କନ୍ଦ ଷଷ୍ଟି କଵଚମ୍ (ତମିଲ୍)

Invocation

For those who chant this, severe karmic bonds and sorrows will be destroyed.

For those who keep it etched in their hearts, prosperity will flourish and increase.

Spiritual discipline will be attained, by the grace of the immaculate Lord Kanda.

This is the Shashti Kavacham, composed in the Kural Venba meter.

To relieve the distress of the Devas and to wage the righteous war,

Fix your mind upon the feet of the youthful Lord Kumara. The Text:

Contemplating the Shashti, the Lord of Sharavana Bhava,

The radiant spear-wielder who assists the righteous,

(May He) appear with the multi-jeweled anklets upon His two feet.

May the bells chime and the holy songs be sung.

May the Lord who rides the peacock, dancing gracefully, come forth with His Vel in hand to protect me.

Come, O come, Lord of the Vel, bestower of boons.

Come, O come, Lord who rides the peacock.

May You, who are praised by Indra and the guardians of the eight directions, arrive.

May the sacred Vel, the embodiment of mantras, come; may the son-in-law of Indra come.

May the Beloved of the tribal maiden Valli come.

May the Lord who possesses the six faces come.

May the Lord of the Vel, who wears the sacred ash, come to me always.

May the Lord of the hill of Shira come quickly; may Saravanabhava come with great speed.

O Lord Saravana, protect me!

O Lord Saravana, shower Your grace upon me!

O brave Lord Saravana, I bow to You repeatedly.

O Lord Saravana, come to me, come to me!

O Lord, who destroyed the clan of the Asuras, come to me.

May the Lord who rules over me hold me in His divine hands.

May His twelve weapons, the noose, and the goad accompany Him.

May the Lord of the Vel, with His twelve eyes glowing with divine radiance, hasten to protect me.

With the sacred syllables Aim, Kili, and Sau.

May the radiant Sau, which gives life, along with the Kili, protect my very soul.

May the sacred sounds of "Kiliyum Sauvum" resonate and protect me.

May you, the six-faced Lord who shines eternally, appear before me with your unique and brilliant radiance.

May you, Lord Guha, adorned with divine earrings, come to me every single day.

I meditate upon your six radiant faces and your six magnificent crowns.

I meditate upon your sacred-ash-smeared forehead and your long, arched eyebrows.

I meditate upon your twelve eyes, your coral-red lips, and the jewel-adorned forehead marking the path of righteousness.

I meditate upon the brilliant earrings hanging from your twelve ears.

I meditate upon your twelve broad shoulders and your beautiful chest.

I meditate upon you adorned with various divine ornaments and golden pendants.

I meditate upon your chest adorned with the sacred thread and a garland of nine precious gems.

May the divine garment worn around your sacred waist protect me.

May the radiant light shining from your slender waist protect me.

May your beautiful feet, adorned with precious nine-gemmed anklets, protect me.

May the melodious jingling of the anklets on your sacred feet, which are praised by the hosts of celestials, protect me.

Saga-gana, Saga-gana, Saga-gana, Saga-gana.

Moga-moga, Moga-moga, Moga-moga, Moga-gana.

Naga-naga, Naga-naga, Naga-naga, Naga-gana.

Digu-guna, Digu-digu, Digu-guna, Digu-gana; Ra-ra-ra-ra, Ra-ra-ra-ra, Ra-ra-ra-ra, Ra-ra-ra.

Ri-ri-ri-ri, Ri-ri-ri-ri, Ri-ri-ri-ri, Ri-ri-ri-ri.

Du-du-du-du, Du-du-du-du, Du-du-du-du, Du-du-du-du.

Dagu-dagu, digu-digu, dangu, dingugu (Sounds representing the rhythmic pulse of divine power).

Come, come, O Lord who rides the peacock, come! Move forward, move forward, O Murugan with the Vel, move forward!

O prosperous Lord who reigns over me, protect me!

Grant me the boons that your humble devotee seeks.

With the form of 'Lala, lala, lala',

And the divine play of 'Leela, leela, leela', I firmly meditate upon your two lotus feet.

Place your hands upon my head and protect me with your twin feet.

O Lord, who is the soul of my soul, protect me.

With your twelve eyes, protect this child.

May your beautiful Vel protect my face; may your sacred Vel protect my forehead, smeared with holy ash.

May the radiant Vel protect both my eyes.

May the Lord of the Vel protect both my ears.

May the good Vel protect both my nostrils.

May the great Vel protect my speaking mouth, and may the sharp-pointed Vel protect my thirty-two teeth.

