ketushadow-planetnavagrahakavacham

Ketu Kavacham

केतुकवचम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Tuesdays, and during Ketu or Navagraha puja; during a Ketu dasha or transit·📜 Brahmanda Purana (Ketu Kavacha Stotram)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Ketu Kavacham is a protective 'armour' hymn to Ketu, the headless shadow-planet and descending lunar node, whose rishi is Tryambaka and which is drawn from the Brahmanda Purana. After bowing to Ketu — the fierce-faced, many-hued, banner-shaped lord of the planets — it invokes him under his many names (Simhikasuta, Mahagraha, Narapingala) to guard the devotee from head to foot. Its closing verse declares that whoever bears this divine armour, the destroyer of all disease and enemies, becomes victorious.

Origin & Story

Brahmanda Purana (Ketu Kavacha Stotram) · Sage Tryambaka (rishi of the mantra) · Puranic

The Ketu Kavacham is preserved in the Brahmanda Purana, with the sage Tryambaka named as its rishi and 'Kam' as its seed-syllable. It depicts Ketu — the headless remnant of the asura Svarbhanu, the fierce-faced, many-hued, banner-shaped 'lord of the planets' who together with Rahu causes the eclipses — and entreats this great planet to shield the devotee limb by limb. As the armour-hymn of the descending node it belongs to the Navagraha kavachas recited for graha shanti, and is especially turned to for protection and for the spiritual insight that Ketu, the moksha-karaka, bestows.

✦ As told in scripture

The kavacha's closing verse promises that the very bearing of this divine armour — 'dharanat' — destroys all disease and all enemies and makes the wearer victorious; devotees passing through a difficult Ketu period recite it and wear it to be shielded from hidden illness and foes and to gain Ketu's clarity and detachment.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

|| śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || oṃ asya śrīketukavacastotramahāmantrasya tryambaka ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, keturdevatā, kaṃ bījam, namaḥ śaktiḥ, keturiti kīlakam, ketukṛta pīḍā nivāraṇārthe jape viniyogaḥ ||

Meaning:Salutations to Sri Ganesha. Om. For this great hymn-armour of Ketu the sage is Tryambaka, the metre is Anushtup, the deity is Ketu, 'Kam' is the seed, 'Namah' the power, 'Ketu' the pin; it is recited to ward off the afflictions caused by Ketu.

Verse 2

ketuṃ karālavadanaṃ citravarṇaṃ kirīṭinam | praṇamāmi sadā ketuṃ dhvajākāraṃ graheśvaram || 1||

Meaning:Ketu, of fearsome face, many-hued and crowned — I bow always to Ketu, the banner-shaped lord of the planets.

Verse 3

citravarṇaḥ śiraḥ pātu bhālaṃ dhūmrasamadyutiḥ | pātu netre piṅgalākṣaḥ śrutī me raktalocanaḥ || 2||

Meaning:May the many-hued one guard my head, and the one of smoke-like radiance my forehead; may the tawny-eyed one guard my eyes, and the red-eyed one my ears.

Verse 4

ghrāṇaṃ pātu suvarṇābhaścibukaṃ siṃhikāsutaḥ | pātu kaṇṭhaṃ ca me ketuḥ skandhau pātu grahādhipaḥ || 3||

Meaning:May the golden-lustred one guard my nose, and the son of Simhika my chin; may Ketu guard my throat, and the chief of planets my shoulders.

Verse 5

hastau pātu suraśreṣṭhaḥ kukṣiṃ pātu mahāgrahaḥ | siṃhāsanaḥ kaṭiṃ pātu madhyaṃ pātu mahāsuraḥ || 4||

Meaning:May the best of the gods guard my hands, and the great planet my belly; may the lion-seated one guard my waist, and the great asura my middle.

Verse 6

ūrū pātu mahāśīrṣo jānunī me'tikopanaḥ | pātu pādau ca me krūraḥ sarvāṅgaṃ narapiṅgalaḥ || 5||

Meaning:May the great-headed one guard my thighs, and the exceedingly fierce one my knees; may the dreadful one guard my feet, and the tawny-bodied one my whole frame.

Verse 7

ya idaṃ kavacaṃ divyaṃ sarvarogavināśanam | sarvaśatruvināśaṃ ca dhāraṇādvijayī bhavet || 6||

Meaning:Whoever bears this divine armour, the destroyer of all disease and of all enemies, becomes victorious by wearing it.

