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Home › Mantras › Kali Ashtakam
Kali Kali Ashtakam: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva bowing with joined palms before four-armed Kali on the burning-ground at night
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva bow before the four-armed Kali, whose true form even the gods do not know
Mantra · Shankara's eight verses ending: even the gods do not know your form

Kali Ashtakam

गलद्रक्तमुण्डावलीकण्ठमाला महोघोररावा सुदंष्ट्रा कराला । विवस्त्रा श्मशानालया मुक्तकेशी महाकालकामाकुला कालिकेयम् ॥

Also known as Kalikashtakam

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

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What the Kali Ashtakam is

The Kali Ashtakam, printed as Sri Kalikashtakam, is a Sanskrit hymn to Kali in her four-armed form as Dakshina Kali, whose closing line credits it to Adi Shankaracharya; it is also said to belong to a Tantric work called the Kalirahasya. It is written in bhujangaprayata, the 'serpent's gait' metre of the Subrahmanya Bhujangam, with twelve syllables to a line. Three dhyana verses build the image first: the dripping garland of heads, a sword and a severed head in the two left hands, the gestures of boon and fearlessness in the two right, corpses as earrings, a girdle of hands, a corpse-shaped couch ringed by howling jackals. The eight verses of praise then look past her appearance. Verse 1 has Brahma and the other two gods attaining their rank by worshipping her, verse 6 says she is neither girl nor old woman, and verse 7 asks pardon for revealing her secret. Every stanza closes on the same admission: even the gods do not know your true form.

A hymn that asks pardon for itself

No account survives of the occasion on which this hymn was composed, and its two attributions point in different directions. The closing line printed with the text calls it the work of Shankaracharya, the Advaita teacher to whom tradition credits hymns to many deities; it is also said to come from the Kalirahasya, a work of the Tantric Kali tradition. Wherever its home, the poem is shaped by that tradition. Its dhyana follows the image known as Dakshina Kali, the form that a seventeenth-century Bengali teacher, Krishnananda Agamavagisha, is credited with making widespread, and its very first verse names her longing for Mahakala, her consort. Verse 2 borrows the vocabulary of the Tantric six acts, calling her the one who stops speech and the one who drives adversaries away. The most unusual moment comes in verse 7. The poet asks forgiveness for having laid bare, in the middle of the world, a nature that is meant to stay deeply hidden, and puts it down to a restless mind, even one purified by meditation on her. Verse 8 then states what the reciter is said to gain: renown in every world, the eight siddhis in the home and liberation after death. In Bengal, Assam and other regions where Kali worship is strong, the hymn is recited on the night of Kali Puja, the new moon that falls with Diwali.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiगलद्रक्तमुण्डावलीकण्ठमाला महोघोररावा सुदंष्ट्रा कराला । विवस्त्रा श्मशानालया मुक्तकेशी महाकालकामाकुला कालिकेयम् ॥
Tamilகலத்ரக்தமுண்டாவலீகண்டமாலா மஹோகோரராவா ஸுதம்ஷ்ட்ரா கராலா । விவஸ்த்ரா ஶ்மஶாநாலயா முக்தகேஶீ மஹாகாலகாமாகுலா காலிகேயம் ॥
Teluguగలద్రక్తముణ్డావలీకణ్ఠమాలా మహోఘోరరావా సుదంష్ట్రా కరాలా । వివస్త్రా శ్మశానాలయా ముక్తకేశీ మహాకాలకామాకులా కాలికేయమ్ ॥
Kannadaಗಲದ್ರಕ್ತಮುಣ್ಡಾವಲೀಕಣ್ಠಮಾಲಾ ಮಹೋಘೋರರಾವಾ ಸುದಂಷ್ಟ್ರಾ ಕರಾಲಾ । ವಿವಸ್ತ್ರಾ ಶ್ಮಶಾನಾಲಯಾ ಮುಕ್ತಕೇಶೀ ಮಹಾಕಾಲಕಾಮಾಕುಲಾ ಕಾಲಿಕೇಯಮ್ ॥
Malayalamഗലദ്രക്തമുണ്ഡാവലീകണ്ഠമാലാ മഹോഘോരരാവാ സുദംഷ്ട്രാ കരാലാ । വിവസ്ത്രാ ശ്മശാനാലയാ മുക്തകേശീ മഹാകാലകാമാകുലാ കാലികേയമ് ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationgaladraktamuṇḍāvalīkaṇṭhamālā mahoghorarāvā sudaṃṣṭrā karālā | vivastrā śmaśānālayā muktakeśī mahākālakāmākulā kālikeyam ||
“With a garland of severed heads dripping blood about her neck, roaring most terribly, fierce with great fangs, unclothed, dwelling in the cremation ground, her hair loose: this is Kalika, intent on union with Mahakala.”
गलद्रक्तमुण्डावलीकण्ठमाला
galadraktamuṇḍāvalīkaṇṭhamālā — with a neck-garland of heads dripping blood
महोघोररावा
mahoghorarāvā — roaring most terribly
सुदंष्ट्रा
sudaṃṣṭrā — with great fangs
कराला
karālā — fearsome
विवस्त्रा
vivastrā — unclothed
श्मशानालया
śmaśānālayā — dwelling in the cremation ground
मुक्तकेशी
muktakeśī — with loosened hair
महाकालकामाकुला
mahākālakāmākulā — intent on union with Mahakala
कालिकेयम्
kālikeyam — this is Kalika

