Shri Hanuman Kavach
Tijuana Strauhal
Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami was the main deity of Sri Raghavendra Swami. The place where he meditated on this five-faced form of Hanuman is now known as Panchamukhi. There is also a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. A., 40 feet (12 m) tall monolithic green granite murti of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman has been installed in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. This place was known as Rudravanam in olden times when many saints and seers had blessed this place with their presence. The Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram itself was established by a saint called Venkatesa Battar.
Hanuman assumed this form to kill Mahiravana, a powerful rakshasa during the Ramayana war. Mahiravana had taken Lord Rama and Lakshmana captive, and the only way to kill him was to extinguish five lamps burning in different directions, all at the same instant. Hanuman assumed His Panchamukha form and accomplished the task, thus killing the rakshasa, and freeing Rama and Lakshmana.
This form of Hanuman is very popular, and is also known as Panchamukha Anjaneya and Panchamukhi Anjaneya. One of the most famous places of Pligrimage in central India is claimed to be the Resting Place of Shiri Hanuman Ji is Chitrakoot. The Hanuman Dhara Temple is situated on the peak of mountain where there is natural rock formation image of Shri Hanuman inside the cave and a natural stream of water falling on the tail. It is believed that after the coronation of Lord Ram, Hanuman requested for a permanent place to settle in the Kingdom of Lord Ram, where his Injury of burns on his tails will be cured. Lord ram then with his arrow spurred a stream of water on the tip of mountain and asked hanuman to rest there and water of the stream will fall on his tail to cool down burning sensation on his tail.
The access to the cave temple is through stairs starting from bottom of the mountain to its top. It takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes to reach the temple. Over time the temple has gained a new name, namely Hanuman Dhara. The cave temple is located on the top of the mountain and water comes in the stream throughout the year, although the mountain has no permanent source of water on it like Glaciers or snow coming from the covered mountains of Himalayas.
This Kavacham is addressed to this fierce form of Hanuman. This Kavacham is not a stotra but a tantric mantra aimed at providing protection to the chanter. Some people believe that this sloka should not be recited but used to worship the five faced Hanuman. It is written at the end of the stotra that it was taught by Rama to Sita as per her request. But the first few lines show that this is a version was taught by Garuda, where he mentions that it was created by the Lord of lords[1].
Om Asya Sri Pancha Mukha Hanumath kavacha maha manthrasya Brahma Rishi, Gayathri Chanda, Pancha mukha virat Hanuman Devatha, Hreen bheejam Sreem Shakthi, Kroum keelakam, Kroom kavacham, Kraim asthraya phat.Ithi Digbanda
Om for armour of the great armour of the five faced Hanuman, sage is Brahma, Gayathri is the meter, God addressed is the regal five faced Hanuman, Hreem is the root, Sreem is the power, Kroum is the nail. Kroom is the armour and Kraim is the arrow. Thus all directions are tied.
I mentally meditate on him who has five faces of Vishnu,
Who has multi coloured and diverse faces,
Who was the top one respected by all monkeys,
Who shines in the yellow silk that he ties on his head,
Who has red eyes and who is the first always.
Om for the great chant of the five faced Hanuman, the sage is Lord Ramachandra, meter is Anushtup, the god addressed is the five faced Hanuman, the root is Hanuman, the power is the son of Wind God, the nail is the son of Anjana, and the chant is being done to please Hanuman who is the emissary of Sri Rama. Thus do the preliminaries starting from the sage.
Om salutations to son of Anjana through the thumb
Om salutations to Rudhra murthy through the fore finger
Om salutations to son of wind god through the middle finger
Om salutations to he who has fire within him through the fourth finger
Om salutations to the messenger of Rama through the little finger
Om salutations to he who has five faces through the entire palm.
Thus the ritual acts of the hand
Om salutations at the heart for son of Anjana
Om offering to the fire to Rudhra Murthy
Om Vashat for son of wind god in the head
Om hoom for the armour of he who has the fire within him
Om Voushat for the eyes for messenger of Rama
Om Phat for arrow of the five faced Hanuman
Om offering in the fire to five faced Hanuman
Thus ends the rituals at heart
Salutations to him who has faces of a monkey, Narasimha, king of birds, horse and a boar,
Which are divinely decorated, have fifteen eyes, which shines immensely,
Who has ten hands and holds shield, book, nectar, goad, plough and
Sword and moves with his body all over the earth and is valorous everywhere.
I start the chant of the valorous Hanuman with five faces along with six fold rituals, and worship the emissary of Rama, The son of Anjana, The son of wind God, The very valorous hero, The one who removed the sorrow of Sita, The one who was the cause of burning of Lanka, The one who is well known as very powerful, The one who is the friend of Arjuna, One who assumes the tumultuous universal form, One who crossed the seven oceans, One who has red eyes, One who is greatly valorous, One who thought that the sun was a fruit, One who reformed bad people, One who has firm sight, One who gave back life to army of monkeys and Lord Lakshmana by bringing the Sanjeevini mountain, one who broke the ten headed one, one who is close to Rama, One who is a great friend of Arjuna and One who gives boons along with Rama and Sita,
Fire offering with the chant Om tam tam tam tam tam Koorma moorthaye (God in form of tortoise) Pancha mukha veera Hanumathe (five faced valorous Hanuman) protect me from others manthra as well as Thanthra
Fire offering with a prayer to keep away ghosts dead souls, devils, Brahma rakshas, Sakini, Dakini,and to prevent effects of the planets in the sky, evil created by thalismans, thanthra done by others and evil chants.
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