4 - Adoration of Sarasvati and her kavacha

Narada said—О lord, by your grace I have been able to listen to the nectar-like story of the lord; now you enlighten me about the Prakrutis. 

О sage, which one of the gods has adored which one of the goddess first of all and how was it made known on earth. Who adored whom earlier offering the prayers.

You enlighten me about the kavacas, Stotras, dhyana, their influence and the story of each one of them including the boons granted by each one of them.

Narayana said—Durga is the mother of Ganes'a, besides Radha, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Savitri are the five goddesses who emerged at the time of the creation of the universe.

The influence of their adoration is astonishing and quite will known. Their life stories are like nectar and bestow all the welfare.

О Brahman, such of the goddesses who form part of Prakrti and those who have the form of Kali, I shall tell you all the stories about themyou listen to me attentively.

The goddesses like Vani (Sarasvati), Vasundhara (earth), Ganga, Sasthi, Mangalachandika, Tulasi, Manasi, Nidra, Svadha, Svaha and dakshina are the goddesses who are like in lustre, qualities and merits. I shall narrate to you the stories about them which will relieve the people of all the sins.

The great stories about Durga and Radhika will be narrated by me subsequently. You please listen to me.

О best of the sages, lord Krishna first of all started by the grace of whom even the foolish fellows achieve wisdom.

Goddess Sarasvati was born out of the tongue of lord Krishna and when becoming passionate intentions and he then spoke of Sarasvati the mother of all the beneficial words which were truthful and bestowed welfare at the end.

Lord Krishna said О chaste lady, lord Narayana emerged out of my body and is youthful like me, he is beautiful and possesses all the qualities. You should, Therefore, serve him as a wife. He is the one who fulfils the desires of all the ladies and is beautiful like the crores of gods of love. In the divine play, he excels even the god of love.

О lady, if you want to remain here as my wife, it would not be beneficial for you since Radha happens to be more powerful than you. О Sarasvati, one who is quite powerful can protect others but the one who himself his weak cannot protect himself. I am the lord of everyone and the ruler but I am unable to rule over the Radha because she possesses the same type of splendour, beauty and qualities as I do.

She is the presiding deity of my life and who is so competent as to abandon his life. Only a life is the dearest men then all other objects.

Therefore, О lady, you go to Vaikuntha and you will meet with your welfare there. You accept lord Vishnu as your husband and enjoy all the pleasures with him.

Lakshmi is of course free from grief, attachment, lust, agony, violence and she is as equal as you in beauty, virtues and splendours.

If you remain lovingly with her, your life will meet all the pleasures. And your husband will also love both of you equally.

O beautiful one, with the influence of my boon all the people of the universe get pleased besides the Manus, the gods, the truth seekers, the ascetics, yogis, siddhas, nagas and Kinnaras will adore you every year on the bright fifth day in the month of Magha or at the time of sharing of learnings and celebrating great festivity at that time, they will perform sixteen type of puja for you. You will be adored appropriately according to the rites prescribed in the kavaca branch by the self disciplined people. They will invoke you in a kalasa or a book. Your flowers will be decorated by them with the flowers and kept gracefully in gold amulet and shall adore it with offering the sandal-wood paste and tie it around the right arm as armlets.

During the time of puja as well as after that, the wise people will recite your stotras. Thus speaking, lord Krishna adored the goddess.

Thereafter the gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ananta, Dharma and sages like Sanaka and others also adored her.

Thus all the gods, the Manus, the kings and the humans adored the goddess since then.

Narada said—О best of the gods, you tell us the method of adoration of goddess Sarasvati, her stotra, dhyanam and the kavaca besides Naivedya, flowers and the application of sandal-wood paste. I am feeling quite anxious to listen to the same which will be quite pleasant to hear.

Narayana said—О Narada, I will now spell out the method prescribed in the Kanvas-shakha for the adoration of goddess of Sarasvati has been detailed.

