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Home › Mantras › Durga Saptashati › Durga Saptashati Chapter 12
Chandi (Durga) Durga Saptashati Chapter 12: a family reading the text before the Goddess's image at the autumn worship as she blesses them from above
A family reads the Goddess's deeds at the autumn worship as she blesses them from above
Mantra · The Goddess lists the dangers her story lifts, from planets to shipwreck, then vanishes

Durga Saptashati Chapter 12

एभिः स्तवैश्च मां नित्यं स्तोष्यते यः समाहितः । तस्याहं सकलां बाधां नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम् ॥

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

Chandi HomaThe Chandi Homa, performed for youBook →

What the Durga Saptashati Chapter 12 is

Durga Saptashati Chapter 12, which the colophon of the standard printed edition calls Phalastuti, the praise of the fruit, is the one chapter of the Devi Mahatmya spoken almost entirely by the Goddess herself. It belongs to the last episode, and the dhyana that heads it in the standard printed edition contemplates Durga: three-eyed, bright as a garland of lightning, seated on the lion's shoulder, attended by maidens carrying swords and shields, holding discus, mace, sword, shield, arrows and bow, her nature fire and the moon on her head. In verses 2 to 30 she answers the gods whose hymn closed chapter 11, saying what follows for those who praise her with these hymns and who recite or hear the three stories she names in verse 3: Madhu and Kaitabha, Mahishasura, and Shumbha and Nishumbha. Her list runs from the household to the battlefield: wrongdoing, poverty and separation from those one loves (verse 5), enemies, robbers, fire and flood (verse 6), epidemics and portents (verse 8), bad dreams and planetary afflictions (verses 16 and 17), and a long run of dangers in verses 25 to 29. From verse 32 the sage Medhas takes over again: she vanishes, the gods go back to their offices, and the demons who survived withdraw. Verses 36 to 41 are his summing-up to the king, a short statement of who she is that leads into the boons of chapter 13.

What the Goddess promised before she vanished

The chapter opens where chapter 11 leaves off. The gods have praised the Goddess after Shumbha's fall, and she has foretold the forms she will take in later ages. Now, in verse 2, she says that whoever praises her daily with these hymns, with a collected mind, will have every trouble removed. The text she means is the one the reader is holding: in verse 3 she names its three episodes, and in verse 4 the lunar days for hearing it. Verse 9 makes a claim about a place rather than a person: she will never leave a shrine where the text is properly recited each day. Verses 10 and 11 tie the recitation to offerings, worship, fire rites and festivals, and add that she accepts worship and fire offerings whether the one offering knows the rule or not. Verses 20 to 22 weigh a single hearing of her story against a whole year of offerings, feeding of brahmins, fire rites and gifts, and say it pleases her as much. Verses 25 to 29 build one long sentence of danger: lost in a forest, ringed by a forest fire, cornered by robbers, held by enemies, chased by lions, tigers or wild elephants, sentenced by an angry king, tossed on a boat at sea, under falling weapons, or racked by pain. A person who remembers this story, the text says, is freed from it. Then Medhas resumes in verse 32. Chandika, fierce in valour, vanishes while the gods are still looking at her. They take back their shares of the sacrifice, and the demons left after the deaths of Shumbha and Nishumbha go down to Patala, the netherworld (verses 34 and 35).

