Sri Ganesha Hrudaya Kavacham

namastasmai gaNeshAya sarvavighnavinAshine |

kAryAraMbeShu sarveShu pUjito yaH surairapi || 1 ||

pArvatyuvAca |

bhagavan devadeveSha lokAnugrahakArakaH |

idAnIM ShrOtRumichchAmi kavaM yaTprakAshitam || 2 ||

ekAxarasya mantrasya tvayA prItenacetasa |

vadaitadvidhivaddadeva yadi te vallabhAsmyaham || 3 ||

Ishvara uvAca |

ShRuNu devi pravakShyAmi nAkhyeyamapi te dhruvam |

ekAxarasya mantrasya kavaM sarvakAmadam || 4 ||

yasya smaraNamAtraRNa na vighnAH prabhavanti hi |

trikAlamekakAlaM vA ye paMthi sadA narAH || 5 ||

teShAM kvApi bhayaM nAsti saMgrAme saMkaTe girau |

bhUtavetAlarakShobhirgraiShchApi na bAdhyate || 6 ||

idaM kavaMajnAtvA yo japedgeGa nAyakam |

na cha siddhimavApnoti mURDo varShashatairapi || 7 ||

aghoro me yathA mantraro mantrANottamottamaH |

tathedaM kavaM devI durlabhaM bhavi mAnavaiH || 8 ||

gopanIyaM prayatena nAjeyaM yasya kashachit |

tava prItyA maheshAni kavaM kathyate'dbhutam || 9 ||

ekAxarasya mantrasya gaNakasha chirIrtaH |

triShTup chandastu vighneSheo devatA parIkIr titA || 10 ||

gaM bIjaM shaktiro'kAraH sarvakAmArthasiddhaye |

sarvavighnavinAshAya viniyogastu kIrtitaH || 11 ||

dhyAnam |

rakAmbhojasvarUpaM lasadaruNasarojAdhirUdaM trinetram

pAshaM chaivAMkuSham vA varadamabhayadaM bAhuirdharayantam |

shaktyA yuktaM gajAsyaM pRUthutarajathaRam nAgayajopavItaM

devaM chandrArdhachUMaM sakalabhayaharaM vighnarAjaM namAmi || 12 ||

kavacham |

gaNesho me shiraH pAtu phAlaM pAtu gajAnanaH |

netre gaNapatiH pAtu gajakarNaH shrUtI mama || 13 ||

kapOlu gaNanAthastu ghrANaM gandharvapUjitaH |

mukhaM me sumukhaH pAtu chibukaM girijAsutaH || 14 ||

jihvAM pAtu gaNakrIdo dantAn rakShtu durmukhaH |

vAchaM vinAyakaH pAtu kaNThaM pAtu madotkaTaH || 15 ||

skaMdhau pAtu gajaskaMdho bAhU me vighnanAshanaH |

hastau rakShtu heraMbo vakShaH pAtu mahAbalaH || 16 ||

hRdayaM me gaNapatirudaraM me mahodaraH |

nAbhiM gaMbhIrahRdayo pRiShThaM pAtu surapriyaH || 17 ||

kaTiM me vikaTaH pAtu guhyaM me guhapUjitaH |

UrU me pAtu kAumAraM jAnunI cha gaNAdhipaH || 18 ||

jaMghe jayapradaH pAtu gulfau me dUrjaT ipriyaH |

caraNau dUrjayaH pAtu sAMgaM me gaNanAyakaH || 19 ||

Amodo me'grataH pAtu pramodo pAtu pRiShThataH |

dakSiNe pAtu siddhIsho vAme vidyAdharArchitaH || 20 ||

prAchyAM rakSatu mAM nityaM chintAmaNivinAyaka |

AgneyyAM vakratuMdo me dakShiNAyAmumasutaH || 21 ||

nairRtyAM sarvavighneSheo pAtu nityaM gaNeshwara |

pratIchyAM siddhidaH pAtu vAyavyAM gajakarNakaH || 22 ||

kauberyAM sarvasiddhIsho IShAnyAmIshanandanaH |

UrdhvaM vinAyakaH pAtu adho mUShakavAhanaH || 23 ||

divA gokShIradhavalaH pAtu nityaM gajAnanaH |

rAtrau pAtu gaNakrIdo saMdhayO suravanditaH || 24 ||

pAshAMkuShAbhayakaraH sarvataH pAtu mAM sadA |

grahamUtApiShAcebhyo pAtu nityaM gaNeshwaraH || 25 ||

