Devi Kavach: Lyrics, Meaning & Benefits
By Choghadiya Now · Published 22 September 2026
Devi Kavach, also called Durga Kavach or Chandi Kavach, is a 56-verse prayer of protection read before the Durga Saptashati. In it Brahma tells the sage Markandeya which form of the Goddess guards each direction and each part of the body. The full Sanskrit text is below, with the Hindi meaning of every verse one tap away.
ॐ अस्य श्रीचण्डीकवचस्य ब्रह्मा ऋषिः,
अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, चामुण्डा देवता,
अङ्गन्यासोक्तमातरो बीजम्, दिग्बन्धदेवतास्तत्त्वम्,
श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीत्यर्थे सप्तशतीपाठाङ्गत्वेन जपे विनियोगः ॥
यन्न कस्यचिदाख्यातं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १ ॥
देव्यास्तु कवचं पुण्यं तच्छृणुष्व महामुने ॥ २ ॥
तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम् ॥ ३ ॥
सप्तमं कालरात्रीति महागौरीति चाष्टमम् ॥ ४ ॥
उक्तान्येतानि नामानि ब्रह्मणैव महात्मना ॥ ५ ॥
विषमे दुर्गमे चैव भयार्त्ताः शरणं गताः ॥ ६ ॥
नापदं तस्य पश्यामि शोकदुःखभयं न हि ॥ ७ ॥
ये त्वां स्मरन्ति देवेशि रक्षसे तान्न संशयः ॥ ८ ॥
ऐन्द्री गजसमारूढा वैष्णवी गरुडासना ॥ ९ ॥
लक्ष्मीः पद्मासना देवी पद्महस्ता हरिप्रिया ॥ १० ॥
ब्राह्मी हंससमारूढा सर्वाभरणभूषिता ॥ ११ ॥
नानाभरणशोभाढ्या नानारत्नोपशोभिताः ॥ १२ ॥
शङ्खं चक्रं गदां शक्तिं हलं च मुसलायुधम् ॥ १३ ॥
कुन्तायुधं त्रिशूलं च शार्ङ्गमायुधमुत्तमम् ॥ १४ ॥
धारयन्त्यायुधानीत्थं देवानां च हिताय वै ॥ १५ ॥
महाबले महोत्साहे महाभयविनाशिनि ॥ १६ ॥
प्राच्यां रक्षतु मामैन्द्री आग्नेय्यामग्निदेवता ॥ १७ ॥
प्रतीच्यां वारुणी रक्षेद्वायव्यां मृगवाहिनी ॥ १८ ॥
ऊर्ध्वं ब्रह्माणि मे रक्षेदधस्ताद्वैष्णवी तथा ॥ १९ ॥
जया मे चाग्रतः पातु विजया पातु पृष्ठतः ॥ २० ॥
शिखामुद्योतिनी रक्षेदुमा मूर्ध्नि व्यवस्थिता ॥ २१ ॥
त्रिनेत्रा च भ्रुवोर्मध्ये यमघण्टा च नासिके ॥ २२ ॥
कपोलौ कालिका रक्षेत्कर्णमूले तु शाङ्करी ॥ २३ ॥
अधरे चामृतकला जिह्वायां च सरस्वती ॥ २४ ॥
घण्टिकां चित्रघण्टा च महामाया च तालुके ॥ २५ ॥
ग्रीवायां भद्रकाली च पृष्ठवंशे धनुर्धरी ॥ २६ ॥
स्कन्धयोः खड्गिनी रक्षेद्बाहू मे वज्रधारिणी ॥ २७ ॥
नखाञ्छूलेश्वरी रक्षेत्कुक्षौ रक्षेत्कुलेश्वरी ॥ २८ ॥
हृदये ललिता देवी उदरे शूलधारिणी ॥ २९ ॥
पूतना कामिका मेढ्रं गुदे महिषवाहिनी ॥ ३० ॥
जङ्घे महाबला रक्षेत्सर्वकामप्रदायिनी ॥ ३१ ॥
पादाङ्गुलीषु श्री रक्षेत्पादाधस्तलवासिनी ॥ ३२ ॥
रोमकूपेषु कौबेरी त्वचं वागीश्वरी तथा ॥ ३३ ॥
अन्त्राणि कालरात्रिश्च पित्तं च मुकुटेश्वरी ॥ ३४ ॥
ज्वालामुखी नखज्वालामभेद्या सर्वसन्धिषु ॥ ३५ ॥
अहंकारं मनो बुद्धिं रक्षेन्मे धर्मधारिणी ॥ ३६ ॥
वज्रहस्ता च मे रक्षेत्प्राणं कल्याणशोभना ॥ ३७ ॥
सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव रक्षेन्नारायणी सदा ॥ ३८ ॥
यशः कीर्तिं च लक्ष्मीं च धनं विद्यां च चक्रिणी ॥ ३९ ॥
पुत्रान् रक्षेन्महालक्ष्मीर्भार्यां रक्षतु भैरवी ॥ ४० ॥
राजद्वारे महालक्ष्मीर्विजया सर्वतः स्थिता ॥ ४१ ॥
तत्सर्वं रक्ष मे देवि जयन्ती पापनाशिनी ॥ ४२ ॥
कवचेनावृतो नित्यं यत्र यत्रैव गच्छति ॥ ४३ ॥
यं यं चिन्तयते कामं तं तं प्राप्नोति निश्चितम् ।
परमैश्वर्यमतुलं प्राप्स्यते भूतले पुमान् ॥ ४४ ॥
त्रैलोक्ये तु भवेत्पूज्यः कवचेनावृतः पुमान् ॥ ४५ ॥
यः पठेत्प्रयतो नित्यं त्रिसन्ध्यं श्रद्धयान्वितः ॥ ४६ ॥
जीवेद्वर्षशतं साग्रमपमृत्युविवर्जितः ॥ ४७ ॥
स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव कृत्रिमं चापि यद्विषम् ॥ ४८ ॥
भूचराः खेचराश्चैव जलजाश्चौपदेशिकाः ॥ ४९ ॥
अन्तरिक्षचरा घोरा डाकिन्यश्च महाबलाः ॥ ५० ॥
ब्रह्मराक्षसवेतालाः कूष्माण्डा भैरवादयः ॥ ५१ ॥
मानोन्नतिर्भवेद् राज्ञस्तेजोवृद्धिकरं परम् ॥ ५२ ॥
जपेत्सप्तशतीं चण्डीं कृत्वा तु कवचं पुरा ॥ ५३ ॥
तावत्तिष्ठति मेदिन्यां सन्ततिः पुत्रपौत्रिकी ॥ ५४ ॥
प्राप्नोति पुरुषो नित्यं महामायाप्रसादतः ॥ ५५ ॥
When should Devi Kavach be recited?
