rahushadow-planetnavagrahakavacham

Rahu Kavacham

राहुकवचम् in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Saturdays, during Rahu Kaal, and on Amavasya; during Navagraha or Rahu puja·📜 Mahabharata, Drona Parva (Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ 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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

|| 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.

Verse 2

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.

Verse 3

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.

Verse 4

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.

Verse 5

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.

Verse 6

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.

Verse 7

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.

Verse 8

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.

Verse 9

|| 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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rāhu🔊Rahu — the ascending lunar node, the shadow-planet that causes eclipses

praṇamāmi sadā rāhum🔊I bow always to Rahu

śūrpākāram🔊Shaped like a winnowing basket (shurpa)

kirīṭinam🔊Wearing a crown

saiṃhikeyam🔊Son of Simhika — a matronymic of Rahu

karālāsyam🔊Of fearsome (gaping) face

lokānām abhayapradam🔊Bestowing fearlessness upon the worlds

nīlāmbaraḥ🔊Clad in dark-blue garments — guarding the head

ardhaśarīravān🔊Possessing (only) half a body — guarding the ears

dhūmravarṇaḥ🔊Smoke-coloured — guarding the nose

śūlapāṇiḥ🔊Holding a trident in hand — guarding the mouth

siṃhikāsūnuḥ🔊Son of Simhika — guarding the tongue

bhujaṅgeśaḥ🔊Lord of serpents — guarding the arms

vidhuntudaḥ🔊The tormentor of the Moon (the eclipse-causer) — guarding the belly

vikaṭaḥ🔊The huge / fearsome one — guarding the waist

svarbhānuḥ🔊'Light of heaven', a Vedic name of Rahu — guarding the knees

jāḍyahā🔊Destroyer of dullness / inertia — guarding the shins

grahapatiḥ🔊Lord of the planets — guarding the ankles

nīlacandana-bhūṣaṇaḥ🔊Adorned with dark sandal-paste — guarding all the limbs

kīrtim atulām🔊Unequalled fame

śriyam ṛddhim āyur ārogyam🔊Prosperity, abundance, long life and health

Benefits of Chanting राहुकवचम्

✦

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 राहुकवचम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeSaturdays, during Rahu Kaal, and on Amavasya; during Navagraha or Rahu puja

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete राहुकवचम् 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 Rahu Kavacham is a protective hymn (kavacha = spiritual armour) to Rahu, the shadow-planet and ascending lunar node that causes eclipses. The Moon (Chandrama) is named as its rishi, and it is traditionally drawn from the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata. Each verse asks Rahu, under one of his many names, to guard a part of the body.

It is recited to pacify Rahu Dosha and the unsettling effects of Rahu's mahadasha, antardasha and transits, and as part of remedies for Kala Sarpa Dosha. By invoking Rahu's protection and grace, it is believed to convert his restless, ambitious energy into worldly success and to grant fearlessness.

On Saturdays, during the daily Rahu Kaal period, and on Amavasya (new moon), as well as during any Navagraha or Rahu puja. For a remedy it may be recited daily through a challenging Rahu dasha or transit.

Its concluding verse promises that one who recites it daily with devotion, pure and disciplined, attains unequalled fame, prosperity, abundance, long life, health and victory over oneself by Rahu's grace. It is also valued for granting fearlessness and relief from anxiety and hidden obstacles.