The bright fifth day of month of Magha is the date for initiating a child. Observing self-discipline and getting purified after bath, one should perform the daily routine besides consecrating the pitcher filled with water. Then presenting Naivedya and other offering to Ganesha, Surya, Agni, Vishnu, Shiva and Parvathi, the family god should be adored.

The wise Vrathi should recite the dhyana mantra and should adore the sacred pitcher observing the sixteen types of formalities.

Whatever Naivedyas are prescribed in theVedas and in the sastra are now being spelt out by me.

They include butter, curd, milk, paddy, sea-same balls, white sugar cane and its juice, sugar balls (guda), honey, sweet dish, sugar, white paddy, unbroken rice, unboiled rice, white sweet balls, ghee, saltish preparation, the cereals required for performing homa, the stuffs made of barley and wheat and fried in ghee, ripe banana fruit, the sweet prepared ripe banana, beautiful Sriphala (wood-apple), Badari (Zuzubi), seasonal fruit, fragrant white flowers, fragrant sandal-wood, new white clothes, beautiful conch, the garland of white flowers and pearls, gems and other ornaments should be offered to goddess Sarasvati.

The dhyanam which has been prescribed in the Vedas for the goddess is pleasant to here and remove the illusion. I am going to tell you the same.

The body of Sarasvati has fair complexion, she wears a serene smile over her face and his full of the lustre of crores of moon rays and quite glorious.

She is clad in the costumes purified by Agni, has a smiling face and is adorned with all the beautiful ornaments studded with gems. The gods like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and others besides the best of the sages, the Manus and the humans adores her with great devotion.

Thus meditating upon the goddess she should be adored reciting the basic mantra with suitable offerings. Thereafter the kavaca should be recited and the wise devotee should prostrate before her.

О sage, such of the people who are devoted to her and recite her name regularly she bestows all her grace on them. On the day of the starting of the education, at the end of the year, of should adore Sarasvati, on the bright fifth day of the month of Magha ‘Sri Hreem sarasvayai svaha’ is the basic mantra of the goddess prescribed in the Vedas and is beneficial to all. Those who recite other mantras of Sarasvati, the said mantras are the basic mantras for them. The word Sarasvati should be added to the fourth division adding the word Svaha to the same, before that the seed of Lakshmi (Sri) and illusory seed (Hreem) should be added. Thus the formation Sri Hreem Sarasvayai Svaha would be made which would be like the wish fulfilling tree for the devotee. This mantra was first of all given by Narayana to Valmiki at the bank of the Ganga in the country of Bharata at the time of solar eclipse. Thereafter the same mantra was repeated by Bhrgu to Sukra at Pus kara kshetra. thereafter the same was given by Kasyapa the son of Marici to Brhaspati at the time of the lunar eclipse.

Thereafter Brahma gave it to Bhrgu quite delightfully in Badrikasrama. Then Jaratkaru gave it to Astika at the shore of the ocean of milk and Vibhandaka gave it to Rsyasrnga at Meru mountain.

О sage Shiva gave it to sage Gautama besides Kanada. Surya gave it to Yajnavalkya and Katyayana, to the serpent Ananta. Sesa gave it in the nether world to the king Bali and also to Panini, the intelligent Bharadvaja and Sakat ayana.

One meets with success by reciting it four lakhs of times. After achieving success in the mantra one becomes as intelligent as Brhaspati.

О best of the Brahmanas, now I am going to speak to you about the kavaca which was given over by Brahma to Bhrgu in the earlier times for being victorious in the universe.

Bhrgu said—О Brahman, you are the best of those who have the knowledge of Brahman and well-versed in the divine knowledge, you are all knowledgeable, the creator of all and are adorable by all.

О lord, you kindly enlighten me about the kavaca which provides victory to the devotee in the universe besides the mantra by which one achieves great success.

