Eka Dasa Mukha Hanumath Kavacham

Eka Dasa Mukha Hanumath Kavacham
Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[This Kavacham was taught by Sage Agasthya to his wife Lopamudhra. I could find reference to only one temple where Hanuman with eleven faces has been consecrated. In Sudawapuri (Porebandar) Gujarat, there is an Ekadashi Hanuman temple inside the Shri Panchmukhi Mahadev temple. Here Hanuman has two charan (feet), twenty-two hands and arms and eleven faces. These faces are Kapi Mukh, Bhairav Mukh, Agni Mukh, Hayagreev Mukh, Varaah Mukh, Naag Mukh, Rudra Mukh, Narsing Mukh, Gaj Mukh and Saumya Mukh (monkey, Bhairav, fire, horse, boar, snake Rudra, Narasimha, elephant and a peaceful face). This idol is only one available in India. The stotra in Devanagari script is available in sanskritdocuments.org/doc_hanumaana/doc_hanumaana.html. I could find no references as to why Lord Hanuman took this form with eleven faces.]

Lopamudhra Uvacha:-
Lopa Mudhra said:-

Kumbhodbhava, daya sindho, srutham hanumath param,
Yanthra manthradhikam sarvam thwan mukhodheeritham maya. 1

Oh sage born out of the pot, Oh ocean of mercy,
I have heard all yanthras and manthras pertaining to Hanuman,
From what has been told by you to me.

Dayam kuru mayi prana nadha vedithumuthsahe,
Kavacham vayu puthrasya, Ekadasa mukhathmana. 2

Please show mercy on me, my darling,
And you who are learned, tell with enthusiasm,
The armour of the eleven faced Hanuman.

Ithyevam vachanam sruthwa priyaayaa prasrayanwitham,
Vakthum prachakrame thathra lopamudhram prathi Prabhu. 3

Hearing these words of his sweet heart and becoming happy,
The Lord addressed Lopamudhra and recited continuously without stop.

Agasthya Uvacha:-
Agasthya said:-

Namaskruthwa Rama Dhootham Hanumantham Mahamathim,
Brahma proktham thu Kavacham Sruni Sundari Sadharam. 4

After saluting Hanuman, the emissary of Rama who is greatly wise,
I am telling you the armour which has been told by Lord Brahma,
And so please hear them from me, oh pretty one, with reverence.

Sanandanaya sumaha chathuranana bhashitham,
Kavacham kaamadham divyam raksha kula nibharhanam. 5

This armour which was told by Lord Brahma To Sanandana,
Is wish fulfilling, holy and protector of the family.

Sarva sampath pradham punyam marthyanam madhura sware,
Asya Sri kavachasya ekadasa vakthrasya Dheematha. 6

Hanumath Sthuthi manthrasya Sanandana rishi smrutha,
Prasannathma, Hanumamscha devatha parikeerthitha, 7

Chando anushtup samakhyatham bheejam vayu suthasthadha,
Mukhya prana sakthirithi viniyoga prakeerthitha, 8

When chanted in the sweet voice by men it leads to all types of wealth,
And for this armour of the very strong one with eleven faces,
Of the prayer of Hanuman, the sage is remembered as Sanandana,
Who is with a pleasant soul, the god addressed is the well sung Hanuman,
The meter is Anushtup, the root is the son of wind God,
And the strength is wind god and the chanting is being started.

Sarva kamartha sidhyartham japa eva mudheerayeth,
Om sphm Bheeja, shakhi druk pathu siro may Pavanathmaja, 9

For the fulfillment of all desires this chant is being done,
Let the root power of Sphem and son of wind god protect my head,

Kroum Bheejathma nayanayo pathu maam vanarathmaja,
Ksham Bheeja roopa Karnou may Sita soka vinasana. 10

Let kroum, the soul of the seed, the son of a monkey protect my eyes,
Let Ksham form of seed, the Lord who put an end to sorrow of Sita protect my ears,

Gloum Bheeja vachyo nasaam may Lakshmana prana dhayaka,
Vam Bheejarthascha Kandam may pathu Chakshaya karaka. 11

Let Gloum the sound of seed, the protector of Lakshmana protect my nose,
Let Vam, the meaning of the seed the doer of limitless plenty protect my neck,

Raam Bheeja vachyo Hrudayam pathu may kapi nayaka.
Vam Bheeja keerthitha pathu Bahu may cha anjani sutha. 12

Let Ram the sound of seed, the lord of the monkeys protect my heart,
Let Vam the singing of the seed, the son of Anjana protect my arms.

