Sri Devi Atharva Sheersham

Sri Devi Atharva Sheersham

ॐ सर्वे वै देवा देवीमुपतस्थुः कासि त्वं महादेवीति ॥

English Meaning: All the gods approached the Divine Goddess and asked Her, “Who are You, O Great Goddess?”

सा अब्रवीदहं ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी । मत्तः प्रकृतिपुरुषात्मकं जगत् । शून्यं चाशून्यं च ॥

English Meaning: The Goddess replied, “I am the very form of Brahman, the Supreme Reality. From Me arises the entire universe consisting of Prakriti and Purusha. I am both the apparent emptiness and that which is beyond emptiness.”

अहम् आनन्दानानन्दौ । अहं विज्ञानाविज्ञाने । अहं ब्रह्माब्रह्मणि वेदितव्ये । अहं पञ्चभूतान्यपञ्चभूतानि । अहमखिलं जगत् ॥

English Meaning: I am both bliss and the absence of bliss. I am knowledge and ignorance. I am that which is known as Brahman and that which is understood as not-Brahman. I am the five great elements and also that which is beyond the five elements. I am the entire universe.

वेदोऽहमवेदोऽहम् । विद्या अहमविद्या अहम । अजा अहमना-जाऽहम् । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च तिर्यक् चाहम् ॥

English Meaning: I am the Veda and I am also that which is beyond the Veda. I am knowledge and ignorance. I am unborn and I am manifested through birth. I exist below, above, and in every direction. Nothing exists outside My presence.

अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चरामि । अहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः । अहमित्रावरुणावुभौ बिभर्मि । अहमिन्द्राग्नी अहमश्विनावुभौ ॥

English Meaning: I move with the Rudras and the Vasus. I am present with the Adityas and all the divine beings. I sustain both Mitra and Varuna. I support Indra and Agni, as well as the two Ashvins. All divine powers function through Me.

अहं सोमं त्वष्टारं पूषणं भगं दधामि । अहं विष्णुमुरुक्रमं ब्रह्माणमुत प्रजापतिं दधामि ॥

English Meaning: I sustain Soma, Tvashta, Pushan, and Bhaga. I sustain Vishnu, the all-pervading one, Brahma, and Prajapati. All these cosmic powers exist and perform their functions through the Supreme Divine Mother.

अहं दधामि द्रविणं हविष्मते सुप्राव्ये यजमानाय सुन्वते । अहं राष्ट्रि सङ्गमनी वसूनां चिकित्सुषी प्रथमा यज्ञियानाम् । अहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन्मम योनिरप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे । य एवं वेद । स देवी सम्पदमाप्नोति ॥

English Meaning: I grant wealth and prosperity to the devotee who offers sacred oblations and performs the spiritual sacrifice. I am the Divine Sovereign who brings together and sustains all forms of wealth and power. I am the first among those worthy of worship and the source of wisdom. I give birth to the cosmic Father, and My origin is within the cosmic waters and the primordial ocean. Whoever realizes this truth attains the divine abundance and spiritual glory of the Goddess.

ते देवा अब्रुवन् । नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः । नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥

English Meaning: The gods said: “Salutations to the Goddess, the Great Goddess, and the auspicious Divine Mother. We continually bow to Her. Salutations to Prakriti, the primordial creative power, and to the benevolent and auspicious Goddess. We surrender ourselves to Her.”

तामग्निवर्णां तपसा ज्वलन्तीं वैरोचनीं कर्मफलेषु जुष्टाम् । दुर्गां देवीं शरणं प्रपद्यामहेऽसुरान्नाशयित्र्यै ते नमः ॥

English Meaning: We take refuge in the Goddess Durga, who shines with the brilliance of fire, who is radiant through spiritual austerity, and who manifests through the results of righteous actions. She is the Divine Mother who destroys destructive and negative forces. We bow to Her and seek Her protection.

देवीं वाचमजनयन्त देवास्तां विश्वरूपाः पशवो वदन्ति । सा नो मन्द्रेषमूर्जं दुहाना धेनुर्वागस्मानुप सुष्टुतैतु ॥

English Meaning: The gods brought forth the Divine Speech, and all creatures of various forms express themselves through Her. May that sacred and nourishing Divine Speech come to us with sweetness, strength, wisdom, and spiritual nourishment, like a cow giving abundant milk.

कालरात्रीं ब्रह्मस्तुतां वैष्णवीं स्कन्दमातरम् । सरस्वतीमदितिं दक्षदुहितरं नमामः पावनां शिवाम् ॥

English Meaning: We bow to Kalaratri, praised by Brahma; to Vaishnavi, the divine power of Vishnu; to Skandamata, the Mother of Skanda; to Sarasvati, the embodiment of wisdom; and to Aditi, the daughter of Daksha. We bow to these sacred, pure, and auspicious forms of the Divine Mother.

महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे सर्वशक्त्यै च धीमहि । तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात् ॥

English Meaning: We contemplate Mahalakshmi, the embodiment of divine abundance, and meditate upon the Supreme Power of the Goddess. May that Divine Mother illuminate our minds, guide our thoughts, and inspire us toward righteousness and spiritual realization.

अदितिर्ह्यजनिष्ट दक्ष या दुहिता तव । तां देवा अन्वजायन्त भद्रा अमृतबन्धवः ॥

English Meaning: Aditi, the infinite and all-encompassing Divine Mother, was born as the daughter of Daksha. From Her arose the divine beings, who are auspicious and connected with immortality. She represents the boundless source from which divine creation emerges.

कामो योनिः कमला वज्रपाणिर्गुहा हसा मातरिश्वाभ्रमिन्द्रः । पुनर्गुहा सकला मायया च पुरूच्यैषा विश्वमातादिविद्योम् ॥

English Meaning: The Divine Mother is the source and womb of cosmic manifestation. She is associated with desire, Kamala, the power of Indra, the hidden divine principle, cosmic energy, and the mysterious power of Maya. She is the Mother of the entire universe and the supreme primordial knowledge through which all creation is understood.

एषात्मशक्तिः । एषा विश्वमोहिनी । पाशाङ्कुशधनुर्बाणधरा । एषा श्रीमहाविद्या । य एवं वेद स शोकं तरति ॥

English Meaning: She is the inner power of the Self. She is the Divine Power that manifests and enchants the entire universe. She holds the noose, goad, bow, and arrows, representing divine control over the forces of existence. She is the great sacred knowledge, Sri Mahavidya. Whoever truly realizes this Divine Mother and understands Her supreme nature crosses beyond sorrow and attains spiritual freedom.

