Chapter 4 - On the hymn, worship and Kavaca of Sarasvatī Devī

1-3. Nārada said :-- By your Grace I have heard everything very sweet like nectar, of the origin of things. Now may I ask you which Devī of these five Prakritis has been worshipped by what Mantra? and by whom? How has each of them been praised? and by whom? How has the worship of their Mūrtis (form) become prevalent in this world? What are the Stotram (hymn of praise), the Dhyān (meditation) glory and life of these? Also what sort of boon do each of the Devīs grant? and to whom? Kindly describe all these in detail.

4-29. Nārāyaṇa said :-- O Child! Durgā, the mother of Gaṇeśa, Rādhā, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī and Sāvitrī, these are the five Prakritis sprung directly from Mūla Prakriti. The methods of their worship, wonderful glorious acts, excellent stotrams, and their lives, iñculcating good to all, and sweet like nectar are all widely written in the Vedas, Purāṇas, Tantras and other Śāstras. So there is no need to describe them here again. Now I am describing in detail the auspicious character of these that are sprung from the parts and Kalās of the Prakriti. Hear attentively. Kālī, Vasundharā, Gaṅgā, Ṣaṣṭhī, Mangal Caṇḍikā, Tulasī, Manasā, Nidrā, Svadhā, Svāhā, and Dakṣiṇā, these are the parts of Prakriti. By and by I will describe, briefly, the merit-giving characters and pleasant to hear. Along with these I will describe the Karmas of the Jīvas, and the great exalted lives of Durgā and Rādhā. I am now describing Sarasvatī’s character. Hear, O Muni! Śrī Kṛṣṇa introduced first in this Bhārata, the worship of the Devī Sarasvatī, the holder of Vīṇā in Her hands, under whose influence, the hearts of illiterate stupid persons become illumined with knowledge. The amorous Devī Sarasvatī sprang from the end of the lips of Rādhā and so she desired to marry Kṛṣṇa out of amorous feelings. Śri Kṛṣṇa, the controller of the hearts of all, knew it instantly and addressed the Mother of the people in true words proper to Her and beneficial to Her in the end. O Chaste One! The four-armed Nārāyaṇa is born from My parts; He is young, of good features and endowed with all qualifications; so much so, he is like Me. He is a Knower of amorous sentiments of women and He fulfils those desires; what to speak of His beauty, ten millions of the God of love are playing in His body. O Beloved! And if you desire to marry and remain with Me, that will not be of any good to you. For Rādhā is near to Me; She is more powerful than you. If a man be stronger than another, he can rescue one who takes his shelter; but if he be weaker, how can he then, himself weak, protect his dependant from others. Though I am the Lord of all, and rule all, yet I cannot control Rādhā. For She is equal to me in power, in beauty, in qualifications, equal to Me in every respect. Again it is impossible for Me to quit Rādhā for She is the presiding Deity of My life. Who can relinquish life? Though a son is very dear to his father, still it may be questioned, is he dearer than his father’s life? So, O Auspicious One! Go to the abode Vaikuṇṭha; you will get your desires fulfilled there. You will get for your husband the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha and you will live ever in peace and enjoy happiness. Though Lakṣmī is residing there yet like you she is not under the control of lust, anger, greed, delusion and vanity. She is also equal to you in beauty, qualities, and power. So you will live with her in great delight and Hari, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, will treat both of you equally. Moreover, I say this in particular that in every universe, on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Māgha, every year, the day when the learning is commenced, a great festival will be held and men, Manus, Devas, and the Munis desirous of liberation, Vasus, Yogis, Nāgas, Siddhas, Gandarbhas, Rākṣasas, all will perform your worship with devotion in every Kalpa till the time of Mahā Pralaya comes. All are required to be Jitendriya (having their senses under control) and Samyamī (concentrating his mind, and with a religious vow) and they will invoke Thee on a jar or on books and then meditate according to what is stated in the Kaṇva Śākhā of Yajurveda and then worship and sing hymns to Thee. Thy Kavaca (an armour; a mystical syllable ** considered as a preservative like armour) is written on the bark of the Bhūrja tree and then with eight kinds of scents mingled with it is placed within a golden nut or ring named Māduli and then held on the neck or on the right arm. The learned should recite Thy Stotras during worship. Thus saying, the Puraṇ Brahmā Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself worshipped the Devī Sarasvatī. Since then, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, Ananta Deva, Dharma, Sanaka and other Munīndras, all the Devas, Munis, all the kings and all the human beings are worshipping the Devī Sarasvatī. O Nārada! Thus the worship of the Eternal Devī is made extant in the three worlds.

30-31. Nārada said :-- O Chief of the Knowers of the Vedas! Now describe to me the methods of worship, Dhyān, Kavacam, hymns, the appropriate offerings of the Pūjā flowers, sandalpaste and other good things necessary in these worships and which are so sweet to hear. I am ever very eager and anxious to hear these.

