Kanda Shasti Kavacham

KANDA SHASTI KAVASAM

INTRODUCTION

Kanda Shasti Kavacham is a devotional song written in Tamil by Sri Devaraya Swamigal during the 19^th century AD. The song praises Lord Muruga, and mentions his divine qualities.

This song was composed by Sri Devaraya Swamigal in a Murugan temple near Erode.

The song contains more than 200 lines, and it is known as the Kavacham, which means the protective shield.

The following are the contents of the Kavacham.

1. Fall at the footsteps of Lord Muruga, in order to seek his protection from dangers.
2. If we call Muruga wholeheartedly, the Lord would immediately come to rescue us from our problems.
3. Let Lord Muruga take care of each and every organs of our body.
4. Let us develop the habit of regularly worshipping Lord Muruga.
5. Let Lord Muruga protects us from evil spirits.
6. Let the great god relieves us from the chain of birth cycles.
7. Let the Lord protect me from wild animals.
8. Let Muruga removes our diseases, and let him give us a healthy body.
9. Let him make us to maintain friendly relationship with others.
10. Let us praise Lord Muruga by chanting his wonderful songs and reciting his various names and his glories.
11. Let Lord Muruga give us a peaceful and a blessed life.
12. Let Lord Muruga save us from natural calamities like storm, earth quake and flood.

This Kavasam is very popular among the Tamil speaking Hindus, and it is even recited by the Murugan devotees living in Singapore and Malaysia. Most of the Hindu women would keep reciting this Kanda Shasti Kavasam regularly for the welfare of their family. The Kavasam is available in YouTube sung by famous singers. Since Lord Murugan killed Soorapadman during the Shasti day, this Kavasam is sung by the devotees especially during the Shasti festival day. Devotees strongly believe that regular chanting of Kanda Shasti Kavasam would give goodness in their lives.

In the month of July 2020, a video was uploaded on YouTube by Karuppar Kootam, a Periyarist group, who ridiculed the hyms of the famous Kanda Shasti Kavasam, and due to that, some of the people belonging to that group were arrested by the police.

Let us regularly chant the Kanda Shasti Kavasam and be blessed.

“OM MURUGA VADIVEL MURUGA”

WRITTEN BY

R.HARISHANKAR