Bhakti List Archives

Sudarsana Kavacham

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • Mon Oct 07 1996 - 14:17:16 PDT 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

It is customary to reach Jnanam thru the routes of Japa,
Dhyana , Upasanaa and Yogam related to one's Ishta daivam. 
Top among the Mantras for such spiritual advancement is 
the Upasana of  Sri Sudarsana Bhagavan known otherwise as 
Chakraraja . His Vaibhavam is celebrated in three 
major Stotrams , which have powerful sakthi to 
invoke Him . These  are the Shadkam , Kavacham and Ashtakam 
by Swami Desikan . We will concentrate on the Kavacham to illustrate 
the esoteric meanings of Sudarsana Bhagavan .
 
Sri Sudarsana Kavacham is a powerful kavacham
which has number of passages relating to the special
contextual relationship between Bhagavan Narasimhan and 
Sri Sudarsana Azhwaan . 

The Kavacham starts off majestically describing that 
realtionship :

Asya Sri Sudarsana Kavacha Mahaa Mantrasya,
Bhagavaan Antharyaamii Narayana Rishi : Anushtub Chanda:,
Sri Sudarsana Roopi Sriman NaraayaNo Devathaa I Ram 
Bheejam ----- Sri Sudarsana Prasaadha siddhayrteh japeh viniyoga : II

Sankham chakram gadhaa padmam musalam khadkameva cha I
Dhanum cha yama Paasam cha MUDHRAA heyathaa: prakeerthithaa : II

Paanchajanyayaaya Sankhaadhipateyeh Nama :I sudarsanaaya
Hethi Raajaaya Nama : I   --------- Yam Yamapaasaaya Nama : I

Dhyaanam :

Sankham saarngam sakhetam hala parasu 
gadhaa kuntha paasaan dhadhaanam 
tvanyairvaamayaisccha chakreshvasi musala
lasadh vajra soolaankusaagneen I
JWALAA KESAM kiritam JWALADHANILA NIBHAM 
VAHNIM UGRASTHA PEETAM
PRATHYAALEETAM  TRINETHRAM
RIPUGANA DAMANAM BHAVAYETH CHAKRARAJAAM II

THE ALTERNATIVE INVOCATION  FOR THE KAVACHAM
SHOWS THE CLOSE AFFILIATION WITH 
SWAMI DESIKAN'S REFERENCE TO  AHIBUDHNYA 
IN HIS ASHTAKAM :

BhajadhAHIRBUDHNYA LAKSHITA ! JAYA JAYA SRI SUDARSANA 

The second invocation preferred by some is more dramatic . I will
cover it without inclusion of the Sudarsana Manthram :

ANGA  NYAASA KARA NYAASAM

Om asya Sri Sudharsana kavacha stothra mahaamantrasya ,
AHIRBUDHNYOH BHAGAVAAN RISHI : I Anushtubh chandha: I 
Sri Sudarsana  MAHA NARASIMHO DEVATHAA I 
Sahasraaramithi bheejam I Sudarsanamithi Sakthi : I 
Chakramithi Keelakam I Mama Sarva Rakshaarteh 
SRI SUDARSANA PURUSHA SRI NRUSIMHA PREETHYARTEH 
Japeh Viniyoga : I Om Aachakraaya svahaa Angushtabhyaam Nama: I
Om Vichakraaya svahaa tarjaneebhyaam Nama: I Om Suchakraaya
svaaha Madhyamaabhyaam nama: I Om Suryachakraaya 
svahaa Anaamikhaabhyaam Nama: I Om Jwalaa chakraaya Svaahaa 
Kanishtikhaabhyaam Nama: I Om Sudarsana  Chakraaya  svaaha 
karatala Kara Prushtaabhyaam Nama: I Om Aachakraaya svaahaa 
hrudhayaaya Nama: I Om Vichakraaya svaahaa siraseh svaahaa I
Om Suchakraaya Svaahaa sikhaayayai vashat I Om Surya Chakraaya
svaahaa Bhalaaya kavachaaya hum I Om Jvaalaa chakraaya svaahaa
nethraabhyaam voushat I Om Sudarsana Chakraaya svaahaa asthraaya PaT I
Om Bhur bhuvasuvaromithi digh Bhandha : I

DHYAANAM 

SANKAM CHAKRAM CHA CHAPAM PARASUMASIMISHUSOOLA PAASANKUSAASTHRAM 
BIBHRAANAM VAJRA KETOU HALA MUSALA GADHAA KUNTHAMATYUGRA DHAMSHTRAM
JWAALAA KESAM TRINETHRAM JWALADHANILA NIBHAM HAARA KEYURA BHOOSHAM
DHYAAYETH SHATKONA SAMSTHAM SAKALA RIPU JANA PRAANA SAMHAARA CHAKRAM II

MANTRAM FOLLOWS next  : not included .

56 SLOKAMS OF STOTHRAM FOLLOW THE MANTHRAM 
AND THE KAVACHAM CONCLUDES . The references to 
Sri Narasimha in the stotra sections  are as follows :

VEERASIMHO MUKHAM PAATHU---SLOKAM 4

SUDARSANA NARASIMHO MEH SARIRAM PAATHU SARVADHAA (SLOKAM 13)

BHAARYAAM LAKSHMI SAKHA: PAATHU
PUTHRAAN PAATHU SUDARSANA; (SLOKAM 16)

DIVAARTHROU CHA MAAM PAATHU
AHIRBUDHNYA VARA PRADHA : ( SLOKAM 18 )

The reference here is clearly to Sri Narasimha as 
the boon giver to Ahirbudhnya (Parama  Sivan ).

The POWER  of the Kabvacham and Manthram of 
SUDARSANA NARASINHA IS INDICATED BY 
the following concluding sections of the Kavacham . 

VYAALA SARPAADHI SARVESHAAM VISHAAPAHARANAM PARAM I

SAKALAM PRAAPNYAADHASYA KAVACHASYA PRASADHATA : I

my grand father , an accomplished Sudarsana  Upaasaka 
used to treat people with Cobra bite and bring them back to life.
I have seen it. He will take a bath even inthe middle of the night,
when the people brought an unconscious person with cobra bite 
to the front of his house and then he used to bring them back to life thru
the Ucchatanam of Sudarsana Manthram. 

SHATKAARAANTHAMANIRDESYAM DIVYA MANTRENA SAMYUTHAM I
SRIYAM PRASANNA VADHANAM PRAPATHYEHAM SUDHARSANAM II

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan