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Mantra · Ten verses to the Penugonda maiden who chose the fire over a king

Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram

कैलासाचलसन्निभे गिरिपुरे सौवर्णशृङ्गे महस्तंभोद्यन्मणिमण्डपे सुरुतरुप्रान्ते च सिंहासने । आसीनां सकलामरार्चितपदां भक्तार्तिविध्वंसिनीं वन्दे वासविकन्यकां स्मितमुखीं सर्वार्थदामम्बिकाम् ॥

Also known as Sri Vasavi Stotram

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 Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram is

The Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram (also spelt Parameshwari) is the short Sanskrit hymn the Arya Vysya (Komati) community recites to Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari, the maiden of Penugonda whom they honour as their kuladevata, or clan goddess. No author is named in any printing; it has come down as an anonymous prayer of the community. Its first verse, in the long shardulavikridita metre, is a dhyana: it seats the Goddess on a throne in a jewelled pavilion on the golden peak of a hill-city likened to Mount Kailasa, beside the wish-granting tree of the gods. Verses 2 to 9 change to the short anushtup metre and repeat "namaste" through a chain of titles: purifier of the world, the maiden bound by a vow, the merchant maiden (vani-kanye), Shankari and Sharvani. Verse 10 states the reward of the prayer, and a single closing line salutes her as Shrimata Kanyaka Parameshwari.

The maiden who refused a king's hand

According to tradition, Vasavi was born at Penugonda, a town on the Godavari in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, to Kusuma Shreshti, leader of the town's Vaishya merchants, and his wife Kusumamba, after the couple had long prayed for children; she had a brother, Virupaksha. The story is usually set in the eleventh century under a ruler named Vishnuvardhana, remembered as a Chalukya king of the Vengi country. Having seen Vasavi, the king demanded her in marriage. She wished to remain unmarried and give her life to devotion, and her family could not turn him aside. Tradition holds that the community's elders divided over the demand and that the leaders of 102 gotras stood with her refusal. Rather than answer force with force, Vasavi entered the fire on the day fixed for the wedding, and the families of those 102 gotras followed her; tellings speak of 103 fire pits in all. After this she was revered at Penugonda as the Goddess herself. Versions differ: the legend survives in Telugu Vasavi Puranas of the eighteenth century and in oral tellings that disagree on names and numbers. Shaiva Komatis see her as Parvati, Vaishnava groups as Lakshmi, and Jain Komatis as a teacher of non-violence.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiकैलासाचलसन्निभे गिरिपुरे सौवर्णशृङ्गे महस्तंभोद्यन्मणिमण्डपे सुरुतरुप्रान्ते च सिंहासने । आसीनां सकलामरार्चितपदां भक्तार्तिविध्वंसिनीं वन्दे वासविकन्यकां स्मितमुखीं सर्वार्थदामम्बिकाम् ॥

Tamilகைலாஸாசலஸந்நிபே கிரிபுரே ஸௌவர்ணஶ்ருங்கே மஹஸ்தம்போத்யந்மணிமண்டபே ஸுருதருப்ராந்தே ச ஸிம்ஹாஸநே । ஆஸீநாம் ஸகலாமரார்சிதபதாம் பக்தார்திவித்வம்ஸிநீம் வந்தே வாஸவிகந்யகாம் ஸ்மிதமுகீம் ஸர்வார்ததாமம்பிகாம் ॥

Teluguకైలాసాచలసన్నిభే గిరిపురే సౌవర్ణశృఙ్గే మహస్తంభోద్యన్మణిమణ్డపే సురుతరుప్రాన్తే చ సింహాసనే । ఆసీనాం సకలామరార్చితపదాం భక్తార్తివిధ్వంసినీం వన్దే వాసవికన్యకాం స్మితముఖీం సర్వార్థదామమ్బికామ్ ॥

Kannadaಕೈಲಾಸಾಚಲಸನ್ನಿಭೇ ಗಿರಿಪುರೇ ಸೌವರ್ಣಶೃಙ್ಗೇ ಮಹಸ್ತಂಭೋದ್ಯನ್ಮಣಿಮಣ್ಡಪೇ ಸುರುತರುಪ್ರಾನ್ತೇ ಚ ಸಿಂಹಾಸನೇ । ಆಸೀನಾಂ ಸಕಲಾಮರಾರ್ಚಿತಪದಾಂ ಭಕ್ತಾರ್ತಿವಿಧ್ವಂಸಿನೀಂ ವನ್ದೇ ವಾಸವಿಕನ್ಯಕಾಂ ಸ್ಮಿತಮುಖೀಂ ಸರ್ವಾರ್ಥದಾಮಮ್ಬಿಕಾಮ್ ॥