May the righteous Vel protect my tongue that utters His praises.

May the radiant Vel protect both my cheeks.

May the sweet Vel protect my neck, which is beyond compare.

May the gem-like Vel protect my chest, and may the divine Vel protect my breasts.

May the beautiful Vel protect both my shoulders and grant them strength.

May the great Vel protect both sides of my neck.

May the merciful Vel protect my back and my spine.

May the sixteen kinds of powerful Vel protect me, and may the victorious Vel protect my abdomen.

May the radiant Vel protect my slender waist.

May the noble Vel protect the region of my waist-cord.

May the sharp Vel protect my private parts.

May the great Vel protect my two buttocks, and may the powerful Vel protect my pelvic region.

May the sturdy Vel protect both of my thick thighs.

May the resplendent Vel protect my ankles and my knees.

May the gracious Vel protect my feet and their five toes.

May the compassionate Vel protect both my hands, and may the mighty Vel protect my forearms.

May the two hands behind me be protected by the younger consort of the Lord.

May Goddess Saraswati reside on my tongue and be my constant companion.

May the good Vel protect my navel, which is like a lotus.

May the sharp Vel protect the three vital channels (nadis) within me, and may the Vel facing me protect me at all times.

Whenever I move or speak,

May the golden Vel come quickly to protect me.

May the diamond Vel protect me during the day.

May the protective Vel guard me in the deep darkness of the night, and may the Vel facing me guard me during all periods of time.

May the Vel, representing the four Vedas, remove all delays and protect me.

Protect, protect, O golden Vel, protect me.

Look upon them, look upon them, look at them in an instant.

Strike them, strike them, strike them until all obstacles are destroyed; look at them, look at them, until all sins are reduced to dust.

May witchcraft, sorcery, and great enmities be destroyed.

May powerful spirits, mischievous demons, and devils be destroyed.

May the vexing and uncontrollable sages be destroyed.

May the child-consuming forest sages, the fire-mouthed demons, and the whispering devils be destroyed.

May the Brahma-rakshasas that torment women be destroyed.

May they all scream and tremble in fear upon seeing me, your devotee.

May the fierce forest fires and all related torments be destroyed.

May those who appear in the shadows and the darkness, and the deities of dark rituals that cause death, all be destroyed.

Those who cast spells and the multitude of terrifying demons.

Those who inflict punishments and the wicked outcasts.

At the mere mention of my name, may they shatter and flee in terror.

The dolls buried under the elephant’s footprint, cat hair, and remnants of offspring.

Nails, hair, and skulls with long locks.

Effigies together with various ritual vessels.

The malicious sorcery buried within the house.

The dolls stuck together, the arrogance of such enchantments, money, coins, and the food offered in rituals.

The magical ointments and the paths taken by these evil forces.

May they all scatter and be destroyed the moment they behold me, your devotee.

May my enemies and those who harbor deceit come before me and bow down in surrender.

May the messengers of death tremble in fear upon seeing me, becoming terrified, shaking, and falling to the ground in confusion.

May they cry out aloud in despair and lose their sense of reason.

May they be bound firmly with the ropes of Yama, crashing down upon the earth.

May their limbs be tightly restrained so that they cry out in agony.

Bind them, roll them over, break their hands and feet; bind them securely and restrain their cries.

Strike them again and again until their eyes pop out in terror.

Crush them, grind them, and tear them into shreds.

Bewilder and daze them, strike down the enemy Soorapadman, and cast a spell of confusion upon him.

Pierce and stab them with your sharp Vel; seize them and burn them like the fire of the sun.

Burn, burn, let them be consumed by fire.

Release, release, let the Vel strike so they flee in terror.

Tigers, jackals, and stray dogs.

Mice, bears, and those that follow in pursuit; scorpions, snakes, centipedes, and millipedes.

May the pain from their venomous bites be alleviated and subside.

May the injected toxins be easily neutralized and drained away.

Sprains, twists, and unilateral headaches.

Rheumatism, indigestion, epilepsy, biliousness, colic, chronic diseases, and skin afflictions.

Throbbing pains, spider-venom effects, and intestinal disorders.

Lateral abscesses, spreading ulcers, and chronic sores.

May the venomous creatures, the biting insects, and the spiders that cause harm,

And all forms of diseases, distress, and binding afflictions,

Upon seeing me, vanish instantly; I beseech your grace for this protection.

May the fourteen worlds become favorable and supportive to me.

May all men and women be drawn to me with affection.

