- ഈശ്വരഃ (īśvaraḥ)Ishvara, Shiva
- ഉവാച (uvāca)said
anvaya ഈശ്വരഃ ഉവാച
note The whole kavacha is spoken by Shiva to the Goddess, so everything that follows is his speech to her.
പഠിത്വാ പാഠയിത്വാ ച നരോ മുച്യേത സങ്കടാത് ॥ 1 ॥
- ശൃണു (śṛṇu)listen
- ദേവി (devi)O Devi
- പ്രവക്ഷ്യാമി (pravakṣyāmi)I shall tell
- കവചമ് (kavacam)the armour
- സര്വസിദ്ധിദമ് (sarvasiddhidam)which gives every kind of success
- പഠിത്വാ (paṭhitvā)having recited it
- പാഠയിത്വാ (pāṭhayitvā)having had it recited
- ച (ca)and
- നരഃ (naraḥ)a man
- മുച്യേത (mucyeta)would be set free
- സങ്കടാത് (saṅkaṭāt)from the tight place he is in
anvaya ദേവി ശൃണു സര്വസിദ്ധിദമ് കവചമ് പ്രവക്ഷ്യാമി നരഃ പഠിത്വാ പാഠയിത്വാ ച സങ്കടാത് മുച്യേത
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
കവചമ് armour — A kavacha is a hymn that puts a guard on the body part by part, each part given to one form of the deity. It is armour put on by saying it.
സങ്കടാത് from the tight place — Saṅkaṭa is a narrow pass, and from that any fix a person cannot get out of.
പാഠയിത്വാ having had it recited — The causative form. Having someone else recite it on your behalf is counted alongside reciting it yourself.
note Shiva opens by saying what the armour is for. The promise is set out before a single guard is named.
ന ചാപ്നോതി ഫലം തസ്യ പരം ച നരകം വ്രജേത് ॥ 2 ॥
- അജ്ഞാത്വാ (ajñātvā)without knowing
- കവചമ് (kavacam)the armour
- ദേവി (devi)O Devi
- ദുര്ഗാമന്ത്രമ് (durgāmantram)the Durga mantra
- ച (ca)and
- യഃ (yaḥ)whoever
- ജപേത് (japet)says over
- ന (na)not
- ച (ca)and
- ആപ്നോതി (āpnoti)gets
- ഫലമ് (phalam)the fruit
- തസ്യ (tasya)of it
- പരമ് (param)afterwards
- ച (ca)and
- നരകമ് (narakam)hell
- വ്രജേത് (vrajet)would go to
anvaya ദേവി യഃ കവചമ് അജ്ഞാത്വാ ദുര്ഗാമന്ത്രമ് ച ജപേത് തസ്യ ഫലമ് ന ആപ്നോതി ച പരമ് നരകമ് ച വ്രജേത്
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
ജപേത് would say over — Japa is the repeating of a mantra under the breath, counted on the fingers or on beads.
അജ്ഞാത്വാ without knowing — The armour is meant to be learned first and the mantra taken up after it. The verse states the order as a warning.
note A verse of this kind stands at the head of most kavachas. It is there to keep the order of learning: armour first, mantra after.
ചക്ഷുഷീ ഖേചരീ പാതു കര്ണൌ ചത്വരവാസിനീ ॥ 3 ॥
- ഉമാദേവീ (umādevī)Uma Devi
- ശിരഃ (śiraḥ)the head
- പാതു (pātu)may she guard
- ലലാടേ (lalāṭe)at the forehead
- ശൂലധാരിണീ (śūladhāriṇī)she who holds the spear
- ചക്ഷുഷീ (cakṣuṣī)the two eyes
- ഖേചരീ (khecarī)Khechari, who goes through the sky
- പാതു (pātu)may she guard
- കര്ണൌ (karṇau)the two ears
- ചത്വരവാസിനീ (catvaravāsinī)she who lives at the crossroads
anvaya ഉമാദേവീ ശിരഃ പാതു ശൂലധാരിണീ ലലാടേ [പാതു] ഖേചരീ ചക്ഷുഷീ പാതു ചത്വരവാസിനീ കര്ണൌ [പാതു]
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
പാതു may she guard — The one verb the whole kavacha runs on. From here to the end it is understood in every line even where it is not written.
ഖേചരീ Khechari — She who moves in the open sky, kha. She is set to guard the eyes, which are what travel furthest of the senses.
ചത്വരവാസിനീ she who lives at the crossroads — Catvara is an open square or a crossing. A goddess of the crossing guards the ears, where everything said in the street comes in.
note The guarding starts here and works down the body, head to feet. Each part is handed to one form of the Goddess, and the names are chosen to suit what they guard.