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiएभिः स्तवैश्च मां नित्यं स्तोष्यते यः समाहितः । तस्याहं सकलां बाधां नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम् ॥
Tamilஏபிஃ ஸ்தவைஶ்ச மாம் நித்யம் ஸ்தோஷ்யதே யஃ ஸமாஹிதஃ । தஸ்யாஹம் ஸகலாம் பாதாம் நாஶயிஷ்யாம்யஸம்ஶயம் ॥
Teluguఏభిః స్తవైశ్చ మాం నిత్యం స్తోష్యతే యః సమాహితః । తస్యాహం సకలాం బాధాం నాశయిష్యామ్యసంశయమ్ ॥
Kannadaಏಭಿಃ ಸ್ತವೈಶ್ಚ ಮಾಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಸ್ತೋಷ್ಯತೇ ಯಃ ಸಮಾಹಿತಃ । ತಸ್ಯಾಹಂ ಸಕಲಾಂ ಬಾಧಾಂ ನಾಶಯಿಷ್ಯಾಮ್ಯಸಂಶಯಮ್ ॥
Malayalamഏഭിഃ സ്തവൈശ്ച മാം നിത്യം സ്തോഷ്യതേ യഃ സമാഹിതഃ । തസ്യാഹം സകലാം ബാധാം നാശയിഷ്യാമ്യസംശയമ് ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationebhiḥ stavaiśca māṃ nityaṃ stoṣyate yaḥ samāhitaḥ | tasyāhaṃ sakalāṃ bādhāṃ nāśayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam ||
“The Goddess said: Whoever, with a collected mind, praises me every day with these hymns, all his troubles I will without doubt destroy.”
एभिः
ebhiḥ — with these
स्तवैश्च
stavaiśca — hymns, and
मां
māṃ — me
नित्यं
nityaṃ — daily
स्तोष्यते
stoṣyate — will praise
यः
yaḥ — whoever
समाहितः
samāhitaḥ — with a collected mind
तस्याहं
tasyāhaṃ — his, I
सकलां
sakalāṃ — all
बाधां
bādhāṃ — trouble
नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम्
nāśayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam — will destroy, without doubt

Durga Saptashati Chapter 12 lyrics in full

The Durga meditation verse and all 41 numbered lines of the chapter in the standard numbering, where lines 1 and 31 only name the speaker, first the Goddess and then the sage.

All 41 numbered lines, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Durga Saptashati Chapter 12 PDFAll 41 numbered lines with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Dhyanam 1

ॐ विद्युद्दामसमप्रभां मृगपतिस्कन्धस्थितां भीषणां कन्याभिः करवालखेटविलसद्धस्ताभिरासेविताम् ।
हस्तैश्चक्रगदासिखेटविशिखांश्चापं गुणं तर्जनीं बिभ्राणामनलात्मिकां शशिधरां दुर्गां त्रिनेत्रां भजे ॥

Om. I worship the three-eyed Durga, who shines like a garland of lightning and sits, fearsome, on the shoulder of the lion. Maidens with swords and shields in their hands attend her; in her own hands she holds the discus, mace, sword, shield, arrows, bow, noose and the threatening gesture. Her nature is fire, and she wears the moon on her head.

Verse 2

देव्युवाच
एभिः स्तवैश्च मां नित्यं स्तोष्यते यः समाहितः । तस्याहं सकलां बाधां नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम् ॥

The Goddess said: Whoever, with a collected mind, praises me every day with these hymns, all his troubles I will without doubt destroy.

Verse 3

मधुकैटभनाशं च महिषासुरघातनम् ।
कीर्तयिष्यन्ति ये तद्वद् वधं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥

Those who will recite the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, the slaying of Mahishasura, and likewise the killing of Shumbha and Nishumbha,

Verse 4

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां नवम्यां चैकचेतसः ।
श्रोष्यन्ति चैव ये भक्त्या मम माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् ॥

and those who, with one-pointed mind, will listen with devotion to this supreme account of my greatness on the eighth, the fourteenth and the ninth lunar days,

Verse 5

न तेषां दुष्कृतं किञ्चिद् दुष्कृतोत्था न चापदः ।
भविष्यति न दारिद्र्यं न चैवेष्टवियोजनम् ॥

for them there will be no wrongdoing at all, and no misfortunes born of wrongdoing; there will be no poverty, and no separation from those they love.

Verse 6

शत्रुतो न भयं तस्य दस्युतो वा न राजतः ।
न शस्त्रानलतोयौघात्कदाचित्सम्भविष्यति ॥

Such a person will never have fear from an enemy, from robbers or from the king, nor from weapons, fire or floods of water.

Verse 7

तस्मान्ममैतन्माहात्म्यं पठितव्यं समाहितैः ।
श्रोतव्यं च सदा भक्त्या परं स्वस्त्ययनं हि तत् ॥

Therefore this account of my greatness should be read by those with collected minds, and always listened to with devotion, for it is the highest means of well-being.

