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Tripura Sundari Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam: Goddess Rajarajeshwari enthroned on Manidvipa with sugarcane bow as Shankara kneels in praise
Rajarajeshwari enthroned on the jewelled island as Lakshmi and Saraswati fan her and Shankara kneels in praise
Mantra · Eight verses that gather Parvati, Kali and Varahi into one queen

Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam

अम्बा शाम्भवि चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा उमा पार्वती काली हैमवती शिवा त्रिनयनी कात्यायनी भैरवी । सावित्री नवयौवना शुभकरी साम्राज्यलक्ष्मीप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Also known as Ambashtakam

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 Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam is

The Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam, also called the Ambashtakam because every verse opens on the word amba, 'Mother', is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn to Sri Rajarajeshwari, the 'sovereign of the king of kings', the name under which Sri Vidya worships Lalita Tripurasundari. Each verse is a long Shardulavikridita line packed with names, and each closes on the same refrain naming her pure consciousness and the supreme deity. The order is deliberate. Verse 1 calls her by the familiar names of Parvati, from Aparna and Uma to Katyayani. Verse 2 makes her an enchantress who loves the flute, and verse 3 dresses her in anklets, armlets and garlands, seated in the hero's posture. Verses 4 and 5 turn fierce: Bhadrakali, Bagala, Jvalamukhi, Chamunda, Varahi, holder of trident, bow, noose and goad. Verses 6 and 7 lift her to Gayatri, the syllable Om and the mother of all beings. Verse 8 is the phala shruti.

A queen's hymn with two claimed authors

No account survives of when or why the Ambashtakam was composed. Popular devotion credits it to Adi Shankaracharya, and many recordings and prayer books carry his name, yet most printed editions of the Sanskrit name no author at all. One recension, which adds four further verses that circulate in varying order, closes with a colophon calling the work the composition of Bhaktaraja. That name is worth noticing, because the word bhaktaraja, 'king among devotees', stands inside verse 8 itself, in the line about the devotee whom the Mother protects. Whether it began as a poet's signature or was later read as one cannot now be settled, so the hymn is best described as traditional, with the Shankara attribution held by custom. The goddess it addresses is older than the hymn. Rajarajeshwari opens verse 134 of the Lalitha Sahasranamam, where she is queen of the king of kings and giver of kingdoms. In South India the name belongs above all to the last day of the autumn Navaratri. On Vijayadashami the Kanaka Durga temple at Vijayawada dresses the goddess as Sri Rajarajeshwari, in a green sari, and the Ashtakam is widely sung in homes and temples through those days.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiअम्बा शाम्भवि चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा उमा पार्वती काली हैमवती शिवा त्रिनयनी कात्यायनी भैरवी । सावित्री नवयौवना शुभकरी साम्राज्यलक्ष्मीप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥
Tamilஅம்பா ஶாம்பவி சந்த்ரமௌலிரபலாபர்ணா உமா பார்வதீ காலீ ஹைமவதீ ஶிவா த்ரிநயநீ காத்யாயநீ பைரவீ । ஸாவித்ரீ நவயௌவநா ஶுபகரீ ஸாம்ராஜ்யலக்ஷ்மீப்ரதா சித்ரூபீ பரதேவதா பகவதீ ஶ்ரீராஜராஜேஶ்வரீ ॥
Teluguఅమ్బా శామ్భవి చన్ద్రమౌలిరబలాఽపర్ణా ఉమా పార్వతీ కాలీ హైమవతీ శివా త్రినయనీ కాత్యాయనీ భైరవీ । సావిత్రీ నవయౌవనా శుభకరీ సామ్రాజ్యలక్ష్మీప్రదా చిద్రూపీ పరదేవతా భగవతీ శ్రీరాజరాజేశ్వరీ ॥
Kannadaಅಮ್ಬಾ ಶಾಮ್ಭವಿ ಚನ್ದ್ರಮೌಲಿರಬಲಾಽಪರ್ಣಾ ಉಮಾ ಪಾರ್ವತೀ ಕಾಲೀ ಹೈಮವತೀ ಶಿವಾ ತ್ರಿನಯನೀ ಕಾತ್ಯಾಯನೀ ಭೈರವೀ । ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ ನವಯೌವನಾ ಶುಭಕರೀ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀಪ್ರದಾ ಚಿದ್ರೂಪೀ ಪರದೇವತಾ ಭಗವತೀ ಶ್ರೀರಾಜರಾಜೇಶ್ವರೀ ॥
Malayalamഅമ്ബാ ശാമ്ഭവി ചന്ദ്രമൌലിരബലാഽപര്ണാ ഉമാ പാര്വതീ കാലീ ഹൈമവതീ ശിവാ ത്രിനയനീ കാത്യായനീ ഭൈരവീ । സാവിത്രീ നവയൌവനാ ശുഭകരീ സാമ്രാജ്യലക്ഷ്മീപ്രദാ ചിദ്രൂപീ പരദേവതാ ഭഗവതീ ശ്രീരാജരാജേശ്വരീ ॥
EnglishRoman transliterationambā śāmbhavi candramaulirabalā'parṇā umā pārvatī kālī haimavatī śivā trinayanī kātyāyanī bhairavī | sāvitrī navayauvanā śubhakarī sāmrājyalakṣmīpradā cidrūpī paradevatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājeśvarī ||
“Mother, consort of Shambhu, she whose crest bears the moon, the young one, Aparna, Uma, Parvati, Kali, daughter of Himavan, Shiva, the three-eyed one, Katyayani, Bhairavi. Savitri, ever young, the giver of good, bestower of sovereign prosperity: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.”
अम्बा
ambā — Mother
शाम्भवि
śāmbhavi — consort of Shambhu
चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा
candramaulirabalā'parṇā — moon-crested, young, Aparna
उमा
umā — Uma
पार्वती
pārvatī — daughter of the mountain
काली
kālī — Kali
हैमवती
haimavatī — daughter of Himavan
शिवा
śivā — the auspicious one
त्रिनयनी
trinayanī — three-eyed
कात्यायनी
kātyāyanī — Katyayani
भैरवी
bhairavī — the awesome one

Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam lyrics in full

The eight verses as commonly sung, the last of them carrying the phala shruti.

All 8 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam PDFAll 8 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

Verse 1

अम्बा शाम्भवि चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा उमा पार्वती काली हैमवती शिवा त्रिनयनी कात्यायनी भैरवी ।
सावित्री नवयौवना शुभकरी साम्राज्यलक्ष्मीप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, consort of Shambhu, she whose crest bears the moon, the young one, Aparna, Uma, Parvati, Kali, daughter of Himavan, Shiva, the three-eyed one, Katyayani, Bhairavi. Savitri, ever young, the giver of good, bestower of sovereign prosperity: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 2

अम्बा मोहिनि देवता त्रिभुवनी आनन्दसन्दायिनी वाणी पल्लवपाणि वेणुमुरलीगानप्रिया लोलिनी ।
कल्याणी उडुराजबिम्बवदना धूम्राक्षसंहारिणी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, the enchanting goddess of the three worlds who grants bliss; she is speech itself, with hands soft as tender leaves, delighting in the music of flute and pipe, playful. Auspicious, her face like the disc of the moon, slayer of the demon Dhumraksha: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 3

अम्बा नूपुररत्नकङ्कणधरी केयूरहारावली जातीचम्पकवैजयन्तिलहरी ग्रैवेयकैराजिता ।
वीणावेणुविनोदमण्डितकरा वीरासने संस्थिता चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, wearing anklets and jewelled bracelets, armlets and strings of necklaces, with waves of jasmine, champaka and vaijayanti garlands, shining with ornaments at the neck. Her hands are adorned with the veena and flute she plays for delight, and she is seated in the hero's posture: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 4

अम्बा रौद्रिणि भद्रकालि बगला ज्वालामुखी वैष्णवी ब्रह्माणी त्रिपुरान्तकी सुरनुता देदीप्यमानोज्ज्वला ।
चामुण्डा श्रितरक्षपोषजननी दाक्षायणी वल्लवी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, the fierce one, Bhadrakali, Bagala, Jvalamukhi, Vaishnavi, Brahmani, destroyer of the three cities, praised by the gods, blazing with radiance. Chamunda, the mother who protects and nourishes those who take refuge in her, Dakshayani, the cowherd maiden: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 5

