Text 11] The Narayana-kavaca Shield 69

nyaset—should place; hrdaye—on the heart; omkadram—the pra-
nava, omkdara; vi-kdram—the syllable vi of visnave; anu—thereafter:
mirdhani—on the top of the head; sa-kdram—the syllable sa; tu—and:
bhruvoh madhye—between the two eyebrows; na-kadram—the syllable
na; sikhaya—on the sikhé on the head; nyaset—should place; ve-
kdram—the syllable ve; netrayoh—between the two eyes; yuijyat—
should be placed; na-kéram—the syllable na of the word namah; sarva-
sandhisu—on all the joints; ma-karam—the syllable ma of the word
namah; astram—a weapon; uddisya—thinking; mantra-mirtih—the
form of the mantra; bhavet—should become; budhah—an intelligent
person; sa-visargam—with the visarga (h); phat-antam—ending with
the sound phat; tat—that; sarva-diksu—in all directions; vinirdiset—
should fix; orm—pranava; visnave—unto Lord Visnu; namah—obei-
sances; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

One must then chant the mantra of six syllables [om visnave
namah]. One should place the syllable “om” on his heart, the
syllable ‘‘vi” on the top of his head, the syllable ‘‘sa”” between his
eyebrows, the syllable “tna” on his tuft of hair [sikha], and the
syllable ‘‘ve”’ between his eyes. The chanter of the mantra should
then place the syllable ‘‘na”’ on all the joints of his body and medi-
tate on the syllable ‘‘ma” as being a weapon. He should thus be-
come the perfect personification of the mantra. Thereafter, adding
visarga to the final syllable ‘“‘ma,” he should chant the mantra
‘mah astraya phat” in all directions, beginning from the east. In
this way, all directions will be bound by the protective armor of
the mantra.

TEXT 11
TEA TH MATA Sl eA FERF ETT |
Fraser ia =—|- WAATTET 112 21
atmanam paramam dhyayed
dhyeyam sat-saktibhir yutam
vidyda-tejas-tapo-mirtim
imam mantram udéharet