Kali Ashtakam lyrics in full

Three meditation verses on Kali's form, followed by the eight verses of praise, each closing on the same refrain.

All 12 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Kali Ashtakam PDFAll 12 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Dhyanam 1

गलद्रक्तमुण्डावलीकण्ठमाला महोघोररावा सुदंष्ट्रा कराला ।
विवस्त्रा श्मशानालया मुक्तकेशी महाकालकामाकुला कालिकेयम् ॥

With a garland of severed heads dripping blood about her neck, roaring most terribly, fierce with great fangs, unclothed, dwelling in the cremation ground, her hair loose: this is Kalika, intent on union with Mahakala.

Dhyanam 2

भुजेवामयुग्मे शिरोऽसिं दधाना वरं दक्षयुग्मेऽभयं वै तथैव ।
सुमध्याऽपि तुङ्गस्तना भारनम्रा लसद्रक्तसृक्कद्वया सुस्मितास्या ॥

In her two left hands she holds a severed head and a sword, and in her two right hands she shows the gestures of granting boons and of fearlessness. Slender-waisted yet full-breasted and bending under their weight, the two corners of her mouth glistening with blood, her face wears a gentle smile.

Dhyanam 3

शवद्वन्द्वकर्णावतंसा सुकेशी लसत्प्रेतपाणिं प्रयुक्तैककाञ्ची ।
शवाकारमञ्चाधिरूढा शिवाभिश्चतुर्दिक्षुशब्दायमानाऽभिरेजे ॥

Two corpses are her ear ornaments, her hair is lovely, and she wears a single girdle made of the hands of the dead. Seated on a couch shaped like a corpse, she shines forth while jackals howl on all four sides.

Verse 1

विरञ्च्यादिदेवास्त्रयस्ते गुणास्त्रीन् समाराध्य कालीं प्रधाना बभूवुः ।
अनादिं सुरादिं मखादिं भवादिं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

The three gods beginning with Brahma became foremost, holding the three gunas, by worshipping Kali. You are without beginning, the origin of the gods, of sacrifice and of worldly existence; yet even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 2

जगन्मोहिनीयं तु वाग्वादिनीयं सुहृत्पोषिणीशत्रुसंहारणीयम् ।
वचस्तम्भनीयं किमुच्चाटनीयं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

She is the enchantress of the world and the one who gives power of speech; she nourishes friends and destroys enemies. She silences speech and drives foes away; even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 3

इयं स्वर्गदात्री पुनः कल्पवल्ली मनोजास्तु कामान् यथार्थं प्रकुर्यात् ।
तथा ते कृतार्था भवन्तीति नित्यं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

