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Sahastrakavach

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Sahastrakavach

It appears that the the Sahastrakavach-Nar-Naaraayan-Karn-Arjun-Krishn connection is quite popular in South India. Below is a rough translation of the relevant portion of a classical Thullal Poem in Malayaalam named Krishnaarjun-vijayam ( Victory of
Krishn and Arjun) :-

Long ago, there was a demon, a destroyer of the race of Devtaa. His name was Sahastrakavach (one with one thousand armors). He had received his boon of thousand armors from Brahmaa Jee. Due to the power of the boon received from the one who has the lotus as his seat (Brahmaa Jee), no one dared to fight with him. As long as his all the thousand armors were not destroyed, the demon could not be harmed. His one armor could be destroyed only after doing penance for 12 years and fighting with the demon for 12 years – that was the boon.

One who has one thousand names, the one whose eyes are as beautiful as lotus, Vishnu, was born on Earth as Naaraayan and Nar to kill the demon. Nar began the penance and Naaraayan began the fighting with the demon. After twelve years of this process the demon's one armor was destroyed. Then Nar began the fighting the demon and Naaraayan began the penance.

Thus many years elapsed in this manner and many armors of the enemy of Devtaa were destroyed. Now only one armor remained but after that the great deluge took place. Nar and Naaraayan returned to the abode of Vishnu. The demon became one with the Sun. He was born as Karn, the son of Sun through Kuntee.

It is true that both Phaalgun (Arjun) and the enemy of Narakaasur (Krishn) are required to kill the son of Sun (Karn). The stay in the forest for twelve years became the penance for Arjun (Nar).


The following paragraph on Sahastrakavach is quoted from Page 46 of the attached document in which the author has given reference to Van Parv 147-157 --
"When a demon called Sahsrtakavach (literally one with a thousand protective covers) became a menace to the human society, Nar and
Naaraayan took birth from Vishnu’s potential. Sahasrakavach had secured a boon that no one other than one who had done penance for a
thousand years could slay him. For that reason, Nar and Naaraayan were collectively performing penance alternatively engaging Sahastrakavach in battle and tearing off his Kavach (the protective covers) one after the other alternatively. Some time later when Naaraayan had engaged the demon in battle, and Nar had gone to do Tapas and his 999 Kavach were removed. In the meanwhile Sahastrakavach cast away his mortal remains and was born as Karn with one protective cover, the Kavach. Nar and Naaraayan were born as Arjun and Krishn respectively. Active battle was the turn of Nar at that time so Nar as Arjun engaged him in battle and slew him.
(Vana Parv, 147-157).

 

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 5/27/03
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 10/05/13