Among the stotras addressed to the mother Goddess Durga, the greatest is perhaps the Devi Mahatmya which is also known as Chandi. This book recounts the story of Durga in her several incarnations. First she came to kill the Asuras Madhu and Kaidabha at the request of Brahma, then she came to kill the terrible Mahishasura as a result of prayers of all devas and again came to Kill the Rakshasas Shumbha and Nishumbha along with their armies. Since reading Devi mahatmya daily needs a lot of time, this stotra summarizes the stories recounted in Devi Mahatmya in the form of an octet. It is believed reading this stotra daily will give the devotee the same effect as reading Devi Mahatmya.
lakshmeese yoga nidhram prabhajathi bhujaga
deesa thalpe sadad pad
vuthpannaou dhanavou thachra vana mala mayangaou
madhum kaidabham cha
drustwa bheethasya dhathu stuthibira binutham
masu thou nasayantheem
durgam deveem prabadye sarana maha masesha apadun unmulanaya
In times of yore,
When the Lord of Lakshmi.
Was immersed in the sleep of yoga,
On the awesome bed of the serpent,
And the primeval giants Madhu and Kaidabha,
Came out of his ear wax,
And made Brahma the creator of all tremble ,
Oh Durga, thou heard his prayers,
And killed them both,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great
yudhe nirjithya daithya stribhuvanamakilam
yastha deeyeshu dishnyai
shwasthapya swan vidheyan swayamagama abhasou
sakratham vikramena
tham saamapthyaptha mithram mahisha mapi niha
thyasya moordhathi roodam
durgam devim prapadhye sarana maha masesha apadan unmoolanya
When the great Giant Mahisha,
Who defeated in war Indra the Lord of all Devas,
And By his prowess made all the three worlds, his slave,
And appointed his servants to rule over them,
You Durga, killed him along with his army, ministers and friends,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
viswothpathi pranasa sthithi vihruthi pare
devi gora marari
thrasath thratham kulam na punarapi cha maha
sankadeshwi diseshu
avirbhooya purasthadithi chararana namath
sarva geervana vargam
durgam deveem prapadye sarana maha masesha apadan unmoolnaya
Hey Goddess Durga, Who is engrossed in,
Creation, upkeep and destruction of the universe,
Hey Goddess, who is personification of light,
The Gods and Devas appealed to you,
“You have saved us mother, from the danger posed,
By Great Rakshasas now by this war,
And we pray that you should save
Our progenies in future same as now”
And thou acceded to their request,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
hanthum shumbham nishumbam tridasa gana nutham
hemadolam himadri
aarudaam vyuda darpan yudhi nihatha vathim
dhoomra drik chanda mundane
chamundakhyamdhadanam upasamitha maha
raktha beejopasargam
durgam devim prapadye saranamaha
masesha apadan unmulanaya
Acceding to the prayer of Gods,
Thou came to the snowy mountains,
In a golden swing,
And killed the proud Asuras of Shumbha and Nishumba,
After killing Dhoomraksha , Chanda and Munda,
Thou were called and praised as Chamunda,
And thou also killed the great scourge called Raktha Bheeja,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
brahmesa skanda narayana kiti
narasimhendra shakthi swa bruthya
kruthwa hathwa nisumbam jitha vibutha ganam
trasitha sesha lokam
eki bhooyada shumbham rana sirasi niha
tyasithamatha gadgaam
durgam devim prapadye sarana maha maseshapadan moolanaya
Killed Thou Shumbha,
Who ruled over all devas,
Making the Shakthi of Brahma,
Skanda, Narayana, Narasimha,
Varaha and Indra as thine assistants,
And then merged all of them within you,
And killed Nishumbha in an awesome war,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
uthpanna nandajethi swayam avani thale
shumbamanyam nishumbham
bramaryakya arunakhyam punarapi janani
durgamakhyam nihanthum
bheema sakambareethi truti tharipu gata
raktha danthethi jaa thaam
durgam devim prapadye saranamaha
maseshapadan moolanaya
You were born as daughter to King Nanda,
In this holy earth,
To kill the Rakshasas of Shumbha and Nishumba,
And also born as a bee to kill the Asura called Aruna,
And again born as the Holy Durga ,
To kill the asura called Durgama,
You were famous as Bheema when you ate away asuras in fury,
You were Known as Sakabhari when you grew food from your body ,
To the starving millions during a great famine,
And also known as Raktha dantha,
Because you ate the asuras Vipra Chitha,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
tri giunyaanam gunaanaam anusarana kala
keeli naanavatharai
tri lokya trana seelaam dhanuja kula vanee
vahnee leela saleelaam
deveem sachinma mayeem tham vitharitha vinamath
sathree vargaaapavargaam
durgam devim prapadye sarana maha masesha apath unmoolanaya
You are all the three Gunaas rolled in to one,
You play thine divine game in several forms,
You take care of all the three worlds,
As a child’s play thou decimate the asuras,
Like the fury of cyclone in the forest,
You are the personification of all that is good,
To those who bow at your feet in humility,
Thou grantest all that they want here in and after,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
simharoodam trinethraam kara thala vilasath
sankha chakrasi ramyam
bakthabeeshta pradathreem ripu madana kareem
sarva lokaika vandhyam
nana alankara yuktham sasi yutha makutam
syamalangeem krusangeem
durgam devim prapadhye saranamaha asesha apath unmoolanya
She who rides on a lion,
She who has three eyes,
She who carries the conch and the wheel in pretty grace,
She who fulfills requests of her devotees,
She who kills her enemies,
She who is venerated by all the worlds,
She who is dressed in perfection,
She who keeps the moon on her crown,
She who is black in colour,
And She who is tiny,
I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
trayaswa swamin ithi tri bhuvana janani
prarthana twayya partha
plyanth abhyarthanayam bhagawathi sisava
knnvananya jananya
tthubhyam syannamasyethya vanatha vibhdha
aladhi veeksha visargam
drgam devim prapadhye saranamaha asesha apath unmoolanya
“There is no need to request thee Oh Durga,
To protect and save us,
For does the mother on whom they solely depend,
Ever need such a request,
And So our salutations to thee”
So pray the Gods to thee,
And so I am falling at your feet,
For solving all my problems great.
etham santha padanthu sthavam akhila vipa
jjala thoolana labham
hrinmoha dwantha bhanu prathima makhilam
sankalpa kalpa dru kalpam
dowrgam dowargathya goratha pathu hina kara
pakhya mam ho gajendra
soni panchasya desyam vpula bhayadha
kalahitha tharkshya prabhavam
Let this prayer to the Goddess Durga,
Which is like a wind for cotton bundle of sins,
Like a sun for pitch dark mind,
Like the divine tree granting all wishes,
Like the cool moon for the sweltering heat of poverty,
Like a lion before the elephant herd of sins,
And like the fearsome eagle before the king cobra,
Save us from all dangers ,
And let all the devoted chant it always.
