கந்த சஷ்டி கவசம்

For those who chant this, grievous karma will vanish; sorrows will depart; for those who enshrine it in their hearts, prosperity will flourish—and the exalted state of meditation will be attained, by the grace of the immaculate Lord Skanda, through this Shashti Kavacham.

O mind, contemplate the feet of Kumaran, who waged war to end the distress of the Devas.

Upon observing the Sashti, the Lord Saravana Bhava, The wielder of the radiant Vel who aids the righteous, Has two feet adorned with gem-studded anklets, That sing melodies as the tinkling bells dance.

May the Lord who rides the peacock, which dances in enchantment, come with His Vel in hand to protect me. May the wielder of the Vel come, come joyously. Come, come, O Lord of the peacock, come.

Come, O Divine Spear of Mantra form, worshipped by Indra and the guardians of the eight directions! Come, O nephew of Vasava (Indra)! Come! Come, O beloved one who dwells in the thoughts of the tribal maiden Valli!

Come, O Lord with the six faces! Come daily, O Vel-wielder smeared with sacred ash! Come quickly, O Lord of the peaks, wielder of the Vel! Come in haste, O Saravanabhava!

Rahana Bhava Sa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra Rihana Bhava Sa Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Vinabhava Sarahana Veera Namonama Nibhava Sarahana Niranira Nirena

Come, oh Lord of the vibrant forest, come, Come, oh Lord who destroyed the clan of Asuras, In the hands of the youthful One who rules over me, Are the twelve weapons, the noose, and the goad.

With twelve broad eyes shining bright, May the wielder of the Vel come swiftly to protect me, Aim, Kilium, and Sauum in proper order, The radiant Sauum, and the life-force Kilium.

May the radiant letters 'Kili' and 'Sau' shine eternally before me. May You, the six-faced Shanmukha, who is the incomparable light, and the Kundalini-embodied Shiva Guha, come to me every day.

The six faces and six adorned crowns, The ash-smeared forehead and elongated brows, The twelve eyes and coral-red lips, The nine-gemmed ornament on the radiant forehead.

With dazzling earrings adorning His twelve ears, On His twelve sturdy shoulders and beautiful chest, Wearing various ornaments and a pendant, And a necklace of nine precious gems studded with fine jewels.

With the triple sacred thread and the three-stringed garland adorning Your chest, With the beautiful navel nestled in Your shapely abdomen, With the radiant silk garment tied around Your slender waist, And the fine anklets studded with nine kinds of gems.

The beauty of the two thighs and the twin calves, With the sound of anklets resounding on the holy feet, Jeka-gana, jeka-gana, jeka-gana, jekana, Moha-moha, moha-moha, moha-moha, mohena.

Naga naga naga naga naga naga nagena Diguguna digudigu diguguna diguna Rararara rararara rararara rarara Riririri riririri riririri ririri

Du-du-du-du du-du-du-du du-du-du-du du-du, Dagu-dagu digu-digu dangu dingu-gu, Advance, advance, O Lord of the peacock, advance, Move forward, move forward, O Murugan, move forward.

O Wealth of Eerakam who rules over me, Grant me joyfully the boons I seek, my Son, Laalaa Laalaa Laalaa is Thy vesture, Leelaa Leelaa Leelaa is Thy play.

Considering Your holy feet as my only refuge, Place them upon my head to protect me, May the Lord, who is the life of my life, protect me, May Your twelve eyes protect this child.

May the beautiful Vel protect my face, May the holy Vel protect my ash-adorned forehead, May the two radiant Vels protect my eyes, May the Lord of the Vel protect my eyes and ears.

May the good Vel protect both my nostrils, May the great Vel protect the mouth that speaks, May the sharp Vel protect my thirty-two teeth, May the radiant Vel protect the tongue that utters speech.

May the radiant Vel protect my two cheeks, May the sweet Vel protect my tender neck, May the gem-like Vel protect my chest, May the glorious Vel protect my youthful bosom.

