Rahu Kavacham
राहुकवचम्
Also known as: rahu kavach · sri rahu kavacham · pranamami sada rahum · rahu kavacham lyrics
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✦ Meaning
The Rahu Kavacham is a protective 'armour' hymn to Rahu, the shadow-planet and ascending lunar node, whose rishi is the Moon (Chandrama) and which is traditionally placed in the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata. After bowing to Rahu — the crowned, winnowing-basket-shaped son of Simhika who grants fearlessness — it invokes him under his many names (Svarbhanu, Vidhuntuda, Simhikeya) to guard the devotee from head to foot. Its closing verse promises that one who recites it daily with devotion gains unequalled fame, prosperity, long life and health by Rahu's grace.
Origin & Story
Mahabharata, Drona Parva (Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue) · Traditional; rishi Chandrama (the Moon) · Epic / Puranic
The Rahu Kavacham is preserved in the tradition as part of the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata, within the dialogue of Dhritarashtra and Sanjaya, with the Moon (Chandrama) named as its rishi. It depicts Rahu — the crowned, winnowing-basket-shaped, fearsome-faced son of Simhika, who though only half a body yet swallows the Sun and Moon at eclipses — and entreats this 'lord of planets' to shield the devotee limb by limb. As an armour-hymn of the shadow-planet it belongs to the Navagraha kavachas recited for graha shanti.
✦ As told in scripture
The kavacha's closing verse promises that the devoted, disciplined reciter gains 'kirtim atulam' — unequalled fame — together with prosperity, long life, health and self-mastery 'tat-prasadat', by the grace of Rahu himself; for this reason it is chanted during Rahu's testing periods to turn the shadow-planet's force from torment into success.
Complete Text with Meaning
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॥ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ ॐ अस्य श्रीराहुकवचस्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य चन्द्रमा ऋषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, रां बीजम्, नमः शक्तिः, स्वाहा कीलकम्, राहुकृत पीडानिवारणार्थे, धनधान्य आयुरारोग्य आदि समृद्धि प्राप्त्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः ॥
|| śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || oṃ asya śrīrāhukavacastotramantrasya candramā ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, rāṃ bījam, namaḥ śaktiḥ, svāhā kīlakam, rāhukṛta pīḍānivāraṇārthe, dhanadhānya āyurārogya ādi samṛddhi prāptyarthe jape viniyogaḥ ||
Meaning:Salutations to Sri Ganesha. Om. For this Rahu Kavacham hymn the sage is Chandrama (the Moon), the metre is Anushtup, 'Ram' is the seed, 'Namah' the power, 'Svaha' the pin; it is recited to ward off the afflictions caused by Rahu and to gain wealth, grain, long life, health and all-round prosperity.
प्रणमामि सदा राहुं शूर्पाकारं किरीटिनम् । सैंहिकेयं करालास्यं लोकानामभयप्रदम् ॥ १॥
praṇamāmi sadā rāhuṃ śūrpākāraṃ kirīṭinam | saiṃhikeyaṃ karālāsyaṃ lokānāmabhayapradam || 1||
Meaning:I bow always to Rahu, shaped like a winnowing-basket and crowned, the son of Simhika, of fearsome face, who bestows fearlessness upon the worlds.
नीलाम्बरः शिरः पातु ललाटं लोकवन्दितः । चक्षुषी पातु मे राहुः श्रोत्रे त्वर्धशरीरवान् ॥ २॥
nīlāmbaraḥ śiraḥ pātu lalāṭaṃ lokavanditaḥ | cakṣuṣī pātu me rāhuḥ śrotre tvardhaśarīravān || 2||
Meaning:May the dark-blue-robed one guard my head, and the one revered by the worlds my forehead; may Rahu guard my eyes, and the one with half a body my ears.
नासिकां मे धूम्रवर्णः शूलपाणिर्मुखं मम । जिह्वां मे सिंहिकासूनुः कण्ठं मे कठिनाङ्घ्रिकः ॥ ३॥
nāsikāṃ me dhūmravarṇaḥ śūlapāṇirmukhaṃ mama | jihvāṃ me siṃhikāsūnuḥ kaṇṭhaṃ me kaṭhināṅghrikaḥ || 3||
Meaning:May the smoke-coloured one guard my nose, and the trident-bearer my mouth; may the son of Simhika guard my tongue, and the hard-footed one my throat.