Verse 8

|| iti śrībrahmāṇḍapurāṇe ketukavacaṃ sampūrṇam ||

Meaning:Thus ends the Ketu Kavacham in the Brahmanda Purana.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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ketu🔊Ketu — the descending lunar node, the headless shadow-planet

praṇamāmi sadā ketum🔊I bow always to Ketu

karālavadanam🔊Of fearsome face

citravarṇam🔊Of variegated (many-hued) colour

kirīṭinam🔊Wearing a crown

dhvajākāram🔊Shaped like a banner (flag) — Ketu's emblem

graheśvaram / grahādhipaḥ🔊Lord / chief of the planets — guarding the shoulders

citravarṇaḥ śiraḥ pātu🔊May the many-hued one guard the head

dhūmrasamadyutiḥ🔊Of smoke-like radiance — guarding the forehead

piṅgalākṣaḥ🔊Tawny / amber-eyed — guarding the eyes

raktalocanaḥ🔊Red-eyed — guarding the ears

suvarṇābhaḥ🔊Of golden lustre — guarding the nose

siṃhikāsutaḥ🔊Son of Simhika — guarding the chin

mahāgrahaḥ🔊The great planet — guarding the belly

siṃhāsanaḥ🔊Lion-seated — guarding the waist

mahāsuraḥ🔊The great asura — guarding the middle

mahāśīrṣaḥ🔊The great-headed one — guarding the thighs

narapiṅgalaḥ🔊Tawny-bodied as a man — guarding the whole body

sarvaroga-vināśanam🔊Destroying all diseases

dhāraṇād vijayī bhavet🔊By wearing (bearing) it, one becomes victorious

Benefits of Chanting केतुकवचम्

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A limb-by-limb 'kavacha' (armour) invoking Ketu's protection over the whole body, the destroyer of all disease and of all enemies.

✦

Recited to pacify Ketu Dosha and the malefic effects of Ketu's mahadasha, antardasha and transits, and as part of Kala Sarpa Dosha remedies.

✦

Its phalashruti declares that merely bearing this divine armour makes one victorious — chanted for protection and success over obstacles.

✦

Ketu is the karaka of detachment, insight and moksha — its kavacha is invoked for spiritual progress, intuition and freedom from confusion.

✦

Traditionally said to ward off mysterious illnesses, skin and nervous afflictions, and hidden enemies attributed to Ketu.

✦

Especially recited on Tuesdays and during Ketu or Navagraha puja, and during Ketu Kaal.

How to Chant केतुकवचम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeTuesdays, and during Ketu or Navagraha puja; during a Ketu dasha or transit

Bathe and sit facing south or south-west before an image of Ketu (or the Navagraha), with multi-coloured or grey flowers and a sesame-oil lamp; offerings of black sesame or horse-gram are appropriate. Recite the viniyoga with its bija 'Kam', then the salutation verse, then the kavacha verses guarding each limb, and finally the phalashruti. Since the verse says the armour protects 'by being borne' (dharanat), it may also be written on bhojapatra and worn after the recitation. It is most effective during a challenging Ketu period.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete केतुकवचम् 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 Ketu Kavacham is a protective hymn (kavacha = spiritual armour) to Ketu, the headless shadow-planet and descending lunar node. The sage Tryambaka is named as its rishi and it is drawn from the Brahmanda Purana. Each verse asks Ketu, under one of his many names, to guard a part of the body, and its final verse says that even bearing the armour brings victory.

It is recited to pacify Ketu Dosha and the unsettling, confusing effects of Ketu's mahadasha, antardasha and transits, and as part of remedies for Kala Sarpa Dosha. Because Ketu is the planet of detachment and moksha, the kavacha is also used to turn its energy toward insight and spiritual progress rather than affliction.

On Tuesdays, and during any Navagraha or Ketu puja, especially through a difficult Ketu dasha or transit. Its phalashruti suggests it may also be borne (dharanat) as a written amulet after recitation for continuous protection.

Its concluding verse states that this divine armour destroys all disease and all enemies and that whoever bears it becomes victorious. It is valued for protection from mysterious illnesses and hidden foes, and, because Ketu is the moksha-karaka, for spiritual insight, detachment and freedom from confusion.