namastē astu bhagavati mātarasmānpāhi sarvataḥ ॥ 16 ॥
O Divine Mother, Bhagavatī, I bow to You. Please protect us from every direction and safeguard us everywhere.
saiṣāṣṭau vasavaḥ । saiṣaikādaśa rudrāḥ । saiṣā dvādaśādityāḥ । saiṣā viśvēdēvā-ssōmapā asōmapāścha । saiṣā yātudhānā asurā rakṣāṃsi piśāchā yakṣā siddhāḥ । saiṣā sattvarajastamāṃsi । saiṣā brahmaviṣṇurudrarūpiṇī । saiṣā prajāpatīndramanavaḥ । saiṣā grahanakṣatrajyōtīṃṣi । kalākāṣṭhādikālarūpiṇī । tāmaha-mpraṇaumi nityam । pāpāpahāriṇī-ndēvī-mbhuktimuktipradāyinīm । anantāṃ vijayāṃ śuddhāṃ śaraṇyāṃ śivadāṃ śivām ॥ 17 ॥
She is the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, and the twelve Ādityas. She is all the Viśvedevas, both those who partake of Soma and those who do not. She is the Yātudhānas, Asuras, Rakṣasas, Piśācas, Yakṣas, and Siddhas. She is the three guṇas—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. She manifests as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. She is Prajāpati, Indra, and Manu. She is the planets, stars, and all forms of light, and She is time in the forms of Kalā, Kāṣṭhā, and other divisions. I constantly bow to that Divine Mother, who removes sins, grants worldly enjoyment and liberation, and is infinite, victorious, pure, worthy of refuge, auspicious, and beneficent.
viyadīkārasaṃyuktaṃ vītihōtrasamanvitam । ardhēndulasita-ndēvyā bījaṃ sarvārthasādhakam ॥ 18 ॥
The seed-mantra of the Goddess, joined with the principle of space and associated with the sacred fire, and adorned with the crescent moon, is capable of accomplishing all purposes and fulfilling every worthy aim.
ēvamēkākṣara-mbrahma yataya-śśuddhachētasaḥ । dhyāyanti paramānandamayā jñānāmburāśayaḥ ॥ 19 ॥
Thus, the single-syllable Brahman is meditated upon by those disciplined seekers whose minds are pure. They are filled with supreme bliss and are like vast oceans of knowledge.
vāṅmāyā brahmasūstasmā-thṣaṣṭhaṃ vaktrasamanvitam । sūryō-‘vāmaśrōtrabindusaṃyuktaṣṭāttṛtīyakaḥ । nārāyaṇēna sammiśrō vāyuśchādharayuktataḥ । vichchē navārṇakō-‘rṇa-ssyānmahadānandadāyakaḥ ॥ 20 ॥
The mantra is composed through sacred sound, beginning with the power of speech and Brahman, joined with the appropriate syllables and sounds. With the solar principle, the lunar or nasal point, and the powers associated with Nārāyaṇa and Vāyu, it becomes a nine-syllabled mantra. This sacred mantra is said to bestow great spiritual bliss.
hṛtpuṇḍarīkamadhyasthā-mprātassūryasamaprabhām । pāśāṅkuśadharāṃ saumyāṃ varadābhayahastakām । trinētrāṃ raktavasanā-mbhaktakāmadughā-mbhajē ॥ 21 ॥
I worship the Goddess who dwells in the centre of the lotus of the heart and shines with the brilliance of the morning sun. She is gentle and compassionate, holds the noose and goad, and displays the gestures of granting boons and assuring fearlessness. She has three eyes, wears red garments, and fulfills the sincere wishes of Her devotees.
namāmi tvā-mmahādēvī-mmahābhayavināśinīm । mahādurgapraśamanī-mmahākāruṇyarūpiṇīm ॥ 22 ॥
I bow to You, O Mahādevī, the Great Goddess who destroys great fears, removes immense difficulties, and manifests as infinite compassion.
yasyā-ssvarūpa-mbrahmādayō na jānanti tasmāduchyatē ajñēyā । yasyā antō na labhyatē tasmāduchyatē anantā । yasyā lakṣya-nnōpalakṣyatē tasmāduchyatē alakṣyā । yasyā janana-nnōpalabhyatē tasmāduchyatē ajā । ēkaiva sarvatra vartatē tasmāduchyatē ēkā । ēkaiva viśvarūpiṇī tasmāduchyatē naikā । ata ēvōchyatē ajñēyānantālakṣyājaikā naikēti ॥ 23 ॥
Brahmā and the other deities cannot know Her true nature; therefore She is called the Unknowable. Her end cannot be found; therefore She is called Infinite. Her true objective or ultimate nature cannot be perceived; therefore She is called the Imperceptible. Her origin cannot be discovered; therefore She is called Unborn. She alone exists everywhere; therefore She is called One. Yet She alone appears in the form of the entire universe; therefore She is called Many. Thus She is described as the Unknowable, Infinite, Imperceptible, Unborn, One, and Many.
mantrāṇā-mmātṛkā dēvī śabdānā-ñjñānarūpiṇī । jñānānā-ñchinmayātītā śūnyānāṃ śūnyasākṣiṇī । yasyāḥ paratara-nnāsti saiṣā durgā prakīrtitā ॥ 24 ॥
The Goddess is the source and mother of all mantras and is the embodiment of knowledge within all sounds. She transcends even the highest forms of knowledge and is the witness of the void beyond all emptiness. Since there is nothing greater than Her, She is proclaimed as Durgā.
tā-ndurgā-ndurgamā-ndēvī-ndurāchāravighātinīm । namāmi bhavabhītō-‘haṃ saṃsārārṇavatāriṇīm ॥ 25 ॥
I bow to that Goddess Durgā, who is difficult to approach, destroys evil and unrighteous conduct, and carries those who fear worldly existence safely across the ocean of saṃsāra.
idamatharvaśīrṣaṃ yō-‘dhītē sa pañchātharvaśīrṣajapaphalamāpnōti । idamatharvaśīrṣamajñātvā yō-‘rchāṃ sthāpayati । śatalakṣa-mprajaptvā-‘pi sō-‘rchāsiddhi-nna vindati । śatamaṣṭōttara-ñchāsya puraścharyāvidhi-ssmṛtaḥ । daśavāra-mpaṭhēdyastu sadyaḥ pāpaiḥ pramuchyatē । mahādurgāṇi tarati mahādēvyāḥ prasādataḥ ॥ 26 ॥
Whoever studies this Atharvaśīrṣa is said to obtain the fruit associated with reciting five Atharvaśīrṣas. One who installs or worships the Goddess without knowing this sacred teaching, even after repeating it a hundred thousand times, does not attain the full accomplishment of the worship. One hundred and eight recitations are prescribed as the preparatory discipline. Whoever recites it ten times is said to become freed from sins and, through the grace of Mahādevī, crosses great difficulties and obstacles.
sāyamadhīyānō divasakṛta-mpāpa-nnāśayati । prātaradhīyānō rātrikṛta-mpāpa-nnāśayati । sāya-mprātaḥ prayuñjānō apāpō bhavati । niśīthē turīyasandhyāyā-ñjaptvā vāksiddhirbhavati । nūtanāyā-mpratimāyā-ñjaptvā dēvatāsānnidhya-mbhavati । prāṇapratiṣṭhāyā-ñjaptvā prāṇānā-mpratiṣṭhā bhavati । bhaumāśvinyā-mmahādēvīsannidhau japtvā mahāmṛtyu-ntarati । sa mahāmṛtyu-ntarati । ya ēvaṃ vēda । ityupaniṣat ॥ 27 ॥
Reciting this in the evening is said to destroy the sins committed during the day, while reciting it in the morning is said to destroy those committed during the night. Reciting it both morning and evening is said to purify a person from sin. Reciting it at midnight or during the fourth junction of the day is said to bring mastery of speech. Reciting it before a newly made image is said to establish the presence of the deity. Reciting it during the consecration of life-force is said to establish the divine life-force within the image. Reciting it on a Tuesday or Wednesday in the presence of Mahādevī is said to enable one to cross great death. Indeed, such a devotee is said to transcend great death. Whoever knows this truth attains its benefit. This is the Upaniṣad.
iti dēvyatharvaśīrṣam ।
Thus ends the Devī Atharvaśīrṣa.