भुजङ्गेशो भुजौ पातु नीलमाल्याम्बरः करौ । पातु वक्षःस्थलं मन्त्री पातु कुक्षिं विधुन्तुदः ॥ ४॥
bhujaṅgeśo bhujau pātu nīlamālyāmbaraḥ karau | pātu vakṣaḥsthalaṃ mantrī pātu kukṣiṃ vidhuntudaḥ || 4||
Meaning:May the lord of serpents guard my arms, and the one robed in dark garlands my hands; may the counsellor guard my chest, and the tormentor of the Moon my belly.
कटिं मे विकटः पातु ऊरू मे सुरपूजितः । स्वर्भानुर्जानुनी पातु जङ्घे मे पातु जाड्यहा ॥ ५॥
kaṭiṃ me vikaṭaḥ pātu ūrū me surapūjitaḥ | svarbhānurjānunī pātu jaṅghe me pātu jāḍyahā || 5||
Meaning:May the fearsome one guard my waist, and the one worshipped by the gods my thighs; may Svarbhanu guard my knees, and the destroyer of dullness my shins.
गुल्फौ ग्रहपतिः पातु पादौ मे भीषणाकृतिः । सर्वाण्यङ्गानि मे पातु नीलचन्दनभूषणः ॥ ६॥
gulphau grahapatiḥ pātu pādau me bhīṣaṇākṛtiḥ | sarvāṇyaṅgāni me pātu nīlacandanabhūṣaṇaḥ || 6||
Meaning:May the lord of planets guard my ankles, and the one of dreadful form my feet; may the one adorned with dark sandal guard all my limbs.
राहोरिदं कवचमृद्धिदवस्तुदं यो भक्त्या पठत्यनुदिनं नियतः शुचिः सन् । प्राप्नोति कीर्तिमतुलां श्रियमृद्धिमायु- रारोग्यमात्मविजयं च हि तत्प्रसादात् ॥ ७॥
rāhoridaṃ kavacamṛddhidavastudaṃ yo bhaktyā paṭhatyanudinaṃ niyataḥ śuciḥ san | prāpnoti kīrtimatulāṃ śriyamṛddhimāyu- rārogyamātmavijayaṃ ca hi tatprasādāt || 7||
Meaning:Whoever, devoted, pure and disciplined, recites this prosperity-granting armour of Rahu every day, attains by his grace unequalled fame, prosperity, abundance, long life, health and victory over himself.
॥ इति श्रीमहाभारते धृतराष्ट्रसञ्जयसंवादे द्रोणपर्वणि राहुकवचं सम्पूर्णम् ॥
|| iti śrīmahābhārate dhṛtarāṣṭrasañjayasaṃvāde droṇaparvaṇi rāhukavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||
Meaning:Thus ends the Rahu Kavacham, from the dialogue of Dhritarashtra and Sanjaya in the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Rahu Kavacham
A limb-by-limb 'kavacha' (armour) invoking Rahu's protection over the whole body, warding off the fear, confusion and sudden troubles associated with the shadow-planet.
Recited to pacify Rahu Dosha and the malefic effects of Rahu's mahadasha, antardasha and transits, including Kala Sarpa Dosha.
Its phalashruti promises unequalled fame, prosperity (Shri), abundance (Riddhi), long life, health and self-mastery to the daily reciter.
Rahu rules ambition, foreign matters and the hidden — its kavacha is invoked to turn its restless energy toward worldly success rather than affliction.
Especially recited on Saturdays and during Rahu Kaal, and during Navagraha or Rahu puja.
Said to grant 'abhaya' (fearlessness) and to relieve anxiety, phobias, addictions and unexplained obstacles attributed to Rahu.
How to Chant Rahu Kavacham
Bathe and sit facing south or south-west before an image of Rahu (or the Navagraha), with dark-blue or smoke-coloured flowers and a sesame-oil lamp; offerings of black sesame are appropriate. Recite the viniyoga with its bija 'Ram', then the salutation verse, then the kavacha verses guarding each limb, and finally the phalashruti. It is most potent on Saturdays and during Rahu Kaal, and may be recited daily through a difficult Rahu period.