Verse 8

उपसर्गानशेषांस्तु महामारीसमुद्भवान् ।
तथा त्रिविधमुत्पातं माहात्म्यं शमयेन्मम ॥

This account of my greatness calms all the calamities that arise from great epidemics, and also the three kinds of portents.

Verse 9

यत्रैतत्पठ्यते सम्यङ्नित्यमायतने मम ।
सदा न तद्विमोक्ष्यामि सांनिध्यं तत्र मे स्थितम् ॥

The shrine of mine where this is properly recited every day I will never leave; my presence remains fixed there.

Verse 10

बलिप्रदाने पूजायामग्निकार्ये महोत्सवे ।
सर्वं ममैतच्चरितमुच्चार्यं श्राव्यमेव च ॥

At the giving of offerings, in worship, in fire rites and at great festivals, this whole story of mine should be recited and made to be heard.

Verse 11

जानताऽजानता वापि बलिपूजां तथा कृताम् ।
प्रतीच्छिष्याम्यहं प्रीत्या वह्निहोमं तथा कृतम् ॥

Whether the offering and worship are done knowing the rule or not knowing it, I will accept them with love, and the fire offering made in the same way.

Verse 12

शरत्काले महापूजा क्रियते या च वार्षिकी ।
तस्यां ममैतन्माहात्म्यं श्रुत्वा भक्तिसमन्वितः ॥

At the great annual worship performed in the autumn season, whoever hears this account of my greatness with devotion

Verse 13

सर्वाबाधाविनिर्मुक्तो धनधान्यसुतान्वितः ।
मनुष्यो मत्प्रसादेन भविष्यति न संशयः ॥

will, by my grace, be freed from all troubles and blessed with wealth, grain and children; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 14

श्रुत्वा ममैतन्माहात्म्यं तथा चोत्पत्तयः शुभाः ।
पराक्रमं च युद्धेषु जायते निर्भयः पुमान् ॥

Hearing this account of my greatness, the auspicious stories of my appearances, and my valour in battles, a man becomes fearless.

Verse 15

रिपवः संक्षयं यान्ति कल्याणं चोपपद्यते ।
नन्दते च कुलं पुंसां माहात्म्यं मम शृण्वताम् ॥

For those who listen to my greatness, enemies perish, good fortune comes, and their family rejoices.

Verse 16

शान्तिकर्मणि सर्वत्र तथा दुःस्वप्नदर्शने ।
ग्रहपीडासु चोग्रासु माहात्म्यं शृणुयान्मम ॥

In every rite for peace, after seeing a bad dream, and in severe afflictions from the planets, one should listen to my greatness.

Verse 17

उपसर्गाः शमं यान्ति ग्रहपीडाश्च दारुणाः ।
दुःस्वप्नं च नृभिर्दृष्टं सुस्वप्नमुपजायते ॥

The verse says that calamities and harsh planetary afflictions subside, and a bad dream that people have seen turns into a good dream.

Verse 18

बालग्रहाभिभूतानां बालानां शान्तिकारकम् ।
संघातभेदे च नृणां मैत्रीकरणमुत्तमम् ॥

It brings peace to children seized by the spirits that afflict children, and when people's unity is broken it is the best means of restoring friendship.

Verse 19

दुर्वृत्तानामशेषाणां बलहानिकरं परम् ।
रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां पठनादेव नाशनम् ॥

It is the supreme means of taking away the strength of all the wicked; by its mere recitation demons, ghosts and goblins are destroyed.

Verse 20

सर्वं ममैतन्माहात्म्यं मम सन्निधिकारकम् ।
पशुपुष्पार्घ्यधूपैश्च गन्धदीपैस्तथोत्तमैः ॥

This whole account of my greatness brings my presence near. With animal offerings, flowers, water offerings and incense, with fine perfumes and lamps,

Verse 21

विप्राणां भोजनैर्होमैः प्रोक्षणीयैरहर्निशम् ।
अन्यैश्च विविधैर्भोगैः प्रदानैर्वत्सरेण या ॥

by feeding brahmins, by fire offerings, by sprinkling rites day and night, by various other enjoyments offered and by gifts for a whole year, the pleasure

Verse 22

प्रीतिर्मे क्रियते सास्मिन् सकृत्सुचरिते श्रुते ।
श्रुतं हरति पापानि तथाऽऽरोग्यं प्रयच्छति ॥

that is given to me is given when this excellent story is heard just once. When heard, it takes away sins and grants good health.

