Sri Maha Kali Stotram lyrics and meaning
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Verse 1
ध्यानम्
शवारूढां महाभीमां घोरदंष्ट्रां वरप्रदां
हास्ययुक्तां त्रिणेत्राञ्च कपाल कर्त्रिका कराम् ।
मुक्तकेशीं ललज्जिह्वां पिबन्तीं रुधिरं मुहुः
चतुर्बाहुयुतां देवीं वराभयकरां स्मरेत् ॥
dhyānam
śavārūḍhāṃ mahābhīmāṃ ghōradaṃṣṭrāṃ varapradāṃ
hāsyayuktāṃ triṇētrāñcha kapāla kartrikā karām ।
muktakēśīṃ lalajjihvāṃ pibantīṃ rudhiraṃ muhuḥ
chaturbāhuyutāṃ dēvīṃ varābhayakarāṃ smarēt ॥
Dhyānam — Meditation verse 1: Mounted on a corpse, supremely terrifying, with dreadful fangs, bestower of boons; smiling, three-eyed, holding skull and cleaver in her hands; with flowing unbound hair, lolling tongue, repeatedly drinking blood; four-armed, gesturing boon and fearlessness — meditate upon that Goddess.
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Verse 2
शवारूढां महाभीमां घोरदंष्ट्रां हसन्मुखीं
चतुर्भुजां खड्गमुण्डवराभयकरां शिवाम् ।
मुण्डमालाधरां देवीं ललज्जिह्वां दिगम्बरां
एवं सञ्चिन्तयेत्कालीं श्मशनालयवासिनीम् ॥
śavārūḍhāṃ mahābhīmāṃ ghōradaṃṣṭrāṃ hasanmukhīṃ
chaturbhujāṃ khaḍgamuṇḍavarābhayakarāṃ śivām ।
muṇḍamālādharāṃ dēvīṃ lalajjihvāṃ digambarāṃ
ēvaṃ sañchintayētkāḻīṃ śmaśanālayavāsinīm ॥
Dhyānam — Meditation verse 2: Mounted on a corpse, supremely terrifying, with dreadful fangs, smiling-faced; four-armed, holding sword, severed head, boon-gesture, and fearlessness — the auspicious one; garlanded with skulls, with lolling tongue, clad only in space (sky-clad); thus should one meditate upon Kāḷī, the dweller in the cremation ground.
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Verse 3
स्तोत्रम्
विश्वेश्वरीं जगद्धात्रीं स्थितिसंहारकारिणीम् ।
निद्रां भगवतीं विष्णोरतुलां तेजसः प्रभाम् ॥ १ ॥
stōtram
viśvēśvarīṃ jagaddhātrīṃ sthitisaṃhārakāriṇīm ।
nidrāṃ bhagavatīṃ viṣṇōratulāṃ tējasaḥ prabhām ॥ 1 ॥
Stotram — Verse 1: [I praise] Viśvēśvarī (ruler of the universe), Jagaddhātrī (sustainer of all creation), she who is responsible for preservation and dissolution; the divine Yoganidrā of Viṣṇu — Bhagavatī — the incomparable radiance of all light.
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Verse 4
त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषट्कारः स्वरात्मिका ।
सुधा त्वमक्षरे नित्ये त्रिधा मात्रात्मिका स्थिता ॥ २ ॥
tvaṃ svāhā tvaṃ svadhā tvaṃ hi vaṣaṭkāraḥ svarātmikā ।
sudhā tvamakṣarē nityē tridhā mātrātmikā sthitā ॥ 2 ॥
Verse 2: You are Svāhā (the oblation-word to the gods), you are Svadhā (oblation to the ancestors), you are indeed the Vaṣaṭkāra (the ritual exclamation) — you whose very nature is sacred sound. You are ambrosia (sudhā), O indestructible, eternal one — you who abide as the three-fold syllabic measure of Oṃ (the three mātrās: a, u, m).