ജിഹ്വാം ച ചണ്ഡികാദേവീ ഗ്രീവാം സൌഭദ്രികാ തഥാ ॥ 4 ॥
- സുഗന്ധാ (sugandhā)Sugandha, the sweet-scented one
- നാസികമ് (nāsikam)the nose
- പാതു (pātu)may she guard
- വദനമ് (vadanam)the face
- സര്വധാരിണീ (sarvadhāriṇī)Sarvadharini, who holds everything up
- ജിഹ്വാമ് (jihvām)the tongue
- ച (ca)and
- ചണ്ഡികാദേവീ (caṇḍikādevī)Chandika Devi
- ഗ്രീവാമ് (grīvām)the neck
- സൌഭദ്രികാ (saubhadrikā)Saubhadrika
- തഥാ (tathā)likewise
anvaya സുഗന്ധാ നാസികമ് പാതു സര്വധാരിണീ വദനമ് ചണ്ഡികാദേവീ ച ജിഹ്വാമ് തഥാ സൌഭദ്രികാ ഗ്രീവാമ്
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
സുഗന്ധാ the sweet-scented one — Given the nose to guard. The fit between the name and the part is the pattern the whole hymn is built on.
ചണ്ഡികാദേവീ Chandika Devi — Caṇḍa is fierce or hot-tempered. The fierce one is given the tongue, which is where a temper shows first.
note Four parts of the face and throat, four forms of the Goddess, in the order a person would touch them.
ഹൃദയം ലലിതാദേവീ ഉദരം സിംഹവാഹിനീ ॥ 5 ॥
- അശോകവാസിനീ (aśokavāsinī)she who lives in the ashoka tree
- ചേതഃ (cetaḥ)the mind
- ദ്വൌ (dvau)the two
- ബാഹൂ (bāhū)arms
- വജ്രധാരിണീ (vajradhāriṇī)she who holds the thunderbolt
- ഹൃദയമ് (hṛdayam)the heart
- ലലിതാദേവീ (lalitādevī)Lalita Devi
- ഉദരമ് (udaram)the belly
- സിംഹവാഹിനീ (siṃhavāhinī)she who rides the lion
anvaya അശോകവാസിനീ ചേതഃ [പാതു] വജ്രധാരിണീ ദ്വൌ ബാഹൂ ലലിതാദേവീ ഹൃദയമ് സിംഹവാഹിനീ ഉദരമ്
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
അശോകവാസിനീ she who lives in the ashoka tree — A-śoka means without sorrow. She is given the mind, and the name says what the mind is being guarded from.
സിംഹവാഹിനീ she who rides the lion — Durga's own mount. The form named for the middle of the body is the one who rides into battle.
note The verb പാതു is dropped in this verse and the next. It is carried over from the verse before and understood in each line.
മഹാബലാ ച ജങ്ഘേ ദ്വേ പാദൌ ഭൂതലവാസിനീ ॥ 6 ॥
- കടിമ് (kaṭim)the waist
- ഭഗവതീ (bhagavatī)Bhagavati
- ദേവീ (devī)the Goddess
- ദ്വൌ (dvau)the two
- ഊരൂ (ūrū)thighs
- വിന്ധ്യവാസിനീ (vindhyavāsinī)she who lives in the Vindhya hills
- മഹാബലാ (mahābalā)Mahabala, the greatly strong
- ച (ca)and
- ജങ്ഘേ (jaṅghe)the two shins
- ദ്വേ (dve)the two
- പാദൌ (pādau)the two feet
- ഭൂതലവാസിനീ (bhūtalavāsinī)she who lives on the face of the earth
anvaya ഭഗവതീ ദേവീ കടിമ് [പാതു] വിന്ധ്യവാസിനീ ദ്വൌ ഊരൂ മഹാബലാ ച ദ്വേ ജങ്ഘേ ഭൂതലവാസിനീ പാദൌ
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
വിന്ധ്യവാസിനീ she who lives in the Vindhya hills — Her shrine is at Vindhyachal near Mirzapur, one of the old seats of the Goddess.
ഭൂതലവാസിനീ she who lives on the face of the earth — Bhūtala is the surface of the ground. The feet, which are what touch it, are given to her.
note The last of the body verses. It ends at the feet, so the armour is complete from the head down.
രക്ഷ മാം സര്വഗാത്രേഷു ദുര്ഗേ ദേവി നമോഽസ്തു തേ ॥ 7 ॥
- ഏവമ് (evam)in this way
- സ്ഥിതാ (sthitā)standing
- അസി (asi)you are
- ദേവി (devi)O Devi
- ത്വമ് (tvam)you
- ത്രൈലോക്യേ (trailokye)in the three worlds
- രക്ഷണാത്മികാ (rakṣaṇātmikā)whose very self is the guarding
- രക്ഷ (rakṣa)guard
- മാമ് (mām)me
- സര്വഗാത്രേഷു (sarvagātreṣu)in every limb
- ദുര്ഗേ (durge)O Durga
- ദേവി (devi)O Devi
- നമഃ (namaḥ)salutation
- അസ്തു (astu)let there be
- തേ (te)to you
anvaya ദേവി ത്വമ് ഏവമ് സ്ഥിതാ അസി ത്രൈലോക്യേ രക്ഷണാത്മികാ ദുര്ഗേ ദേവി മാമ് സര്വഗാത്രേഷു രക്ഷ തേ നമഃ അസ്തു
chandas Anuṣṭubh, 8 syllables in each of 4 pādas
രക്ഷണാത്മികാ whose very self is the guarding — Not one who guards among other things. The guarding is what she is.
സര്വഗാത്രേഷു in every limb — The closing request gathers the separate guards of the earlier verses into one.
note The last verse turns from the list to the Goddess herself, and the armour is fastened with a salutation.