Verse 1

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ॐ यद्गुह्यं परमं लोके सर्वरक्षाकरं नृणाम्। यन्न कस्यचिदाख्यातं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १ ॥

mārkaṇḍēya uvāca ōṁ yadguhyaṁ paramaṁ lōkē sarvarakṣākaraṁ nṛṇām | yanna kasyacidākhyātaṁ tanmē brūhi pitāmaha || 1 ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: Om, O Grandfather, tell me that supreme secret in the world, which is all-protecting for people and has not been revealed to anyone.

Word by word

mārkaṇḍēya uvāca
Mārkaṇḍeya said
ōṁ
sacred syllable
yat
that which
guhyaṁ
secret
paramaṁ
supreme
lōkē
in the world
sarvarakṣākaraṁ
all-protecting
nṛṇām
for people
yan
that which
na
not
kasyacit
to anyone
ākhyātaṁ
revealed
tan
that
mē
to me
brūhi
tell
pitāmaha
O Grandfather (Brahma)

Meaning

In this verse of Devi Kavacham, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya addresses Brahma (pitāmaha), requesting the revelation of a supreme secret (guhyaṁ paramaṁ) that offers complete protection (sarvarakṣākaraṁ) to humanity (nṛṇām).