The Shri Batuka Bhairava Brahma Kavacham is a protective kavacham from the Shri Rudra Yamala Tantra. Batuka Bhairava, the youthful form of Bhairava, is revered as a guardian who removes danger and clears obstacles. In this text, Lord Shiva reveals the kavacham to Goddess Parvati. Its 22-syllable root mantra is:
oṃ hrīṃ baṭukāya āpaduddhāraṇāya kuru kuru baṭukāya hrīṃ
Chant 11 or 21 times before and after reciting the Kavacham
Opening Salutations
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ · śrīumāmaheśvarābhyāṃ namaḥ · śrīgurave namaḥ · śrībhairavāya namaḥ
Salutations to Ganesha · to Uma and Maheshvara · to the Guru · to Bhairava
The Prologue — Parvati Asks, Shiva Answers
Sanskrit · Verse 1
bhagavansarvavettā tvaṃ devānāṃ prītidāyakam .bhairavaṃ kavacaṃ brūhi yadi cāsti kṛpā mayi ..
English Meaning
O Lord, you are the knower of all things. You are the one who gives joy to the gods. If you have mercy on me, please tell me the Kavacham of Bhairava.
Sanskrit · Verse 2
prāṇatyāgaṃ kariṣyāmi yadi no kathayiṣyasi .satyaṃ satyaṃ punaḥ satyaṃ satyameva na saṃśayaḥ ..
English Meaning
If you do not tell me, I shall give up my very life. This is the truth, the truth, and again the truth — there is no doubt whatsoever.
Sanskrit · Verse 3
itthaṃ devyā vacaḥ śrutvā prahasyātiśayaṃ prabhuḥ .uvāca vacanaṃ tatra devadevo maheśvaraḥ ..
English Meaning
Hearing these words of the Goddess, the great Lord Maheshvara — God among gods — smiled tenderly and began to speak.
Sanskrit · Verse 4
bāṭukaṃ kavacaṃ divyaṃ śṛṇu matprāṇavallabhe .caṇḍikātantrasarvasvaṃ baṭukasya viśeṣataḥ ..
English Meaning
O beloved of my life, listen now to the divine Batuka Kavacham. It is the very essence of the Chandika Tantra, especially dedicated to Batuka.
Sanskrit · Verse 5
tatra mantrādyakṣaraṃ tu vāsudevasvarūpakam .śaṅkhavarṇadvayo brahmā baṭukaścandraśekharaḥ ..
English Meaning
The first syllable of its mantra is the very form of Vishnu. Brahma is pure white like a conch shell. Batuka wears the crescent moon upon his head.
Sanskrit · Verse 6
āpaduddhāraṇo devo bhairavaḥ parikīrtitaḥ .pravakṣyāmi samāsena caturvargaprasiddhaye ..
English Meaning
Bhairava is celebrated as the god who lifts us out of all misfortune and danger. I shall now teach it briefly so that you may attain the four goals of human life.
The Root Mantra Explained (Verses 7–9)
Sanskrit · Verse 7
praṇavaḥ kāmadaṃ vidyā lajjābījaṃ ca siddhidam .baṭukāyeti vijñeyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam ..
English Meaning
Oṃ fulfills desires. Hrīṃ (the Lajja-bija) grants perfection and success. The word Batukaya is known to destroy even the greatest sins.
Sanskrit · Verse 8
āpaduddhāraṇāyeti tvāpaduddhāraṇaṃ nṛṇām .kurudvayaṃ maheśāni mohane parikīrtitam ..
English Meaning
The phrase Apaduddharanaya literally removes misfortune from human beings. The double Kuru Kuru is specifically used for enchantment and attracting beings toward the divine.
Sanskrit · Verse 9
baṭukāya maheśāni stambhane parikīrtitam .lajjābījaṃ tathā vidyānmuktidaṃ parikīrtitam ..
English Meaning
The final Batukaya is used for paralyzing and stopping obstacles in their path. And Hrīṃ at the end is said to grant liberation itself.
Viniyoga — Ritual Dedication
oṃ asya śrībaṭukabhairavabrahmakavacasya bhairava ṛṣiḥ . anuṣṭup chandaḥ . śrībaṭukabhairavo devatā . mama śrībaṭukabhairavaprasādasiddhayarthe jape viniyogaḥ ..
For this Shri Batuka Bhairava Brahma Kavacham, the seer is Bhairava, the meter is Anushtup, the deity is Shri Batuka Bhairava, and the recitation is offered for the attainment of his grace and siddhi.
