Siddhi of the Krishna Kavach — A Seven-Day Janmashtami Anushthan, and What the Kavach Then Protects

The speaker says this teaching is for people who do ananya bhakti of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, who wish to obtain the madhurya swaroop of Bhagavati Radha and Bhagavan Krishna and their Kripa, and for those who wish that on the sadhana marga and the tantra marga they take up subjects connected with Bhagavan Shri Krishna and do sadhana of his mantras and the rest. For all of them, he says, first of all and before everything, the siddhi of the Kavach of Bhagavan Shri Krishna should be done. He says he is placing before listeners the vidhi for making this kavach siddh and how, through it, protection comes about in the body. If this kavach is made siddh at the time of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, he says, then whenever it is used afterwards — even if one merely does smaran of it — rakshan is certainly obtained through Bhagavan Shri Krishna. Those who do the seva and puja of Bhagavan Shri Krishna and Bhagavati Radha should certainly make this kavach siddh.

The speaker says the paath of this kavach is begun at the time of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, from the Dwitiya TithiA lunar calendar day — some idols (like a Shivling) need daily bathing regardless, while others only need it on their dedicated weekly day or tithi. of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada Maas, and continued until the day after Janmashtami, the Navami — an AnushthanaAn extended ritual observance — such as 108 recitations of a scripture — carrying its own strict rules. of roughly seven days. First the kavach mula is written on a white BhojpatraBirch bark, used to write a mantra or a person's name with a pomegranate-twig pen and red sandalwood ink for Tantric applications, such as placing a name upon a Shivlinga's base for a honey Abhisheka., or whatever bhojpatra one can get. Kavach mula, he explains, is only that portion in which protection is asked of each separate swaroop of Bhagavan Krishna — leaving out the purva pithika and the PhalashrutiThe closing section of a hymn or scripture that lists the benefits and results promised to whoever recites it.; that is, from the first shloka up to the eighth, dropping the last shlokas. That much is written with gopi chandan if one can get it. Otherwise with AshtagandhaA fragrant paste made of eight substances, applied as a tilak before vermilion (sindoor) in remedy and worship rites. ink into which KesarSaffron, used in ashtagandha inks and in offerings to the Goddess. and GorochanA yellow pigment obtained from cattle, used in writing yantras and in tilak. are mixed, using a silver lekhani if one has it, or a lekhani of white or red ChandanSandalwood paste, offered and applied in worship for its cooling, purifying quality.. If nothing else can be had, he says, write the kavach on the bhojpatra with a Tulsi pen, in very small letters. After writing, it is placed at the charan of Bhagavan Shri Krishna. Because the kavach is very short, 108 paths are done every day for the seven days; and if possible, on the night of Krishna Janmashtami as many paths as one can, so that 1100 paths are completed. Once the 1100 are done, the written bhojpatra is put into a beautiful silver khol on which the swaroop of Bhagavan Shri Krishna is made, his names are written, or the name of Bhagavati Radha is written. On the day after Janmashtami, when the pujan of Bhagavan Shri Krishna is done, the kavach is worn after a Havan. The havan is done with Krishna's satnamavali, his 108 names, or if one wishes with the SahasranamaA recitation of a deity's thousand names — a devotional text genre used across many deities, not one single fixed composition. and the like. Men offer with ordinary ghee; women with havan samagri — the mixed, paushtik havan samagri. After Purnahuti and the rest, at the very least some BhogThe food offering placed before a deity before anyone in the household eats. — makhan mishri and whatever is possible — is fed to bal gopals, small children: at least five boys, and to small girls. Then the kavach is worn on the neck. If there is a small child in the house, an abodh balak of up to five or seven years, then having the kavach placed on one's neck or arm by that child's hand and taking his blessing is, he says, very excellent. It is said, he adds, that wherever one goes wearing this kavach, one is protected everywhere by Bhagavan Krishna's Sudarshana ChakraLord Vishnu/Narayana's discus weapon, invoked in scripture as the protector of devotees who observe vows like Ekadashi with strict devotion. and by his gopis.

One most special significance of this Kavach of Bhagavan Krishna, the speaker says, is this: if any person, any woman or man, is meeting with badha in the obtaining of santan, then by wearing this kavach the sambhavna increases in their life that they may shortly obtain a shishu — that a putra ratna or a putri ratna may be obtained.

Along with this, the speaker says, if you do the specific seva of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, then through this Kavach — if any kind of Abhichara badha is arising in your life, any graha-caused badha, any Preta- or Pishach-caused badha — your protection is done everywhere by it. Protection is done for you at the place of work, and padonnati takes place. That is, he says, through this kavach you obtain every kind of benefit that ought to be present in your life.

Many times it happens, the speaker says, that our bhagya is quite weak: we are doing all the work but the expected result we look for is not being obtained. When the janma kundali is analysed, he says, it is found that whichever grahas of our bhagya there are, they are afflicted somewhere, in a nich rashi, in a wrong bhava, because of which their effect is not being received in the right way; or they are seized by RahuThe shadow graha of the ascending node, associated with occult affliction and sudden reversal. and Ketu, because of which their effect cannot be had — and this we call durbhagya. By wearing this Kavach, he says, whatever graha-caused badhas of this kind there are, and the effect of the kundali that is not being received — that shubh effect begins to be obtained.

Whenever you set out, the speaker says, on the yatra of Shrimad Dham Vrindavan, Golok and the rest, of Mathura and the rest; or to any swaroop of Bhagavan Narayan — at Gaya Dham ji, Gaya ji — or any such chief swaroop sthan, as many puris as there are, the Saptapuri; or go to Ganga ji, Yamuna ji, the Triveni SangamThe confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the unseen Saraswati at Prayagraj — remembering it, or mentally invoking the Ganga and Narmada, is prescribed to instantly purify the mind if impure thoughts arise during japa. and the rest — then, while you remain wearing this Kavach, you should certainly do as much Japa of it there as possible. Walking and moving about, he says, you may do its japa in those dhams. The effect of this kavach increases very greatly. Remaining lifelong in the shelter of this kavach, he says, you can obtain the Kripa of Bhagavan Krishna and Bhagavati Radha.