She bestows heaven and is a wish-fulfilling creeper; she brings the desires of the heart to true fulfilment, and so those who worship her are always made complete. Even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 4

सुरापानमत्ता सुभक्तानुरक्ता लसत्पूतचित्ते सदाविर्भवत्ते ।
जपध्यानपूजासुधाधौतपङ्का स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

Intoxicated with the divine drink, loving toward her true devotees, you always reveal yourself in a shining, purified heart; through the nectar of japa, meditation and worship the mire of sin is washed away. Even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 5

चिदानन्दकन्दं हसन् मन्दमन्दं शरच्चन्द्रकोटिप्रभापुञ्जबिम्बम् ।
मुनीनां कवीनां हृदि द्योतयन्तं स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

Your form is the root of consciousness and bliss, softly smiling, radiant like the light of ten million autumn moons, shining in the hearts of sages and poets; yet even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 6

महामेघकाली सुरक्तापि शुभ्रा कदाचिद् विचित्राकृतिर्योगमाया ।
न बाला न वृद्धा न कामातुरापि स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

Dark as a great rain cloud, and at times deep red or white, of wondrous forms, you are Yogamaya. You are neither a girl nor old, nor driven by desire; even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 7

क्षमस्वापराधं महागुप्तभावं मया लोकमध्ये प्रकाशीकृतं यत् ।
तव ध्यानपूतेन चापल्यभावात् स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

Forgive my offence: out of restlessness, though purified by meditation on you, I have revealed your deeply hidden nature in the midst of the world. Even the gods do not know your true form.

Verse 8

यदि ध्यानयुक्तं पठेद् यो मनुष्यस्तदा सर्वलोके विशालो भवेच्च ।
गृहे चाष्टसिद्धिर्मृते चापि मुक्तिः स्वरूपं त्वदीयं न विन्दन्ति देवाः ॥

The verse says that whoever recites this with meditation becomes renowned in all the worlds, has the eight siddhis in his home, and attains liberation after death. Even the gods do not know your true form.

Closing

इति श्रीमच्छङ्कराचार्यविरचितं श्रीकालिकाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

Thus ends the Kalika Ashtakam composed by Shri Shankaracharya.

The syllable people get wrong

In śmaśānālayā ('dwelling in the cremation ground', Dhyanam 1) the word for cremation ground is śmaśāna, with no vowel between ś and m: say 'shma-SHAA-naa-la-yaa', not the everyday Hindi 'shamshaan'.

When the Kali Ashtakam is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Kali Puja, on the new moon night of Diwali

Questions

The text is printed with a colophon stating that it was composed by Shankaracharya, and that is how it is usually introduced. It is also said to be found in the Kalirahasya, a Tantric work on Kali. The attribution is traditional rather than documented: no account of its composition survives, and Shankara's name is attached to a large body of devotional hymns. Its metre, bhujangaprayata, is the one used in the Subrahmanya Bhujangam, which tradition also credits to him.
An ashtakam is a hymn of eight stanzas, and the praise itself here is exactly eight. Before it stand three dhyana verses, meditation pictures of Kali's appearance, which the printed text heads separately. Some printings number all eleven continuously, which makes the hymn look longer than its name. The eighth stanza of praise doubles as the phala shruti, the verse stating what recitation is said to bring, yet it closes with the refrain shared by every stanza before it.
It means 'the gods do not know your true form'. Svarupam is one's own nature, tvadiyam is 'yours', na vindanti is 'they do not find or know', and devah is 'the gods'. The line closes all eight verses of praise. Each verse first names what Kali does or appears as, from the giver of heaven in verse 3 to the root of consciousness and bliss in verse 5, and the refrain then denies that any of these descriptions reaches what she is.
Both words come from the Tantric list of six acts. Stambhana means stopping or immobilising, so vacastambhaniyam names Kali as the one who silences speech. Uccatana means driving away or uprooting, and the verse names her as the one who drives adversaries off. The same verse calls her the enchantress of the world, the giver of eloquence and the nourisher of friends. The hymn presents these as her powers; it gives no procedure for any of them.
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