May the sharp Vel protect my two shoulders to attain prosperity, May the great Vel protect my two shoulder blades, May the graceful Vel protect my back with beauty, May the heavy Vel protect my sixteen ribs.

May the victorious Vel protect my abdomen clearly, May the beautiful Vel protect my slender waist, May the noble Vel protect my waist-cord (loins), May the sharp Vel protect my private parts.

May the great vel protect both my buttocks, May the sharp vel protect my round posterior, May the stout vel protect both my thick thighs.

May the radiant Vel protect my ankles and knees, May the graceful Vel protect my feet and five toes, May the compassionate Vel protect both my hands.

May the mighty spear protect my two forearms, May the younger Goddess reside behind my two hands, May Saraswati be a good companion on my tongue, May the noble spear protect my lotus-like navel, May the sharp spear protect my three vital nerves.

May the Vel always protect me in front. When I am speaking or moving, May the golden Vel come swiftly to protect me. May the Vajra Vel protect me during the day, And may that same Vel protect me in the deep darkness of night.

May the Vel protect me at dawn and at dusk, May the four-fold Vel protect me, removing all delays. Protect, protect, may the golden Vel protect me, Watch, watch, may it watch over me in an instant, Strike, strike, may it strike down all obstacles.

As I gaze and gaze, may my sins be pulverized, May witchcraft, sorcery, and great enmity vanish, May the powerful ghosts, the stubborn demons, The tormenting, uncontrollable spirits, And the spirits lurking in the backyard that consume children, depart.

May the fire-mouthed ghouls, the deceitful demons, The Brahma-rakshasas that follow women, The Eris and Kateris and their wretched armies, And the spirits that emerge in the twilight and darkness, All shriek and tremble in fear upon seeing this devotee.

May Goddess Kali who receives grand worship, along with all others, those who are arrogant, the multitude of fierce demons, the punishers, and the outcasts, flee struck by lightning upon hearing my name.

The sins of the past and the present, Cat's hair, children's bones, Nails, hair, and long-skulled heads, Along with dolls and various vessels.

The black magic buried within the house, The stubborn pride and the figurines cast, The coins, the money, the offerings of food and rice, The chanted sorcery, and the spells cast to drive one away.

Should my enemies and deceitful people see me, may they be scattered and dismayed, and come to bow before me. Should the messengers of death see me, may they tremble in confusion, fearing and quaking, reeling and rolling away in terror.

Let them scream aloud, lose their senses and run, Let them dash against the ground, bind them with the rope of noose, Tie them so their limbs ache and scream, Roll them over, breaking their hands and legs.

Bind, bind, bind them so they scream! Strike, strike, until their eyes bulge out! Crush, crush, until they shatter into fragments! Bewilder, bewilder, bewilder the enemies of Surapadman!

Pierce, pierce with the sharp-edged Vel, Grip, grip like the burning heat of the sun, Let it burn, burn, burn into a blazing fire, Launch, launch the Vel, so that the enemies may flee in fury.

May tigers, jackals, small foxes, mice, and bears run away hereafter; may the venom of scorpions, snakes, centipedes, and other stinging creatures that cause bodily suffering depart.

For the venoms that have entered to easily depart, For swellings, sprains, and one-sided headaches, For rheumatism, phlegm-based illnesses, convulsions, and biliousness, For colic, consumption, glandular swellings, and skin afflictions.

Sharp pain, spider-venom, intestinal disorders, Side-abscesses, spreading boils on the thighs, Itching rashes, skin eruptions, hand and foot ulcers, Toothaches, glandular swellings, and all such ailments.

Should all maladies see me, May they flee and vanish by your grace. May the fourteen worlds be related to me, And may all men and women be mine.

May the rulers of the earth rejoice and become my kin; To praise You, [I chant] Your holy names: O Saravana Bhava, O radiant light of the mountain, O dweller of the three cities, O brilliant light of splendor.

Oh Lord, who wears resounding anklets, who dispels the cycle of births, Nephew of Vishnu, You who saved Amaravati, And released the Devas from their harsh imprisonment, Oh Skanda, Oh Guha, Oh Lord of the radiant Vel!

Son of the Krittika stars, dweller of the Kadamba forest, O Muruga with the sweet spear that destroyed the prideful Idumban, dweller of the solitary mountain, son of Shankara, O Muruga with the radiant spear residing in Kathirkamam.

O Child-God dwelling in the sacred abode of Palani, O Beautiful Vel-wielder living in Avinankudi, O Lord of the red stone hill residing in Tiruchendur, O Six-faced King dwelling in Samarapuri!

May the dark-tressed Goddess Saraswati reside on my tongue, so that I may praise Lord Murugan, my Father who follows me closely; I have sung and danced in ecstasy.

I sought and danced in joy, and with love I applied the sacred ash of the Lord of Aavinankudi on my forehead; may Thy grace bestow upon me the attainment of Thy holy feet, by severing all the bonds of karma that cling to me.

Protect me with love, granting food and wealth in great abundance, O Lord of the Vel weapon; may I, your devotee, attain success and live with distinction; may the Lord of the peacock live, live, and live!

Hail, hail, O bearer of the mighty spear, hail. Hail, hail, O teacher of the mountain, hail. Hail, hail, with the daughter of the mountain tribes, hail. Hail, hail, O lord of the elephant banner, hail.

May I prosper, may I prosper, as my poverties vanish. However many my shortcomings, however many my errors, However many the faults I, your devotee, may commit, You are my Father and Guru; it is your duty to forgive.

The one who gave birth to you is the Kurava girl; she is your mother. Out of love, treating me as your child, bestow your affection upon me. With a delighted heart, shower your grace upon me, your son. Bless those who seek refuge in you to flourish and prosper.

The young Devarayan, who desired the Kandar Sashti Kavacham, recited this. If one reads it daily, morning and evening, with a focused mind, observing the rules of purity and cleansing the body.

With love and focused intent, those who meditate on this Skanda Sashti Kavacham without a wavering mind, and who chant it thirty-six times a day with devotion, shall apply the sacred ash with joy.

May those in all eight directions be subdued under my control, May the eight guardians of the directions grace me with their powers, May all my enemies come and bow down before me.

The nine planets will rejoice and bestow goodness, They will attain beauty like the God of Love, They shall live for sixteen (ages/eternities) every day, Through the grace of the Vel of Skanda, this protective shield.

Visible as the truth to those who seek the path, Ghosts flee at the mere sight of those eyes, Reducing the wicked to fine dust, Dancing in the thoughts of the righteous.

Destroyer of all enemies, Recognizing this, my heart, as a feast for Veera Lakshmi, One of the Eight Lakshmis, By the hand that severed Soorapadman, You granted blissful nectar to the twenty-seven.

Praise to the lotus feet of the youthful child, the supreme Guru who dwells upon the hills of Palani! To protect and claim me, [may He abide in] my heart.

Hail to Thee, O Vel-wielder of beautiful form! Hail to Thee, O Commander-in-chief of the celestial host! Hail to Thee, O King who gladdens the heart of the daughter of the Kuravas! Hail to Thee, O Lord of the glorious and divine form!

Praise be to You, wielder of the Idumban weapon, praise be to You, Idumba! Praise be to You, wearer of the Kadamba garland, praise be to You, Skanda! Praise be to You, wielder of the Vel, who wears the Vetchi flowers! O King of the high golden hall of the mountain!

O Rider of the peacock, I surrender to Your lotus feet! I surrender, I surrender, O Saravanabhava, Om! I surrender, I surrender, O Shanmuga, I surrender! I surrender, I surrender, O Shanmuga, I surrender!