Today Mon 5 Oct TithiDashami NakshatraPushya PlaceColumbusUse my location Full Panchang & horoscope →

Rituals

All HomasAradhanaNadi AstrologyMantra Guides

Astrology

All Free ToolsVedic AstrologyToday's PanchangFree KundliDaily Horoscope

More

BlogAsk NirnayaContact

Your account

Sign inCart
Home › Mantras › Durga Chalisa
Durga Durga Chalisa: eight-armed Goddess Ambe on her lion in a village shrine as a devotee sings with a lamp
A devotee singing the Chalisa before Ambe's village shrine
Mantra · Devidas's Hindi forty: Hinglaj, Jwala and Shankara's lost Shakti

Durga Chalisa

नमो नमो दुर्गे सुख करनी । नमो नमो अम्बे दुःख हरनी ॥

In Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English — with the meaning of every word, and the one syllable most people pronounce wrongly.

What the Durga Chalisa is

The Durga Chalisa is a Hindi hymn of forty chaupai lines addressed to Durga as Amba, Bhavani and Jagadamba, closed by a forty-first line that names its poet, Devidas. Nothing further is recorded about him, and the printed editions give no date. The language is the Awadhi-tinged Hindi of the north Indian chalisa tradition, not Sanskrit. As a sequence, the lines first describe her face and her formless light, then claim the other goddesses and even Vishnu's deeds as her own: Annapurna, Gauri, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, and the Narasimha who burst from the pillar. Lines 15 and 16 pack seven of the ten Mahavidyas into two couplets. Shrines follow, at Hinglaj, Nagarkot and Jwala, then the battles with Shumbha, Nishumbha, Raktabija and Mahishasura. Lines 30 to 34 tell a story about Shankaracharya, and lines 35 to 39 turn to the singer's own troubles.

Shankara, the lost Shakti and Devidas

Unlike many chalisas, this one carries its own story inside the verses. Lines 30 to 34 say that Shankara Acharya performed austerities, mastered desire and anger, and meditated day and night on Shiva while never once remembering the Goddess. Because he had not understood her as Shakti, his power left him. He repented, took refuge, and sang 'jaya jaya jaya Jagadamba Bhavani', and she restored his strength without delay. The Chalisa does not say where this happened. A popular legend, told in several forms, supplies a setting. In one version Shankara travelled to Kashmir to debate the Shaktas, was struck down by an illness that left him unable to move or speak, and was approached by a young girl who asked how he could deny Shakti when he could not stir without it. He bowed to her as the Goddess. Another telling, set at Manikarnika Ghat in Kashi, has a grieving widow ask how a corpse could rise without energy before she vanishes and Durga appears. Devidas seems to place himself in Shankara's position: right after the episode, line 35 opens 'moko matu kashta ati ghero', great troubles surround me, and the poet asks for the same grace.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiनमो नमो दुर्गे सुख करनी । नमो नमो अम्बे दुःख हरनी ॥
Tamilநமோ நமோ துர்கே ஸுக கரநீ । நமோ நமோ அம்பே துஃக ஹரநீ ॥
Teluguనమో నమో దుర్గే సుఖ కరనీ । నమో నమో అమ్బే దుఃఖ హరనీ ॥
Kannadaನಮೋ ನಮೋ ದುರ್ಗೇ ಸುಖ ಕರನೀ । ನಮೋ ನಮೋ ಅಮ್ಬೇ ದುಃಖ ಹರನೀ ॥
Malayalamനമോ നമോ ദുര്ഗേ സുഖ കരനീ । നമോ നമോ അമ്ബേ ദുഃഖ ഹരനീ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationnamo namo durge sukha karanī | namo namo ambe duḥkha haranī ||
“Salutations, salutations to Durga, giver of happiness; salutations, salutations to Amba, remover of sorrow.”
नमो
namo — salutation
नमो
namo — salutation
दुर्गे
durge — O Durga
सुख
sukha — happiness
करनी
karanī — giver, maker of
नमो
namo — salutation
नमो
namo — salutation
अम्बे
ambe — O Mother, Amba
दुःख
duḥkha — sorrow
हरनी
haranī — remover of

Durga Chalisa lyrics in full

All 41 verses, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Durga Chalisa PDFAll 41 verses with their meanings, in Hindi. Free to print and keep.

