The Sixteen Kavachas of ṣōḍaśī Kalpa

 

From the fifteen letters of Kādi Pañcadaśī Mahāmantra, the fifteen Mālā-mantras originate. These are generally known as the fifteen Khaḍgamālās, although this is technically incorrect as only the Shuddhaśakti Saṃbuddhyanta mālā is called as Khaḍgamālā.

In the context of Shoḍaśī Mahāmantra, Mahāṣoḍaśī Kalpa of Rudrayāmala teaches sixteen Kavachas:

śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi kavacāni ca ṣoḍaśa |
eṣāṃ paṭhana mātreṇa devīdarśanamāpnuyāt ||

Traditionally, these sixteen Kavachas are recited after the Japa at midnight, one per tithi. During extraordinary situations, a recitation of all sixteen Kavachas is undertaken, which is a master Prayoga in itself. The sixteen Kavachas correspond not only to each kūṭa of Mahāṣoḍaśī, but also to the sixteen āvaraṇas of the Srīcakra.

1 Vajrapañjara kavaca (Shiva – Paṅkti)
2 Chintāmaṇi kavaca (Bhairava – Paṅkti)
3 Jaganmaṅgala kavaca (Shiva – Paṅkti)
4 Jaganmohana kavaca (Bhairava – Paṅkti)
5 Jagadīśvara kavaca (Kālāgnirudra – Paṅkti)
6 Sarvakāmada kavaca (Sadāśiva – Paṅkti)
7 Tryakṣara kavaca (Vaṭukabhairava – Paṅkti)
8 Trivikrama kavaca (Maheśvara – Paṅkti)
9 Trailokyabhūṣaṇa kavaca (Kālabhairava – Paṅkti)
10 Virūpākṣa kavaca (Vaṭukabhairava – Paṅkti)
11 Sarvārthasādhaka kavaca (Dakṣiṇāmūrti – Paṅkti)
12 Meru kavaca (Bhairava – Paṅkti)
13 Vairināśana kavaca (Shiva – Paṅkti)
14 Trailokyavijaya kavaca (Bhairava – Paṅkti)
15 Viṣāpaharaṇa kavaca (Shiva – Paṅkti)
16 Muktisādhana kavaca (Shiva – Paṅkti)

 

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