May the rulers of the land be pleased and support me; as I chant your sacred names in praise of you:

O Saravana Bhava, the embodiment of divine radiance!

O destroyer of the three cities, O effulgent light!

O wearer of resonant anklets, O redeemer from the cycle of births!

O nephew of Lord Vishnu, you who protected the celestial realms and liberated the Devas from their harsh imprisonment.

O Kanda, O Guha, O Lord who holds the radiant Vel!

O son of the Krittika stars, O Lord adorned with the Kadamba garland!

O sweet Lord Muruga, who wields the Vel that destroyed Idumban!

O Lord of Thani-kachalam, O son of Shankara, O radiant Lord Muruga who dwells in Kathirkamam!

O Bala Kumara, who resides in the holy abode of Palani!

O beautiful Lord of the Vel, who dwells in Avinankudi!

O Lord of the red Vel, who resides upon the great mountain of Sendil!

O King with six faces, who dwells in Samara-puri, may the Goddess of Learning, with her dark flowing hair, grace my tongue!

May she reside upon my tongue so that I may sing of You.

May she help me sing of my Father Murugan, who eternally follows and protects me.

I have sung and danced in a state of divine ecstasy.

I have danced and searched for the sacred ash of Aavinankudi (Palani), and with devotion, I have applied it to my forehead.

May the bonds of my past karmas and attachments be completely removed.

Grant me Your grace so that I may attain the refuge of Your lotus feet.

Protect me with love, blessing me with abundance of food and wealth.

Oh Lord of the Vel, shower Your grace abundantly so that I, Your devotee who has attained these accomplishments, may live a life of distinction.

May the Lord who rides the peacock be victorious and flourish.

May the Lord who wields the sharp Vel be victorious and flourish.

May the Lord of the hills be victorious and flourish.

May the Lord who dwells with the daughter of the mountain tribes be victorious, and may the grace of the Elephant-faced Lord (Ganesha) be victorious and flourish.

Long live, long live, may all my shortcomings and miseries be removed.

Whatever the number of my deficiencies, whatever the number of my faults.

Whatever the number of mistakes I, your devotee, may have committed.

You are my Father, it is your duty to forgive me, along with your consort, Valli, who is like a mother to me.

Look upon me with affection, considering me as your own child.

Shower your grace upon me, your son, with a joyful heart.

Bestow your blessings upon those devotees who have surrendered at your feet.

This Kanda Shashti Kavasam was composed with devotion by the young Devaraya.

Recite this daily, morning and evening, with full focus and concentration.

With purity of conduct and after cleansing one's body.

With a singular, focused mind, let this be contemplated with deep love and devotion.

Those who meditate on this Kanda Shashti Kavasam without any mental wavering or agitation—

By reciting it thirty-six times in a single day—

And by chanting it with joy while applying the sacred ash (vibhuthi),

They shall gain control and influence over all the eight directions.

The eight guardians of the directions will grant their blessings, and all enemies will come to bow before them.

The nine planets will rejoice and shower their benevolence and goodness upon them.

They will attain great wisdom, good fortune, and bright renown.

They shall flourish and live long, prospering in all their endeavors.

Truly, the shield of the victorious spear of Lord Kanda shall manifest its power to protect them, standing firm and effulgent.

Evil spirits and ghosts that witness the sight of Your bow tremble in fear.

You grind the wicked and those who commit evil deeds into dust.

You perform a divine dance in the thoughts of the virtuous.

You are the one who destroys all enemies; knowing this, I keep You within my heart, among the eight forms of Lakshmi.

You are the feast and sustenance for the Goddess of Valor (Veera Lakshmi).

Because You severed the demon Surapadman,

You became the source of joy and grace for the twenty-seven celestial beings.

I praise the red lotus-like feet of the divine Guru, the radiant child who resides upon the hill of Palani.

Come and rule over me, capturing my soul,

O Lord of the Vel, who dwells within my heart—I offer my praise to You.

Glory to the Commander-in-Chief of the celestial army.

Glory to the Lord who delights the heart of Valli, the daughter of the Kuravas; glory to the Lord with the divinely magnificent form.

Glory to You, who accompanied Idumban, and glory to Idumban himself.

Glory to the wearer of the Kadamba flower, glory to Skanda.

Glory to the Vel, which is adorned with the Vetchi flowers.

O King of the high golden hall, O Lord who dances upon the peacock, I seek refuge at Your lotus feet.

I seek refuge, I seek refuge, O Sharavanabhava, Om.

I seek refuge, I seek refuge, O Shanmuga, I seek refuge.