Chaupai 1

नमो नमो दुर्गे सुख करनी ।
नमो नमो अम्बे दुःख हरनी ॥

Salutations, salutations to Durga, giver of happiness; salutations, salutations to Amba, remover of sorrow.

Chaupai 2

निरंकार है ज्योति तुम्हारी ।
तिहूँ लोक फैली उजियारी ॥

Your light is formless, and its radiance spreads through the three worlds.

Chaupai 3

शशि ललाट मुख महाविशाला ।
नेत्र लाल भृकुटि विकराला ॥

The moon is on your forehead and your face is vast; your eyes are red and your brows are fearsome.

Chaupai 4

रूप मातु को अधिक सुहावे ।
दरश करत जन अति सुख पावे ॥

The Mother's form is surpassingly lovely; people who behold it feel great joy.

Chaupai 5

तुम संसार शक्ति लै कीना ।
पालन हेतु अन्न धन दीना ॥

You gave the world its power, and to sustain it you gave food and wealth.

Chaupai 6

अन्नपूर्णा हुई जग पाला ।
तुम ही आदि सुन्दरी बाला ॥

As Annapurna you nourish the world; you are the primal beautiful maiden.

Chaupai 7

प्रलयकाल सब नाशन हारी ।
तुम गौरी शिवशंकर प्यारी ॥

At the time of dissolution you destroy all things; you are Gauri, beloved of Shiva.

Chaupai 8

शिव योगी तुम्हरे गुण गावें ।
ब्रह्मा विष्णु तुम्हें नित ध्यावें ॥

Shiva and the yogis sing your praises; Brahma and Vishnu meditate on you always.

Chaupai 9

रूप सरस्वती को तुम धारा ।
दे सुबुद्धि ऋषि मुनिन उबारा ॥

You took the form of Sarasvati, gave good understanding to the sages and saved them.

Chaupai 10

धरयो रूप नरसिंह को अम्बा ।
परगट भई फाड़कर खम्बा ॥

O Amba, you took the form of Narasimha and appeared by bursting open the pillar.

Chaupai 11

रक्षा करि प्रह्लाद बचायो ।
हिरण्याक्ष को स्वर्ग पठायो ॥

You protected and saved Prahlada, and sent Hiranyaksha to heaven.

Chaupai 12

लक्ष्मी रूप धरो जग माहीं ।
श्री नारायण अंग समाहीं ॥

You took the form of Lakshmi in the world and dwell in the body of Shri Narayana.

Chaupai 13

क्षीरसिन्धु में करत विलासा ।
दयासिन्धु दीजै मन आसा ॥

You sport in the Ocean of Milk; O ocean of mercy, fulfil the hopes of my heart.

Chaupai 14

हिंगलाज में तुम्हीं भवानी ।
महिमा अमित न जात बखानी ॥

At Hinglaj you are Bhavani; your glory is boundless and cannot be described.

Chaupai 15

मातंगी अरु धूमावति माता ।
भुवनेश्वरी बगला सुख दाता ॥

You are Matangi and Mother Dhumavati, and Bhuvaneshvari and Bagala, givers of happiness.

Chaupai 16

श्री भैरव तारा जग तारिणी ।
छिन्न भाल भव दुःख निवारिणी ॥

You are Shri Bhairavi and Tara who carries the world across; as Chinnamasta, with severed head, you remove the sorrows of worldly life.

Chaupai 17

केहरि वाहन सोह भवानी ।
लांगुर वीर चलत अगवानी ॥

Bhavani shines riding on the lion, and the heroic Langur goes before you.