32-59. Nārāyaṇa said :-- O Nārada! I am now stating the method of worship of the Devī Sarasvatī, the Mother of the Worlds, according to Kaṇva Śākhā of the Yajurveda. Hear. On the day previous to the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Māgh or the day of commencement of education, the devotee should control his senses, concentrate his mind and take his bath. Then he is to perform his daily duties and install the jar (Ghaṭa) with devotion and according to the Mantras of the Kaṇva Śākhā or the Tantra, as the case may be. He is to worship first on that Ghata (jar) Gaṇapati (Ganeśa), then meditate the Devī Sarasvatī as described below, invoke Her and again read the Dhyān and then worship with Soḍaśopacāra (sixteen good articles offered in the worship). O Good One! Now I am speaking, according to my knowledge, about the offerings as ordained in the Vedas or Tantras. Hear. Fresh butter, curd, thickened milk, rice freed from the husk by frying, sweetmeats (Til Laddu) prepared of Til, sugar cane, sugarcane juice, nice Guḍ (molasses), honey, svastik, sugar, rice (not broken) out of white Dhān, cipiṭak of table rice (Ālo cāl), white Modak, Harbiṣyānna prepared of boiled rice with clarified butter and salt, Piṣṭaka of jaoā or wheaten flour, Paramānna with ghee, nectar like sweetmeats, cocoanut, cocoanut water, Svastik Piṣṭaka, Svastik and ripe plantain Piṣṭaka, Kaseru (root), Mūlā, ginger, ripe plantains, excellent Bel fruit, the jujube fruit, and other appropriate white purified fruits of the season and peculiar to the place are to be offered in the Poojā. O Nārada! White flowers of  good scent, white sandalpaste of good scent, new white clothes, nice conchshell, nice garlands of white flowers, nice white necklaces, and beautiful ornament are to be given to the Devī. I say now the Dhyānam sweet to hear, of the Devī Sarasvatī according to the Vedas, capable to remove errors! Hear. I hereby bow down to the Devī Sarasvatī, of a white colour, of a smiling countenance and exceedingly beautiful, the lustre of whose body overpowers that of the ten millions of Moons, whose garment is purified by fire, in whose hands there are Vīṇā and books, who is decorated with new excellent ornaments of jewels and pearls and whom Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara and the other Devas, Munis, Manus and men constantly worship. Thus meditating the Devī, the intelligent persons should offer all articles, after pronouncing the root Mantra. Then he is to hymn and hold Kavaca and make Sāṣṭāṅga praṇāms before the Devī. O Muni! Those whose Devī Sarasvatī is the presiding Deity, are not to be spoken of at all (i.e., they will naturally do all these things and with a greater fervour). Besides all should worship the Devī Sarasvatī on the day of commencement of education and every year on the Śūkla Pañcamī day of the month of Māgh. The eight-lettered Mantra, as mentioned in the Vedas is the root Mantra of Sarasvatī. (Aim Klīm Sarasvatyai namaḥ). Or the Mantra to which each worshipper is initiated is his Mūlmantra (not Mantra). Or uttering the Mantra “Śrīm Hrīm Sarasvatyai Svāhā” one is to offer everything to the Devī Sarasvatī. This Mantra is the Kalpa Vrikṣa (i. e., the tree which yields all desires). Nārāyaṇa, the ocean of mercy, gave in ancient times, this very Mantra to Vālmikī in the holy land Bhārata Varṣa on the banks of the Ganges; next Bhrīgu gave this Mantra on the occasion of solar eclipse to Maharṣi Sukrācarya on the Puṣkara Tīrtha; Mārīca gave to Brihaspati on a lunar eclipse; Brahmā gave to Bhrīgu in the Vadarikā Āśrama; Jaratkarā gave to Āstika on the shore of the Kṣiroda ocean; Bibhānḍaka gave this to the intelligent Ṛṣyasriṅga on the Sumeru mountain, Śiva gave this to Kaṇāda and Gotama, Sūrya gave to Yājñavalkya and Kātyāyana, Ananta Deva gave to Pāṇini, to the intelligent Bhāradvāja and to Śākaṭāyana in Bali’s assembly in the Pātāla. If this Mantra be repeated four lakhs of times, all men attain success. And when they become Siddhas with this Mantra, they become powerful like Brihaspati. In past times, the Creator Brahmā gave a Kavaca named Viśvajaya to Bhrīgu on the Gandhamādana Mountain. I now speak of that. Hear.

60-61. Once on a time Bhrīgu asked Brahmā the Lord of all, and adored by all, thus :-- “O Brahmān! Thou art the foremost of those that know the Vedas; there is none equal to thee in matters regarding the knowledge of the Vedas (so much so that there is nothing that is not known to thee; for all these have sprung from thee). Now say about the Viśvajaya Kavaca of the Devī Sarasvatī, that is excellent, without any faults and embodying in it all the properties of all the Mantras.”

