śrī baṭuka bhairava kavacam

• uktaṃ caand it is said (uktam:said | ca:and)
• bhairavatantrein the Bhairavatantra (bhairava:Bhairava | tantre:in the tantra)
• mahādeva uvācaMahadeva said (mahādeva:Mahadeva, Shiva | uvāca:said)
• prīyatāṃmay he be pleased
• bhairavo devaḥthe divine Bhairava (bhairavaḥ:Bhairava | devaḥ:god)
• namo vai bhairavāya casalutations indeed to Bhairava (namaḥ:salutations | vai:indeed | bhairavāya:to Bhairava | ca:and)
• deveśiO Goddess of the gods
• deharakṣārthaṃfor the purpose of protecting the body (deha:body | rakṣā:protection | artham:for the purpose of)
• kāraṇaṃthe means
• kathyatāṃplease tell
• dhruvamcertainly, without doubt

• mriyantethey die
• sādhakāḥspiritual practitioners
• yena vināwithout which (yena:which | vinā:without)
• śmaśānabhūmiṣuin cremation grounds (śmaśāna:cremation ground | bhūmiṣu:in the places)
• raṇeṣuin battles
• cāti ghoreṣuand in extremely terrible (ca:and | ati:extremely | ghoreṣu:terrible)
• mahāmṛtyubhayeṣu caand amid great fears of death (mahā:great | mṛtyu:death | bhayeṣu:in fears | ca:and)

• śṛṅgīsalīlavajreṣufrom tridents, water, and thunderbolts (śṛṅgī:trident | salīla:water | vajreṣu:thunderbolts)
• jvarādivyādhivahniṣufrom fevers, diseases, and fire (jvara:fever | ādi:etc. | vyādhi:disease | vahniṣu:in fire)
• devyuvācathe Goddess spoke (devī:Goddess | uvāca:spoke)
• kathayāmiI shall tell
• śṛṇulisten
• prājñaO wise one
• baṭukakavacaṃthe Batuka Kavacham (baṭuka:Batuka | kavacam:armor, protective hymn)
• śubhamauspicious

• gopanīyaṃto be kept secret (gup:to protect, conceal | anīya:gerundive, must be done)
• prayatnenawith great care
• mātṛkājārajaḥillicit son of a mother (mātṛkā:mother | jāra:illicit lover | ja:born of)
• yathājust as

note This line forms the pivot between the kavacham text proper and the viniyoga (ritual assignment). The Goddess instructs that the kavacham is to be guarded with the same discretion one would exercise in concealing a mother's secret — a vivid simile underscoring the kavacham's esoteric status. Initiates were traditionally not to share such kavachams with the uninitiated.

• oṃ asyaOm, of this (oṃ:sacred syllable | asya:of this)
• śrī baṭukabhairavakavacasyaof the Shri Batuka Bhairava Kavacham (śrī:revered | baṭuka:Batuka | bhairava:Bhairava | kavacasya:of the kavacham/armour)
• ānandabhairava ṛṣiḥAnanda Bhairava is the seer (ānandabhairava:Ananda Bhairava | ṛṣiḥ:seer, sage)
• triṣṭupchandaḥTriṣṭup is the meter (triṣṭup:an 11-syllable Vedic meter | chandaḥ:meter)
• śrībaṭukabhairavaḥ devatāShri Batuka Bhairava is the presiding deity
• baṃ bījaṃ'baṃ' is the seed syllable (baṃ:seed mantra | bījaṃ:seed)
• hrīṃ śaktiḥ'hrīṃ' is the power (hrīṃ:power mantra | śaktiḥ:power, energy)
• oṃ baṭukāyeti kīlakaṃ'oṃ baṭukāya' is the pin
• mamābhīṣṭasiddhyarthefor the fulfillment of my desired wishes (mama:my | abhīṣṭa:desired, longed-for | siddhi:accomplishment | arthe:for the purpose of)
• jape viniyogaḥthe ritual assignment for recitation (jape:in japa, recitation | viniyogaḥ:ritual assignment, dedication of the practice)

note The viniyoga (viniyogaḥ, ritual assignment) is a standard liturgical formula recited before every mantra or kavacham. It identifies five key elements: the ṛṣi (seer who received the text), the chandas (meter), the devatā (presiding deity), the bīja (seed syllable — the most compressed form of the deity's energy), and the śakti (power). The kīlaka (pin) is a phrase that 'locks' the mantra's power into the recitation. Together, these elements orient the recitation toward a specific deity and purpose (here: mamābhīṣṭasiddhi, fulfillment of one's cherished wish). Reciting the viniyoga is considered essential to activate the kavacham's protective power.

