Tulasi Kavaca

This following text is taken directly from HH Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami’s book titled Tulasyamrta, The Nectar of Srimati Tulasi Devi. Maharaja’s book includes word for word transliterations, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tulasi kavaca and other Sanskrit texts about Tulasi Devi. Maharaja draws a lot of fine details out of these texts and shares his personal realizations in serving Srimati Tulasi Devi.

The Tulasi kavaca is spoken in the Brahmanda Purana by Lord Shiva to his son Karttikeya, who had grown tired while fighting the demon Tarakasura. We are publishing this article during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic in appeal for devotees to pray to Tulasi Devi in these difficult times. A mother will always help her child, but a bit of crying never hurts.

atha nyāsaḥ
Nyāsa mantra

oṃ asya śrī-tulasī-kavaca-stotra-mahā-mantrasya
śrī-mahādeva ṛṣiḥ
anuṣṭup chandaḥ
śrī-tulasī devatā
mano ‘bhīṣṭa-kāmāni sarva-vidyārthe jape viniyogaḥ

This Tulasi kavaca stotra (prayer) is a great mantra whose rishi (preceptor) is Lord Shiva, chandas (Vedic poetic meter) is anushtubh, devata (object of worship) is Srimati Tulasi Devi, viniyoga (application) is to fulfill one’s cherished mental desires and gain all knowledge–is being chanted now.

aha dhyānam
Meditation

tulasi amṛta-janmāsi
sadā tvaṁ keśava-priye
prasīda vara-de devi
viṣṇoḥ priya-kāri sadā

O Srimati Tulasi Devi, You are born from the nectar resulting from the churning of the milk ocean, and You are always dear to Lord Kesava. Lord Vishnu is always delighted by you, O goddess bestowing boons, so please be kind to me.

atha kavacam
Now begins the tulasi kavaca–armor of protection

Text 1
tulasi śrī-mahā-devi
namaḥ paṅkaja-dhāriṇi
śiro me tulasī pātu
bhālaṁ pātu yaśasvinī

I offer my respects to the great Goddess Srimati Tulasi Devi who holds a lotus flower in Her hand. May She protect my head, and may the glorious one protect my forehead..

Text 2
dṛśau me padma-nayanā
śrī-sakhī śravaṇe mama
ghrāṇaṁ pātu sugandhā me
mukhaṁ ca sumukhī mama

May She whose eyes resemble lotuses protect my eyes. May the friend of Srimati Lakshmi Devi protect my ears. May the sweet-scented one protect my nose. And may the beautiful-faced one protect my face.

Text 3
jihvāṁ me pātu śubha-dā
kaṇṭhaṁ vidyā-mayī mama
skandhau kalhāriṇī pātu
hṛdayaṁ viṣṇu-vallabhā

May the bestower of auspiciousness protect my tongue. May the personification of knowledge protect my neck. May she who has a charming garland of white water-lilies (kalhāra) on Her shoulders protect my shoulders. May Lord Vishnu’s beloved protect my heart.

Text 4
puṇya-dā pātu me madhyaṁ
nābhiṁ saubhāgya-dāyinī
kaṭiṁ kuṇḍalinī pātu
ūrū nārada-vanditā

May the bestower of the results of pious activity protect my middle. May the giver of good fortune protect my navel. May She who wears earrings (or tantric kuṇḍalinī chakra energy) protect my hips. May She who is praised by Narada Muni protect my thighs.

Text 5
jananī jānunī pātu
jaṅghe sakala-vanditā
nārāyaṇa-priyā pādau
sarvāṅgaṁ sarva-rakṣiṇī

May the universal mother protect my knees. May She who is praised by all protect the lower part of my legs areas. May the darling of Lord Narayana protect my feet. May She who protects everyone and everything protect all my limbs.

Text 6
saṅkaṭe viṣame durge
bhaye vāde mahāhave
nityaṁ dvi-sandhyayoḥ pātu
tulasī sarvataḥ sadā

In danger, in distress, in difficulty, in fear, in quarrel, in great battle, during dawn and dusk may Srimati Tulasi Devi invariably protect me at all times and in all respects.

atha phala-śrutiḥ
Now begins the description of the results obtained by chanting this kavaca

Text 7
itīdaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
tulasyāḥ kavacāmṛtam
martyānām amṛtārthāya
bhītānām abhayāya ca

Thus ends this very secret armor of Srimati Tulasi Devi, which is like nectar. It gives immortality to mortals and fearlessness to those in fear.

Text 8
mokṣāya ca mumukṣūṇāṁ
dhyāyināṁ dhyāna-yoga-kṛt
vaśāya vaśya-kāmanāṁ
vidyāyai veda-vādinām

This protective hymn bestows liberation unto those seeking it, the result of dhyana-yoga to those absorbed in meditation, authority to those who want to have power over others, and knowledge to the followers of the Vedas.

