śrīrāmakavacam

Sri Rama Kavacham

The Sri Rama Kavacham from the Manohar Kanda of the Srimad Ananda Ramayana.

Om. Salutations to You, O Sri Rama.

Agastya said: I constantly remember the beautiful Rama, accompanied by Sita, whose arms reach down to His knees, whose eyes are broad like lotus petals, whose face is ever graceful with a pure and naturally blissful smile, whose complexion is dark, who holds a bow and arrow, and whose form is extremely generous.

Listen, O best of sages, Sutikshna, I will tell you everything. The holy Rama Kavacham which fulfills all desires.

O Sutikshna, Ramachandra, whose sole characteristics are non-dual bliss, consciousness, and pure goodness, shines both inside and outside here.

Seekers of truth constantly rejoice in the blissful nature of consciousness. Thus, by the word 'Rama', the Supreme Brahman is denoted.

Whoever glorifies and describes His name saying 'Jaya Rama', is freed from all sins and goes to the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.

The name 'Sri Rama' is the supreme mantra; that itself is the supreme state. Know that it is the savior that removes the fear of birth and death. By uttering 'Sri Rama', one attains the state of Brahman, undoubtedly.

Om. For this Sri Rama Kavacham mantra, the sage is Agastya, the meter is Anushtup, the deity is Sri Ramachandra accompanied by Sita and Lakshmana. The chanting is performed to attain the grace and perfection of Sri Ramachandra.

Now I will declare the meditation which grants all desired fruits. He who resembles a dark blue cloud, dressed in garments of the color of lightning.

With tender limbs, large eyes, youthful and extremely beautiful, accompanied by Sita and Lakshmana (Saumitri), wearing a crown of matted hair.

Holding a sword, quiver, bow and arrows in hand, the destroyer of demons. Whenever there is fear from thieves, fear of the king, or fear of enemies...

...one should meditate on the Lord of Raghus in battle, shining like the fire of time (destruction), wearing bark and black deerskin, his body smeared with ashes.

Adorned with arms drawing the bow with arrows up to the ear, and destroying enemies like Ravana in battle with a shower of sharp arrows.

The great hero, fierce, standing in Indra's chariot, surrounded by great heroes like Lakshmana, Hanuman, and others.

Surrounded by great heroes like Sugriva, holding mountains and trees in their hands, roaring fiercely with great speed and making terrible noises.

Roaring and rushing towards Ravana in battle. 'O Sri Rama, strike, crush, and destroy the multitudes of my enemies.'

'O Sri Rama, quickly destroy ghosts, evil spirits, pishachas, etc.' Having meditated thus, one should chant the Rama Kavacham which grants perfection.

O Sutikshna, listen to the auspicious and indestructible armor (Vajra Kavacha) which I will declare. May Sri Rama protect my head, and the descendant of Raghu protect my east.

May the best of Raghus protect my south, the purifier protect my west. May the Lord of Raghus protect my north, and the son of Dasharatha protect my forehead.

May the one dark as durva grass protect my eyebrows, and Janardana protect between them. May the king of kings protect my ears, and the lotus-eyed one protect my eyes.

May the royal sage protect my nose, the lord of Janaki protect my cheeks. May the destroyer of Khara protect the root of my ears, the beloved of Raghus protect my forehead.

May the lord of speech protect my tongue, the best of Raghus protect my rows of teeth. May Sri Ramachandra protect my lips, the Supreme beyond the supreme protect my mouth.

May the one worshipped by the world protect my neck, the destroyer of Ravana protect my shoulders. May the wielder of bow and arrows protect, the destroyer of Vali protect my arms.

May the destroyer of demons protect all my finger joints and hands. May Kakutstha protect my chest, may Hari protect my heart.

May the Lord of Sita protect my breasts, the Lord of the universe protect my sides. May the Lord of Lakshmi protect my middle, the leader of Raghus protect my navel.

May the son of Kausalya protect my waist, the destroyer of misfortunes protect my back. May Hrishikesha protect my private parts, the one of truthful valor protect my thighs.

May the wielder of the Sharnga bow protect my thighs, the beloved of Hanuman protect my knees. May the pervader of the universe protect my calves, the destroyer of Tataka protect my feet.

May Vishnu protect my entire body, the disease-less one protect all my joints. May Madhusudana protect my senses of knowledge and life breaths.

May Sri Ramabhadra protect sound and other sensory objects, and humans and other beings related to me.

May the destroyer of the great pride of Parashurama (Jamadagnya) protect them. May the elder brother of Lakshmana (Saumitri) protect speech and other senses of action.

May the giver of the kingdom to Sugriva protect all hair follicles. And actions done by speech, mind, intellect, ego, with or without knowledge...

...and various sins committed in this or other births, having quickly burnt all of them, may the breaker of Shiva's bow...

...Rama, the wielder of the Sharnga bow and arrows, always protect me from all sides. Thus is the armor of Sri Ramachandra, strong like a diamond.

It is the most secret of secrets, divine, O best of sages Sutikshna. Whoever reads it, listens to it, or recites it with a focused mind...

...he goes to the supreme abode by the grace of Ramachandra. Even one burdened with great sins, a killer of cows, or a killer of a fetus...

...attains perfection by reading the Sri Ramachandra Kavacham. He is freed from sins like killing a Brahmin, there is no doubt about this.

Thus ends the Sri Rama Kavacham from the thirteenth canto of the Manohar Kanda in the Srimad Ananda Ramayana, within the hundred crore character Ramayana of Valmiki.

The six armors of Hanuman, Lakshmana, Sita, Rama, Bharata, and Shatrughna should be read. If unable to read all six armors, one should read Hanuman-Lakshmana-Sita-Rama, or Hanuman-Sita-Rama, or Hanuman-Rama/Sita-Rama armors, or simply read only the Sri Rama Kavacham.