Verse 23

रक्षां करोति भूतेभ्यो जन्मनां कीर्तनं मम ।
युद्धेषु चरितं यन्मे दुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणम् ॥

The telling of my births gives protection from evil beings. My deeds in battle, the slaying of the wicked demons,

Verse 24

तस्मिञ्छ्रुते वैरिकृतं भयं पुंसां न जायते ।
युष्माभिः स्तुतयो याश्च याश्च ब्रह्मर्षिभिः कृताः ॥

when heard, keep fear caused by enemies from arising in people. The hymns that you gods have made, and those made by the Brahmin sages

Verse 25

ब्रह्मणा च कृतास्तास्तु प्रयच्छन्ति शुभां मतिम् ।
अरण्ये प्रान्तरे वापि दावाग्निपरिवारितः ॥

and by Brahma, grant an auspicious mind. In a forest, or on a lonely road, or when surrounded by a forest fire,

Verse 26

दस्युभिर्वा वृतः शून्ये गृहीतो वापि शत्रुभिः ।
सिंहव्याघ्रानुयातो वा वने वा वनहस्तिभिः ॥

or surrounded by robbers in a deserted place, or captured by enemies, or pursued in the forest by lions, tigers or wild elephants,

Verse 27

राज्ञा क्रुद्धेन चाज्ञप्तो वध्यो बन्धगतोऽपि वा ।
आघूर्णितो वा वातेन स्थितः पोते महार्णवे ॥

or ordered by an angry king to be killed or imprisoned, or tossed by the wind while on a boat on the great ocean,

Verse 28

पतत्सु चापि शस्त्रेषु संग्रामे भृशदारुणे ।
सर्वाबाधासु घोरासु वेदनाभ्यर्दितोऽपि वा ॥

or when weapons are falling in a very fierce battle, or in any terrible trouble, or when tormented by pain,

Verse 29

स्मरन्ममैतच्चरितं नरो मुच्येत सङ्कटात् ।
मम प्रभावात्सिंहाद्या दस्यवो वैरिणस्तथा ॥

the verse says a person who remembers this story of mine is freed from danger. By my power, lions and other beasts, robbers and enemies

Verse 30

दूरादेव पलायन्ते स्मरतश्चरितं मम ॥

flee far away from the one who remembers my story.

Verse 32

ऋषिरुवाच
इत्युक्त्वा सा भगवती चण्डिका चण्डविक्रमा ॥

The sage said: Having spoken thus, the blessed Chandika, fierce in valour,

Verse 33

पश्यतामेव देवानां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ।
तेऽपि देवा निरातङ्काः स्वाधिकारान् यथा पुरा ॥

vanished right there while the gods looked on. The gods too, free from fear, took back their own offices as before,

Verse 34

यज्ञभागभुजः सर्वे चक्रुर्विनिहतारयः ।
दैत्याश्च देव्या निहते शुम्भे देवरिपौ युधि ॥

all of them enjoying their shares of the sacrifices, their enemies slain. And when Shumbha, enemy of the gods, had been killed by the Goddess in battle,

Verse 35

जगद्विध्वंसिनि तस्मिन् महोग्रेऽतुलविक्रमे ।
निशुम्भे च महावीर्ये शेषाः पातालमाययुः ॥

that destroyer of the world, terrible and of matchless valour, and the mighty Nishumbha too, the demons who were left went down to the netherworld.

Verse 36

एवं भगवती देवी सा नित्यापि पुनः पुनः ।
सम्भूय कुरुते भूप जगतः परिपालनम् ॥

In this way, O king, the blessed Goddess, though eternal, appears again and again and protects the world.

Verse 37

तयैतन्मोह्यते विश्वं सैव विश्वं प्रसूयते ।
सा याचिता च विज्ञानं तुष्टा ऋद्धिं प्रयच्छति ॥

By her this universe is deluded; she alone gives birth to the universe. When asked, she grants knowledge, and when pleased she grants prosperity.