The kavach answers this itself. Verse 46 says it is read trisandhyam, at the three junctions of the day: dawn, midday and dusk. The same verse asks for two things of the reader, a composed mind and faith.
For dawn, the window before sunrise is Brahma Muhurta. It is the fourteenth of the night’s fifteen muhurtas, so its clock time moves with your city’s sunrise through the year. For midday, Abhijit Muhurat is the window at the exact centre of daylight. Dusk is the time around sunset. Both pages compute the times for your own city, not for a fixed clock.
Why is Devi Kavach read before the Durga Saptashati?
Verse 53 sets the order: japet saptashatim chandim kritva tu kavacham pura, “recite the Saptashati Chandi, having first recited the kavach.” That is why the kavach is printed at the front of the Durga Saptashati, ahead of its thirteen chapters of the Devi Mahatmya.
Many readers take up the full Saptashati during Navratri, and the kavach comes first on each of those nine days too. Sharad Navratri 2026 begins on Sunday 11 October. The 2026 festival dates post lists it with Maha Ashtami, Dussehra and the rest of the year. Navratri is also when most people consult the Durga Prashnavali, the Navdurga chart of fifteen answers.
What are the benefits of reciting Devi Kavach?
What does reciting the kavach bring? The text gives its answer in verses 43 to 56, the phalashruti. Its first and central promise is complete fearlessness.
Verses 43 and 44 say that anyone who walks shielded by the kavach finds good fortune wherever they go, seeing their wishes fulfilled and meeting with success instead of defeat. In verses 47 and 48, those who recite it with focus at the day’s three junctions are promised freedom from untimely death, a full span of life past a hundred years, and relief from lingering illnesses and poisons.
For the household, verses 49 to 52 promise that hostile charms, planetary afflictions and disruptive spirits cannot stay before the reader. It brings respect from rulers and authorities, protects one’s lineage and children (verse 54), and promises that at the end of life, the devotee attains the supreme state (verses 55 and 56).
Devi Kavach: frequently asked questions
Are Devi Kavach, Durga Kavach and Chandi Kavach the same?
Yes, they are three names for one text. Its opening viniyoga calls it the Shri Chandi Kavach, its closing line calls it the Devi Kavach, and Durga Kavach is the everyday name, after the nine Durgas it names in verses 3 to 5. Some books spell it Kavacham or Kawach; the verses are the same.
Where does Devi Kavach come from?
*Its own closing line names the source: iti shri varaha purane harihara brahma virachitam devyah kavacham sampurnam, "thus ends the Devi Kavach, composed by Hari, Hara and Brahma, in the Varaha Purana." It is often called a part of the Markandeya Purana.* That is true of the Saptashati it is read with, whose seven hundred verses are the Devi Mahatmya, but not of the kavach itself. Markandeya does appear inside it: in verse 1 the sage asks Brahma for the most secret protection there is, and Brahma answers with the kavach.
How many verses are in Devi Kavach?
There are 56 numbered verses, plus the viniyoga at the start and the closing line. Most have two lines, and verse 44 has three. Verses 3 to 5 name the nine Durgas, verses 9 to 15 the Mothers riding out armed, and verses 16 to 20 the ten directions. Verses 21 to 42 go through the body from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet, then to the breath, the mind, the family and the road. Verses 43 to 56 are the phalashruti, what the reading brings.
Do I need to know Sanskrit to recite Devi Kavach?
No. You can read slowly from the Devanagari text, or recite along with the video at the top of the page until the rhythm is familiar. Tap "Meaning" above the text to see the Hindi meaning under every verse. The kavach asks only for a composed mind and faith (verse 46). If your family or tradition has its own rule about who recites it, or how, your family priest is the person to ask.
How was the text on this page checked?
Every line was compared on 22 September 2026 with two independently proofread editions of the text published on sanskritdocuments.org. Where they differ only in spelling, this page uses the standard form. If a line here differs from the book your family reads from, please tell us which edition it is, and we will check it.