கந்தசஷ்டி கவசம் - Kantha Sasti Kavasam

Kanda Sashti Kavacham (Tamil: கந்த சஷ்டி கவசம்) is a Hindu devotional song composed in Tamil by Devaraya Swamigal (born c. 1820) a student of Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, on Lord Muruga, the son of Lord Shiva, in Chennimalai near Erode. Tamil contains many ancient hymns in praise of deities. Kanda Sashti Kavasam was composed in the 19th century. The song has been composed in praise of the Lord, seeking to shower His grace.

The song consists of a total of 244 lines, including four introductory lines known as "Kaappu," followed by a couple of meditational lines and the main song portion consisting of 238 lines known as the "Kavacham." The grammar employed in the introductory part is the Naerisai venba and that of the meditational part is the Kural venba, widely known to the Western world for its exclusive usage in the Tirukkural. The "Kavacham" part follows the grammar of Nilai Mandila Aasiriyappaa. The plan of the song is as follows.