याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Thus spoke Yājñavalkya:

1. Hearken, O tiger among ascetics, to the armor that increases merit, divine, sacred to Gāyatrī, and the destroyer of all sins.

*Viniyogaḥ*: ॐ Of this Gāyatrī Kavacha, Brahmā is the Ṛṣi, Gāyatrī is the Chandaḥ (meter), Gāyatrī is the Devatā (deity). Its application is for the attainment of Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Moksha.

2. May Gāyatrī protect me from the East, and Sāvitrī protect me from the South. May Brahmasandhyā protect me from the West, and Vaishnavi protect me from the North.

3. May Pāvakī, who is Sarasvatī, protect my direction of fire (Southeast). May Brahmaṇī, of the form of Brahman, protect my upward direction.

4. May Vaishnavi protect me from below; thus, may she protect me from all directions. May Gāyatrī protect my head, and Sāvitrī protect my forehead.

5. May Sarasvatī protect my ears, and Śaṅkarī protect the corners of my eyes. May Sarasvatī, devoted to Brahman, protect my nose.

6. May Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi always protect my tongue in the East. May Gāyatrī protect my mouth, and Sarasvatī protect my teeth.

7. May Vaishnavi protect my throat with the single-syllable mantra 'ॐ'. May Sāvitrī protect my neck, and the goddess Sarasvatī protect my back.

8. May Maheśvarī, in the form of the syllable 'Tat', protect my hands. May Sāvitrī, of the nature of Praṇava, protect my thighs, denoted by 'Savitur'.

9. May the deity protect my navel region, denoted by 'Vareṇyam', and protect my waist. May 'Bhargo' protect my loins, and Pārvatī protect my secret parts.

10. May 'Devasya' protect my knees, and 'Dhīmahi' protect my shanks. May 'Dhiyaḥ' protect my feet, and 'Yaḥ' protect my toes.

11. May 'Naḥ', in the form of a word, protect my ankles, and 'Prachodayāt' protect the end of my feet. This divine armor destroys hundreds of obstacles.

Gayatri Ashtakam

1. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is of auspicious speech, whose feet are worshipped by the best of gods and sages, who is Śivā, the primordial, the venerable, consisting of the three worlds, the mother of the Vedas, the supreme power, the creator of diverse forms, and full of qualities.

2. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is pure, established in Sattva, the remover of all kinds of adverse conditions, formless, the essence, of supremely pure ascetic form, incomparable, the eldest and best of the world, worshipped by gods and demons, and praised by the scriptures.

3. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is devoted to asceticism, the fulfiller of desires, the pacifier of the mental anguish of her own people, the embodiment of compassion, the inspiration, easily accessible to the assembly of ascetics through grace, the venerable, the sacred, and the remover of all worldly bonds.

4. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is always worthy of worship, attainable, the expander of good intellect and wisdom, the dispeller of sorrow and darkness, the remover of the darkness of delusion residing in the heart, the supreme, the divine, the auspicious, and the sole raft for crossing the ocean of worldly existence.

5. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is unborn, dual, threefold, of diverse qualities and forms, supremely pure, the destroyer of darkness, the string (of the Vedas), of sweet sound to the ears, full of rasa (essence), highly venerable, blessed, always compassionate, and of glorious power.

6. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is the sustainer of the world, the vessel, the cause of the destruction of all worldly existence, supremely valiant, steadfast, the path of a supremely pure mass of asceticism, the one without a second, the seat of the entire universe.

7. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is awakened, enlightened, the remover of the dullness of her own people, golden, virtuous, sung by good poets, supremely skilled, the supreme knowledge, the primordial, the possessor of pure qualities, and the divine.

8. I adore Ambā Gāyatrī, the source of supreme auspiciousness and bliss, who is infinite, peaceful, worshipped by the assembly of the wise, consisting of the scriptures, easy to sing, worthy of meditation, whom the lord of the gods remembers in his heart always, always affectionate due to devotion, power, and humility.

Phalaśruti (Fruit of Listening):

Whoever recites this auspicious Gāyatrī Aṣṭakam with a pure heart will always have great fortune, and the Mother will be pleased with him.

Thus ends the Gāyatrī Aṣṭakam.

Today is Deepavali, auspicious and illuminating the light of knowledge.
May it bring an abundance of joy to your home.