Sudarsana Kavacham

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Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

 

It is customary to reach Jnanam thru the routes of Japa,

Dhyana , Upasanaa and Yogam related to one's Ishta daivam.

Top among the Mantras for such spiritual advancement is

the Upasana of Sri Sudarsana Bhagavan known otherwise as

Chakraraja . His Vaibhavam is celebrated in three

major Stotrams , which have powerful sakthi to

invoke Him . These are the Shadkam , Kavacham and Ashtakam

by Swami Desikan . We will concentrate on the Kavacham to illustrate

the esoteric meanings of Sudarsana Bhagavan .

 

Sri Sudarsana Kavacham is a powerful kavacham

which has number of passages relating to the special

contextual relationship between Bhagavan Narasimhan and

Sri Sudarsana Azhwaan .

 

The Kavacham starts off majestically describing that

realtionship :

 

Asya Sri Sudarsana Kavacha Mahaa Mantrasya,

Bhagavaan Antharyaamii Narayana Rishi : Anushtub Chanda:,

Sri Sudarsana Roopi Sriman NaraayaNo Devathaa I Ram

Bheejam ----- Sri Sudarsana Prasaadha siddhayrteh japeh viniyoga : II

 

Sankham chakram gadhaa padmam musalam khadkameva cha I

Dhanum cha yama Paasam cha MUDHRAA heyathaa: prakeerthithaa : II

 

Paanchajanyayaaya Sankhaadhipateyeh Nama :I sudarsanaaya

Hethi Raajaaya Nama : I --------- Yam Yamapaasaaya Nama : I

 

Dhyaanam :

 

Sankham saarngam sakhetam hala parasu

gadhaa kuntha paasaan dhadhaanam

tvanyairvaamayaisccha chakreshvasi musala

lasadh vajra soolaankusaagneen I

JWALAA KESAM kiritam JWALADHANILA NIBHAM

VAHNIM UGRASTHA PEETAM

PRATHYAALEETAM TRINETHRAM

RIPUGANA DAMANAM BHAVAYETH CHAKRARAJAAM II

 

THE ALTERNATIVE INVOCATION FOR THE KAVACHAM

SHOWS THE CLOSE AFFILIATION WITH

SWAMI DESIKAN'S REFERENCE TO AHIBUDHNYA

IN HIS ASHTAKAM :

 

BhajadhAHIRBUDHNYA LAKSHITA ! JAYA JAYA SRI SUDARSANA

 

The second invocation preferred by some is more dramatic . I will

cover it without inclusion of the Sudarsana Manthram :

 

ANGA NYAASA KARA NYAASAM

 

Om asya Sri Sudharsana kavacha stothra mahaamantrasya ,

AHIRBUDHNYOH BHAGAVAAN RISHI : I Anushtubh chandha: I

Sri Sudarsana MAHA NARASIMHO DEVATHAA I

Sahasraaramithi bheejam I Sudarsanamithi Sakthi : I

Chakramithi Keelakam I Mama Sarva Rakshaarteh

SRI SUDARSANA PURUSHA SRI NRUSIMHA PREETHYARTEH

Japeh Viniyoga : I Om Aachakraaya svahaa Angushtabhyaam Nama: I

Om Vichakraaya svahaa tarjaneebhyaam Nama: I Om Suchakraaya

svaaha Madhyamaabhyaam nama: I Om Suryachakraaya

svahaa Anaamikhaabhyaam Nama: I Om Jwalaa chakraaya Svaahaa

Kanishtikhaabhyaam Nama: I Om Sudarsana Chakraaya svaaha

karatala Kara Prushtaabhyaam Nama: I Om Aachakraaya svaahaa

hrudhayaaya Nama: I Om Vichakraaya svaahaa siraseh svaahaa I

Om Suchakraaya Svaahaa sikhaayayai vashat I Om Surya Chakraaya

svaahaa Bhalaaya kavachaaya hum I Om Jvaalaa chakraaya svaahaa

nethraabhyaam voushat I Om Sudarsana Chakraaya svaahaa asthraaya PaT I

Om Bhur bhuvasuvaromithi digh Bhandha : I

 

DHYAANAM

 

SANKAM CHAKRAM CHA CHAPAM PARASUMASIMISHUSOOLA PAASANKUSAASTHRAM

BIBHRAANAM VAJRA KETOU HALA MUSALA GADHAA KUNTHAMATYUGRA DHAMSHTRAM

JWAALAA KESAM TRINETHRAM JWALADHANILA NIBHAM HAARA KEYURA BHOOSHAM

DHYAAYETH SHATKONA SAMSTHAM SAKALA RIPU JANA PRAANA SAMHAARA CHAKRAM II

 

MANTRAM FOLLOWS next : not included .

 

56 SLOKAMS OF STOTHRAM FOLLOW THE MANTHRAM

AND THE KAVACHAM CONCLUDES . The references to

Sri Narasimha in the stotra sections are as follows :

 

VEERASIMHO MUKHAM PAATHU---SLOKAM 4

 

SUDARSANA NARASIMHO MEH SARIRAM PAATHU SARVADHAA (SLOKAM 13)

 

BHAARYAAM LAKSHMI SAKHA: PAATHU

PUTHRAAN PAATHU SUDARSANA; (SLOKAM 16)

 

DIVAARTHROU CHA MAAM PAATHU

AHIRBUDHNYA VARA PRADHA : ( SLOKAM 18 )

 

The reference here is clearly to Sri Narasimha as

the boon giver to Ahirbudhnya (Parama Sivan ).

 

The POWER of the Kabvacham and Manthram of

SUDARSANA NARASINHA IS INDICATED BY

the following concluding sections of the Kavacham .

 

VYAALA SARPAADHI SARVESHAAM VISHAAPAHARANAM PARAM I

 

SAKALAM PRAAPNYAADHASYA KAVACHASYA PRASADHATA : I

 

my grand father , an accomplished Sudarsana Upaasaka

used to treat people with Cobra bite and bring them back to life.

I have seen it. He will take a bath even inthe middle of the night,

when the people brought an unconscious person with cobra bite

to the front of his house and then he used to bring them back to life thru

the Ucchatanam of Sudarsana Manthram.

 

SHATKAARAANTHAMANIRDESYAM DIVYA MANTRENA SAMYUTHAM I

SRIYAM PRASANNA VADHANAM PRAPATHYEHAM SUDHARSANAM II

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan