gaṇeśa kavacam

Oh best of sages, this child is so restless that he destroys demons even in his infancy; I do not know what great deeds he will perform in the future.

There are many kinds of wicked demons who act as thorns against the virtuous; therefore, it is fitting that you tie an amulet of protection around his neck.

Meditate upon Vinayaka riding a lion with ten arms in the Krita Yuga; as the six-armed bestower of success riding a peacock in the Treta Yuga; as the four-armed, red-hued, all-pervading elephant-faced Lord in the Dvapara Yuga; and as the two-armed, radiant, white-hued Lord who grants all desires at all times in the Kali Yuga.

May Lord Vinayaka, the Supreme Soul who transcends all, protect my crown; may the one with a most beautiful form and a magnificent, mighty body protect my head.

May Kashyapa protect my forehead, and may the large-bellied Lord protect my eyebrows; may the crescent-moon-crowned Lord protect my eyes, and the elephant-faced Lord protect my sprout-like lips.

May the Lord who plays like an elephant protect my tongue, and the son of Girija protect my chin; may Vinayaka protect my speech, and may the one with the terrible face protect my teeth.

May the one who holds the noose in his hand protect my ears, and the grantor of desired boons protect my nose; may Ganesha protect my face, and the Lord of the Ganas protect my throat.

May the elephant-shouldered Lord protect my shoulders, and the destroyer of obstacles protect my chest; may the Lord of the Ganas protect my heart, and the great Heramba protect my abdomen.

May the supporter of the earth protect my sides, and the auspicious remover of obstacles protect my back; may the strong-armed, curved-trunk Lord always protect my private parts.

May the elephant-sporting Lord protect my knees, shanks, and thighs, and may the glorious Lord of auspicious fame protect them; may the single-tusked Lord of great intellect always protect my feet and ankles.

May the Lord who is quick to grant grace and whose arms and hands fulfill all desires protect me. May the lotus-handed Lord who destroys all enemies protect my fingers and nails.

May the Lord of the peacock, who pervades the entire universe, always protect all my limbs. May the smoke-bannered Lord protect any part of my body that has not been specifically mentioned.

May Amoda (the fragrant one) protect me from the front, and may Pramoda (the joyful one) protect me from behind. May the Lord of wisdom protect me in the East, and may the Giver of success protect me in the South-East.

May the Son of Uma protect me in the South, and may the Lord of the Ganas protect me in the South-West. May the Destroyer of obstacles protect me in the West, and may the Elephant-eared One protect me in the North-West.

May the Lord of wealth protect me in the North, and may the Son of Shiva protect me in the North-East. May the One-tusked Lord protect me during the day, and may the Destroyer of obstacles protect me during the night and at the junction of times (twilight).

May the Lord who holds the noose and the goad protect my intellect and the qualities of passion, goodness, and darkness from demons, ogres, ghosts, spirits, and vampires.

May He protect my knowledge, righteousness, wealth, modesty, fame, lineage, body, riches, grains, home, wife, children, and friends.

May the Lord of the peacock, who bears all weapons, always protect my grandsons. May the tawny-colored Lord protect my knees, and may the fierce Lord protect my horses and elephants.

A wise person who writes this (Kavacham) on a birch leaf and wears it around their neck shall never feel fear from yakshas, demons, or evil spirits.

One who recites this three times a day shall have a body as strong as a diamond. One who reads this at the time of embarking on a journey shall achieve their goals without any obstacles.

Whoever recites this during a time of battle will surely attain victory, as well as success in actions related to overcoming enemies, removing obstacles, attracting good fortune, immobilizing negative forces, and bewitching or influencing others.

The practitioner who chants this seven times daily for twenty-one days will undoubtedly obtain the specific fruits of their desires; there is no doubt about this.

Whoever recites this twenty-one times for twenty-one days will be immediately released from prison and even saved from a death sentence imposed by a king.

One who recites this three times before meeting a king will bring that ruler under his influence and gain mastery over the ministers and the entire assembly.

This Ganesha Kavacham was originally composed by Sage Kashyapa, who imparted it to Mudgala and the great sage Mandavya.

Out of compassion, he bestowed upon me this armor that grants all perfections. It should not be given to the faithless, but only to those who are devout and righteous.

By using this armor for protection, one will never face any obstacles or distress caused by demons, evil spirits, vampires, or malevolent giants.