Verse 38

व्याप्तं तयैतत्सकलं ब्रह्माण्डं मनुजेश्वर ।
महाकाल्या महाकाले महामारीस्वरूपया ॥

O lord of men, this whole cosmos is pervaded by her, by Mahakali, who at the time of the great dissolution takes the form of the great destroyer.

Verse 39

सैव काले महामारी सैव सृष्टिर्भवत्यजा ।
स्थितिं करोति भूतानां सैव काले सनातनी ॥

At her time she herself is the great destruction; she, the unborn, becomes creation; and she, the eternal one, in her time sustains all beings.

Verse 40

भवकाले नृणां सैव लक्ष्मीर्वृद्धिप्रदा गृहे ।
सैवाभावे तथालक्ष्मीर्विनाशायोपजायते ॥

In times of prosperity she herself is Lakshmi in people's homes, giving increase; and in times of want she becomes misfortune, bringing ruin.

Verse 41

स्तुता सम्पूजिता पुष्पैर्धूपगन्धादिभिस्तथा ।
ददाति वित्तं पुत्रांश्च मतिं धर्मे गतिं शुभाम् ॥

When praised and worshipped with flowers, incense, perfumes and the like, the verse says she grants wealth, children, a mind set on dharma, and an auspicious path.

The syllable people get wrong

In verse 7, svastyayanaṃ (स्वस्त्ययनं), 'means of well-being', is svasti and ayana run together, so the ty is followed by two short a's. Say svas-tya-ya-nam, five beats, not 'swas-tee-nam' or 'swast-yan'.

When the Durga Saptashati Chapter 12 is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Sharad Navaratri, the autumn worship named in verse 12

Questions

Two passages answer this. Verse 4 names three lunar days, ashtami, chaturdashi and navami, the eighth, fourteenth and ninth days of the lunar fortnight, for those who listen to her greatness with one-pointed devotion. Verses 12 and 13 name a season: the great annual worship held in autumn, sharatkale mahapuja, at which whoever hears the text with devotion is said to be freed from all troubles and blessed with wealth, grain and children. Verse 12 is one of the oldest textual links between the Devi Mahatmya and the autumn festival of the Goddess, which is why the Saptashati is so closely bound to Sharad Navaratri and Durga Puja, whose great days include the eighth and the ninth.
Verse 16 lists three occasions for hearing the text: every rite for peace (shanti karma), the morning after a bad dream, and grahapida, severe affliction from the planets. Verse 17 states the outcome in the Goddess's own words: calamities and harsh planetary afflictions subside, and a bad dream people have seen turns into a good one. Verse 18 widens the circle to children seized by balagrahas, the spirits held to trouble young children, and to groups whose unity has broken, for whom the text is called the best means of restoring friendship. These are the claims of the verses as they stand; the chapter gives no rite for them beyond hearing or reciting the story.
Verses 36 to 41 are Medhas speaking to King Suratha after she has vanished, and they insist that one power stands behind opposite outcomes. Verse 37 says she deludes the universe and also gives birth to it. Verse 38 names her Mahakali, who pervades the cosmos and at the great dissolution takes the form of Mahamari, the great destroyer. Verse 39 gives her destruction, creation and sustenance in turn. Verse 40 brings this into the home: in good times she is Lakshmi, giving increase, and in times of want the same Goddess is Alakshmi, misfortune, bringing ruin. Verse 41 then says that, praised and worshipped, she grants wealth, children, a mind set on dharma and an auspicious path.
Speaking to the gods, she says that the hymns 'you' have made, those made by the Brahmin sages, and those made by Brahma grant an auspicious mind. Within the Saptashati, Brahma's hymn is his praise of Yoganidra in chapter 1, and the gods' hymns are the three sung in chapter 4 after Mahishasura's fall, in chapter 5 on the Himalaya, and in chapter 11, the Narayani Stuti that she has just heard. The Saptashati holds no hymn spoken by the sages, so that part of the line reaches beyond its own pages. Verse 2 makes a related point at the start: whoever praises her daily with 'these hymns' will have every trouble removed.
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