śāradā
• The bāhu (arms): Sarvārthasādhinī

Chest and belly

• The hṛdaya (heart): Vidyā
• The vakshas (chest): Brahmavidyā
• The nābhi (navel): Prajñā

Hands

• The hasta (hands): Pustaka-dhāriṇī, she who holds the book of all knowledge

Back and lower body

• The pṛshṭha (back): Dhṛti
• The kaṭi (waist): Manoharā
• The pāda (feet): Vedagāminī, she who goes through the Vedas

The ten directions

The kavaca then spreads the protection of Sarasvatī over the ten diś (directions).

Siddhi and the method

One who wishes to gain siddhi (complete mastery) of the Sarasvatī Kavaca should recite it five lakh times (500,000 repetitions) with a still and clean mind. This pañca-laksha japa, done with the right sankalpa (resolve), guru-dīkshā (initiation by the guru) and daily discipline, makes the kavaca fully work as armour.

To wear it, the text of the kavaca is written on a leaf (patra-likhita) and put in a golden or silver case. The case is worn in one of two ways:

• on the right arm (dakshiṇa-bāhu), tied with a thread; or
• round the neck (kaṇṭha), as a pendant.

Worn in this way, the kavaca gives steady protection, a sharper buddhi (intellect), fearlessness and the grace of Sarasvatī.

The phala

The Prakriti Khaṇḍa names these results of the kavaca:

• The worshipper gains unhindered vāk-siddhi: whatever he says comes to be.
• Smṛti (memory) and medhā (retentive intelligence) become sharp and never fail.
• A student or scholar who wears the kavaca does well in all study. The Vedas, śāstras, itihāsa and purāṇas become easy for him.
• Children who find learning hard gain especially from this kavaca.
• The speech of the reciter becomes sweet, weighty and persuasive.
• At the time of death he reaches Sarasvatī-loka and in the end moksha.

Sources

• Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakriti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 4