Malayalamകൈലാസാചലസന്നിഭേ ഗിരിപുരേ സൌവര്ണശൃങ്ഗേ മഹസ്തംഭോദ്യന്മണിമണ്ഡപേ സുരുതരുപ്രാന്തേ ച സിംഹാസനേ । ആസീനാം സകലാമരാര്ചിതപദാം ഭക്താര്തിവിധ്വംസിനീം വന്ദേ വാസവികന്യകാം സ്മിതമുഖീം സര്വാര്ഥദാമമ്ബികാമ് ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationkailāsācalasannibhe giripure sauvarṇaśṛṅge mahastaṃbhodyanmaṇimaṇḍape surutaruprānte ca siṃhāsane | āsīnāṃ sakalāmarārcitapadāṃ bhaktārtividhvaṃsinīṃ vande vāsavikanyakāṃ smitamukhīṃ sarvārthadāmambikām ||

“On the golden peak of the hill-city that is like Mount Kailasa, in a jewelled pavilion rising on great pillars, she sits on a throne beside the heavenly tree. I bow to the maiden Vasavi, whose feet all the gods worship, who destroys the distress of her devotees, the smiling Mother who grants every aim.”

कैलासाचलसन्निभे: kailāsācalasannibhe — like Mount Kailasa
गिरिपुरे: giripure — in the hill-city
सौवर्णशृङ्गे: sauvarṇaśṛṅge — on the golden peak
महस्तंभोद्यन्मणिमण्डपे: mahastaṃbhodyanmaṇimaṇḍape — in a jewelled pavilion rising on great pillars
सुरुतरुप्रान्ते: surutaruprānte — beside the tree of the gods
च: ca — and
सिंहासने: siṃhāsane — on a throne
आसीनां: āsīnāṃ — seated
सकलामरार्चितपदां: sakalāmarārcitapadāṃ — whose feet all the gods worship
भक्तार्तिविध्वंसिनीं: bhaktārtividhvaṃsinīṃ — destroyer of devotees' distress
वन्दे: vande — I bow to
वासविकन्यकां: vāsavikanyakāṃ — the maiden Vasavi
स्मितमुखीं: smitamukhīṃ — smiling-faced
सर्वार्थदामम्बिकाम्: sarvārthadāmambikām — the Mother who grants every aim

Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram lyrics in full

A dhyana verse picturing the Goddess enthroned, eight verses of salutation and a closing verse of benefit, followed by the customary salutation to Kanyaka Parameshwari.

All 11 verses, in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram PDFAll 11 verses with their meanings, in Sanskrit. Free to print and keep.

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Verse 1

कैलासाचलसन्निभे गिरिपुरे सौवर्णशृङ्गे महस्तंभोद्यन्मणिमण्डपे सुरुतरुप्रान्ते च सिंहासने ।
आसीनां सकलामरार्चितपदां भक्तार्तिविध्वंसिनीं वन्दे वासविकन्यकां स्मितमुखीं सर्वार्थदामम्बिकाम् ॥

On the golden peak of the hill-city that is like Mount Kailasa, in a jewelled pavilion rising on great pillars, she sits on a throne beside the heavenly tree. I bow to the maiden Vasavi, whose feet all the gods worship, who destroys the distress of her devotees, the smiling Mother who grants every aim.

Verse 2

नमस्ते वासवीदेवि नमस्ते विश्वपावनि ।
व्रतसम्बद्धकौमारि भक्तत्रात्रे नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you, Goddess Vasavi; salutations to you who purify the whole world. O maiden bound by a sacred vow, protector of devotees, salutations again and again.

Verse 3

नमस्ते भयसंहारि नमस्ते भवनाशिनि ।
भाग्यदे सुखदे देवि वासवी ते नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you who destroy fear; salutations to you who end the round of worldly birth. O Goddess who gives good fortune and happiness, O Vasavi, salutations to you again and again.

