Chapter CCXIX - The prophylactic charm of Vaishnava Kavacham

Hari said:—O thou self-begotten one, now hear me discourse on the prophylatic formula known as Vaishnavam Kavacham, which grants a certain immunity from attacks of maladies. Having made obeisance unto the birthless, changeless, undecaying and all-powerful reality, having bowed down unto the all-pervading Vishnu, the god of gods, the overlord of the celestials, I shall describe the prophylaxis presently referred to. I make obeisance to the eternal spirit of irresistible prowess, to the dissipator of all woes and misfortunes. May Vishnu protect me in the front, and Krishna, at the back. May Hrishikesha protect my intellect; and Keshava, my tongue. May Vasudeva protect my eyes, and may Sankarshana guard my ears. May Pradyumna protect my nose; and Aniruddha, my skin. May Vanamali protect the inside of my throat; and Shrivatsa, the downward portion of my body. May the discus-wielding divinity guard my sides. I consign my left side to the protection of the destroyer of demons and my right side to that of the divine club weapon, that has brought about the annihilation of the Asuras. May the divine Mushala weapon protect my belly, may the divine plough guard my back. May the divine bow protect the upper part of my body, may Nandaka protect my knee-joints. May the divine conch-shell protect my insteps, may the divine lotus flower protect my feet. May the divine Garuda protect me in all concerns of my life. May the boar manifestation of Vishnu protect me in waters, may the dwarf manifestation of the supreme god protect me on undulating and impassable grounds. May Nrisinha guard my person in wilderness; may Keshava shield me everywhere. May Hiranyagarbha give me gold, may the divine Kapila, the author of the Sankhya system of philosophy, help me to maintain a normal equilibrium among the different vital principles of my organism. May the birthless one that presides over the white isle (Shvetadvipa) lead me to that land; may the destroyer of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha destroy my enemies. May the all-pervading Vishnu always expel sins from my body; may the swan, fish and tortoise manifestations of Vishnu protect me in all the quarters of the heaven. May he, whose prowess brooks no obstruction in the three regions, dissipate all my inequities. May Naray^na protect my intellect, may Shesha grant me that pure knowledge which dispels all ignorance, may the god whose mouth is the submarine, volcanic fire, cleanse my spirit of all sin I have committed in the past with my hands, feet, and mouth. May Dattatreya grant me increase of friends, progeny and domestic animals.. May Rama destroy with his battle-axe all my adversaries. May the mighty armed Rama, the destroyer of Rakshasas, always guard my body. May Rama, the delight of the race of Yadavas, kill my enemies with his invincible ploughshare. May juvinility of Krishna, the destroyer of Pralamva, Keshin, Chanura, Putana and Kansa, grant me all my heart desires. Dismayed with fear, utterly terror-stricken, I see a noose-holding male figure of a blackish, yellow colour, more sable than the primordial darkness and more dreadful to look at than the god of death, hence do I consign myself to the protection of the lotus-eyed one that suffers no decay. O my soul, I need not fear since the woe-dissipating lord is mine. I am now indeed an adorable Self.

Having meditated upon the divine self of Narayana, who guards against all evils and calamities that beset human life, I roam about in this world, bearing this Vaishnava prophylaxis on my person. Since my mind perpetually dwells upon the almighty self of Vishnu, malignant spirits dare not assail me. I am a veritable moving pantheon, full of energies of all the divinities. May success attend me in this life since I have duly recited this (Vaishnabam) Mantram. May Vishnu strike the eye-sight of those sin-perverted beings, that might chance to behold me with their wicked eyes, of whom I might happen to behold. May the discus of Vasudeva, as well as the halo (lit. spokes) that shines round that weapon, sever my sins and strike those that wish me evil, Happening to fall among monsters, and Pishachas, while crossing a lonely waste or a weird wilderness, in quarrels, in contests, while travelling on the king’s high way, in moments of crisis and on apprehension of imminent peril to life, while swiming across a river or to ward off the influences of malignant planets and disease-spirits, at times when attacks by thieves and acts of incendiarism are apprehended, in thunder, in lightning, on the happening of reasonable causes of terror, one should recite this Vaghavatam Mantram, most sacred of all other Mantras. This renowned Bhagavatam Kavacham, which extinguishes all sin, is the most secret of all secret Mantras. I make obeisance to the lotus-naveled one, the seed of the universe, the self without end or origin that lies inaccessible within the cycles (Kalpas) of evolution, the emanations of his own Maya.

Om, to Time (obeisance) Svaha, Om, to the spirit of Time obeisance (Svaha). Om, to Krishna obeisance (Svaha). Om, to the figure of Krishna obeisance. Om, obeisance to Chanda, Om obeisance to Chandarupa, Om, obeisance to Prachanda, Om, obeisance to Prachandrupa. Om, obeisance to Sarva. Om, obeisance to Sarvarupa. These are the texts of disease and poison-incantations. May Vishnu, may Narayana, may Aniruddha, may Samkarshana, may Vasudeva destroy my all kinds of fever.