Hreem Bheejo Rakshasendriyasya darpaha pathu cho udaram,
Hasoum Bheeja mayo Madhyam pathu Lanka bhayankaram. 13

Let Hreem seed, the one who killed the pride of king of Rakshasa protect my belly,
Ley Hasom the god who pervades the seed, the terror of Lanka protect my middle.

Om hreem Bheeja dhara pathu guhyam Devendra vanditha,
Ram Bheejathma sada pathu cha ooru may vaardhi langana. 14

Let Om Hrem the wearer of seed, the one saluted by Indra protect my private parts,
Let Ram soul of the seed, the one who won over old age protect my thighs.

Sugreeva sachiva pathu Januni may Manojava,
Padou pada thale pathu dronachala dharo hari,
Aapada masthaka, pathu rama dhootho maha bala. 15

Let the minister of Sugrreeva who travels faster than mind protect my knees,
Let the God who lifted the Dronachala protect my feet and its upper part.

Poorva vanara vakthro maam aghneyyam Kshatriyantha kruth,
Dakshine Narasimhasthu Nairythyam gana nayaka, 16

In the east he has monkey face, in the south east the head of Parasurama,
In the south the head of Narasimha, in the south west is Ganapathi.

Varunya disi Mamavyath Khaga vakthro hareeswara,
Vayavyam Bhairavamukha Koubheryam pathu maam sada. 17

In the west is the head of Garuda whose Lord is Vishnu,
In the north west is that of Bhairava and in the North Kubhera protect us always.

Kotyasya pathu Maam nithyam Isanyam rudhra roopa druth,
Oordhwam hayanan pathu Guhyadha sumukhasthadha. 18

Let my all edges be protected by Rudra who is in the north east.
Let the horse head at the top who is pleasant protect my private parts.

Ramasya pathu sarvathra Soumya roopo Maha Bhuja,
Ithyevam Rama dhoothasya kavacham yath padeth sada, 19

Ekadasa mukhasyedath gopyam they keerthidham maya,
Rakshognam Kamadham soumyam sarva sampth vidhhayakam, 20

Puthradham Dhanadham chogra shathru sangha vimardhanam,
Swargapavargadham divyam Chinthithartha pradha shubham, 21

Let Rama the great warrior with a pleasing face protect every where,
And This armour of the messenger of Rama if read always,
Or if this secret armour of the eleven faced one is sung, it protects,
It fulfills desires, it leads to peace, it blesses with all sorts of wealth,
It blesses with sons, It gives monetary wealth, it kills all powerful enemies,
It takes us to heaven and leads to holy thoughts and principles.

Yethath kavacham ajnathwa manthra sidhir na jayathe,
Chathwarimsath sahasthrani padech dhathmako nara. 22

This armour does not lead to realization of Manthra,
Unless it is read forty thousand times by the practioner.

Eka varam paden nithyam kavacham sidhitham puman,
Dwivaram vaa trivaaram vaa padannauyushya mapanuyath. 23

If this is read one week by the devotee with concentration,
Or two weeks or three weeks he would get long life.

Kramad ekadasa deva mavarthhana japath sudhee,
Varshanthe darshanam Sakshath labahathe nathra samsaya. 24

Following rules if this armour of the eleven headed one is repeated,
By the practitioner without doubt, within a year, he would see Him.

Yam yam chinthayathe chartham tham tham prapnothi poorusha,
Brahmodheeridhadhi thavagre kaditham mahath. 25

As and when they think of an objective then they would realize it,
If this as recited by Lord Brahma is practiced within oneself.

Ithyevamukthwa vacanam Maharshi
Sthushneem Babhevendu mukheem nireekshya,
SAmhrushta chithapi thadha thaddeya,
Padhou namamadhi mudha swabharthu. 26

Having heard these words from the great sage,
The ever alert lady with a moon like face,
With a mind full of delight bowed and,
Saluted at the feet of her own husband.

Adha Manthra
Then the chant

Om sphem kroum Kshaoum Gloum vam raam vaa, Hroum Hreem ram sphem krom Kshoum Gloum Ksheem Kshoum dhum ham hloum hreem ram

Ithi Agasthya sara samhithayam ekadasa mukha hanumath kavacham sampoornam

Thus ends the armour of the eleven faced Hanuman which occurs in the book "Agasthya Sara Samhitha"