• oṃthe sacred syllable Om
• sahasrārein the sahasrara, the crown chakra (sahasra:thousand | āre:in the spoked wheel)
• mahācakrein the great wheel (mahā:great | cakre:in the wheel)
• karpūradhavaleradiant white as camphor (karpūra:camphor | dhavale:white, bright)
• guruḥthe Guru

• pātu māṃmay he protect me (pātu:may protect | māṃ:me)
• baṭuko devaḥthe divine Batuka (baṭuka:Batuka | devaḥ:god)
• bhairavaḥBhairava
• sarvakarmasuin all actions (sarva:all | karmasu:in actions)
• pūrvasyāmin the eastern direction
• asitāṅgaḥAsitanga, the dark-limbed one (asita:dark | aṅga:limb)
• diśi rakṣatumay protect in the direction (diśi:direction | rakṣatu:may protect)
• sarvadāalways

• āgneyāṃ caand in the southeast (āgneya:southeast | ca:and)
• ruruḥRuru, a fierce form of Bhairava
• pātumay protect
• dakṣiṇein the south
• caṇḍabhairavaḥChanda Bhairava, the fierce form (caṇḍa:fierce | bhairavaḥ:Bhairava)
• nairṛtyāṃin the southwest
• krodhanaḥKrodhana, the wrathful one
• unmattaḥUnmatta, the frenzied one
• paścimein the west

• vāyavyāṃin the northwest
• kapālī caand Kapali, the skull-bearer (kapāla:skull | ī:one who bears | ca:and)
• nityaṃalways
• pāyātmay protect
• sureśvaraḥSuresvara, lord of the gods (sura:god | īśvara:lord)
• bhīṣaṇaḥBhishana, the terrifying one
• bhairavaḥBhairava
• uttarāsyāṃin the northern direction
• sarvadāalways

• saṃhārabhairavaḥSamhara Bhairava, the destroyer form (saṃhāra:destruction | bhairavaḥ:Bhairava)
• pāyātmay protect
• īśānyāṃin the northeast
• maheśvaraḥMaheshvara, the great lord (mahā:great | īśvaraḥ:lord)
• ūrdhvaṃabove
• vidhātāVidhata, the ordainer
• pātālein the netherworld
• nandakaḥNandaka, the joyful one
• vibhuḥthe all-pervading one

• sadyojātaḥSadyojata, the immediately-born (sadyas:immediately | jāta:born)
• māṃ pāyātmay protect me
• sarvataḥon all sides
• devasevitaḥworshipped by the gods (deva:gods | sevita:worshipped)
• vāmadevaḥVamadeva, the pleasant god (vāma:pleasant | deva:god)
• vanānte caand at the forest's edge (vana:forest | ante:at the edge | ca:and)
• vanein the forest
• ghoraḥthe fearsome one
• tathā avatulikewise may protect

• jalein water
• tatpuruṣaḥTatpurusha, that supreme person (tat:that | puruṣa:person)
• pātumay protect
• sthaleon firm ground
• īśānaḥIshana, the ruling one
• ḍākinīputrakaḥson of Dakini (ḍākinī:Dakini | putraka:son)
• putrān memy sons (putrān:sons | me:my)
• sarvataḥ prabhuḥthe lord on all sides (sarvataḥ:all sides | prabhuḥ:lord)

• hākinī putrakaḥson of Hakini (hākinī:Hakini, a yogini | putraka:son)
• pātumay protect
• dārāṃwife
• tulākinīsutaḥson of Tulakini (tulākinī:Tulakini, a yogini | suta:son)
• śākinikāputraḥson of Shakinika (a yogini)
• sainyaṃarmy
• vaiindeed
• kālabhairavaḥKala Bhairava, the lord of time (kāla:time | bhairavaḥ:Bhairava)

• mālinīputrakaḥson of Malini (mālinī:Malini, a yogini | putraka:son)
• pātumay protect
• paśūncattle
• aśvānhorses
• gajāṃstathāand elephants likewise (gajāṃs:elephants | tathā:likewise)
• mahākālaḥMahakala, the great lord of time (mahā:great | kāla:time)
• avatumay protect
• kṣetraṃthe field, land
• śriyaṃ memy prosperity (śriyam:prosperity | me:my)
• sarvato girāeverywhere through speech (sarvataḥ:everywhere | girā:through speech)

• vādyaṃmusic, musical instruments
• vādyapriyaḥthe lover of music (vādya:music | priya:lover)
• bhairavaḥBhairava
• nityasampadāwith eternal prosperity (nitya:eternal | sampadā:prosperity)
• etatkavacamthis kavacham (etat:this | kavacam:armor, protective hymn)
• īśānaO Ishana (Shiva)
• tava snehātout of love for you (tava:your | snehāt:from love)
• prakāśitamhas been revealed

