Panchmukhi Hanuman Kavach

Salutations to Shri Ganesha; to Shri Uma-Maheshvara; to Shri Sita-Ramachandra; and to the five-faced son of Anjana (Hanuman). Here begins the Shri Panchamukha Hanuman Kavacham.

For this Panchamukha Hanuman mantra the seer is Brahma, the metre is Gayatri, and the deity is the five-faced Viraat Hanuman; ‘hreem’ is the seed, ‘shreem’ the power, ‘kraum’ the pin (keelaka), ‘kroom’ the armour, and ‘kraim astraya phat’ — thus the directions are bound.

Shri Garuda said: O beautiful one, now I shall tell the meditation composed by the God of gods, dear to Hanuman; listen.

Five-faced, most terrible, endowed with fifteen eyes (three on each face), ten-armed, and the bestower of all desires and aims — (meditate on him).

The east-facing face is that of the monkey (kapi), radiant like a crore of suns, with a fearsome fanged mouth and eyes beneath knitted brows.

Its south-facing face is that of Narasimha — greatly wondrous, with a body of fierce blazing splendour, terrifying, and the destroyer of (the devotees’) fear.

The west-facing face is that of Garuda — with a curved beak, mighty, subduer of all serpents, and cutter-away of poison, spirits and the like.

The north-facing face is that of the boar (Varaha) — dark, blazing, and vast like the sky; cutter-away of the netherworld’s lions, of vetalas, fevers, diseases and the like.

The upward face is the most terrible horse-face (Hayagriva), destroyer of demons; O best of sages, the face by which he slew the great demon named Taraka — that very face is the refuge and remover of all foes. Having thus meditated on the compassionate five-faced Rudra-Hanuman —

Sword, trident, khatvanga, noose, goad, mountain, fist, the Kaumodaki mace, tree, water-pot, bhindipala (a missile) and the jnana-mudra — bearing these in his ten hands, I worship that best of sages.

Seated upon a preta-asana, adorned with all ornaments, wearing divine garlands and garments, and anointed with divine fragrance —

(I remember) the all-wondrous Lord Hanuman whose faces turn toward the universe; five-faced, imperishable, with faces of many marvellous hues, crest bright as the moon, foremost of monkey-kings, his limbs radiant with yellow silks and diadems, tawny-eyed — that primeval Lord I ceaselessly remember in my mind.

O lord of the monkeys, full of great vigour, remover of all foes! Destroy my enemies, protect me; O glorious one, deliver me from calamity.

‘Om Harimarkata Markata’ — whoever inscribes this mantra upon the left palm, his host of enemies perishes; and the moment he releases it, the creeper of misfortune too lets go.

Oblations to the five faces of the five-faced Hanuman — to Hari-Markata; to the east-facing kapi for destroying all foes; to the fierce south-facing Narasimha for crushing all spirits; to the west-facing Garuda for removing all poison; to the north-facing primeval Varaha for granting all wealth; and to the upward-facing Hayagriva for winning over all people — ‘svaha’.

For this Panchamukha Hanuman mantra the seer is Shri Ramachandra, the metre Anushtup, the deity the five-faced hero Hanuman; ‘Hanuman’ is the seed, ‘Vayuputra’ the power, ‘Anjanasuta’ the pin. It is applied in recitation for the grace and attainment of Shri Rama’s messenger Hanuman — thus one should assign the seer and the rest.

Placement on the hands — with salutations, assign Anjanasuta to the two thumbs, Rudra-murti to the forefingers, Vayuputra to the middle fingers, Agnigarbha to the ring fingers, Ramaduta to the little fingers, and Panchamukha Hanuman to the palms and backs of the hands.

Placement on the body — Anjanasuta on the heart with ‘namah’, Rudra-murti on the head with ‘svaha’, Vayuputra on the tuft with ‘vashat’, Agnigarbha on the armour with ‘hum’, Ramaduta on the three eyes with ‘vaushat’, and Panchamukha Hanuman on the weapon with ‘phat’ — thus one binds the directions.

Now the meditation — I bow to him who bears the (five) faces of the monkey, Narasimha, Garuda-king, boar and horse; adorned with divine ornaments, fifteen-eyed, blazing with radiance; holding in his lotus-hands a sword, shield, book, pot of nectar, goad, mountain, plough, khatvanga and a serpent-tree — ten-armed, destroyer of all enemies and their champions.

Now the mantra — Om, to the messenger of Shri Rama, son of Anjana and of the Wind, of mighty strength and valour, remover of Sita’s sorrow, cause of Lanka’s burning, fierce with great power, friend of Arjuna, the cosmic form of the whole clamorous universe, leaper across the seven seas, tawny-eyed, of boundless prowess, who seized the sun’s orb thinking it a fruit, warder-off of the wicked, giver of life to Angada, Lakshmana and the great monkey army through the sanjivani, destroyer of the ten-necked Ravana, beloved of Rama, bestower of the boon of Rama-with-Sita — it is applied in the recitation of the six-fold-rite five-faced hero Hanuman mantra of the Agamas.

Oblations to Hari-Markata Hanuman with various seeds — with ‘bam’ and vaushat, with ‘pham’ and phat, with ‘khem’ for warding-off, with ‘lum’ for drawing all wealth, with ‘dham’ for immobilising foes; with the seed ‘tam’ to the tortoise-formed five-faced hero Hanuman for undoing others’ yantras and spells; and, together with the whole garland of letters (from ‘kam’ to ‘ksham’), ‘svaha’ — thus the directions are bound.

Oblations to the five faces of the five-faced Hanuman — to the east kapi-face with ‘tam’ seeds for destroying all foes; to the fierce south Narasimha-face with ‘hraam hreem hroom hraim hraum hrah’ for subduing all ghosts and spirits; to the west Garuda-face with ‘mam’ seeds for removing all poison; to the north primeval-Varaha, Nrisimha, blue-throated face with ‘lam’ seeds; to the upward Hayagriva, Rudra-form face with ‘rum’ seeds for accomplishing every purpose. To Anjanasuta, son of the Wind, the mighty, remover of Sita’s grief, the grace-sandal of Shri Ramachandra, of great valour, lord of the universe, granter of desires, the five-faced hero Hanuman — for undoing ghosts, spirits, pishachas, brahma-rakshasas, shakinis, dakinis, sky-borne planets and others’ yantras and spells; to him who fulfils every purpose, the very boon-grace of Shri Ramachandra, with ‘jam’ seeds — ‘svaha’.

Having recited this kavach, one should recite the maha-kavach. A single recitation of this hymn wards off all enemies.

Recited twice daily it increases sons and grandsons; thrice daily it is auspicious and grants all wealth.

Recited four times daily it cures all diseases; five times it brings all worlds under one’s sway.

Six times daily it wins over all the gods; seven times it bestows all good fortune.

Eight times daily it fulfils desired aims; nine times it obtains royal enjoyments.

Ten times daily it grants vision and knowledge of the three worlds; recited eleven times (a ‘Rudra’ cycle) it surely yields all attainments.

One who is weak, sick, or afflicted by grave illness gains great strength by the very remembrance of this kavach.

Thus concludes the Shri Panchamukha Hanuman Kavacham, spoken by Shri Ramachandra and Sita, in the Shri Sudarshana Samhita.