Verse 4

नमस्तेऽद्भुतसन्धाने नमस्ते भद्ररूपिणि ।
नमस्ते पद्मपत्राक्षि सुन्दराङ्गि नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you of wondrous resolve; salutations to you whose form is auspicious. Salutations to you with eyes like lotus petals; O lovely-limbed one, salutations again and again.

Verse 5

नमस्ते विबुधानन्दे नमस्ते भक्तरञ्जनि ।
नमस्ते योगसंयुक्ते वाणिकन्ये नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you, the joy of the gods; salutations to you who delight your devotees. Salutations to you who are joined in yoga; O maiden of the merchant community, salutations again and again.

Verse 6

नमस्ते बुधसंसेव्ये नमस्ते मङ्गलप्रदे ।
नमस्ते शीतलापाङ्गि शङ्करि ते नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you who are served by the wise; salutations to you who bestow what is auspicious. Salutations to you of the cool, gentle glance; O Shankari, giver of welfare, salutations to you again and again.

Verse 7

नमस्ते च जगन्मातः नमस्ते कामदायिनि ।
नमस्ते भक्तनिलये वरदे ते नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you, Mother of the world; salutations to you who grant what is desired. Salutations to you who dwell among your devotees; O giver of boons, salutations to you again and again.

Verse 8

नमस्ते सिद्धसंसेव्ये नमस्ते चारुहासिनि ।
नमस्तेऽद्भुतकल्याणि शर्वाणि ते नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you who are served by the perfected ones; salutations to you of the charming smile. Salutations to you of wondrous auspiciousness; O Sharvani, consort of Shiva, salutations to you again and again.

Verse 9

नमस्ते भक्तसंरक्षादीक्षासम्बद्धकङ्कणे ।
नमस्ते सर्वकाम्यार्थवरदे ते नमो नमः ॥

Salutations to you who wear the sacred wrist-thread of a vow to protect your devotees. Salutations to you who grant every wished-for aim as a boon; salutations to you again and again.

Verse 10

देवीं प्रणम्य सद्भक्त्या सर्वकाम्यार्थसम्पदान् ।
लभते नात्र सन्देहो देहान्ते मुक्तिमान् भवेत् ॥

The verse says that one who bows to the Goddess with true devotion obtains the riches of every wished-for aim, without doubt, and at the end of the body's life attains liberation.

Closing

श्रीमाता कन्यकापरमेश्वरी देव्यै नमः ॥

Salutations to the Goddess, the sacred Mother, Kanyaka Parameshwari.

The syllable people get wrong

Vāsavī is said VAA-sa-vee, with a long first a and a long final i, not a flat VA-sa-vi. In verse 1 the metre needs the shortened compound vāsavikanyakāṃ, so the final i is short there, while verses 2 and 3 keep the long vāsavī.

When the Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Stotram is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Vasavi Jayanti, the tenth day of the lunar month Vaishakha

Questions

No printing names an author or a parent scripture. The hymn circulates as an anonymous prayer of the Arya Vysya community, recited in the worship of their clan goddess. Its Sanskrit is simple, the eight namaste verses follow a familiar pattern of devotional salutation, and the printed texts differ in small readings, which is typical of a prayer handed on by use rather than fixed by a known poet.

Verse 2 calls her vratasambaddha-kaumari, the maiden bound by a vow, and verse 9 salutes her as wearing a kankana, the sacred thread tied on the wrist when a vow is taken, here a vow to protect her devotees. Read beside her legend, the two images meet: the maiden who kept her vow of maidenhood against a royal marriage is pictured as having taken a second vow, to guard those who turn to her.

Communities differ. Shaiva Komatis regard Kanyaka Parameshwari as an incarnation of Parvati, linked with Shiva worshipped as Nagareshwara; groups whose family deity is Venkateshvara regard her as Lakshmi; Jain Komatis honour her as Shanti Matha Vasavi Devi. This stotram leans to the first view: verse 6 calls her Shankari, verse 8 Sharvani, consort of Shiva, and verse 1 seats her on a peak likened to Kailasa and names her Ambika.

Verse 10, where the hymn turns from addressing the Goddess to describing the devotee. The verse says that one who bows to the Devi with true devotion obtains the wealth of every wished-for aim, adding natra sandehah, there is no doubt here, and that at the end of the body's life such a person attains liberation. The one-line salutation Shrimata Kanyaka Parameshwari devyai namah then closes the recitation.

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