Chaupai 18

कर में खप्पर खड्ग विराजै ।
जाको देख काल डर भाजै ॥

A skull-bowl and a sword shine in your hands; seeing you, even Death flees in fear.

Chaupai 19

सोहै अस्त्र और त्रिशूला ।
जाते उठत शत्रु हिय शूला ॥

Weapons and the trident adorn you, and at their sight pain rises in the hearts of enemies.

Chaupai 20

नगरकोट में तुम्हीं विराजत ।
तिहुँलोक में डंका बाजत ॥

You reside at Nagarkot, and your drum of victory resounds in the three worlds.

Chaupai 21

शुम्भ निशुम्भ दानव तुम मारे ।
रक्तबीज शंखन संहारे ॥

You slew the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and destroyed Raktabija and Shankha.

Chaupai 22

महिषासुर नृप अति अभिमानी ।
जेहि अघ भार मही अकुलानी ॥

Mahishasura was a king of great arrogance, under the weight of whose sins the earth was distressed.

Chaupai 23

रूप कराल कालिका धारा ।
सेन सहित तुम तिहि संहारा ॥

Taking the fearsome form of Kalika, you destroyed him together with his army.

Chaupai 24

परी गाढ़ सन्तन पर जब जब ।
भई सहाय मातु तुम तब तब ॥

Whenever hardship fell upon the saints, then, O Mother, you came to their help.

Chaupai 25

अमरपुरी अरु बासव लोका ।
तब महिमा सब रहें अशोका ॥

In Amarapuri and the realm of Indra, all remain free of sorrow through your glory.

Chaupai 26

ज्वाला में है ज्योति तुम्हारी ।
तुम्हें सदा पूजें नर-नारी ॥

Your light shines in the flame at Jwala, and men and women worship you always.

Chaupai 27

प्रेम भक्ति से जो यश गावें ।
दुःख दारिद्र निकट नहिं आवें ॥

The verse says that those who sing your glory with love and devotion are not approached by sorrow and poverty.

Chaupai 28

ध्यावे तुम्हें जो नर मन लाई ।
जन्म-मरण ताकौ छुटि जाई ॥

The verse says that whoever meditates on you with a fixed mind is freed from birth and death.

Chaupai 29

जोगी सुर मुनि कहत पुकारी ।
योग न हो बिन शक्ति तुम्हारी ॥

Yogis, gods and sages proclaim aloud that there is no yoga without your power.

Chaupai 30

शंकर आचारज तप कीनो ।
काम अरु क्रोध जीति सब लीनो ॥

Shankara Acharya performed austerities and conquered desire and anger completely.

Chaupai 31

निशिदिन ध्यान धरो शंकर को ।
काहु काल नहिं सुमिरो तुमको ॥

Day and night he meditated on Shankara, and never at any time remembered you.

Chaupai 32

शक्ति रूप का मरम न पायो ।
शक्ति गई तब मन पछितायो ॥

He did not grasp the secret of your form as Shakti; when his power left him, he repented.

Chaupai 33

शरणागत हुई कीर्ति बखानी ।
जय जय जय जगदम्ब भवानी ॥

He took refuge in you and sang your fame: victory, victory, victory to Jagadamba Bhavani.

Chaupai 34

भई प्रसन्न आदि जगदम्बा ।
दई शक्ति नहिं कीन विलम्बा ॥

The primal Mother of the world was pleased and restored his power without delay.

Chaupai 35

मोको मातु कष्ट अति घेरो ।
तुम बिन कौन हरै दुःख मेरो ॥

O Mother, great troubles surround me; who but you can remove my sorrow?

Chaupai 36

आशा तृष्णा निपट सतावें ।
मोह मदादिक सब बिनशावें ॥

Hope and craving torment me greatly; destroy all delusion, pride and the rest.

Chaupai 37

शत्रु नाश कीजै महारानी ।
सुमिरौं इकचित तुम्हें भवानी ॥

O great Queen, destroy my enemies; with a one-pointed mind I remember you, Bhavani.

Chaupai 38

करो कृपा हे मातु दयाला ।
ऋद्धि-सिद्धि दै करहु निहाला ॥

O merciful Mother, show your grace; grant me prosperity and success and make me fulfilled.

Chaupai 39

जब लगि जिऊं दया फल पाऊं ।
तुम्हरो यश मैं सदा सुनाऊं ॥

As long as I live, may I receive the fruit of your mercy, and may I always proclaim your glory.

Chaupai 40

दुर्गा चालीसा जो कोई गावै ।
सब सुख भोग परमपद पावै ॥

The verse says that whoever sings the Durga Chalisa enjoys every happiness and attains the supreme state.

Chaupai 41

देवीदास शरण निज जानी ।
करहु कृपा जगदम्ब भवानी ॥

Knowing Devidas to be your own who has taken refuge in you, show your grace, O Jagadamba Bhavani.

The syllable people get wrong

Line 2 reads niraṃkāra, not the textbook Sanskrit nirākāra: the anusvara before k is a nasal, so it is said ni-rung-KAA-ra, with the stress on the long kā. Singing it as 'nirakar' follows a minority reading found in few printed editions.

When the Durga Chalisa is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Navaratri

Questions

The last line answers it: 'devidasa sharana nija jani', knowing Devidas to be your own who has taken refuge. That signature is the only information the text gives about its poet. The printed editions record nothing of his dates, his home or other works, so the hymn is best described as a traditional Hindi composition signed by Devidas. It is not by Tulsidas, who is credited with the Hanuman Chalisa.
Three. Line 14 names Hinglaj, the Shakti Peetha in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, Pakistan, where tradition holds that part of Sati's head fell. Line 20 names Nagarkot, the old name of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, home of the Vajreshwari Devi temple. Line 26 names Jwala, the Jwalamukhi temple in the same district, where the deity is a flame rising from a fissure in the rock.
Lines 10 and 11 credit Amba with appearing from the burst pillar to save Prahlada, an episode usually told of Vishnu as Narasimha. The poet is making a Shakta claim: the power behind every rescuing form is hers. Line 11 also names Hiranyaksha as the one sent to heaven, while the Puranic accounts give Narasimha's opponent as Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada's father; Hiranyaksha, his brother, falls to Varaha.
Line 40: 'durga chalisa jo koi gavai, saba sukha bhoga paramapada pavai'. The verse says that whoever sings the Durga Chalisa enjoys every happiness and attains the supreme state. Lines 27 and 28 make related statements earlier, about sorrow and poverty not coming near and release from birth and death. Some editions then add a closing doha, 'sharanagata raksha kare', which most editions do not print.
Not sure a mantra is enough?

Have your chart read before you decide

Chanting is yours to do, and free. But which deity your situation calls for — and whether a mantra alone is the right response — depends on your chart. Sometimes it is; sometimes it is not.

Brahmashree Shivaaya
Chief Operating Officer & Head of Astrological & Spiritual Solutions
  • Over 30 years in the Guru–Sishya Parampara, from the age of five
  • He reads every chart himself — 60 minutes, one to one, never delegated
  • Charts are read only between sunrise and sunset, following tradition
Book a consultation Ask Nirnaya — free
+91 96295 55442 WhatsApp us support@astrobhava.com Closed now · Mon–Sat, 9:30–18:00 IST (0:00–8:30 EDT your time) — WhatsApp and email are answered the next working morning
Continue

Related

Nirnaya

AstroBhava’s automated guide

Nirnaya is AstroBhava’s automated guide. What you tell it — including birth details — is kept to recommend rites and is reviewed by our team to improve it. It does not predict. Conversations are anonymised 12 months after your last message; you can delete them sooner from your account. Privacy policy

Speak to someone at the ashram

Message the ashram on WhatsApp or by email. We answer Mon–Sat, 9:30–18:00 IST (0:00–8:30 EDT your time).

Message on WhatsAppsupport@astrobhava.com

WhatsApp opens in a new tab; nothing is sent from this page.

See the Durga HomaBook a consultation