Brihaspati Kavacham
बृहस्पतिकवचम्
Also known as: guru kavacham · brihaspati kavach · jupiter kavacham · abhishtaphaladam devam sarvajnam · brihaspati kavacham lyrics
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✦ Meaning
The Brihaspati Kavacham is a protective 'armour' hymn to Brihaspati — the planet Jupiter and Guru of the gods (Devaguru) — drawn from the Brahma Yamala, with Ishvara as its rishi. After bowing to Brihaspati as the wish-granting, all-knowing, rosary-bearing preceptor of the gods, it invokes him under his many names (Suracharya, Vagisha, Angirasa, Devaguru) to guard the devotee from head to foot. Its closing verse promises that whoever recites it at the three junctions of the day attains all his desires and is victorious everywhere.
Origin & Story
Brahma Yamala (Brihaspati Kavacha Stotram) · Traditional; rishi Ishvara · Tantric / Puranic
The Brihaspati Kavacham is preserved in the Brahma Yamala, with Ishvara named as its rishi and 'Gam' as its seed-syllable. It depicts Brihaspati — the serene, rosary-bearing son of the sage Angiras who is Guru and preceptor of the gods, master of the Vedas and lord of speech — and entreats this great benefic to shield the devotee limb by limb. As the armour-hymn of Jupiter it belongs to the Navagraha kavachas recited for graha shanti, and is turned to especially for wisdom, prosperity and the fulfilment of righteous desires.
✦ As told in scripture
The kavacha's closing verse promises that the one who recites this divine armour at the three junctions of the day 'sarvan kaman avapnoti' — attains all his desires — and becomes victorious everywhere; students and seekers recite it on Thursdays to win the Devaguru's grace of wisdom, eloquence and good fortune.
Complete Text with Meaning
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॥ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ अस्य श्रीबृहस्पतिकवचस्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य ईश्वर ऋषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, गुरुर्देवता, गं बीजं, श्रीशक्तिः, क्लीं कीलकं, गुरुप्रीत्यर्थं जपे विनियोगः ॥
|| śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || asya śrībṛhaspatikavacastotramantrasya īśvara ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, gururdevatā, gaṃ bījaṃ, śrīśaktiḥ, klīṃ kīlakaṃ, guruprītyarthaṃ jape viniyogaḥ ||
Meaning:Salutations to Sri Ganesha. For this Brihaspati Kavacham hymn the sage is Ishvara, the metre is Anushtup, the deity is Guru (Jupiter), 'Gam' is the seed, Shri is the power, 'Klim' is the pin; it is recited to please Guru.
अभीष्टफलदं देवं सर्वज्ञं सुरपूजितम् । अक्षमालाधरं शान्तं प्रणमामि बृहस्पतिम् ॥ १॥
abhīṣṭaphaladaṃ devaṃ sarvajñaṃ surapūjitam | akṣamālādharaṃ śāntaṃ praṇamāmi bṛhaspatim || 1||
Meaning:I bow to Brihaspati, the god who grants every wished-for fruit, the all-knowing, worshipped by the gods, holding the rosary, the serene one.
बृहस्पतिः शिरः पातु ललाटं पातु मे गुरुः । कर्णौ सुरगुरुः पातु नेत्रे मेऽभीष्टदायकः ॥ २॥
bṛhaspatiḥ śiraḥ pātu lalāṭaṃ pātu me guruḥ | karṇau suraguruḥ pātu netre me'bhīṣṭadāyakaḥ || 2||
Meaning:May Brihaspati guard my head, and the Guru my forehead; may the Guru of the gods guard my ears, and the giver of desires my eyes.
जिह्वां पातु सुराचार्यो नासां मे वेदपारगः । मुखं मे पातु सर्वज्ञः कण्ठं मे देवतागुरुः ॥ ३॥
jihvāṃ pātu surācāryo nāsāṃ me vedapāragaḥ | mukhaṃ me pātu sarvajñaḥ kaṇṭhaṃ me devatāguruḥ || 3||
Meaning:May the preceptor of the gods guard my tongue, and the master of the Vedas my nose; may the all-knowing one guard my mouth, and the Guru of the deities my throat.
भुजावाङ्गिरसः पातु करौ पातु शुभप्रदः । स्तनौ मे पातु वागीशः कुक्षिं मे शुभलक्षणः ॥ ४॥
bhujāvāṅgirasaḥ pātu karau pātu śubhapradaḥ | stanau me pātu vāgīśaḥ kukṣiṃ me śubhalakṣaṇaḥ || 4||
Meaning:May the son of Angiras guard my arms, and the bestower of good my hands; may the Lord of speech guard my breast, and the auspicious-marked one my belly.
नाभिं देवगुरुः पातु मध्यं पातु सुखप्रदः । कटिं पातु जगद्वन्द्य ऊरू मे पातु वाक्पतिः ॥ ५॥
nābhiṃ devaguruḥ pātu madhyaṃ pātu sukhapradaḥ | kaṭiṃ pātu jagadvandya ūrū me pātu vākpatiḥ || 5||
Meaning:May the Guru of the gods guard my navel, and the giver of happiness my middle; may the one adored by the world guard my waist, and the Lord of eloquence my thighs.
जानुजङ्घे सुराचार्यः पादौ विश्वात्मकस्तथा । अन्यानि यानि चाङ्गानि रक्षेन्मे सर्वतो गुरुः ॥ ६॥
jānujaṅghe surācāryaḥ pādau viśvātmakastathā | anyāni yāni cāṅgāni rakṣenme sarvato guruḥ || 6||
Meaning:May the preceptor of the gods guard my knees and shins, and the one whose Self is the universe my feet; may the Guru guard on every side whatever other limbs I have.
इत्येतत्कवचं दिव्यं त्रिसन्ध्यं यः पठेन्नरः । सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति सर्वत्र विजयी भवेत् ॥ ७॥
ityetatkavacaṃ divyaṃ trisandhyaṃ yaḥ paṭhennaraḥ | sarvānkāmānavāpnoti sarvatra vijayī bhavet || 7||
Meaning:The man who recites this divine armour at the three junctions of the day attains all his desires and becomes victorious everywhere.
॥ इति श्रीब्रह्मयामलोक्तं बृहस्पतिकवचं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
|| iti śrībrahmayāmaloktaṃ bṛhaspatikavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||
Meaning:Thus ends the Brihaspati Kavacham, as spoken in the Brahma Yamala.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Brihaspati Kavacham
A limb-by-limb 'kavacha' (armour) invoking the protection of Brihaspati, the Devaguru, over the entire body from head to feet.
Recited to strengthen a weak or afflicted Jupiter — the great benefic that governs wisdom, knowledge, children, wealth and dharma.
Its phalashruti promises that one who recites it thrice daily (trisandhya) attains all his desires and becomes victorious everywhere.
Especially valued by students, teachers and seekers for learning, eloquence (Vagisha) and clarity of intellect.
Chanted for prosperity, progeny, married happiness and the blessings that Jupiter, the most auspicious of planets, bestows.
Recited on Thursdays (Guruvara), the weekday of Jupiter, and during Brihaspati or Navagraha puja.
How to Chant Brihaspati Kavacham
Bathe and sit facing east or north before an image of Brihaspati (or the Navagraha), with yellow flowers, yellow sandal and a ghee lamp; offerings of chana dal, turmeric or bananas are appropriate to Jupiter. Recite the viniyoga with its bija 'Gam', then the dhyana verse, then the kavacha verses guarding each limb, and finally the phalashruti. The verse advises reciting it trisandhyam (thrice daily); it is most auspicious on Thursdays and to strengthen a weak Jupiter.