budhamercurynavagrahakavacham

Budha Kavacham

बुध कवचम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Wednesdays (Budhavara), the day of Mercury; also during Navagraha puja·📜 Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Budha Kavacham)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Budha Kavacham from the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana is a protective 'armour' hymn to Budha — Mercury, the planet of intellect, speech and learning — with Kashyapa as its rishi. Picturing Mercury as the book-bearing, saffron-hued, yellow-robed son of the Moon and Rohini, it invokes him to guard the devotee's body limb by limb. Its phalashruti declares that this divine armour destroys all sins, cures disease, removes sorrow, and bestows long life, health, progeny and victory everywhere.

Origin & Story

Brahma-Vaivarta Purana (Budha Kavacham) · Sage Kashyapa (rishi of the mantra) · Puranic

The Budha Kavacham is preserved in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana, with the sage Kashyapa named as its rishi and Anushtup as its metre. It belongs to the family of planetary (Navagraha) armour-hymns recited for graha-shanti, the pacification of the nine planets. Budha (Mercury) is, in Puranic lore, the son of Chandra (the Moon) and Tara and the lord of intellect, speech and learning; depicted bearing a book and robed in yellow, he is invoked through this kavacha to shield the devotee limb by limb and to bless him with wisdom, health and success.

✦ As told in scripture

The kavacha's phalashruti promises that whoever recites or even merely hears this divine armour of Mercury 'becomes victorious everywhere' — freed from sin and disease, blessed with long life, health and progeny — for the gentle lord of intellect protects every limb of the one who takes refuge in him.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ | asya śrībudhakavacastotramantrasya kaśyapa ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, budho devatā, budhaprītyarthaṃ jape viniyogaḥ ||

Meaning:Salutations to Sri Ganesha. For this Budha Kavacha hymn, the sage is Kashyapa, the metre is Anushtup, the deity is Budha (Mercury); it is recited to please Budha.

Verse 2

budhastu pustakadharaḥ kuṅkumasya samadyutiḥ | pītāmbaradharaḥ pātu pītamālyānulepanaḥ || 1||

Meaning:May Budha, the bearer of a book, lustrous as saffron, clad in yellow garments, adorned with yellow garlands and yellow paste, protect me.

Verse 3

kaṭiṃ ca pātu me saumyaḥ śirodeśaṃ budhastathā | netre jñānamayaḥ pātu śrotre pātu niśāpriyaḥ || 2||

Meaning:May the gentle Saumya guard my waist and the head-region; may the one made of knowledge guard my eyes, and the lover of the night guard my ears.

Verse 4

ghrāṇaṃ gandhapriyaḥ pātu jihvāṃ vidyāprado mama | kaṇṭhaṃ pātu vidhoḥ putro bhujau pustakabhūṣaṇaḥ || 3||

Meaning:May the fragrance-loving one guard my nose, and the bestower of learning guard my tongue; may the son of the Moon guard my throat, and the book-adorned one my arms.

Verse 5

vakṣaḥ pātu varāṅgaśca hṛdayaṃ rohiṇīsutaḥ | nābhiṃ pātu surārādhyo madhyaṃ pātu khageśvaraḥ || 4||

Meaning:May the fair-bodied one guard my chest, and the son of Rohini my heart; may the one worshipped by the gods guard my navel, and the lord of the sky-movers my middle.

Verse 6

jānunī rauhiṇeyaśca pātu jaṅghe'khilapradaḥ | pādau me bodhanaḥ pātu pātu saumyo'khilaṃ vapuḥ || 5||

Meaning:May the son of Rohini guard my knees, and the giver of all things my shins; may Bodhana guard my feet, and may the gentle Saumya guard my whole body.

Verse 7

etaddhi kavacaṃ divyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam | sarvarogapraśamanaṃ sarvaduḥkhanivāraṇam || 6||

Meaning:This divine armour destroys all sins, pacifies all diseases, and removes all sorrows.

Verse 8

āyurārogyaśubhadaṃ putrapautrapravardhanam | yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi sarvatra vijayī bhavet || 7||

Meaning:It bestows long life, health and auspiciousness, and increases sons and grandsons; whoever recites or even hears it becomes victorious everywhere.

