Chapter III
On the description of the Kavacha of S’rî Gâyatrî Devî
1-3. Nârada spoke :– O Bhagavân! Thou art the Lord of this world; Thou canst shew favour and disfavour both; Thou art specially versed in the sixty-four Kalâs (arts of learning); Thou art the chief of the Yogis. I therefore ask Thee to solve a doubt of mine. By what Punyam a man can become free from all his sins and limitations and he can realise and become of the nature of Brahmâ. O Lord! And what are duly the Risis, Chhandas, Devatâs, Dhyân, and Nyâsa, etc., of this meritorious act? I want to hear.
4-25. Nârâyana said :– O Nârada! There is but one and the only one way to this and though that is very secret, I will disclose that to you. It is the Gâyatrî-Kavacha. It can destroy all sins. Therefore to recite or to hold it on one’s body enables the man to become free from all his sins and to get all his desires fulfilled and he gets the Sâyuya Mukti with the Devî (be merged in the Devî-Body). Now hear the Risis, Chhandas, etc., of this Kavacha :– Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’vara are the Risis; the Rik, Yajus, Sâma and Atharva Vedas are the Chhandas; the Paramâ Kalâ Gâyatrî of the nature of Brahmâ is the Devatâ; “Tat” in Gâyatrî is the Vîja; “Bharga” is the S’akti; and “Dhîyah” is the Kîlaka; and its viniyoga (application) is in getting the Moksa (liberation.). With the first four syllables touch the heart; with the next three letters touch the head; with the next four letters touch the tuft on the crown of the head; with the next three letters on the Kavacha; with the next four letters on the eyes and with the last four letters make the Nyâsa, all over the body repeating “Astrâya Phat,” O Nârada! Hear now the Dhyânam of Gâyatrî, that grants all desires. The Gâyatrî Devî has five faces; one of which is of white colour; and the other four is of pearl, Vidruma, golden, and Nîlakântamani colour respectively. Each face has got three eyes; on the head there is a crown of jewels and the digit of the Moon is shining there. Her body is composed of the twenty-four tattvas. She has ten hands :– On the top right and left hands there are two lotuses; lower down, there are disc and conch shell; lower down, there are rope and skull; lower down, there are noose and goad; and on the bottom hands right and left she is making signs of “No fear” and “ready to grant boons.” Thus meditating on S’rî Gâyatrî, one is to recite the Kavacha thus :– Let the Gâyatrî Devî protect my front; Sâvitrî Devî protect my right; the Sandhyâ Devî, my back and the Devî Sarasvatî, my left. Let my Mother Pârvatî Devî protect my quarters. Let Jalas’âyinî protect the southeast; Yâtudhâna Bhayankarî protect my South-west; Pavamânavilâsinî my north-west; Rudrarûpinî Rudrânî protect my north-east. Let Brahmânî protect my top and Vaisnavî protect my nether regions. Let the word “Tat” in the Gâyatrî protect my legs; “Savituh” protect my Knees; “Varenyam,” protect my loins; “Bhargah,” my navel. Let “Devasya” protect my heart; “Dhîmahî” protect my neck; “Dhîyah,” protect my eyes; “Yah,” protect my forehead; “Nah” protect my head; and “Prachodayât” protect the tuft on the crown of my head.
Again let the “Tat” of the twenty-four syllabled Gâyatrî protect my head; “Sa,” protect my forehead; “Vi” protect my eyes; “Tu” my cheeks; “Va,” protect my nostrils; “Re,” my mouth; “ni” protect my upper lip; “Yah” protect my lower lip; “Bha” within my face; “rgo,” protect my cheeks; “De,” my throat; “Va” my shoulders; “Sya” my right hand; “Dhi” my navel; “ma,” my heart, “Hi,” my belly; “Dhî,” my navel; “Yo” my loins; “Yo”, my anus; “nah,” my thighs, “Pra,” my Knees; “Cho” my shanks “Da” my heels; “Yâ” my legs; and let “at” protect all my sides. O Nârada! This divine Kavacha of the Devî Gâyatrî can baffle hundreds and thousands of obstructions and evils; can grant sixty-four Kalâs and liberation. By the glory of this Kavacha, man can become free from all evils and can attain the state of Brahmâ. Moreover whoever reads or hears this acquires the fruits of making a gift of a thousand cows.
Here ends the Third Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the description of the Kavacha of S’rî Gâyatrî Devî in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter IV
On Gâyatrî Hridaya
1-2. Nârada said :– O Bhagavân! I have heard from you all about the Kavacha and the Mantra of S’rî Gâyatrî. O Deva Deva! O Thou, the Knower of the present, the past, and the future! Now tell about the Hridaya, the highest, the interior or esoteric Essence of the Gâyatrî, holding which, if one repeats the Gâyatrî, he acquires all the punyam (merits), I am desirous to hear this.
3-8. Nârâyana said :– O Nârada! This subject on the Hridaya of Gâyatrî is explicitly written in the Atharva Veda. Now I will speak on that, the great secret, in detail. Listen. First, consider the Gâyatrî, the Devî, the Mother of the Vedas as of a Cosmic Form (Virâ trupâ) and meditate all the Devas as residing on Her Body. Now in as much as the Pinda and Brahmânda are similar, consider yourself as of the form of the Devî and meditate within yourself on the Devatâs, thus :– The Pundits, the Knowers of the Vedas, say this :– He is not yet fit to worship the Deva and he is not an Adhikârî as yet who has not been able to make himself a Deva; therefore to establish the knowledge of the oneness of the Deva and himself, he is to meditate the Devas within his body, thus :–
O Nârada! Now I will speak on the Hridaya of Gâyatrî, knowing which every man becomes able to become all the Devas. Listen. The Risi of this Gâyatrî Hridaya is Nârâyana; the Chhandas is Gâyatrî; and S’rî Parames’varî Gâyatrî is the Devatâ. Perform the Nyâsa of this as mentioned before and taking your seat in a lonely place, meditate intently on the Devî with your heart and head well collected. Now I am speaking of the Arthanyâsa. Hear. Meditate on the Devatâ Dyau on your head; the twin As’vins on the rows of the teeth; the two Sandhyâs on your upper and lower lips; the Agni, Fire, within your mouth; Sarasvatî, on the tongue; Brihaspati on the neck; the eight Vasus on the two breasts; the Vâyus, on the two arms; the Paryanya Deva on the heart; Âkâs’a, on the belly; Antarîksam (the middle space) on the navel; Indra and Agni, on the loins; Prajâpati, the condensed form, as it were, of Vijñâna, on the hip joints; the Kailâs’a and the Malaya mountains on the two thighs; the Visvedevâs on the two knees; Vis’vâmitra on the shanks; the Sun’s northern and southern paths, the Uttarâyana and Daksinâyana on the anus; the Pitris on the thighs; the Earth on the legs; the Vanaspati on the fingers and toes; the Risis on the hairs of the body; the Muhûrtas on the nails; the planets on the bones; the Ritus (seasons) on the blood and flesh; the Samvatsaras on the Nimisa (twinkling of eye) the Sun and the Moon on the day and night respectively. Thinking thus, repeat “I take refuge of the Divine Holy Gâyatrî, the Chief and most Excellent One, the Thousand eyed and I take refuge wholly unto Her.”
Then repeat “I bow down to Tat savitur varenyam,” “I bow down to the Rising Sun on the East,” “I bow down to the Morning Aditya,” “I bow down to the Gâyatrî, residing in the Morning Sun” and “I bow down to all.” O Nârada! Whoever recites this Gâyatrî Hridaya in the morning finds all the sins committed in the night all destroyed! Whoever recites this in the evening gets his sins of the day all destroyed! Whoever recites this in the evening and in the morning can rest assured to have become free of sins; he gets the fruits of all the Tîrthas; he is acquainted with all the Devas; he is saved if he has spoken anything that ought not to have been spoken; if he has eaten anything that is not fit to be eaten; if he has chewn and sucked anything that ought not to have been chewn and sucked; if he has done anything that ought not to have been done and if he has accepted hundreds and thousands of gifts that ought never to have been accepted.
The sins incurred by eating with the others in a line cannot touch him. If he speaks lies, he will not be touched by the sins thereof; even if a non-Brahmachâri recites this, he will become a Brahmachârî. O Nârada! What more shall I say to you of the results of Gâyatrî Hridaya than this :– that whoever will study this will acquire the fruits of performing thousand sacrifices and repeating the Gâyatrî sixty thousand times. In fact, he will get Siddhi by this. The Brâhmâna, who daily reads this in the morning will be freed of all the sins and go upwards to the Brahmâ (Loka) and is glorified there. This has been uttered by Bhagavân Nârâyana Himself.
Here ends the Fourth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on Gâyatrî Hridaya in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
Chapter V
On the Gâyatrî Stotra
1. Nârada said :– O All knowing One! Thou showest Thy grace to Thy devotees! Thou hast described this sin-destroying Gâyatrî Hridaya. Now describe Her Stava (hymn of praise).
