Sanskrit paath · with meaning
Hanuman Kavach
॥ श्री पञ्चमुख हनुमत्कवचम् ॥
The Hanuman Kavach is a protective paath, a kavach (रक्षा कवच) or armour, of Hanuman ji. The one given here is the well known Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham (पंचमुखी हनुमान कवच) of the five faced form, taken from the Sudarshana Samhita (सुदर्शन संहिता). मान्यता है कि इसके पाठ से नकारात्मक ऊर्जा, भय और बुरी नज़र से रक्षा होती है. Below is the full paath with meaning (अर्थ सहित), in Devanagari with its meaning in simple words, and a simple recitation method (पाठ विधि) to read it. Honestly, what it gives most is courage and a settled mind.
The Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham in Devanagari
Read the sankalp first, then the dhyan of the five faces, the five namaskars, and the phal shruti at the end. Use the A buttons to enlarge the text.
॥ विनियोग एवं दिग्बन्ध ॥
गायत्रीछन्दः । पञ्चमुखविराट् हनुमान्देवता ।
ह्रीं बीजम् । श्रीं शक्तिः । क्रौं कीलकम् ।
क्रूं कवचम् । क्रैं अस्त्राय फट् । इति दिग्बन्धः ।
॥ ध्यान ॥
यत्कृतं देवदेवेन ध्यानं हनुमतः प्रियम् ॥ १॥
बाहुभिर्दशभिर्युक्तं सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदम् ॥ २॥
दन्ष्ट्राकरालवदनं भृकुटीकुटिलेक्षणम् ॥ ३॥
अत्युग्रतेजोवपुषं भीषणं भयनाशनम् ॥ ४॥
सर्वनागप्रशमनं विषभूतादिकृन्तनम् ॥ ५॥
पातालसिंहवेतालज्वररोगादिकृन्तनम् ॥ ६॥
येन वक्त्रेण विप्रेन्द्र तारकाख्यं महासुरम् ॥ ७॥
ध्यात्वा पञ्चमुखं रुद्रं हनुमन्तं दयानिधिम् ॥ ८॥
मुष्टिं कौमोदकीं वृक्षं धारयन्तं कमण्डलुम् ॥ ९॥
एतान्यायुधजालानि धारयन्तं भजाम्यहम् ॥ १०॥
दिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरं दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनम् ॥ ११॥
पञ्चास्यमच्युतमनेकविचित्रवर्णवक्त्रं
शशाङ्कशिखरं कपिराजवर्यम ।
पीताम्बरादिमुकुटैरूपशोभिताङ्गं
पिङ्गाक्षमाद्यमनिशं मनसा स्मरामि ॥ १२॥
शत्रु संहर मां रक्ष श्रीमन्नापदमुद्धर ॥ १३॥
परिलिख्यति लिख्यति वामतले ।
यदि नश्यति नश्यति शत्रुकुलं
यदि मुञ्चति मुञ्चति वामलता ॥ १४॥
॥ पञ्च मुख को नमस्कार ॥
॥ फल श्रुति ॥
एकवारं जपेत्स्तोत्रं सर्वशत्रुनिवारणम् ॥ १५॥
त्रिवारं च पठेन्नित्यं सर्वसम्पत्करं शुभम् ॥ १६॥
पञ्चवारं पठेन्नित्यं सर्वलोकवशङ्करम् ॥ १७॥
सप्तवारं पठेन्नित्यं सर्वसौभाग्यदायकम् ॥ १८॥
नववारं पठेन्नित्यं राजभोगमवाप्नुयात् ॥ १९॥
रुद्रावृत्तिं पठेन्नित्यं सर्वसिद्धिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम् ॥ २०॥
कवचस्मरणेनैव महाबलमवाप्नुयात् ॥ २१॥
What the Hanuman Kavach is
Kavach means armour. A kavach paath asks the deity to become a shield around the devotee, guarding him from every side. The Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham (पंचमुखी हनुमान कवच) given here is the kavach of the five faced Hanuman, and it comes to us from the Sudarshana Samhita (सुदर्शन संहिता), where it is said to have been told by Ram ji to Sita ji. Its dhyan describes the five faces, its namaskars salute each one, and the phal shruti tells the fruit of reading it.
पंचमुखी हनुमान कवच के फायदे
भक्त इस कवच को बुरी नज़र, नकारात्मक ऊर्जा, भय, रोग और तांत्रिक बाधा से रक्षा के लिए पढ़ते हैं, क्योंकि इसके पाँचों मुख एक-एक प्रकार के संकट को दूर करते हैं. पर मैं ईमानदारी से कहूँ, इसका सबसे बड़ा फायदा यही है कि मन शांत और निर्भय होता है. That inner steadiness is the real fruit, so read it with shraddha for the shanti it gives, not as a magic shield that removes your own effort.
The meaning, in simple words
The kavach opens with a sankalp and dig-bandh, tying the directions so the paath is protected. Then comes the beautiful dhyan, remembering the five faces, the vanara face that removes every enemy, the Narasimha face that removes fear, the Garuda face that removes poison and bad influence, the Varaha face that gives wealth, and the upward Hayagriva face that gives knowledge. After the dhyan, the paath bows to each of the five faces by name and direction. At the end, the phal shruti says that reading the kavach again and again brings protection from enemies, from illness, and steadiness to the mind. If you want to know each face better, see the Panchmukhi Hanuman page.
A simple way to read it
Sit before Hanuman ji after a bath, light a diya or agarbatti, and settle for a moment. Read the sankalp and dig-bandh lines, then the dhyan of the five faces, then the five namaskars one by one, and finish with the phal shruti and a quiet pranam. Tuesday and Saturday are the days for it, and many read it after the Hanuman Chalisa.
An honest word
Two things I want to say plainly. First, the full kavach has a deeper tantric portion, with nyas and special beej mantras, which is meant to be learnt from a guru and done as a proper sadhana. What I have given here is the recited core, the dhyan, the namaskars and the phal shruti, which a household bhakt can read with shraddha and no fear of doing wrong. Second, a kavach is not a magic shield that removes your own effort. Like every paath, what it truly gives is courage and a guarded, settled mind, so you face your troubles with less fear. Read it for that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hanuman Kavach?
Kavach means armour. The Hanuman Kavach is a protective paath that asks Hanuman ji to guard the devotee from every side. The best known one is the Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham, the kavach of the five faced form, which comes from the Sudarshana Samhita and is said to have been told by Ram ji to Sita ji.
What is the benefit of reading the Hanuman Kavach?
Devotees read it for protection, from fear, negativity, illness and bad influence, since each of the five faces removes one kind of trouble. Honestly, what it gives is courage and a settled, guarded feeling in the mind. Read it with faith for that shanti, not as a magic shield that removes your own care and effort.
Who can read the Hanuman Kavach?
Any devotee can read the recited kavach given here with a clean heart and shraddha. The kavach also has a deeper tantric portion with nyas and special mantras, and that part is meant to be learnt and done under a guru, not on one's own. For daily bhakti, the dhyan, the namaskars and the phal shruti are enough.
When should the Hanuman Kavach be read?
Tuesday and Saturday are Hanuman ji's days, and Hanuman Jayanti is special. Morning after a bath is the usual time. Many read it after the Hanuman Chalisa. Reading it daily with shraddha is the tradition.
Is the Hanuman Kavach in Sanskrit or Hindi?
The Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham is in Sanskrit, and the text on this page is in Devanagari, the same script as Hindi, so you can read it comfortably. I have also given the meaning in simple words below, so you understand what you are reciting.
Panchmukhi Hanuman Kavach ke fayde kya hain?
Iske paath se raksha milti hai, buri nazar, नकारात्मक ऊर्जा, bhay-chinta aur rog se. Har mukh ek tarah ki raksha deta hai, jaise Narasimha mukh bhay door karta hai aur Garuda mukh vish aur bure prabhav se bachata hai. Par sach yeh hai ki iska sabse bada fayda man ka shant aur nirbhay hona hai. Shraddha se padhiye, tabhi poora laabh milta hai, kisi jaadu ki tarah nahi.
पंचमुखी हनुमान कवच का पाठ कैसे और किस दिन करें?
स्नान करके शुद्ध हो जाइए, हनुमान जी (विशेषकर पंचमुखी रूप) के सामने बैठिए, दीपक या अगरबत्ती जलाइए और शांत मन से पहले विनियोग एवं दिग्बन्ध, फिर पाँच मुखों का ध्यान, फिर पाँच नमस्कार और अंत में फल श्रुति पढ़िए. मंगलवार और शनिवार इसके लिए विशेष दिन हैं, और बहुत से भक्त इसे हनुमान चालीसा के बाद पढ़ते हैं. सबसे ज़रूरी बात, इसे साफ़ मन और श्रद्धा से पढ़िए.
I have taken this Panchmukhi Hanumat Kavacham from trusted sources, checked against the standard Sudarshana Samhita reading, and kept the recited paath exact. The full kavach also carries a deeper nyas and prayog portion which is done under a guru, so I have given the core that devotees read at home. If your gutka has a slightly different reading, please go with yours, and tell me on the contact page if you like.
Saurabh Satyaram, Jaipur