sattvaM rajasamo vAchaM buddhiM jnAnaM smRtiM dayAm |

dharmaM chaturvidhaM lakShmIM lajjAM kIrtiM kulaM vapuH || 26 ||

dhanadhAnyagrhAMdArAn putrAnpautrAn sakhIMstathA |

ekadanto'vatu shrImAn sarvataH shankarAtmajaH || 27 ||

siddhidaM kIrtidaM devI prapaTheniyataH shuchiH |

ekakAlaM dvikAlaM vA trikAlaM vApi bhaktitaH || 28 ||

na tasya durlabhaM kiMchit triShu lokeShu vidyate |

sarvapApavinirmukto jAyate bhavi mAnavaH || 29 ||

yaM yaM kAmayate martyaH sudurlabhamanoratham |

taM taM prApnoti sakalaM ShaNAmasAnAtra saMshayaH || 30 ||

mohanastambhanAkShamAraNo Uc chATanam vasham |

smaraNAdeva jAyante nAtrA kAryA vicAraNA || 31 ||

sarvavighnahareddevidM grahapIdAnivAraNam |

sarvashatrukShayakaraM sarvAptatinivAraNam || 32 ||

dhRtvedaM kavaM devI yo japenmantrottamam |

na vAchyate sa vighnoughaiH kadAchidapi kuchracit || 33 ||

bhUrje likhitvA vidhivaddhArayEdyo naraH shuchiH |

ekabAho shiraH kaNThe pUjayitvA gaNAdhipam || 34 ||

ekAxarasya mantrasya kavaM devI durlabham |

yo dhArayenmaheshAni na vighnairabhibhUyate || 35 ||

gaNeshahRdayaM nAma kavaM sarvasiddhidam |

paThedvA pAThayedApi tasya siddhiH kare sthita || 36 ||

na prakAshyaM maheshAni kavaM yatra kuchracit |

dAtavyaM bhaktiyuktAya gurudevaparAya cha || 37 ||

English Translation

Salutations to Him, to Ganesha, the destroyer of all obstacles,

Who is worshipped by all gods at the beginning of all undertakings.

Parvati said:

O Lord of lords, O cause of benefit to the worlds,

I wish to hear now that armor which has been revealed by You.

Through the single-syllable mantra, with a mind pleased by You,

O God, if I, your beloved, am worthy, please speak it according to proper procedure.

Ishvara said:

Listen, O Goddess, I shall proclaim what is never to be told to another, what is certain,

The armor of the single-syllable mantra, bestower of all desires.

By merely remembering whom, obstacles do not arise,

Whether three times daily, once, or whenever humans recite it,

For them, there is never any fear - in battle, in distress, in mountains,

Nor are they afflicted by spirits, vampires, or planetary influences.

Knowing this armor, whoever worships the Lord of Ganas,

Would not attain success even in a hundred years, if foolish.

May the fiercest of mantras, the best among mantras, protect me,

Thus this armor, O Goddess, is rare among humans in the world.

It should be carefully guarded, never to be given to anyone,

For your sake, O Consort of Mahesha, this wonderful armor is spoken.

For the single-syllable mantra, Ganaka is the seer, Trishtup is the meter,

Vighnesha is the deity, thus it is proclaimed.

'Gam' is the seed, 'Om' is the Shakti, for the attainment of all desires,

For the destruction of all obstacles, the application is proclaimed.

