Aghorakavacham or Aghora Murti Kavacham

Om, salutations to Lord Ganesha. Now begins the writing of the Aghora Kavacham. Salutations to Lord Aghora Bhairava. Bhairavi said: O Lord, ocean of compassion, the one who enables us to cross the ocean of scriptures! You had previously granted me a boon; please be pleased to bestow it upon me now.

Bhairava said: Truly, a boon was granted earlier. O Parvati, ask for a boon! Whatever desire is in your heart, I am capable of bestowing it.

The Goddess said: O Mahadeva! Out of compassion, please tell me quickly the Aghora Kavacha, which is rare even for the gods, if I am dear to you.

Bhairava said: I shall describe the supreme Aghora Kavacha, endowed with great mantras. This is a supreme secret and truth, which should not be revealed to wicked-minded persons.

For this Shri Aghora Kavacha, the Sage is Mahakala Bhairava, the metre is Anushtup, and the presiding Deity is Shri Kalagnirudra. 'Kshmeem' is the seed (Beeja), 'Kshmaam' is the power (Shakti), and 'Kshmah' is the pin (Keelaka). This armor is recited for the attainment of Shri Aghora Vidya.

Now the Mantra: Salutations to the Aghoras (peaceful forms), to the Ghoras (terrible forms), and to those who are even more terrible than the terrible. Salutations everywhere and in all ways to all those forms of Rudra.

May Om auspicious Aghora protect my head. May Shri Aghora protect my forehead. May Hreem Ghora protect my eyes. May Kleem Ghora protect my ears.

May Sauh Tarebhyah protect my temples. May Ksham protect my nose from all sides. May Sharva Aghora protect my mouth, and may Sarva protect my neck.

May Ghora protect my shoulders. May Jwalannamah protect my hands. May Jwalana protect my chest, and may Prajwala-Rudraka protect my abdomen.

May Prajwala-roopebhyah protect my flanks. May the embodiment of Aghora protect my navel. May Shoolapani protect my genital organ, and may Rudra always protect my secret parts.

May Amritamoorti protect my waist. May Neelakantha protect my secret region. May Chandrajata protect my thighs, and may Tripurantaka protect me.

May Trilocana protect my calves. May Yajnaroopa protect my ankles. May Aghora protect the soles of my feet, and may Aghora Bhairava protect my feet.

From feet to head, may Lord Shiva in the form of Aghora protect me. From head to feet, may Aghora Bhairava protect me.

In the morning, may Bhairava protect me. At noon, may Batuka protect me. In the evening, may Mahakala protect me, and at night, may Kala Bhairava protect me.

At midnight, may Ghora Himself protect me. At the end of the night, may the embodiment of Nectar protect me. In the east, may the Rigveda protect me, and in the south, may the Yajurveda protect me.

In the west, may the Samaveda protect me; in the north, the Atharvaveda; in the south-east (Agneya), Agni; and in the south-west (Nairitya), Nityachetana.

In the north-west (Vayavya), may Raudraroopa protect me; in the north-east (Eeshana), Kalashasana; above, Urdhvareta; and in the nether world (Patala), Parameshwara.

In all ten directions, may Lord Kalagnirudra always protect me. May Kalagni protect me from fire, and Vayubhakshaka protect me from wind.

From water, may Aurvamukha protect me; on the path, may Shankara protect me. While seated, may Yogadhyeya protect me, and while walking, may the one in the form of wind protect me.

Inside the house, may Sharva always protect me, and outside the house, Vrishadhwaja. At all places and at all times, may Aghora and Ghoraka protect me.

In battle, in the royal court, in impassable places, during famine, in an assembly of enemies, while gambling, in fear of epidemics, in the nation, during devastation, or among opposing disputants...

...from Aghora (gentle) forms, Ghora (terrible) forms, and forms even more terrible than Ghora, may Ghora Bhairava protect me; may He also protect me in the battle of desire.

May I be protected from all sides, from all kinds of fears, and while taking meals. O forms of Rudra, salutations unto you! May Ghora Bhairava protect me.

Everywhere, forever, in all limbs, and in all kinds of fear, may Aghoraka, the essence of the seed mantras 'Ham Yam Ram Lam Vam Sham Sham Sam Ham Lam Kshah', protect me.

May the mantra 'Aghorastraya Phat' protect me, and may Aghora along with Bhairava protect me. Whichever place was omitted from remembrance or whichever spot has not been named here...

...in all those places, may Aghora along with Bhairava protect me. May He also protect my wife, sons, friends, daughter, and all possessions belonging to me.

May Aghora and Ghoraka always protect all of those. While bathing, offering praise, chanting, reciting, and performing homa (fire ritual), may Aghoraka in the form of the mantra 'Kshah' protect me.

Salutations to the Aghora forms, to the Ghora forms, and to forms even more terrible than Ghora. Salutations to the forms of Rudra who protect all from every direction.

With the mantra 'Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Sauh Kshmam', may Shri Aghoraka protect me eternally. Thus ends this most secret Kavacha, which is rare to obtain in all the three worlds.

O Goddess! This divine Kavacha is endowed with root mantras, is the supreme essence of the three worlds, and this secret armor should never be given or spoken to those who are unqualified.

An uninitiated mantra seeker should not ask for this nor chant its praise. It should not be given to an uninitiated disciple, nor even to one's own son (Sharajanma - Kartikeya).

"It should neither be given nor recited to others" — listen to this command of mine. And now listen to the supreme and glorious greatness of this excellent armor.

When an uninitiated seeker desiring knowledge recites this, he should indeed be considered initiated, and he becomes a knower of mantras and a supreme practitioner.

Whoever recites this mentally at night, during Brahma-muhurta, at the time of worship, or at midnight, all eight Siddhis come into his hands.

Upon seeing bad dreams, when in bondage, in severe distress, in a dense forest, on the ocean, or in times of fear, O Beloved! the mantra practitioner who is a storehouse of knowledge should recite this king of armors.

By reciting this armor, all those fears are completely appeased. This Aghora Kavacha, which embodies Rajas, Sattva, and Tamas qualities, should be recited.

Whatever desire the seeker holds in his heart, he obtains it all. On a Sunday or an auspicious day of Lord Shiva, having written it on Bhojpatra (birch bark) with kumkum (saffron)...

...or merely by partaking of pure food and wearing it on the head or on the arm, the seeker immediately attains the desired fruit according to his wish.

In whose house or temple this Aghora Kavacha resides, there knowledge, fame, wealth, health, and prosperity increase; of this there is no doubt.

Whoever chants the Aghora Vidya without this Kavacha, his knowledge and chanting become fruitless; therefore, one should always recite this righteousness-embodied armor.

By chanting the Aghora mantra-vidya, stotra, and mantra, spiritual perfection (siddhi) is attained instantly by the grace of Lord Aghora.

Thus, O Goddess of the God of gods! the Aghora Kavacha should be remembered and recited.