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Verse 5
अर्थमात्रास्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्या विशेषतः ।
त्वमेव सन्ध्या सावित्री त्वं देवी जननी परा ॥ ३ ॥
arthamātrāsthitā nityā yānuchchāryā viśēṣataḥ ।
tvamēva sandhyā sāvitrī tvaṃ dēvī jananī parā ॥ 3 ॥
Verse 3: You are the eternal half-mātrā (the resonant silence after Oṃ) — that which especially cannot be vocalized. You yourself are Sandhyā (the twilight juncture), Sāvitrī (the Gāyatrī mantra), O Goddess — the supreme transcendent Mother.
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Verse 6
त्वयैतद्धार्यते विश्वं त्वयैतद्सृज्यते जगत् ।
त्वयैतत्पाल्यते देवि त्वमत्स्यन्ते च सर्वदा ॥ ४ ॥
tvayaitaddhāryatē viśvaṃ tvayaitadsṛjyatē jagat ।
tvayaitatpālyatē dēvi tvamatsyantē cha sarvadā ॥ 4 ॥
Verse 4: By you is this universe sustained; by you is this world created; by you is it protected, O Goddess — and you consume it entirely at the end of all time.
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Verse 7
विसृष्टौ सृष्टिरूपा त्वं स्थितिरूपा च पालने ।
तथा संहृतिरूपान्ते जगतोऽस्य जगन्मये ॥ ५ ॥
visṛṣṭau sṛṣṭirūpā tvaṃ sthitirūpā cha pālanē ।
tathā saṃhṛtirūpāntē jagatō'sya jaganmayē ॥ 5 ॥
Verse 5: At the time of creation you are the very form of creation; at the time of sustenance you are the form of preservation; and at the end you are the form of dissolution — O you who are the very fabric and soul of this universe.
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Verse 8
महाविद्या महामाया महामेधा महास्मृतिः ।
महामोहा च भवती महादेवी महेश्वरी ॥ ६ ॥
mahāvidyā mahāmāyā mahāmēdhā mahāsmṛtiḥ ।
mahāmōhā cha bhavatī mahādēvī mahēśvarī ॥ 6 ॥
Verse 6: Mahāvidyā (the great wisdom), Mahāmāyā (the great illusion), Mahāmēdhā (the great intellect), Mahāsmṛtiḥ (the great memory), Mahāmōhā (the great delusion) — you are all these, O Mahādēvī, O Mahēśvarī.
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Verse 9
प्रकृतिस्त्वं च सर्वस्य गुणत्रयविभाविनी ।
कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मोहरात्रिश्च दारुणा ॥ ७ ॥
prakṛtistvaṃ cha sarvasya guṇatrayavibhāvinī ।
kālarātrirmahārātrirmōharātriścha dāruṇā ॥ 7 ॥
Verse 7: You are Prakṛti (the primal nature) of all existence, manifesting through the three guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas); you are Kālarātri (the Night of cosmic Time and death), Mahārātri (the Great Night of final dissolution), and the terrible Moharātri (the Night of universal delusion).
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Verse 10
त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीस्त्वं बुद्धिर्बोधलक्षणा ।
लज्जा पुष्टिस्तथा तुष्टिस्त्वं शान्तिः क्षान्तिरेव च ॥ ८ ॥
tvaṃ śrīstvamīśvarī tvaṃ hrīstvaṃ buddhirbōdhalakṣaṇā ।
lajjā puṣṭistathā tuṣṭistvaṃ śāntiḥ kṣāntirēva cha ॥ 8 ॥
Verse 8: You are Śrī (prosperity), you are Īśvarī (sovereign power), you are Hrī (modesty), you are Buddhi (discernment and knowledge-bearing intellect), you are Lajjā (dignity), Puṣṭi (nourishment), Tuṣṭi (contentment), Śānti (peace), and Kṣānti (forbearance) itself.
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Verse 11
खड्गिनी शूलिनी घोरा गदिनी चक्रिणी तथा ।
शङ्खिनी चापिनी बाणभुशुण्डीपरिघायुधा ॥ ९ ॥
khaḍginī śūlinī ghōrā gadinī chakriṇī tathā ।
śaṅkhinī chāpinī bāṇabhuśuṇḍīparighāyudhā ॥ 9 ॥
Verse 9: You bear the sword (Khaḍginī), the trident (Śūlinī) — you are terrible (Ghōrā); you bear the mace (Gadinī) and the discus (Chakriṇī); the conch (Śaṅkhinī), the bow (Chāpinī), and you are armed with arrows, the fire-weapon (Bhuśuṇḍī), and the iron club (Parigha).
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Verse 12
सौम्या सौम्यतराशेषा सौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी ।
परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी ॥ १० ॥
saumyā saumyatarāśēṣā saumyēbhyastvatisundarī ।
parāparāṇāṃ paramā tvamēva paramēśvarī ॥ 10 ॥
Verse 10: You are gentle; you are gentler than all gentle things; and more beautiful than all that is beautiful. You are the highest of all the high — you alone are the Supreme Sovereign (Paramēśvarī).
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Verse 13
यच्च किञ्चित् क्वचिद्वस्तु सदसद्वाखिलात्मिके ।
तस्य सर्वस्य या शक्तिः सा त्वं किं स्तूयसे तदा ॥ ११ ॥
yachcha kiñchit kvachidvastu sadasadvākhilātmikē ।
tasya sarvasya yā śaktiḥ sā tvaṃ kiṃ stūyasē tadā ॥ 11 ॥
Verse 11: Whatever thing exists anywhere — real or unreal — O you who are the soul of all existence (Akhilātmikā), whatever power that thing possesses is you. How then can we adequately praise you?
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Verse 14
यया त्वया जगत्स्रष्टा जगत्पात्यत्ति यो जगत् ।
सोऽपि निद्रावशं नीतः कस्त्वां स्तोतुमिहेश्वरः ॥ १२ ॥
yayā tvayā jagatsraṣṭā jagatpātyatti yō jagat ।
sō'pi nidrāvaśaṃ nītaḥ kastvāṃ stōtumihēśvaraḥ ॥ 12 ॥
Verse 12: By you — by whom Viṣṇu himself, the creator, sustainer, and devourer of the universe, is put under the spell of sleep — who in this world has the power to praise you?
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Verse 15
विष्णुः शरीरग्रहणमहमीशान एव च ।
कारितास्ते यतोऽतस्त्वां कः स्तोतुं शक्तिमान् भवेत् ॥ १३ ॥
viṣṇuḥ śarīragrahaṇamahamīśāna ēva cha ।
kāritāstē yatō'tastvāṃ kaḥ stōtuṃ śaktimān bhavēt ॥ 13 ॥
Verse 13: Even Viṣṇu's taking of a body, mine (Brahmā's), and Śiva's — all are directed by you. Therefore, who can ever have the power to praise you?
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Verse 16
सा त्वमित्थं प्रभावैः स्वैरुदारैर्देवि संस्तुता ।
मोहयैतौ दुराधर्षावसुरौ मधुकैटभौ ॥ १४ ॥
sā tvamitthaṃ prabhāvaiḥ svairudārairdēvi saṃstutā ।
mōhayaitau durādharṣāvasurau madhukaiṭabhau ॥ 14 ॥
Verse 14: O Goddess, thus praised through your own glorious powers — now bewitch these two irresistible demons, Madhu and Kaiṭabha.
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Verse 17
प्रबोधं च जगत्स्वामी नीयतामच्युतो लघु ।
बोधश्च क्रियतामस्य हन्तुमेतौ महासुरौ ॥ १५ ॥
prabōdhaṃ cha jagatsvāmī nīyatāmachyutō laghu ।
bōdhaścha kriyatāmasya hantumētau mahāsurau ॥ 15 ॥
Verse 15: Let the sovereign of the universe, the imperishable Acyuta (Viṣṇu), be swiftly roused to wakefulness — and let his awareness be directed to slay these two great demons.
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Verse 18
इति श्री महाकाली स्तोत्रम् ।
iti śrī mahākāḻī stōtram ।
Thus ends the Śrī Mahākāḷī Stotram.
ॐ