Verse 9

|| iti śrībrahmavaivartapurāṇe budhakavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||

Meaning:Thus ends the Budha Kavacham in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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budhaḥ🔊Budha — the planet Mercury, lord of intellect (buddhi)

pustakadharaḥ🔊Bearer of a book (symbol of learning and scriptures)

kuṅkumasya samadyutiḥ🔊Of a lustre like saffron / kunkuma

pītāmbaradharaḥ🔊Clad in yellow / golden garments

pītamālyānulepanaḥ🔊Adorned with yellow garlands and yellow anointing paste

pātu🔊May he protect / guard

saumyaḥ🔊Saumya — 'the gentle/benign one', a name of Mercury (son of Soma/Moon)

jñānamayaḥ🔊Made of knowledge — guarding the eyes

niśāpriyaḥ🔊Dear to the night — guarding the ears

vidyāpradaḥ🔊Bestower of learning / knowledge — guarding the tongue

vidhoḥ putraḥ🔊Son of the Moon (Vidhu / Chandra) — guarding the throat

rohiṇīsutaḥ🔊Son of Rohini — guarding the heart

surārādhyaḥ🔊Worshipped by the gods — guarding the navel

khageśvaraḥ🔊Lord among the celestial bodies (sky-movers) — guarding the middle

rauhiṇeyaḥ🔊The son of Rohini — guarding the knees

akhilapradaḥ🔊Giver of everything — guarding the shins

bodhanaḥ🔊Bodhana — 'the awakener / illuminator', a name of Mercury, guarding the feet

sarvapāpapraṇāśanam🔊Destroyer of all sins

sarvarogapraśamanam🔊Pacifier of all diseases

āyurārogyaśubhadam🔊Bestowing long life, health and auspiciousness

sarvatra vijayī bhavet🔊He becomes victorious everywhere

Benefits of Chanting बुध कवचम्

✦

A limb-by-limb 'kavacha' (armour) invoking Mercury's protection over the whole body, guarding against harm and evil.

✦

Mercury rules intellect, speech, learning, commerce and communication — the kavacha is recited for sharp memory, wisdom, eloquence and success in study, trade and examinations.

✦

Its phalashruti promises destruction of all sins and pacification of all diseases — chanted for good health, especially nervous and skin ailments traditionally linked to Budha.

✦

Said to bestow long life (ayus), health (arogya) and auspiciousness, and to increase progeny (sons and grandsons).

✦

Promises that the reciter or even the listener 'becomes victorious everywhere' — invoked for success in all undertakings.

✦

A traditional remedy (parihara) for a weak or afflicted Mercury and for Budha Dosha in the horoscope.

✦

Most auspicious when recited on Wednesdays (Budhavara), the weekday of Mercury, with green or yellow offerings.

How to Chant बुध कवचम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeWednesdays (Budhavara), the day of Mercury; also during Navagraha puja

Bathe and sit facing north or east before an image of Budha or the Navagraha, ideally with a ghee lamp and offerings of green or yellow flowers, green moong (mung beans) and yellow or green cloth. Recite the viniyoga, then the dhyana and the kavacha verses guarding each limb, and finally the phalashruti. It is most powerful on Wednesdays and may be recited daily for the duration of a difficult Mercury dasha or for success in study and speech.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete बुध कवचम् written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

The Budha Kavacham is a protective hymn to the planet Mercury (Budha), found in the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana. A 'kavacha' is a spiritual armour: each verse asks Budha to guard a specific part of the body, surrounding the devotee with Mercury's benign, intelligent energy.

Because Mercury governs intellect, speech, learning and commerce, it is chanted for sharp memory, wisdom, eloquence and success in study, business and examinations. Its own phalashruti also promises freedom from sin and disease, long life, health, progeny and victory in all undertakings.

On Wednesdays (Budhavara), the weekday ruled by Mercury, and during any Navagraha puja, ideally with green or yellow flowers, green moong and a lamp. For a remedy it may be recited daily through the period of an adverse Mercury dasha or transit.

Budha is the planetary deity of Mercury, born of Chandra (the Moon) and Tara, and nursed by Rohini — hence the names Saumya ('son of Soma'), Rohineya and Rauhineya. He is depicted bearing a book and clad in yellow, the gentle (saumya) lord of intelligence and learning.