Prayers for Protection
As described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10th Canto, 6th Chapter, verses 22-29), Sukadeva Gosvami explained to Maharaja Pariksit how the cowherd women of Vrindavana chanted these mantras to protect child Krishna at the time. These same prayers are very powerful and can also protect us in a similar way. They are as follows:
Texts 22-23
avyad ajo ‘nghri manimams tava janv athoru
yagyo ‘cyutah kati-tatam jatharam hayasyaha
hrit keshavas tvad-ura isha inas tu kantham
vishnur bhujam mukham urukrama ishvarah kam
chakry agratah saha-gado harir astu pashchat
tvat-parshvayor dhanur-asi madhu-hajanash cha
koneshu shankha urugaya upary upendras
tarkshyah kshitau haladharah purusha samantat
May Aja protect Your legs, may Maniman protect Your knees, Yajna Your thighs, Acyuta the upper parts of your waist, and Hayagriva Your abdomen. May Keshava protect Your heart, Isha Your chest, the sun-god Your neck, Vishnu Your arms, Urukrama Your face, and Ishvara your head. May Chakri protect You from the front; may Sri Hari, Gadadhari, the carrier of the club, protect You from the back; and may the carrier of the bow, who is known as the enemy of Madhu, and Lord Ajana, the carrier of the sword, protect Your two sides. May Lord Urugaya, the carrier of the conchshell, protect You from all corners; may Upendra protect You from above; may Garuda protect You on the ground; and may Lord Haladhara, the Supreme Person, protect You on all sides.
Text 24
indriyani hrishikeshaha
pranan narayano ‘vatu
shvetadvipa-patish chittam
mano yogeshvaro ‘vatu
May Hrishikesh protect Your senses, and Narayana Your life air. May the master of Shvetadvipa protect the core of Your heart, and may Lord Yogeshvara protect Your mind.
Text 25-26
prishnigarbhas tu te buddhim
atmanam bhagavan paraha
kridantam patu govindaha
shayanam patu madhavaha
vrajantam avyad vaikuntha
asinam tvam shriyah patihi
bhunjanam yagyabhuk patu
sarva-graha-bhayankaraha
May Lord Prishnigarbha protect Your intelligence, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Your soul. While You are playing, may Govinda protect You, and while You are sleeping may Madhava protect You. May Lord Vaikuntha protect You while You are walking, and May Lord Narayana, the husband of the goddess of fortune, protect You while You are sitting. Similarly, may Lord Yajnabhuk, the fearful enemy of all evil planets, always protect you while you enjoy life.
Test 27-29
dakinyo yatudhanyash cha
kushmanda ye ‘rbhaka-grahaha
bhuta-preta-pishachash cha
yaksha-raksho-vinayakaha
kotara revati jyeshtha
putana matrikadayaha
unmade ye hy apasmara
deha-pranendriya-druhaha
svapna-drishta mahotpata
vriddha bala-grahash cha ye
sarve nashyantu te vishnor
nama-grahana-bhiravaha
The evil witches known as Dakinis, Yatudhanis and Kushmandas are the greatest enemies of children, and the evil spirits like Bhutas, Pretas, Pishachas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Vinayakas, as well as witches like Kotara, Revati, Jyeshtha, Putana and Matrika, are always ready to give trouble to the body, the life air and the senses, causing loss of memory, madness and bad dreams. Like the most experienced evil stars, they all create great disturbances, especially for children, but one can vanquish them simply by uttering Lord Vishnu’s names, for when Lord Vishnu’s name resounds, all of them become afraid and go away.
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