The Kavacham — The Divine Armor (Verses 10–21)
Root Mantra Before Recitation
oṃ hrīṃ baṭukāya āpaduddhāraṇāya kuru kuru baṭukāya hrīṃ
(Chant 11 or 21 times, then proceed with the verses below)
For multiple recitations in one sitting: Recite the Prologue, Root Mantra Explained, and Viniyoga once at the beginning. Repeat only this Kavacham section (Verses 10–21) for each round, then recite the Phalashruti once at the end.
Sanskrit · Verse 10
oṃ pātu nityaṃ śirasi pātu hrīṃ kaṇṭhadeśake ..
English Meaning
May Oṃ protect my head always. May Hrīṃ protect the region of my throat every day.
Sanskrit · Verse 11
baṭukāya pātu nābhau cāpaduddhāraṇāya ca ..kurudvayaṃ liṅgamūle tvādhāre vaṭukāya ca ..
English Meaning
May Batukaya protect the navel and the lower regions. May the double Kuru Kuru and Batukaya protect the root base of life.
Sanskrit · Verse 12
sarvadā pātu hrīṃ bījaṃ bāhvoryugalameva ca ..ṣaḍaṅgasahito devo nityaṃ rakṣatu bhairavaḥ ..
English Meaning
May the seed Hrīṃ always protect both arms without fail. And may Lord Bhairava — complete with his six limbs — protect me every day and night.
Sanskrit · Verse 13
oṃ hrīṃ baṭukāya satataṃ sarvāṅgaṃ mama sarvadā ..oṃ hrīṃ pādau mahākālaḥ pātu vīrāsano hṛdi ..
English Meaning
May the full mantra protect every limb of my body always. May Mahakala protect my feet; may Virasana protect my heart.
Sanskrit · Verse 14
oṃ hrīṃ kālaḥ śiraḥ pātu kaṇṭhadeśe tu bhairavaḥ .gaṇarāṭ pātu jihvāyāmaṣṭābhiḥ śaktibhiḥ saha ..
English Meaning
May Kala protect my head; may Bhairava guard my throat. May Ganarat protect my tongue, together with the eight Shaktis who surround him.
Sanskrit · Verse 15
oṃ hrīṃ daṇḍapāṇirguhyamūle bhairavīsahitastathā .oṃ hrīṃ viśvanāthaḥ sadā pātu sarvāṅgaṃ mama sarvadaḥ ..
English Meaning
May Dandapani, along with Bhairavi, guard my private parts. May Vishvanatha protect every single part of my body at all times and in all ways.
Sanskrit · Verse 16
oṃ hrīṃ annapūrṇā sadā pātu cāṃsau rakṣatu caṇḍikā .āsitāṅgaḥ śiraḥ pātu lalāṭaṃ rurubhairavaḥ ..
English Meaning
May Annapurna always protect me; may Chandika guard my shoulders. May Asitanga protect my head; may Ruru Bhairava guard my forehead.
Sanskrit · Verse 17
oṃ hrīṃ caṇḍabhairavaḥ pātu vaktraṃ kaṇṭhaṃ śrīkrodhabhairavaḥ .unmattabhairavaḥ pātu hṛdayaṃ mama sarvadā ..
English Meaning
May Chanda Bhairava protect my face; may Krodha Bhairava guard my throat. May Unmatta Bhairava protect my heart at all times.
Sanskrit · Verse 18
oṃ hrīṃ nābhideśe kapālī ca liṅge bhīṣaṇabhairavaḥ .saṃhārabhairavaḥ pātu mūlādhāraṃ ca sarvadā ..
English Meaning
May Kapali protect the navel region; may Bhishana Bhairava guard the reproductive center. May Samhara Bhairava always protect the root base — the Muladhara.
Sanskrit · Verse 19
oṃ hrīṃ bāhuyugmaṃ sadā pātu bhairavo mama kevalam .haṃsabījaṃ pātu hṛdi so'haṃ rakṣatu pādayoḥ ..
English Meaning
May Bhairava alone always protect both my arms. May the Hamsa seed syllable protect the heart; may the great So'ham — "I am That" — protect my feet.
Sanskrit · Verse 20
oṃ hrīṃ prāṇāpānau samānaṃ ca udānaṃ vyānameva ca .rakṣatu dvāramūle ca daśadikṣu samantataḥ ..
English Meaning
May he protect my five vital breaths — prana, apana, samana, udana, and vyana — and may he guard all ten directions around me completely.
Sanskrit · Verse 21
oṃ hrīṃ praṇavaṃ pātu sarvāṅgaṃ lajjābījaṃ mahābhaye .iti śrībrahmakavacaṃ bhairavasya prakīrtitam ..