Text 9
draviṇāya daridrāṇāṁ
pāpināṁ pāpa-śāntaye
annāya kṣudhitānāṁ ca
svargāya svargam icchatām

This armor of Srimati Tulasi Devi provides wealth to the poor, extinction of the sins of the sinners, food for the hungry, and the passage of heaven to those who want to go there.

Text 10
paśavyaṁ paśu-kāmānāṁ
putra-daṁ putra-kāṅkṣiṇām
rājyāya bhraṣṭa-rājyānām
aśāntānāṁ ca śāntaye

It is beneficial for the animals of those who want to possess them. It gives sons to those desirous to have sons, kingdom to those deprived of kingdom, and peace to those bereft of peace.

Text 11
bhakty-arthaṁ viṣṇu-bhaktānāṁ
viṣṇau sarvāntar-ātmani
jāpyaṁ tri-varga-siddhy-arthaṁ
gṛha-sthena viśeṣataḥ

This protective hymn should be particularly chanted for developing devotion to the soul of everything, Lord Vishnu, by His devotees; and by the householders for attaining success in religion, economic development, and sense gratification.

Text 12
udyantaṁ caṇḍa-kiraṇam
upasthāya kṛtāñjaliḥ
tulasī-kānane tiṣṭhann
āsīno vā japed idam

Prayerfully folding one’s hands with great respect, while exposing oneself towards the early morning rising sun, one should chant this protective hymn daily while sitting, or otherwise standing, in the forest of Srimati Tulasi Devi.

Text 13
sarvān kāmān avāpnoti
tathaiva mama sannidhim
mama priya-karaṁ nityaṁ
hari-bhakti-vivardhanam

One who chants this armor gets all his desires fulfilled, and also attains vicinity to me (Lord Shiva), pleases me constantly, and gets his devotion to Lord Hari increased.

Text 14-15
yā syān mṛta-prajā nārī
tasyā aṅgaṁ pramārjayet
sā putraṁ labhate dīrgha-
jīvinaṁ cāpy arogiṇam

vandhyāyā mārjayed aṅgaṁ
kuśair mantreṇa sādhakaḥ
sā ‘pi saṁvatsarādeva
garbhaṁ dhatte mano-haram

For a woman who bears dead children one should clean her body by chanting this armor hymn, and then she will give birth to a long-lived and healthy son. And for a childless woman such worshiper of this armor should clean her body with the mantra and kusa grass, and then she will beget a charming child (which will steal her mind) within one year.

Text 16
aśvatthe rāja-vaśyārthī
japed agneḥ surūpa-bhāk
palāśa-mūle vidyārthī
tejo- ‘rthy ādbhimukho raveḥ

One should chant this hymn under an Ashvattha tree for controlling a king, facing the fire for attaining beauty, at the base of a Palasha tree for acquiring knowledge, and facing the sun for achieving good health.

Text 17
kanyārthī caṇḍikā-gehe
śatru-hatyai gṛhe mama
śrī-kāmo viṣṇu-gehe ca
udyāne strī-vaśā bhavet

This hymn should be chanted in a temple of Goddess Chandi for getting a beautiful girl in marriage, in my (Lord Shiva) temple for killing an enemy, by those desirous of riches in Lord Vishnu’s temple, and in a garden or park by a barren woman.

Text 18
kim atra bahunoktena
śṛṇu sainyeśa tattvataḥ
yaṁ yaṁ kāmam abhidhyāyet
taṁ taṁ prāpnoty asaṁśayam

What is the use of speaking more about it? Listen O commander of great armies, indeed whatever wishes one might consider, those are fulfilled accordingly. There is no doubt about it.

Text 19-20
mama gehe gatas tvaṁ tu
tārakasya vadhecchayā
japan strotraṁ ca kavacaṁ
tulasī-gata-mānasaḥ

maṇḍalāt tārakaṁ hantā
bhaviṣyasi na saṁśayaḥ

You also, as you intend to kill the demon Taraka, should go to my temple and chant this protective hymn, fixing your mind on Srimati Tulasi Devi. Thus, after forty days (or after completing all mentioned above) you will undoubtedly become the killer of Tāraka.

iti brahmāṇḍa-purāṇe śivopadiṣṭaṁ tulasī-kavacaṁ saṁpūrṇam

Thus ends the Tulasi Kavaca from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa which was taught by Lord Śiva

We welcome you to read our other articles on the glories of Tulasi Devi as found in sastra, and to get a copy of Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami’s book Tulasyamrta.

Bibliography

• Swami, Bhakti Visrambha Madhava. Tulasyamrta, The Nectar of Srimati Tulasi Devi. Vrindavan: Author, 2012. Print.