Meditation:

I worship the Lord of Obstacles, of red lotus complexion, seated on a beautiful lotus,

Three-eyed, holding noose, goad, granting boons and dispelling fear with His hands,

Adorned with the sacred thread, with a large belly, the son of Shiva,

Wearing the moon as a crown, the destroyer of all fear, the King of Obstacles.

Armor:

May Ganesha protect my head, may the Elephant-Faced One protect my forehead,

May Ganapati protect my eyes, may the Elephant-Eared One protect my hearing.

May the Lord of Ganas protect my temples, may He worshipped by Gandharvas protect my nose,

May the Pleasant-Faced One protect my mouth, may the Daughter of Girija protect my chin.

May the Player with Ganas protect my tongue, may the Fierce One protect my teeth,

May Vinayaka protect my speech, may the Beloved of Shiva protect my throat.

May the Elephant-Shouldered One protect my shoulders, may the Destroyer of Obstacles protect my arms,

May Heramba protect my hands, may the Mighty One protect my chest.

May Ganapati protect my heart, may the Large-Bellied One protect my belly,

May the Deep-Hearted One protect my navel, may the Dear of Gods protect my back.

May the Fierce One protect my waist, may He worshipped in secret protect my private parts,

May the Youthful One protect my thighs, may the Lord of Ganas protect my knees.

May the Giver of Victory protect my shins, may the Dear of Rudra protect my ankles,

May the Invincible One protect my feet, may the Leader of Ganas protect my whole body.

May Amoda protect me from the front, may Promoda protect from behind,

May the Lord of Siddhis protect on the right, may He worshipped by Vidyadharas protect on the left.

May the Chintamani Vinayaka always protect me in the east,

May the Curved-Trunked One (son of Uma) protect me in the southeast (Agneya).

May the Lord of All Vighnas, ever Ganesha, protect in the southwest,

May the Giver of Siddhis protect in the west, may the Elephant-Eared One protect in the northwest.

May the Lord of All Siddhis protect in the north, may the Joy-Giver of Ishana protect in the northeast,

May Vinayaka protect above, may the Mouse-Rider protect below.

May the Pure-Milk Ganesha always protect by day,

May the Player with Ganas protect by night, may the One Honored by Gods protect at twilight.

May the Holder of Noose, Goad and Fear protect me always from all directions,

May Ganesha always protect me from spirits, ghosts and demons.

May He protect my sattva, rajas, tamas, speech, intelligence, knowledge, memory and mercy,

May He protect my four-fold dharma, Lakshmi, modesty, fame, lineage and form.

May the Single-Tusked One, the auspicious son of Shiva, protect me from all directions,

My wealth, grains, household, servants, sons, grandsons, and friends.

O Goddess, one who is clean and devoted, reading it once, twice, or thrice daily with devotion,

For him, nothing is rare in the three worlds,

Free from all sins, he becomes a human on earth.

Whatever desire a mortal seeks, that which is difficult to obtain,

That he obtains completely within six months, of this there is no doubt.

Attraction, immobilization, enchantment, subduing, and uprooting,

These come merely by remembrance, no other action is needed.

For the destruction of all obstacles, for the removal of planetary afflictions,

For the destruction of all enemies, for the prevention of all calamities.

O Goddess, whoever holds this armor and recites the supreme mantra,

Is never afflicted by hosts of obstacles, anywhere at any time.

A pure person who, having written it on birch bark according to ritual,

Wears it on one arm and worships the Lord of Ganas with head and throat,

The armor of the single-syllable mantra, O Goddess, is rare,

Whoever wears it, O Consort of Mahesha, is never overwhelmed by obstacles.

This is called Ganesha Hrdaya, bestower of all success,

Whoever reads or teaches it, success remains in his hand.

This armor should not be revealed anywhere to anyone,

It must be given to one devoted to the guru and God alone.