2-29. Nârâyana said :– O World-Mother! O Thou, favouring Thy devotees! O Thou, the Prime Force, O Omnipresent! Infinite! S’rî Sandhye! I bow down to Thee. Thou art the Sandhyâ; Thou art the Gâyatrî, Sâvitrî and Sarasvatî; Thou art Brâhmî, Vaisnavî and Raudrî and Thou art red, white, and black (the colours of Gâyatrî, Sâvitrî and Sarasvatî) that Thou assumest respectively. O Bhagavatî! Thou art always meditated by the Munis as young in the morning, full of youth in the mid-day, and aged in the evening. I bow down to Thee. Thou art seen by the Tapasvis (ascetics) as Brahmânî, riding on Hamsa (swan), Sarasvatî riding on Garuda, and Sâvitrî riding on Bull. Thou art seen within by the ascetics as manifesting the Rigveda (in the form of Sâvitrî) in this world, as manifesting Yayurveda in the middle space (antariksam) and as manifesting Sâmaveda everywhere in the Rudra loka, thus roaming in the three worlds. I bow down to Thee. O Devî! Thou art Rudrânî in the Rudra loka, Vaisnavî in the Visnu loka, and Brahmânî in the Brahmâ loka; thus Thou shewest Thy favour to the Immortals. O Devî! Thou art the Mother delighting the seven Risis (of the Great Bear); Thou art Mâyâ. Thou grantest great many boons to Thy Bhaktas. Thou art sprung from the eyes and hands, tears and perspiration of S’iva and S’ivâ. Thou art the Mother of delights, Durgâ Devî, recited by the following ten names :– Varenyâ, Varadâ, Varisthâ, Varavarninî, Garisthâ, Varâhâ, Varârohâ, Nîlagangâ, Sandhyâ and Bhoga Moksadâ. Thou art the Bhâgirathî (the river Ganges) in this world; the Bhogavatî in the Pâtâla; and the Mandâkinî (the milky way) in the Heavens. Thou art in this world (Bhur loka) the all-enduring Prithvî (earth); Thou art the Vâyu S’akti (air power) in the middle space (Bhubhar Loka); Thou art the energy (the ocean of Tejas) in the Heavens (Svar loka); Thou art the Great Siddhi in the Mahar loka; Thou art Janâ in the Janar Loka; Thou art Tapasvinî in the Tapar loka; Thou art Truth (True Speech) in the Satya lokam. Thou art Kamalâ in Visnu loka; Gâyatrî in Brahmâ loka; and the other half of Hara as Gaurî in the Rudra loka. O Devî! Thou art sung as Prakriti – “Aham” “Om-Mahat” tattva and beyond that the Highest Sarva Brahmâ rûpinî and Sâmyâvasthâ Prakriti. Thou art the Parâ S’akti; Thou art the Paramâ S’akti; O Devî! Thou art the Tri-S’akti :– the Ichchhâ S’akti (the will power), the Kriyâ S’akti (power of action) and the Jñâna S’akti (the force of knowledge). Thou art the Gangâ, Yamunâ, Vipâs’â, Sarasvatî, Sarayu, Devîkâ, Sindhu; Narmadâ, Îrâvatî, Godâvarî, S’atadru; Kâverî, Kaus’ikî, Chandra Bhâgâ, Vitastâ, Gandakî, Tapinî, Karatoyâ, Gomatî, and Vetravatî and other rivers; Thou art the Idâ, Pingalâ, and Susumnâ nerves; Thou art Gândhârî, Hastajihvâ, Pûsâ, Apûsâ, Alambusâ, Kuhû, S’ankhinî, Prânavâhinî and other nerves in the body; O Devî! Thou art the vital power in the lotus of the heart; Thou art Svapna nâikâ in the throat; Thou art Sadâdhârâ in the palate; and Thou art the Vindumâlinî S’akti in the pituitary space between the eyebrows.
Thou art the Kundalinî in the Mûlâdhâra (sacral plexus), the Vyâpinî extending upto the roots of the hairs; Thou art Madhyâsanâ on the crown of the head, and Thou art Manonmanî in the Brahmârandhra. O Devî! What need there is in stating these? Suffice it to say that whatever there is seen in this universe, all art Thou; therefore, O S’rî Sandhyâ Devî! I bow down to Thee. O Nârada! Thus I have spoken to you about the Gâyatrî-Stotra that gives all successes, destroys all sins, and yields all merits. He who reads this in the Sandhyâ times, with all attention, will get sons if he has no sons, will get wealth if he has no wealth. There is no doubt in this. Whoever reads this Stotra gets the fruits of all Tîrthas, all Tapasyâs, all gifts, all sacrifices and all Yogas. He enjoys happiness in this world and finally gets the Moksa. The Munis who are engaged in Tapasyâs read this Stotra. While bathing, if one reads this, merged under water, acquires the fruits of his being merged in the Sandhyâ. O Nârada! I speak this verily, verily, verily, unto you that there is no trace of any doubt in this statement. Whoever will hear with devotion this Sandhyâ stotra, the nectar-like thing, will be freed from all sins.
Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the Gâyatrî Stotra in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
