|| sri durgAstava ||
by sri vAdirAja tIrtha
sannaddhasimhaskandashthAM svarnavarNAM manOramAM |
pUrnEnduvadanAM durgAM varNayAmi guNArNavAM || 1 ||
sannaddha – ready
simha – lion
skandastha – sitting on the shoulders
svarNa – golden
varNaM – hue
manOramAM – the one who enchants the mind
pUrNa – full
indu – moon
vadanAM – face
durgAM – durgA dEvi
varNayAmi – (I shall) describe
guNa – auspicious attributes
ArNavAM – ocean
I shall hereby describe durgA dEvi, the one who is an ocean of attributes, the one who is seated on the shoulders of an attentive lion, the one who is of golden hue and enchanting the mind and the one whose face is shining like a full moon.
shlOka number 2
kirITahAragraivEyanUpurAngadakankanaiH |
ratnakAnchyA ratnachitrakuchakanchukatEjasA || 2 ||
kirITa – crown
hAra – garland
graivEya – necklace
nUpura – anklet
angada – bracelet
kankanaiH – bangles
ratna – jewel
kAnchyA – waist belt
ratnachitra – bedecked with jewels
kuchakanchuka – blouse for the bosom
tEjasA – one with radiance
durgA dEvi, the one with immense radiance, is bedecked with a glittering crown. She has a beautiful garland and is wearing necklaces, anklets, bracelets and many bangles. She has put on a waist belt full of precious jewels and her blouse is decorated with numerous gems.
shlOka number 3
virAjamAnA ruchirAmbarA kinkinimanDitA |
ratnamEkhalayA ratnavAsOpari vibhUshitA || 3 ||
virAjamAnA – seated splendidly
ruchira – brilliant
ambara – clothes
kinkini – anklets
manDitA – adorned
ratna – gems
mEkhalayA – with girdle
ratna – jewels
vAsOpari – abundantly decked
vibhUshitA – decorated
durgA dEvi is seated splendidly and has put on brilliant clothes and is adorned with anklets. she is bedecked with a girdle made of precious gems and is decorated with clothes that have huge number of jewels.
shlOka number 4
vIrashrunkhalayA shObhichArupAdasarOruhA |
ratnachitrAngulImudrAratnakuNDalamanDitA || 4 ||
vIra – excellent
shrunkhalayA – chain
shObhichAru – elegant and beautiful
pAda – feet
sarOruhA – lotus-like
ratnachitra – abundant gems
angulI – fingers
mudrA – rings
ratnakuNDala – ear-rings made of ratnas
manDitA – decked up
durgA dEvi is wearing an excellent chain and is having lotus-like feet that are
beautiful and elegant. she has numerous finger rings made of precious stones
and her ears are decked up with rings made of ratnas.
shlOka number 5
vichitrachUDAmaNiNA ratnOdyattilakEna cha |
anarghyanAsAmaNiNA shObhitASyasarOruhA || 5 ||
vichitra – splendorous
chUDAmaNiNA – jewel worn on the top of head
ratna – gem
udyat – star
tilakEna – in the tilaka
cha – and
anarghya – invaluable
nAsA – nose
maNiNA – bead
shObhita – decorated
aasya – face
sarOruha – lotus
the lotus-like face of durgA dEvi is decorated with a splendorous chUDAmaNi. she is wearing a star like gem as her tilaka on the forehead and she has a most precious bead as her nose ring.
shlOka number 6
bhujakIrtyA ratnachitrakaNTasUtrEna chAnkitA |
padmAkshiNI subimbOSHTI padmagarbhAdibhiH stutA || 6 ||
bhuja – shoulder
kIrtyA – lustrous
ratnachitra – bedecked with gems
kaNtasUtra – necklace
cha – and
ankitA – marked
padmAkshiNI – one with lotus eyes
subimbOSHTI – excellent disc of radiance
padmagarbha – brahma
aadibhi – and others
stutA – sung
durgA dEvi has shoulders which are full of lustre. She has her necklace (mangala sutra)
that is full of shining gems. durgA dEvi has lotus-like eyes and a radiating disc behind
her face. Her praise is sung by brahma and others.
shlOka number 7
kabarIbhAravinyastapushpastabakavistarA |
karNanIlOtpalaruchA lasad bhrUmaNDalatvishA || 7 ||
kabarI – braid of hair
bhAra – heavy
vinyasta – placed
pushpasta – with flowers
bakavistaraa – extremely long
karNa – ears
nIlOtpala – blue lotus
ruchA – beautiful
lasad – shining
bhrUmaNDala – centre of the eyebrows
ishaa – strong/intense
durgA dEvi has a heavy braid of hair that is decorated with extremely long (garland of) flowers. Her ears are shining like blue lotuses and the centre of her eyebrows is radiating intensely!
shlOka number 8
kuntalAnAM cha santatyA shObhamAnA shubhapradA |
tanumadhyA vishAlOraHsthalA pruthunitambinI || 8 ||
kuntalAnAM – two braid of hair
cha – and
santatyA – dense
shObhamAnA – shining
shubha – auspiciousness
pradA – giver
tanu – slender
madhyA – midregion
vishAlaH – big
urasthalA – breasts
pruthu – wide
nitambini – posterior
the two braids of hair that durgA dEvi has are very dense. She is the giver of
auspiciousness. durgA dEvi has a slender mid region and big breasts. She is one with
a very wide posterior region.
