Rāghavendra Kāvacam — the armour of Śrī Rāghavendra Tīrtha, a protective hymn of 51 verses, traditionally ascribed to his disciple Appaṇācārya; verse by verse it stations the Guru as guardian of every limb and direction, and its closing phalaśruti promises health, victory, wealth, offspring and liberation to those who recite it with faith.
It is to be recited one hundred and eight times with a heart filled with devotion, seated in the tortoise-posture, glowing with the splendour of the risen sun.
Whose arms stand like rods, adorned with staff and water-pot, his lotus hands showing the gestures of protection and knowledge together with the rosary — that Guru Rāghavendra, whose lotus-feet the lords of yogis adore, I worship.
May the wish-tree of boon-giving protect my ears; the expounder of the meaning of the scriptures, gracious in form, my nose; and the doer of all good, my tongue.
Verse 11 — āsyaṃ rakṣatu me duḥkhatūlasaṅghāgnicaryakaḥ |…
āsyaṃ rakṣatu me duḥkhatūlasaṅghāgnicaryakaḥ | sukhadhairyādisuguṇo bhruvau mama sadā'vatu ||
May he who is a fire burning the cotton-wool heap of sorrows protect my face; may he who is rich in happiness, fortitude and such good qualities ever guard my brows.
Verse 12 — oṣṭhau rakṣatu me sarvagrahanigrahaśaktimān |…
oṣṭhau rakṣatu me sarvagrahanigrahaśaktimān | upaplavodadhesseturdantān rakṣatu me sadā ||
May he who has the power to curb every evil planet protect my lips; may the bridge across the ocean of calamity ever protect my teeth.
Verse 13 — nirastadoṣo me pātu kapolau sarvapālakaḥ |…
May the faultless protector of all guard my cheeks; may he of the blameless, majestic form ever protect my throat.
Verse 14 — karṇamūle tu pratyarthimūkatvākaravāṅ mama |…
karṇamūle tu pratyarthimūkatvākaravāṅ mama | bahuvādijayī pātu hastau sattattvavādakṛt ||
At the roots of my ears may he whose speech silences his opponents guard me; may the victor over many disputants, the teacher of the true doctrine, protect my hands.
Verse 15 — karau rakṣatu me vidvatparijñeyaviśeṣavān |…
karau rakṣatu me vidvatparijñeyaviśeṣavān | vāgvaikharībhavyaśeṣajayī vakṣasthalaṃ mama ||
May he who is marked by a special excellence known to the learned protect my arms; may the conqueror of all remaining rivals through his eloquent speech guard my chest.
satīsantānasampattibhaktijñānādivṛddhikṛt | stanau rakṣatu me nityaṃ śarīrāvadyahānikṛt ||
May he who increases virtue, offspring, wealth, devotion and knowledge ever protect my breast; may he who removes all blemishes of the body guard it always.
vijayīndrakarābjotthasudhīndravaraputrakaḥ | gulphau śrīrāghavendro me yatirāṭ sarvadā'vatu ||
May Śrī Rāghavendra, the lord of ascetics, sprung from the lotus-hand of Vijayīndra as the dear son of Sudhīndra, ever protect my ankles.
Verse 23 — pādau rakṣatu me sarvabhayahārī kṛpānidhiḥ |…
pādau rakṣatu me sarvabhayahārī kṛpānidhiḥ | jñānabhaktisuputrāyuryaśaḥ śrīpuṇyavardhanaḥ ||
May the ocean of compassion who removes every fear protect my feet; may he who increases knowledge, devotion, good sons, long life, fame, fortune and merit guard them.
May the world-teacher protect all my fingers and toes; may the Guru who delights in breaking the pride of rival disputants guard them.
Verse 25 — nakhānavatu me sarvān sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ |…
nakhānavatu me sarvān sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ | aparokṣīkṛtaśrīśaḥ prācyāṃ diśi sadā'vatu ||
May he who is skilled in all the scriptures protect all my nails; may he who has directly realised Śrī (the Lord of Lakṣmī) ever protect me in the eastern direction.
Verse 26 — sa dakṣiṇe cāvatu māṃ samupekṣitabhāvajaḥ |…
sa dakṣiṇe cāvatu māṃ samupekṣitabhāvajaḥ | apekṣitapradātā ca pratīcyāmavatu prabhuḥ ||
May he who is beyond all partial feeling protect me in the south; may the Lord who grants all that is sought protect me in the west.
May the Guru, destroyer of the faults of all the senses and bestower of great grace, protect me from below and above — he who is praised through the eight-syllable mantra.
Verse 29 — ātmā''tmīyāgharāśighno māṃ rakṣatu vidikṣu ca |…
ātmā''tmīyāgharāśighno māṃ rakṣatu vidikṣu ca | caturṇāṃ ca pumarthānāṃ dātā prātaḥ sadā'vatu ||
May he who destroys the mass of sins of myself and my family protect me in the intermediate directions; may the giver of the four ends of human life ever guard me in the morning.
