Sri Durga Saptashloki

श्रीदुर्गासप्तश्लोकी
। अथ सप्तश्लोकी दुर्गा ।
शिव उवाच
देवि त्वं भक्तसुलभे सर्वकार्यविधायिनी ।
कलौ हि कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमुपायं ब्रूहि यत्नतः ॥

śrīdurgāsaptaślokī
. atha saptaślokī durgā .
śiva uvāca
devi tvaṃ bhaktasulabhe sarvakāryavidhāyinī .
kalau hi kāryasiddhyarthamupāyaṃ brūhi yatnataḥ ..

Now begins the Durga Saptashloki (Seven Verses to Durga).
Shiva said: O Devi, You are easily accessible to devotees and the accomplisher of all tasks. Please tell me earnestly the means for achieving success in all endeavors during the Kali Yuga.

देव्युवाच
श‍ृणु देव प्रवक्ष्यामि कलौ सर्वेष्टसाधनम् ।
मया तवैव स्नेहेनाप्यम्बास्तुतिः प्रकाश्यते ॥

devyuvāca
śṛṇu deva pravakṣyāmi kalau sarveṣṭasādhanam .
mayā tavaiva snehenāpyambāstutiḥ prakāśyate ..

The Devi said: Listen, O Deva, I shall speak about the means to achieve all desires in the Kali Yuga. Out of love for you alone, this hymn of praise to the Divine Mother is being revealed.

ॐ अस्य श्रीदुर्गासप्तश्लोकीस्तोत्रमहामन्त्रस्य नारायण ऋषिः ।
अनुष्टुभादीनि छन्दांसि । श्रीमहाकालीमहालक्ष्मीमहासरस्वत्यो देवताः ।
श्रीदूर्गाप्रीत्यर्थं सप्तश्लोकी दुर्गापाठे विनियोगः ॥

oṃ asya śrīdurgāsaptaślokīstotramahāmantrasya nārāyaṇa ṛṣiḥ .
anuṣṭubhādīni chandāṃsi . śrīmahākālīmahālakṣmīmahāsarasvatyo devatāḥ .
śrīdūrgāprītyarthaṃ saptaślokī durgāpāṭhe viniyogaḥ ..

Om, of this Sri Durga Saptashloki Stotra Maha Mantra, Narayana is the Rishi (seer). The meters are Anusthubh and others. The presiding deities are Sri Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati. This recitation of the Durga Saptashloki is intended for pleasing Sri Durga.

ज्ञानिनामपि चेतांसि देवी भगवती हि सा ।
बलादाकृष्य मोहाय महामाया प्रयच्छति ॥ १॥

jñānināmapi cetāṃsi devī bhagavatī hi sā .
balādākṛṣya mohāya mahāmāyā prayacchati .. 1..

Even the minds of the wise and learned ones, the Divine Mother Bhagavati, who is indeed the Great Maya (Divine Illusion), forcefully attracts and subjects to delusion.

दुर्गे स्मृता हरसि भीतिमशेषजन्तोः
स्वस्थैः स्मृता मतिमतीव शुभां ददासि ।
दारिद्र्यदुःखभयहारिणि का त्वदन्या
सर्वोपकारकरणाय सदाऽऽर्द्रचित्ता ॥ २॥

durge smṛtā harasi bhītimaśeṣajantoḥ
svasthaiḥ smṛtā matimatīva śubhāṃ dadāsi .
dāridryaduḥkhabhayahāriṇi kā tvadanyā
sarvopakārakaraṇāya sadā”rdracittā .. 2..

O Durga, when remembered, You remove all fears of beings; when remembered by those in good health, You bestow exceedingly auspicious wisdom. O destroyer of poverty, sorrow and fear, who else but You exists? Your heart is always compassionate for rendering all kinds of help.

सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके ।
शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ३॥

sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalye śive sarvārthasādhike .
śaraṇye tryambake gauri nārāyaṇi namo’stu te .. 3..

O auspiciousness of all auspicious things, O benevolent one who fulfills all purposes, O giver of refuge, O three-eyed one, O fair-complexioned Gauri, O Narayani, obeisance to You.

शरणागतदीनार्तपरित्राणपरायणे ।
सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ४॥

śaraṇāgatadīnārtaparitrāṇaparāyaṇe .
sarvasyārtihare devi nārāyaṇi namo’stu te .. 4..

O one who is devoted to protecting the humble and distressed who take refuge in You, O Devi who removes all suffering, O Narayani, obeisance to You.

सर्वस्वरूपे सर्वेशे सर्वशक्तिसमन्विते ।
भयेभ्यस्त्राहि नो देवि दुर्गे देवि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ५॥

sarvasvarūpe sarveśe sarvaśaktisamanvite .
bhayebhyastrāhi no devi durge devi namo’stu te .. 5..

O one who exists in all forms, O ruler of all, O one endowed with all powers, O Devi, protect us from all fears; O Durga Devi, obeisance to You.

रोगानशेषानपहंसि तुष्टा रुष्टा तु कामान् सकलानभीष्टान् ।
त्वामाश्रितानां न विपन्नराणां त्वामाश्रिता ह्याश्रयतां प्रयान्ति ॥ ६॥

rogānaśeṣānapahaṃsi tuṣṭā ruṣṭā tu kāmān sakalānabhīṣṭān .
tvāmāśritānāṃ na vipannarāṇāṃ tvāmāśritā hyāśrayatāṃ prayānti .. 6..

When pleased, You destroy all diseases; when angry, You destroy all desires and cherished wishes. Those who take refuge in You do not become unfortunate; those who seek Your refuge indeed attain the ultimate refuge.

सर्वाबाधाप्रशमनं त्रैलोक्यस्याखिलेश्वरि ।
एवमेव त्वया कार्यमस्मद्वैरि विनाशनम् ॥ ७॥
॥ इति दुर्गासप्तश्लोकी सम्पूर्णा ॥

sarvābādhāpraśamanaṃ trailokyasyākhileśvari .
evameva tvayā kāryamasmadvairi vināśanam .. 7..
.. iti durgāsaptaślokī sampūrṇā ..

O supreme ruler of all three worlds, You are the remover of all obstacles and troubles. In this very manner, let the destruction of our enemies be accomplished by You.

Sri Durga Saptashloki – Introduction

The Sri Durga Saptashloki is a powerful hymn composed of seven sacred verses in praise of Goddess Durga, extracted from the revered Devi Mahatmyam (also known as Chandi or Durga Saptashati). This concise yet profound stotra encapsulates the essence of the Divine Mother’s infinite grace, power, and compassion. According to the text itself, these verses were revealed by Devi herself to Lord Shiva as a special practice for devotees seeking spiritual upliftment and material well-being, particularly during the challenging times of Kali Yuga.

The hymn presents Goddess Durga in her multifaceted glory – as Mahakali (the destroyer of ignorance), Mahalakshmi (the bestower of prosperity), and Mahasaraswati (the giver of wisdom). Each verse beautifully captures different aspects of the Divine Mother’s benevolence: her ability to transcend even the consciousness of the wise through her Maya, her role as the remover of fears and bestower of auspiciousness, her compassionate protection of devotees, and her supreme power over all creation. The Saptashloki serves as both a prayer for protection from worldly troubles and a profound meditation on the nature of divine consciousness, making it one of the most beloved and frequently recited hymns in the Hindu tradition.

-Sarva Mangala Mangalye