shlOka number 9
charudeerghabhujaa kambugreevaa janghaayughaprabhaa |
asicharmagadaashooladhanurbaaNaamkushaadinaa || 9 ||
chaaru – pretty
deergha – long
bhujaa – shoulders/arms
kambu – conch
greevaa – neck
janghaa – shank
yuga – pair
prabhaa – radiance
asi – sword
charma – shield
gadaa – mace
shoola – spear
dhanuH – bow
baaNaa – arrows
ankusha – hook
aadinaa – others
durgA dEvi has got extremely beautiful and long arms. She has a conch-like neck and she
has immensely radiating shanks.
durgA dEvi is holding a sword, shield, mace, spear, bow, arrows, hook and many other weapons.
shlOka number 10
varAbhayAbhyAM chakrENa shaNkhEna cha lasatkarA |
damshTrAgrabhIshaNAsyOtthahunkArArditadAnavA || 10 ||
vara – blessings
abhayA – protection
chakrENa – with chakra
shaNkhEna – with shankha
cha – and
lasat – appear/show
karA – hands
damshTra – tooth
agra – anterior
bhIshaNA – terrifying
Asya – face
uttha – coming forth
hunkArA – the sound of “hum”
ardita – destroy
dAnavA – demons
durgA dEvi is showing her glittering hands that are bearing the vara and abhaya
mudras, and she is holding the chakra and shankha in her other two hands.
the anterior tooth (teeth) of durgA dEvi is (are) terrifying in appearance and the humkAra sound emanating from her face totally destroys the demons.
shlOka number 11
bhayankarI surArINAM surANAMabhayankarI |
mukundakinkarI vishnubhaktAnAM mauktashankarI || 11 ||
bhayankarI – one who is terrifying
surArINAM – enemies of devatas i.e. rakshasas/asuras
surANAM – devatas
abhayankarI – one who is giver of protection and one who takes away fear
mukunda – LORD vishNu
kinkarI – consort/one-who-is-at-service
vishnu – LORD
bhaktAnAM – to the devotees
maukta – causer of salvation
shankarI – causer of peace
durgA dEvi is terrifying and destructive to the enemies of devatas (satvikas). she is the
protector and remover of fear to devatas. she is the eternal consort and servant of LORD
vishNu. Through LORD, she grants mukti and shanti to her devotees.
shlOka number 12
surastrIkinkarIbhishcha vrutA kshEmankarI cha naH |
Adau mukhOdgIrNASSmnAyA sargakarI punaH || 12 ||
surastrI – devatA women
kinkarIbhiH – servants
cha – and
vrutA – surrounded
kshEmankarI – causer of well being
cha – and
naH – prosperity
Adau – in the beginning
mukhaH – from the face
udgIrNa – came out
AmnAyA – vEdas
sargakarI – creator
punaH – again and again
durgA dEvi is surrounded by devatA stree who are her servants. She is the causer of
well-being and giver of prosperity.
In the beginning (after a pralaya) she sang the vEdas from her mouth (to wake the LORD).
She again and again creates (the Universe, as agnya from the LORD)
shlOka number 13
nisargamuktA bhaktAnAM trivargaphaladAyinIM |
nishumbhashumbhasamhartrI mahishAsuramardinI || 13 ||
nisarga – prakruti
muktA – free from
bhaktAnAM – to the devotees
trivarga – the three categories
phala – results
dAyinIM – giver
nishumbhashumbha – the demons nishumbha and shumbha
samhartrI – slayer
mahishAsura – demon mahishAsura
mardinI – destroyer
durgA dEvi is beyond (and above) prakruti (she is the abhimAni for it). To the devotees,
she gives satvik, rajasic and tamasic phalas (depending upon their nature and prayer).
durgA dEvi is the slayer of the demons nishumbha and shumbha. She destroyed the demon mahishAsura.
shlOka number 14
tAmasAnAM tamaH prAptyai mithyAjnAnapravartikA |
tamObhimAninI pAyAddurgA svargApavargadA || 14 ||
tAmasAnAM – to the tAmasa people
tamaH – andhantamas
prAptyai – to obtain
mithyAjnAna – the knowledge that deludes
pravartikA – the promoter
tamaH – tamas
abhimAninI – the controlling deity
pAyAt – protect
durgA – durgA dEvi
svarga – heaven
apavarga – higher lOkas
dA – giver
durgA dEvi promotes (maintains) the mithyAjnAna in this world in order to ensure
that the tamasic people get tamas lOkas.
durgA dEvi is the abhimAni for the tAmasica guNa. She is the giver of swarga and other
higher lOkas. May such a durgA dEvi protect us!
shlOka number 15
imam durgAstavaM puNyaM vAdirAjayatIritaM |
paTanvijayatE shatrUnmrutyuM durgANi chOttarEt || 15 ||
imam – this
durgA – durgA dEvi
stavaM – song of praise
puNyaM – auspicious
vAdirAja yati – the saint vAdirAja
IritaM – said/composed
paTan – read
vijayatE – attain victory
shatrUn – enemies
mrutyuM – death
durgANi – difficulties
cha – and
uttarEt – come out of
this auspicious song, in praise of durgA dEvi has been composed by the saint vAdirAja.
One who chants this stOtra shall attain victory over his enemies and shall overcome death
and all difficulties.
|| iti srImadvAdirAjapUjyacharaNavirachitaH durgAstavaH sampUrNaH ||
|| thus concludes the durgAstava composed by srimat vAdirAja tIrtha pUjya charaNa ||
|| srI vAdirAja tIrtha gurvantargata srI rAghavEndra tIrtha gurvantargata srI bhAratIramaNa mukhyaprANAntargata srI durgAntargata srI lakshmInarasimha prIyatAM ||
|| srI krishnArpaNamastu ||
Anandatirtha Prathishtana 