• nākhyeyaṃshould not be disclosed (na:not | ākhyeyam:to be told)
• naralokeṣuamong ordinary people (nara:people | lokeṣu:in the worlds)
• sārabhūtaṃthe very essence (sāra:essence | bhūtam:being)
• surapriyamdear to the gods (sura:gods | priyam:dear)
• yasmai kasmaito just anyone
• na dātavyaṃshould not be given
• suradurlabhamrare even for gods (sura:gods | durlabham:rare)

• na deyaṃshould not be given
• pariśiṣyebhyaḥto unworthy disciples (pari:around | śiṣya:disciple)
• kṛpaṇebhyaḥ caand to misers (kṛpaṇa:miser | ca:and)
• śaṅkaraO Shankara
• yo dadātiwhoever gives
• niṣiddhebhyaḥto those who are forbidden
• sarvabhraṣṭaḥfallen from all (sarva:all | bhraṣṭa:fallen)
• bhavetkilashall certainly become (bhavet:shall become | kila:certainly)

• anena kavacenawith this kavacham (anena:with this | kavacena:with the armor)
• evaindeed
• rakṣāṃ kṛtvāhaving protected oneself (rakṣām:protection | kṛtvā:having done)
• vicakṣaṇaḥthe wise and discerning one
• vicaranwandering
• yatra kutrāpiwherever (yatra:where | kutrāpi:wherever)
• na vighnaiḥnot by obstacles
• paribhūyateis overwhelmed

• mantreṇaby the mantra
• rakṣateprotects
• yogīthe yogi
• kavacaṃ rakṣakaṃthe kavacham is the protector (kavacam:armor | rakṣakam:protector)
• yataḥbecause
• tasmāttherefore
• sarvaprayatnenawith every effort (sarva:all | prayatnena:with effort)
• durlabhaṃrare, hard to attain
• pāpacetasāmfor those of sinful minds (pāpa:sin | cetasām:of minds)

• bhūrjeon birch bark
• rambhātvacion plantain leaf (rambhā:plantain | tvaci:skin, bark)
• vāpior also
• likhitvāhaving written
• vidhivataccording to proper rites
• prabhoO Lord
• kuṅkumenawith saffron
• aṣṭagandhenawith the eight perfumes (aṣṭa:eight | gandha:perfume)
• gorocanaiḥ caand with gorochana (a sacred yellow pigment from a cow)
• kesaraiḥwith kesara, saffron stamens

• dhārayetmay wear as an amulet
• pāṭhāyetmay have it recited
• vāpior
• sampaṭhetmay read together
• nityaśaḥregularly, always
• samprāpnotione fully obtains (sam:fully | prāpnoti:obtains)
• phalaṃ sarvaṃall fruits (phalam:fruit, result | sarvam:all)
• nātra kāryā vicāraṇāthere is no need for doubt about this (na:no | atra:here | kāryā:to be done | vicāraṇā:deliberation)

• satataṃconstantly
• paṭhyateis recited
• yatrawherever
• tatrathere
• bhairavasaṃsthitiḥthe presence of Bhairava (bhairava:Bhairava | saṃsthiti:presence, dwelling)
• na śaknomiI am not able
• prabhāvaṃthe power, the glory
• vaiindeed
• kavacasyāsyaof this kavacham (kavacasya:of the kavacham | asya:of this)
• varṇitumto describe

• namosalutations
• bhairavadevāyato the divine Bhairava (bhairava:Bhairava | devāya:to the divine)
• sarvabhūtāyato the one in all beings (sarva:all | bhūtāya:to the being)
• vai namaḥindeed salutations
• namaḥsalutations
• trailokyanāthāyato the lord of the three worlds (trailokya:three worlds | nāthāya:to the lord)
• nāthanāthāyato the lord of lords (nātha:lord | nāthāya:to the lord)

• itithus concludes
• śrīharikṛṣṇavinirmitecomposed by Shri Harikrishna (śrī:revered | harikṛṣṇa:Harikrishna | vinirmite:composed in)
• bṛhajjyotiṣārṇavein the Brihaijyotisharnava (bṛhat:great | jyotiṣa:light, astrology | arṇava:ocean)
• dharmaskandhein the Dharma section (dharma:righteousness | skandha:section)
• upāsanāstavakein the Upasana Stavaka (upāsanā:worship | stavaka:collection of hymns)
• śrībaṭukabhairavopāsanādhyāyein the chapter on worship of Shri Batuka Bhairava
• bhairava tantrein the Bhairavatantra
• devīrahasyoktaṃspoken as a divine secret (devī:goddess | rahasya:secret | uktam:spoken)
• śrībaṭukabhairavakavacanirūpaṇaṃthe description of the Shri Batuka Bhairava Kavacham
• sampūrṇamcomplete, concluded