Was a mantra for protection from Coronavirus mentioned in Shiv Purana?
As Corona Virus keeps gripping the world in its fear, people keep coming up with new claims related to faith which can protect us from it. Recently, a post related to the Shiv Purana has been going viral on social media. It is being claimed that a ‘Corona Raksha Kavacham’ or ‘Corona Protection Mantra’ is mentioned in the Shiv Purana, written thousands of years ago.
This picture has been doing the rounds on the internet, claiming to be a protective mantra against Corona Virus found in the Shiva Purana. It has been titled as #CoronaRakshaKavacham in the Devanagri Script. It has words like Corona and China in it, leading people to believe that the Shiva Purana had predicted the spread of Corona Virus by China thousands of years ago.
This video too has now made its way to social media, with somebody reciting the same mantra while images of the Transmission Electron Micro graph of the virus, of the Earth wearing a face mask and of the Earth wearing a face mask, along with the above added image of the mantra. Many have shared this video and photograph across social media, expressing their awe over the farsightedness of the Holy book.
Many people have shared this picture on twitter along with captions claiming its origins in the Shiv Purana.
Shiv Puran me corona virus ka varnun kiya hai China dwara gatith hoga,Iska upaye bhi Shiv Puran me hi milega.🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/aSOZoQvZ1k
— Ranisaheba (@Ranisaheba6) March 30, 2020
Many others have also shared similar posts on Facebook:-
YOUTUBE
Even on youtube, several videos have been posted by different counts containing the recitation of this Mantra along with claims of its origin in Shiv Purana. The following video on Youtube has over 10k views:-
TRUTH
Upon searching for the shlok in Shiv Purana, it was found out that such a part doesn’t exist in all of the text.
Moreover, the name “coronavirus” is derived from Latin corona, meaning “crown” or “wreath”, itself a borrowing from Greek κορώνη korṓnē, “garland, wreath”. Hence, the mention of this word in an ancient Sanskrit text is improbable.
It was also found that a Pandit from Jabalpur, called Swami Yogeshwarananda is the real author of this Mantra. He had recently written it as means to protect oneself from the coronavirus. On his Facebook page recently, he had clarified the same through several posts and live videos.
In the text accompanying his post, which is in Hindi, he has clarified that the three additions to his original text have been as follows :-
1. At the beginning of the composition someone has described such as “#prediction of #ShivaPuran”.
2. Someone has printed such a title “#Coronarakshakavacham” in the booklets at the beginning of the composition.
3. Someone has printed “written in Shiva Purana” in pink letters between the first verse and the second verse.
He has also mentioned that in the last verse, his name has been mentioned, proving his authorship of the text.
Hence, it has been proven that while such a Mantra to protect oneself from Coronavirus does exist, it has been written by a contemporary Pandit in the current times and is not mentioned in the Shiv Purana as is being claimed by the posts on social media.
Journalism Student.
When not busting fake news, can be found hiking, exploring and trying to feel alive.