अम्बा शूल धनुः कुशाङ्कुशधरी अर्धेन्दुबिम्बाधरी वाराही मधुकैटभप्रशमनी वाणीरमासेविता ।
मल्लद्यासुरमूकदैत्यमथनी माहेश्वरी अम्बिका चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, holding the trident, the bow, the noose and the goad, bearing the half-moon disc; Varahi, who subdued Madhu and Kaitabha, served by Sarasvati and Lakshmi. Destroyer of demons such as Malla and Muka, Maheshvari, Ambika: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 6

अम्बा सृष्टिविनाशपालनकरी आर्या विसंशोभिता गायत्री प्रणवाक्षरामृतरसः पूर्णानुसन्धीकृता ।
ओङ्कारी विनुतासुतार्चितपदा उद्दण्डदैत्यापहा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, who creates, preserves and dissolves, the noble one, shining in splendour; Gayatri, the nectar-essence of the syllable Om, realised in complete contemplation. She is the form of Om, her feet praised and worshipped, remover of arrogant demons: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 7

अम्बा शाश्वत आगमादिविनुता आर्या महादेवता या ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्तजननी या वै जगन्मोहिनी ।
या पञ्चप्रणवादिरेफजननी या चित्कलामालिनी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

Mother, eternally praised by the scriptures, the noble one, the great goddess; she who gives birth to all, from Brahma down to the ant, she who enchants the world. She who is the source of the five pranavas and the sacred syllables, she who wears a garland of rays of consciousness: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

Verse 8

अम्बापालितभक्तराजदनिशं अम्बाष्टकं यः पठेत् अम्बालोककटाक्षवीक्ष ललितं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् ।
अम्बा पावनमन्त्रराजपठनादन्ते च मोक्षप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी ॥

The verse says that the devotee protected by the Mother who recites this Ambashtakam every day receives her gracious glance and unbroken prosperity. Through reciting this purifying king of mantras, the Mother grants liberation at the end: she is pure consciousness, the supreme deity, the blessed Sri Rajarajeshwari.

The syllable people get wrong

The refrain's last word, śrīrājarājeśvarī, is often said 'Rajarajeswari' with a hissing s, as the common English spelling suggests. The ś is a soft 'sh' and both ā vowels are long: 'shree-raa-ja-raa-jaysh-va-ree', with the v said lightly, close to a w.

When the Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Vijayadashami, the Rajarajeshwari day of Navaratri

Questions

Tradition attributes it to Adi Shankaracharya, and it is usually sung under his name. Most printed editions of the Sanskrit, however, give no author. One recension ends with a colophon naming Bhaktaraja as its composer, and the word bhaktaraja does occur in verse 8. Since no early source fixes the authorship, the hymn is best treated as a traditional stotra whose Shankara attribution rests on custom rather than record.
It is the refrain that closes all eight verses. Chidrupi means 'she whose form is consciousness', paradevata 'the supreme deity', bhagavati 'the blessed one', and Sri Rajarajeshwari 'the sovereign of the king of kings'. Whatever the verse has just called her, gentle Uma, fierce Chamunda or the syllable Om, the refrain returns every name to one goddess who is at bottom pure awareness.
Verse 8 is both the last verse of praise and the statement of fruit, so there is no separate ninth verse in the eight-verse form. The verse says that the devotee protected by the Mother who reads this Ambashtakam daily receives her gracious glance and unbroken prosperity, and that through reciting this purifying 'king of mantras' she grants liberation at the end. It still closes on the same refrain as the other seven.
The Ashtakam treats Rajarajeshwari as the sovereign who contains every form of the goddess, so it gathers them under her. Verse 4 lists fierce forms such as Bhadrakali, Bagala, Jvalamukhi and Chamunda alongside Vaishnavi and Brahmani, and verse 5 names Varahi and Maheshvari and credits her with subduing Madhu and Kaitabha. Gentle and terrible names sit side by side, each verse ending with the same refrain, which makes the hymn's point that they are one Mother.
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