Brahma said: “O son, I shall now speak to you about the kavaca which fulfils all the desires. This kavaca is the tattva of the Vedas, pleasant to listen, established in the Vedas and is supported by them.

Lord Krishna, who is the lord of rasa and eternal (lord, had revealed this kavaca to one at the time of the performing of the divine dance in the Goloka. It is extremely, secret and is like the kalpavrksa. It comprises of unheard and astonishing combination of mantras.

O Brahmana! by reciting it or holding it, Brhaspati acquired intelligence and Shukra was announced as a preceptor of the demons.

By virtue of reciting and holding this kavaca, the sage Valmiki became a poet laurate and the renowned orator.

Similarly, Kanada, Gautama, Kanva, Panini, Sakatayana, Daksa and Katyayana composed and various texts, by reciting it. Svayambhuva Manu was adored by all by bearing it. Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, easily distributed the Vedas created all the Puranas. By bearing it, Satatapa, Samvartta, Vasistha, Parashara and Yajnavalkya created many scriptures. The sages like Rs yasrhnga, Bharadvaja, Astika, Devala, Jaigisavya and Jabali, were adored by all.

For Sarasvati of the form of Sri Hreem Sarasvati, the offering of faith or belief is made. She should protect my head from all the sides. For “om Sri vagdevata” the offering of Shraddha is made. She should protect my forehead.

For om Hreem Saraswti, the offering of Shraddha is made. She should always protect my ears. For om Sri barathi, the offering of Shraddha is given. She should always protect my both the eyes. For om Hreem vagvadini, the offering of Shraddha is made, she should protect my nose from all the sides. For om Hreem the goddess of knowledge, we offering of Shraddha is made; She should always protect my ears. 

For Om Hreem Brahmee the offering of Shraddha is made, She should protect the lines of teeth, Ai is single letter mantra which should always protect my throat.

Оm Srim Hreem should protect my neck and Sri should protect the shoulders. She goddess Srividya is made the offering of Shraddha. She should protect my chart.

Offering is made to the goddess om Hreem vidya who should protect my naval. For om Hreem klee goddess of speech offering of Shraddha is made. She should protect my back.

For Om sarvaatmikaa goddess, the offering of Shraddha is made. She should protect both the feet. For the supreme goddess of learning the offering of Shraddha. is made. Let her protect all my limbs.

I make the offering to the goddess residing over the tip of the tongues. Let her protect the east direction.

She mantra “Om Hreem sri sarasvayai svaha” should protect the southern direction.

She three letter mantra om Hreem srim should protect the south-western direction. She goddess who resides over the tip of the tongue of the poets is given the offering of Shraddha, let her protect the western direction.

Offering of Shraddha is made to the goddess residing in prose and poetry. Let her protect the northern direction.

For the goddess of all the scriptures offering of Shraddha is made; let her always protect the north-eastern direction. Offering is made to the goddess who is adored by all. Let her alwaysprotect the upper regions.

For Ai Hreem goddess dwelling in the scriptures, offering of Shraddha is made. Let her protect the lower regions. She offering of Shraddha is made to the goddess bearing the form of the seed of all. Let her protect me from all the sides.

O' Brahmana, this is the kavaca which overpower the universe. It happens to be the true form of all the mantras and represents the Brahmana, which has been revealed by me to you. Initially this was revealed to me by Dharma, at the Gandhamadana mountain. I have revealed the same to you because of my attachment for you. Therefore, you don't disclose it to any me.

One should adore his teacher prostrating before him, offering clothes, ornaments and the sandal-paste and this kavaca should be borne 

She kavacha meets with success after reciting it for five lakhs of times. She is who does so shines bleu Bruhaspati on earth.

Не becomes a great orator and becomes violations in the three worlds. With the influence of this kavaca he gets Victorians everywhere.

O sage, I have thus revealed to you the kavaca as prescribed in the Kanva-shakha, including stotra, method of adoration and dhyanam etc.