62-91. Brahmā said :-- “O Child! What you have asked about the Kavaca of Sarasvatī that is sweet to hear, ordained and worshipped by the Vedas, and the giver of all desired fruits, now hear of that. In the very beginning, the all-pervading Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Rāsa circle, mentioned this Kavaca to me in the holy Brindāvana forest in the abode Goloka at the time of Rāsa in Rāsa Mandala. This is very secret; it is full of holy unheard, wonderful Mantras. Reading this Kavaca and holding it (on one’s arm) Brihaspati has become foremost in matters of intelligence; by the force of this Kavaca Śukrācārya has got his ascendancy over the Daityas; the foremost Muni Vālmikī has become eloquent and skilled in language and has become Kavīndra and Svāyambhuva Manu; holding this Kavaca he has become honoured everywhere. Kaṇāda, Gotama, Kaṇva, Paṇini, Śakatāyana, Dakṣa, and Kātyāyana all have become great authors by virtue of this Kavaca; Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Veda Vyāsa made the classification of the Vedas and composed the eighteen Purāṇas. Śātātapa, Samvarta, Vaśiṣṭha, Parāsara and Yājñavalkya had become authors by holding and reading this Sarasvatī Kavaca. Ṛṣyaśriṅga, Bhāradvāja, Āstika, Devala, Jaigiṣavya, and Yāyāti all were honoured everywhere by virtue of this Kavaca. O Dvija! The Prajāpati Himself is the Ṛṣi of this Kavaca; Brihatī is its Caṇḍa; and Śāradā Ambikā is its presiding Deity. Its application (Viniyoga) is in the acquisition of spiritual knowlege, in the fruition of any desires or necessities, in composing poems or anywhere wheresoever success is required. May Śrīm Hrīm Sarasvatyai Svāhā protect fully my head; Śrīm Vāgdevatāyai Svāhā, my forehead; Om Hrīm Sarasvatyai Svāhā, my ears always; Om Śrīm Hrīm Bhagabatyai Sarasvatyai Svāhā always my eyes; Aim Hrīm Vāgvādinyai Svāhā, always my nose; Om Hrīm Vidyadhiṣṭhātrī Devyai Svāhā, my lips always; Om Śrīm Hrīm Brahmyai Svāhā my rows of teeth; Aim, this single letter protect my neck; Om Śrīm Hrīm my throat; Śrīm, my shoulders, Om Hrīm Vidyādhiṣṭhātrī Devyai Svāhā, always my chest; Om Hrīm Vidyadhisvarūpāyai Svāhā my navel;  Om Hrīm Klīm Vāṇyai Svāhā my hands; Om Svarva vārnatmī Kāyai Svāhā my feet; and let Om Vāgadhisṭhātridevyai Svāhā protect all my body. Let Om Sarvakanṭhavāsinyai Svāhā protect my east; Let Om Svarvajibhāgra vāsinyai Svāhā, the South-east; Om Aim Hrīm Śrīm Klīm Sarasvatyai budhajananyai Svāhā, my South; Aim Hrīm Śrīm, this three lettered Mantra my South-west; Om Aim Jhibhagravāsinyai Svāhā, my West; Om Svarvam bikāyai Svāhā, my North west; Om Aim Śrīm Klīm Gadyavāsinyai Svāhā my North; Aim Sarvaśāstra vasinyai Svāhā, my North-east; Om Hrīm Sarvapujitayai Svāhā, my top; Hrīm Pustakavasinyai Svāhā my below and let Om Grantha vījasvarupāyai Svāhā protect all my sides. O Nārada! This Viśvajaya Kavaca of the nature of Brahmā and its embodied Mantra I have now spoken to you. I heard this before from the mouth of Dharma Deva in the Gaṇdhāmādana mountain. Now I speak this to you out of my great affection for you. But never divulge this to anybody. One is worship one’s spiritual Teacher (Guru Deva) according to due rites and ceremonies with clothings, ornaments, and sandalpaste and then fall down prostrate to him and then hold this Kavaca. Repeating this five lakhs of times, one gets success and becomes a Siddha. The holder of this Kavaca becomes intelligent like Brihaspati, eloquent, Kavīndras, and the conqueror of the three worlds, no sooner one becomes a Siddlha in this. In fact, he can conquer everything by virtue of this Kavaca. O Muni! Thus I have described to you this Kavaca according to Kāṇva Śākhā. Now I am speaking about the method of worship, Dhyāna and the praise of this Kavaca. Hear.

Here ends the Fourth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the hymn, worship and Kavaca of Sarasvatī Devī in Śrī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa.