Hanumat-kavacam

Hanumān, the vānara hero, is a symbol of perfection in the Bhāratīya tradition. He exemplifies the magnificence of a spirit that is unravelled when the monkey mind is mastered. Hanumān’s avatāra is unique for one particular reason amidst others – he is not the manifestation of a single aspect of the Divine, like most other avatāras. He is, instead, a manifestation of combined aspects of the Divine. He is glorified as the son of Wind god (Vāyu-putra), the valiant son of the incredibly powerful Vānara king Kesarī (Kesarī-nandana), and as the son of an apsarā (heavenly nymph) who was born as Añjanā owing to a curse (Āñjaneya); revered as the son of lord Śiva (Śaṅkara-suvana), and worshipped as the very avatāra of lord Śiva (Śivāvatāra). सीताशोकविनाशाय राममुद्राधराय च। रावणान्तनिदानाय नमः सर्वोत्तरात्मने॥ sītāśokavināśāya rāmamudrādharāya ca | rāvaṇāntanidānāya namaḥ sarvottarātmane || Salutations to the mitigator of Sītā’s misery, and the one, who bore forth the signet ring of Rāma. Salutations to the one, who brought about the end to Rāvaṇa and the one, who is above all the creation. - Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa Thus, it may be understood that Hanumān represents these aspects of the Supreme. He is the essence of lord Śiva, the agility and speed of Vāyu-deva, the power of Kesarī, and the supernatural abilities of Añjanā. The Śiva-purāṇa states that lord Śiva, enamoured by the Mohinīavatāra of lord Viṣṇu, descended as Hanumān. Here is an interesting but lesser-known anecdote on how the vānara hero came to be, as presented in the Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa. Once, sage Gautama invited all the brāhmaṇas, devas, and daityas for a sacrifice. They offered obeisance to the liṅga of Tryaṁbakeśvara installed upon the mountain and settled in. Come noon, they all bathed, applied sacred ash on their person, performed the ceremonial rite of purification, and began worshipping the liṅga with utmost devotion by offering flowers, incense sticks, and lighting lamps. After worshipping, the gathering began to sing and dance, when a disciple of sage Gautama, by name Śivātmā, arrived there. Śivātmā was a mad mystic, who appeared to don different forms at various times. He appeared, at times, like a brāhmaṇa; at times like a yogi, and sometimes, like an ascetic. रोदिति शृणुतेऽत्युक्तं पतत्युत्तिष्ठति क्वचित्। शिवज्ञानैकसम्पन्नः परमानन्दनिर्भरः॥ roditi śṛṇute'tyuktaṁ patatyuttiṣṭhati kvacit | śivajñānaikasampannaḥ paramānandanirbharaḥ || He would weep (at times), listen most intently (to the praise of lord Śiva), would fall to the ground (in a blissful trance), and rise to his feet yet again. He is endowed solely with the knowledge of Śiva and is filled with bliss. - Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa Arriving at a time when the assembly began to partake of their afternoon meal, Śivātmā waited for his guru to eat and later partook of the remains of the food consumed by his guru. Śivātmā was no ordinary disciple and seldom behaved like the other disciples. At times, he would lick the vessels that held food, leave the vicinity in silence, and other times, smear himself with mud. Whenever sage Gautama spotted Śivātmā outside, he would hold Śivātmā by the hand, lead him inside, and fix him up on the seat reserved for him - the guru. Sage Gautama would often partake of the food from the utensils meant for this mad mystic, Śivātmā. Ahalyā, the wife of sage Gautama who observed all this, was greatly mystified by Śivātmā. Desiring to understand him, she once invited Śivātmā for a meal and requested him to eat. Commanded to eat by the wife of his guru, the blissful Śivātmā ate everything, much to her consternation. यथा पपौ हि पानीयं तथा वह्निमपि द्विज। कण्टकानन्नवद्भुक्त्वा यथापूर्वमतिष्ठत॥ yathā papau hi pānīyaṁ tathā vahnimapi dvija | kaṇṭakānannavadbhuktvā yathāpūrvamatiṣṭhata || Just as he relished a sweet beverage, so too he relished the (scorching) fire. He partook of thorns as he would of rice, and stood there as before (unharmed). - Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa Once, Śivātmā, who was ever blissful, stood in the presence of the daitya king, Vṛṣaparvā stark naked. While holding his sandals in his hands, an innocent smile lit his face up. Failing to recognise Śivātmā as a god-intoxicated soul, Vṛṣaparvā, who was offended by Śivātmā’s appearance, chopped his head off. Beholding the heinous act perpetrated against a sinless and god-intoxicated soul, sage Gautama was reduced to tears. With pained tears wetting his cheeks, sage Gautama said, “What was his wrongdoing that his head was chopped off? The ardent devotee of Śiva was, in fact, more valuable a soul than me. It is indeed the death of the guru when a disciple is slain.” Hearing the sage lament thus, the preceptor of the asuras, Śukrācārya, stated, “I shall resuscitate this devotee of lord Śiva in a trice. O’ Gautama, behold the power of my penance.” Just as the asura-guru stated thus, sage Gautama fell dead. Witnessing this, Śukrācārya shed off his mortal coils with the power of his penance. With the demise of the great Śukrā, all the devas, asuras, and mortals fell dead on the ground. Ahalyā, who bore a witness to this tragic sight, was reduced to shambles of tears. The tumult of piteous laments rented the skies. Vīrabhadra, an ardent devotee of lord Śiva, was deeply distressed that many devotees of the lord were destroyed. He hastened to mount Mandara and reported the incident to the three-eyed lord. Pleaded by Vīrabhadra thus, lord Śiva set out to the hermitage of sage Gautama, along with lord Brahmā and lord Viṣṇu. The holy trinity arrived at the hermitage of the sage, thronged by a host of Śivagaṇas. Lord Śiva cast his redeeming eyes upon sage Gautama, and in no time, the sage was revived. Supremely pleased with him, lord Śiva said to Gautama, “Dear one, I am delighted with you. Seek any boon you desire from me.” Urged thus by the lord, sage Gautama responded, “If indeed I have earned your grace, bless me with the good fortune of eternally worshipping you in the liṅga.” The sage pleaded further, “Lord, this disciple of mine has never looked upon anything with undue desire or aversion. He has not experienced anything with a sense of attachment. He is a true yogi. Please revive him and all the others who have fallen dead.” Hearing sage Gautama plead thus, lord Śiva entered the lifeless body of Śivātmā with the wind aspect of his being1. Thus rose Śivātma in the form of Hanumān – 1 Some translations also state that lord Śiva pervaded the body of Śivātmā along with Vāyu, the Wind. हरिरूपः शङ्करात्मा मारुतिः कपिसत्तमः। पर्यायैरुच्यतेऽधीशः साक्षाद्विष्णुः शिवः परः॥ harirūpaḥ śaṅkarātmā mārutiḥ kapisattamaḥ | paryāyairucyate'dhīśaḥ sākṣādviṣṇuḥ śivaḥ paraḥ || The Supreme lord Śiva, verily lord Viṣṇu, shall be known by other names - one bearing the form of a monkey, the essence of Śaṅkara, the son of Wind, and a jewel amongst monkeys. - Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa The lord added further, “He shall remain an exemplary devotee of Rāma for aeons, and shall carry out my bidding, assuming forms at will.” This, says the Bṛhannāradīya-purāṇa, is the astonishing account of the advent of the vānara hero, Hanumān. The Purāṇa further elaborates the Hanumat-kavaca. The word ‘kavaca’ literally means armour. Just as physical armours protect the various limbs of warriors on a battlefield, a kavaca is a spiritual armour that is meant to protect every part of a devotee’s physical body from harm. The hymn calls out to the presiding deity of the hymn with different names; and individually, pleads for the protection of bodily limbs and protection from each direction. By doing so, the devotee invokes the power of a particular Name and form to guard a particular part of the corporeal body from each direction. The kavaca thus weaves a spiritual armour around the corporeal body of a devotee, guarding it against dangers from all quarters. The venerable Sanatkumāra, the mind-born son of lord Brahmā, states that the Hanumat-kavaca was related to him by lord Rāma himself, and its chanting can destroy delusion, bring success, and bestow upon oneself all worldly pleasures as well as salvation. Here are a few verses of the Hanumat-kavaca – हनुमान् पूर्वतः पातु पातु दक्षिणे पवनात्मजः। पातुः प्रतीच्यामक्षघ्नः सौम्ये सागरतारकः॥ hanumān pūrvataḥ pātu pātu dakṣiṇe pavanātmajaḥ | pātuḥ pratīcyāmakṣaghnaḥ saumye sāgaratārakaḥ || May Hanumān (the one with a distinguished jaw) protect (me) from the east, Pavanātmaja (the son of Pavana or Wind god) in the south, Akṣaghna (the slayer of Akṣa) in the west, and Sāgara-tāraka (the one who leapt across the ocean) in the north.2 ऊर्ध्व (ऊर्ध्वात्) पातु कपिश्रेष्ठः केसरिप्रियनन्दनः। अधस्ताद्विष्णुभक्तस्तु पातु मध्ये च पावनिः॥ ūrdhva (ūrdhvāt) pātu kapiśreṣṭhaḥ kesaripriyanandanaḥ | adhastādviṣṇubhaktastu pātu madhye ca pāvaniḥ || May Kesari-priyanandana (the darling son of Kesarī), who is Kapiśreṣṭha (the best amongst monkeys) protect (me) from above, Viṣṇu-bhakta (a devotee of lord Viṣṇu) from below, and Pāvani (the son of Wind) in the middle. लङ्काविदाहकः पातु सर्वापद्भ्यो निरन्तरम्। सुग्रीवसचिवः पातु मस्तकं वायुनन्दनः॥ laṅkāvidāhakaḥ pātu sarvāpadbhyo nirantaram | sugrīvasacivaḥ pātu mastakaṁ vāyunandanaḥ || May Laṅkā-vidāhaka (the one who scorched Laṅkā) guard (me) eternally from every danger. May Sugrīva-saciva (the minister of Sugrīva) who is Vāyu-nandana (the joy of Vāyu) protect the head. भालं पातु महावीरो भ्रुवोर्मध्य निरन्तरम्। नेत्रे छायापहारी च पातु नः प्लवगेश्वरः॥ bhālaṁ pātu mahāvīro bhruvormadhya nirantaram | netre chāyāpahārī ca pātu naḥ plavageśvaraḥ || May Mahāvīra (the supremely valiant one) protect the forehead (area) between the eyebrows, and Chāyāpahārī (the one who stole away Chāyā3) and Plavageśvara (the lord of monkeys) the two eyes. कपोलौ कर्णमूले च पातु श्रीरामकिङ्करः। नासाग्रमञ्जनासूनुः पातु वक्त्रं हरीश्वरः॥ kapolau karṇamūle ca pātu śrīrāmakiṅkaraḥ | nāsāgramañjanāsūnuḥ pātu vaktraṁ harīśvaraḥ || May Śrīrāma-kiṅkara (the servitor of Śrīrāma) protect the cheeks and the bases of the ears, Añjanā-sūnu (son of Añjanā) the tip of the nose, and Harīśvara (the leader of the monkeys) the mouth. पातु कण्ठे तु दैत्यारिः स्कन्धौ पातु सुरारिजित्। भुजौ पातु महातेजाः करौ च चरणायुधः॥ pātu kaṇṭhe tu daityāriḥ skandhau pātu surārijit | bhujau pātu mahātejāḥ karau ca caraṇāyudhaḥ || May Daityāri (the foe of daityas) protect the throat, Surārijit (the subjugator of the foes of celestials) the shoulders, Mahātejā (the supremely effulgent one) the arms, and Caraṇāyudha (the one who uses his feet as weapons) the hands. 2 In a kavaca, the various Names of the deity are very important, as the power of each Name that is invoked, guards each limb or quarter. The meaning of these names have thus been given within parenthesis and the original names are retained. 3 Some translations state that Hanumān took away the shadow of Sītā. Chāyāpahārī may also be interpreted as the one who stole (the life) from the rākṣasī, who tried to capture him by trapping his shadow as he leaped across the ocean. The kavaca calls out to Hanumān with various other names, invoking his protection on the other major and minor limbs. The hymn then begins to invoke the protection of the vānara hero geographically and temporally. दिवारात्रौ त्रिलोकेषु सदागतिसुतोऽवतु। स्थितं व्रजन्तमासीनं पिबन्तं जक्षतं कपिः॥ divārātrau trilokeṣu sadāgatisuto’vatu | sthitaṁ vrajantamāsīnaṁ pibantaṁ jakṣataṁ kapiḥ || May the monkey, who is Sadāgati-suta (the son of the Wind who constantly moves) ever protect me, day and night, in all three worlds, and while (I am) standing, walking, sitting, drinking, or eating. लोकोत्तरगुणः श्रीमान् पातु त्र्यंबकसम्भवः। प्रमत्तमप्रमत्तं वा शयानं गहनेंऽबुनि॥ lokottaraguṇaḥ śrīmān pātu tryaṁbakasambhavaḥ | pramattamapramattaṁ vā śayānaṁ gahaneṁ’buni || May Tryaṁbaka-sambhava (the one who burst forth from the three-eyed lord) who is illustrious and superior to all others in the world, owing to his virtues, protect (me) in the sky or water, irrespective of whether I am conscious, unconscious, or asleep. स्थलेंऽतरिक्षे ह्यग्नौ वा पर्वते सागरे द्रुमे। सङ्ग्रामे सङ्कटे घोरे विराड्रूपधरोऽवतु॥ sthaleṁ'tarikṣe hyagnau vā parvate sāgare drume | saṅgrāme saṅkaṭe ghore virāḍrūpadharo’vatu || May Virāṭ-rūpadhara (the one who assumes a cosmic form) protect (me) during a battle or hardship, be it upon the earth, the sky, amidst fire, upon a mountain, in the ocean, or on a tree. Having pleaded with Hanumān for protection, the hymn then concludes with an offering of obeisance. नमो हनूमते तस्मै नमे मारुतसूनवे। नमः श्रीराम्भक्ताय श्यामाय महते नमः॥ namo hanūmate tasmai name mārutasūnave | namaḥ śrīrāmbhaktāya śyāmāya mahate namaḥ || Salutations to Hanumān! Salutations to that (peerless) son of the Wind god! Salutations to the devotee of Śrīrāma! Salutations to the mighty one who is dark of hue! In conclusion, Sanat-Kumāra states, “He who writes out this kavaca with the help of eight fragrant materials and wears it around his neck or his right arm, meets with success at every step; what then to speak of those who recite the hymn devotedly a lakh times?”

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