In battle may the knower of the true doctrine, the giver of all happiness, ever protect me; at noon may the greatly renowned one of inaccessible glory guard me.
May he who restores life to a vessel foundered protect me in the evening; may the Guru, the reviver of the man dwelling at the altar, guard me at midnight.
May he who rescues those engulfed in fire ever protect me from the burning heat of fire; may the Guru, expounder of the complete commentaries, protect me in worldly matters.
In the wilderness may the Guru, author of the Bhāṭṭa-saṅgraha, ever protect me; may he who bears the fragrance of nectar, free-spirited as he is, ever guard me.
May the author of the Candrikā commentary, the seer of the true doctrine, protect me in deep sleep; may the Guru, author of the Sūtantra-dīpikā, guard me in liberation.
May the Guru, author of the Gītārtha-saṅgraha, ever protect me; may the faultless moon that illumines the milk-ocean of Śrī Madhva's doctrine ever guard me.
...casts off all diseases of the belly by the grace of the supreme Guru; and he who performs the circumambulation and obeisance before the Guru's Vṛndāvana...
Having worshipped the teacher of the three worlds with the sixteen offerings, one should adore him with flowers and the like to the number of one hundred and eight.
For him who performs the worship of the Guru with offerings of various fruits — by the mere hearing of his name, and by the grace of the supreme Guru...
Having offered a lamp, the learned one becomes victorious in assemblies; from the oppression of kings, thieves, great tigers, serpents, crocodiles and the like...
Verse 50 — kavacasya prabhāveṇa bhayaṃ tasya na jāyate |…
kavacasya prabhāveṇa bhayaṃ tasya na jāyate | somasūryoparāgādikāle vṛndāvanāntike ||
...no fear arises for him by the power of this armour — at times of lunar and solar eclipses and the like, near the Vṛndāvana.
kavacāditrikaṃ puṇyamappaṇācāryadarśitam | japedyaḥ sa dhanaṃ putrān bhāryāṃ ca sumanoramām ||
This trio of texts beginning with the armour, revealed by Appaṇācārya, is most sacred; he who recites it gains wealth, sons and a most charming wife.
Verse 52 — jñānaṃ bhaktiṃ ca vairāgyaṃ bhuktiṃ muktiṃ ca…
jñānaṃ bhaktiṃ ca vairāgyaṃ bhuktiṃ muktiṃ ca śāśvatīm | saṃprāpya modate nityaṃ guruvaryaprasādataḥ ||
Attaining knowledge, devotion, dispassion, worldly enjoyment and eternal liberation, he rejoices forever by the grace of the supreme Guru.
About Rāghavendra Kāvacam
Rāghavendra Kāvacam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Śrī Appaṇācārya, addressed to Raghavendra — a Stotra. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.
The chief disciple of Śrī Rāghavendra Tīrtha and composer of the celebrated Rāghavendra Stotra (Pūrṇabodha…), which he is said to have uttered as his guru entered Bṛndāvana at Mantrālaya. The shorter Aṇu Rāghavendra Stotra is traditionally ascribed to him as well, as is the Rāghavendra Kāvacam, whose phalaśruti says the armour was "shown by Appaṇācārya"; the verse text is public domain.
What is Rāghavendra Kāvacam and what does it mean?
Rāghavendra Kāvacam is a Sanskrit stotra (devotional hymn), composed by Śrī Appaṇācārya, addressed to Raghavendra, of 52 verses. On Avabodhak every verse is shown with its English meaning, so you can understand the text line by line as you read.
How do I pronounce Rāghavendra Kāvacam correctly?
Avabodhak presents Rāghavendra Kāvacam in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada alongside IAST Roman transliteration that marks every long vowel (ā, ī, ū) and conjunct consonant. Reading the Devanagari text with the IAST line lets you follow the exact pronunciation syllable by syllable, and the guided practice mode replays it line by line.
What is the word-by-word meaning of Rāghavendra Kāvacam?
Avabodhak pairs each verse of Rāghavendra Kāvacam with its English meaning, and the practice view breaks lines into individual words — so you learn what each word means, not just the overall sense.
Who composed Rāghavendra Kāvacam?
Rāghavendra Kāvacam is attributed to Śrī Appaṇācārya.
In which scripts can I read Rāghavendra Kāvacam?
Rāghavendra Kāvacam is available in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada on Avabodhak, each with English meaning and IAST transliteration.
Can I chant or practice Rāghavendra Kāvacam online?
Yes — Avabodhak offers a free reading view plus guided practice and word-puzzle modes to help you chant and memorise Rāghavendra Kāvacam.