33 - Protective Mantra for World Conquest

This chapter as well as the next is an obvious interpolation as Parashurama as an Avatara of Vishnu preceded Rama and Krishna came after Råma. 

Sagara requested: 

1. Everything glorified by you, O holy lord, O excellent sage has been heard. Recount to me the Kavacha (Protective Mantra) which grants the conquest of the three worlds, everywhere. 

Vasishtha said: 

2. Listen, O dear one, I shall recount to you the extremely miraculous Kavacha. I shall teach you the Mantra also that bestows spiritual attainment and which always brings happiness to those who aspire to achieve it and practise it. 

3. At the end of the word Gopijana one shall utter the word Vallabhāya. Ending with Svāhā, this great Mantra (viz. Gopijana-Vallabhāya Svähā meaning "Svähä unto the lover of cowherdess folks') of ten syllables is the bestower of worldly pleasure as well as salvation. 

4. The sage of this Mantra is Sadashiva. Pankti is cited as the metre with ten syllables in a quarter) Krişhņa is mentioned as the deity. Its utilization is for the achievement of everything. 

5-6. The sage of the Kavacha named. Trailokyavijaya is Prajapati. The metre is Jagati (a metre with twelve syllables). The deity is Rājeśhvara himself. It is proclaimed that its utilization is in the attaininent of the conquest of the three worlds. Let the Praņava (i.e. Omkāra) protect my head.1 Obeisance to Srikrişhņa always.

1. VV.6-21 are technically known as Nyåsa. In this, the devotee mentally assigns various parts of his body to deities (here various forms or aspects of Lord Krishna).   

7-8. Let him ever protect my forehead. Svāhā unto Krişhņa. O Krişhņa, let this protect my eyes. Let (the Mantra) Krishnāya sváha (protcet) the pupil of the eye 'Haraye namaḥ (Obeisance to Hari), let this ever protect my brow. Om Govindāya Svähà, let this always protect my nose. 

9. Obeisance to Gopala; let this Mantra always protect my cheek. 'Klim, obeisance to Krishna'. Let the wish-yielding Kalpa-tree protect my ears. 

10. 'Śhrim, obeisance to Krişhņa', let this always protect the pair of my lips. Om Svähä unto Gopisha, let this protect the row of my teeth. 

11. Let this Mantra of three syllables viz. "Śrīkrişhņa' always protect the cavity within the row of my teeth' (Let the Mantra) Svāhā unto Srikrishņa' protect my tongue always. 

12. "Sväha unto Rämeshvara (prob. Räseśhvara).' Let this always protect my palate. “Svähä unto Rådhika's lord'. Let this always protect my neck (throat). 

13. "Obeisance to the lord of the group of cowherdesses'. Let this always protect my neck. 'Om Sväha unto the lord of the cow herds; let this always protect my shoulders. 

14. "Obeisance to the Lord in the guise of a boy; Svähå (to Him), (let this Mantra) protect my back. 'Obeisance to Mukunda’; let this Mantra always protect my belly. 

15. “Hrim Shrim Klim, Svāhā unto Krishņa; let this always protect my hands, 'Om obeisance and Svāhā unto Vişhnu', let this protect the pair of my arms. 

16. "Om Hrim, Svähä unto the Lord; let this protect the row of my nails. Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa'; let this protect the cavity beneath the nails of mine. 

17. "Om Hrim Shrim obeisance unto Padma-näbha; let this protect always my navel. 'Om Svāhā unto the lord of all; let this always protect my hairs. 

18. "Obeisance to Krişhņa, Svähä (unto him)', let this even protect the Brahmarandhra (the aperture on the crown of the head, the outlet for the soul at the time of death). 'Om Svāhā unto Madhava', let this always protect my forehead. 

19. 'Om Hrim Shrim obeisance to the lord of Rasikas' (those who appreciate beauty and enjoy pleasure)', let this always protect my waist. 'Obeisance to the lord of cowherdess-folk”. Let this always protect my thighs. 

10. 'Om, obeisance to the destroyer of the Daityas, Svähä (unto Him)' let this (Mantra) protect my knees. Let the Mantra 'Unto the son of Yashodā ending with Namaḥ (obeisance) protect my calfmuscles.' 

21. Let (the Mantra) ending with "Svāha unto the person who is fond of beginning the Räsa dance' protect my modesty and bashfulness. Let (the Mantra), 'Svähä unto the lover of  Vrunda' protect my limbs. 

22. Let Krişhņa wholeheartedly protect me always in the East. Let the lord of Goloka (the world of the cows) himself protect me in the South-East quarter. 

23. Let (the lord) in the form of perfect Brahman protect me in the South-West. Let Hari protect me in the West. 

24. Let Govinda protect me in the North-West. Let Rasikeśhvara (Lord of those who enjoy aesthetic pleasure) protect me in the North. Let the lord who sports about in the forest of Vrundāvana protect me always in the North-East. 

25. Let the intimate beloved of Vrunda protect me always from above. Let the extremely powerful destroyer of Bali protect me always from below. 

26. Let Nrusimha (Man-lion) protect me always in water, ground and the atmosphere. Let Madhava himself protect me during sleeping and waking hours. 

27-28. The immanent soul of everyone is unattached-- let that lord protect me from all sides."'1

1. Just as various parts of the body are protected by assigning them to different forms of the deity, the devotee is protected by Kavacha-mantra on all directions and at all times and places. This appeal for protection is stated in vv.22-28. 

Thus, O king, the Kavacha named Trailokyavijaya of the great lord has been recounted to you. It destroys all sins. This has been heard by me directly from Shiva. It should not be mentioned to any ordinary person. 

29. He who, after duly worshipping the preceptor, wears the Kavacha (i.e. this amulet) round his neck or on the right arm, is undoubtedly Vişhņu himself. 

30-32. Wherever the aspirant devotee of the Kavacha lives, goddess of speech and goddess of fortune too stay there. If a man attains this perfect Kavacha he is undoubtedly a Jivan mukta (a soul liberated while alive). Surely he shall obtain the benefit of worship performed for ten million years. 

Thousands of Rajasuya sacrifices, hundreds of Vajapeyas, all types of great charitable gifts and the circumambulation of the entire Earth do not deserve even a sixteenth part of this Trailokya-vijaya. 

33. Holy rites, fasts and other religious observances, the self-study of the Vedas, the repetition of the Vedic Mantras and the holy dip in all pilgrim centres and sacred rivers do not deserve even a fraction of this (Kavacha). 

34. If a person attains the Kavacha perfectly, he shall certainly attain everything viz. the status of a Siddha, immortality and the status of an attendant of Shrihari. 

35. He who repeats the Mantra a million times shall achieve the mastery of the Kavacha. If one has achieved the mastery of the Kavacha he shall certainly be victorious. 

36. A kingdom may be given away, even head may be dispensed with, the very vital airs may be given over, O King. But, O dear one, this Kavacha should not be given away even in an emergency. 

37. Understand this, O Sun of the family, that this has been revealed tO you for the purpose of protecting all these (?) and also because you have carried out my behest. Be an Emperor by wearing this Kavacha.