English Meaning
May Oṃ protect my whole body; may Hrīṃ protect me in states of great fear. Thus ends the celebrated Brahma Kavacham of Bhairava.
Root Mantra After Recitation
oṃ hrīṃ baṭukāya āpaduddhāraṇāya kuru kuru baṭukāya hrīṃ
(Chant 11 or 21 times. If doing multiple rounds, return to the Kavacham section above. Otherwise proceed to the Phalashruti.)
Phalashruti — The Fruits of Recitation (Verses 22–32)
Sanskrit · Verse 22
catuvargapradaṃ nityaṃ svayaṃ devaprakāśitam .yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyānnityaṃ dhārayetkavacottamam ..
English Meaning
This kavacham bestows all four goals of life daily. It was revealed by the Lord himself. One should read it, hear it, or keep it on one's body.
Sanskrit · Verse 23
sadānandamayo bhūtvā labhate paramaṃ padam .yaḥ idaṃ kavacaṃ devi cintayenmanmukhoditam ..
English Meaning
Becoming filled with eternal bliss, the devotee attains the supreme state. O Goddess, one who meditates on this kavacham — spoken from my own lips — reaches the highest.
Sanskrit · Verse 24
koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tasya naśyati tatkṣaṇāt .jalamadhye'gnimadhye vā durgrahe śatrusaṅkaṭe ..
English Meaning
The sins accumulated over millions of births are destroyed in an instant. It protects in the midst of floods, fires, the influence of malefic planets, and danger from enemies.
Sanskrit · Verse 25
kavacasmaraṇāddevi sarvatra vijayī bhavet .bhaktiyuktena manasā kavacaṃ pūjayedyadi ..
English Meaning
O Goddess, one who remembers this kavacham becomes victorious in all undertakings. And if one worships it with a mind full of true devotion, the results are even greater.
Sanskrit · Verse 26
kāmatulyastu nārīṇāṃ ripūṇāṃ ca yamopamaḥ .tasya pādāmbujadvandaṃ rājñāṃ mukuṭabhūṣaṇam ..
English Meaning
He becomes like the god of love to those who love him, and like the god of death to his enemies. Even kings bow their crowned heads at his lotus feet.
Sanskrit · Verse 27
tasya bhūtiṃ vilokyaiva kubero'pi tiraskṛtaḥ .yasya vijñānamātreṇa mantrasiddhirna saṃśayaḥ ..
English Meaning
Seeing his prosperity, even Kubera — the god of wealth — is put to shame. By merely knowing this kavacham, the attainment of mantra-siddhi (perfection) is certain without doubt.
Sanskrit · Verse 28
idaṃ kavacamajñātvā yo japedbaṭukaṃ naraḥ .na cāpnoti phalaṃ tasya paraṃ narakamāpnuyāt ..
English Meaning
One who chants the Batuka mantra without first knowing this kavacham gets no fruit at all from that practice, and may face a downward path in future lives.
Sanskrit · Verse 29
manvantaratrayaṃ sthitvā tiryagyoniṣu jāyate .iha loke mahārogī dāridryeṇātipīḍitaḥ ..
English Meaning
Such a person may remain in lower births for three cosmic ages. And even in this present life they suffer from serious illness and grinding poverty.
Sanskrit · Verse 30
śatrūṇāṃ vaśago bhūtvā karapātrī bhavejjaḍaḥ .deyaṃ putrāya śiṣyāya śāntāya priyavādine ..
English Meaning
They fall under the control of enemies and are reduced to begging. Therefore give this kavacham only to your own son, to a true disciple, or to a peaceful and gentle person.
Sanskrit · Verse 31
kārpaṇyarahitāyālaṃ baṭukabhaktiratāya ca .yo'parāge pradātā vai tasya syādatisatvaram ..
English Meaning
Give it to one who is generous and free of miserliness, and who is devoted to Batuka with their whole heart. If it is transmitted during a solar or lunar eclipse, the results come with extraordinary speed.
Sanskrit · Verse 32
āyurvidyā yaśo dharmaṃ balaṃ caiva na saṃśayaḥ .iti te kathitaṃ devi gopanīyaṃ svayonivat ..
English Meaning
Long life, knowledge, fame, dharma, and physical strength — all these are attained without doubt. I have told you this, O Goddess. Guard it as secret as your own body.
iti śrīrudrayāmaloktaṃ śrībaṭukabhairavabrahmakavacaṃ sampūrṇam
Thus ends the Shri Batuka Bhairava Brahma Kavacham from the Shri Rudra Yamala Tantra.