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Mantra · Hindi forty to the lion-riding Goddess of the Vindhya hills

Vindhyavasini Chalisa

नमो नमो विन्ध्येश्वरी, नमो नमो जगदम्ब । सन्त जनों के काज को, करती नहीं विलम्ब ॥

Also known as Vindhyeshwari Chalisa

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 Vindhyavasini Chalisa is

The Vindhyavasini Chalisa, also printed as the Vindhyeshwari Chalisa, which names itself in its closing lines as the Shri Vindhyachal Chalisa, is a Hindi hymn to Vindhyavasini, the Goddess who lives on the Vindhya hills at Vindhyachal, beside the Ganga in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. It carries no poet's name and no date, and belongs to the anonymous chalisa tradition of north India. The printed form is one opening doha followed by thirty-eight chaupais; 'chalisa', a forty, is the name of the genre rather than an exact count here. Chaupais 1 to 7 hail her as the lion-riding queen of the Vindhyas, whose glory even the thousand-mouthed Shesha tires of telling. Chaupais 8 to 18 then gather a long run of names into her one person, from Vaishnavi, Sharada and Lakshmi to shrine goddesses such as Hinglaj, Mumba and Patan. Chaupai 19 admits her names have no end, Chaupais 20 to 37 state what the verse says follows from remembering her, and Chaupai 38 closes on a plea for grace.

The infant who escaped Kamsa to the Vindhyas

The chalisa tells no story of its own; it points to a place. Its lines call her Vindhyachal Rani and Vindhyavasini, and the shrine behind those names has a well-known origin. In the Devi Mahatmya (11.42) the Goddess foretells that she will be born of Yashoda in the cowherd Nanda's house and will live on the Vindhya mountain. The Vindhyachala Mahatmya, the sacred history of the shrine, fills in the account. Kamsa, warned that Devaki's eighth child would kill him, had imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva. At Vishnu's request Yogamaya was born as Yashoda's daughter, and Vasudeva carried the newborn Krishna away and brought the girl back in his place. When Kamsa tried to kill her she slipped free, told him that his slayer was already born, and went to the Vindhya range, where gods and sages worshipped her as Vindhyavasini. According to temple tradition she showed herself to Kamsa with eight arms, and so the 'Ashtabhuji' of Chaupai 14 has a shrine of its own, the Ashtabhuja temple on a hill near Vindhyachal. With the cave shrine of Kali Khoh and the main temple by the river, it forms the triangle that pilgrims walk as the Trikona circuit. Tradition reads the three as Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali, and the chalisa itself names Lakshmi, Sharada and Kali among her forms.

The mantra, in six scripts

DevanagariSanskrit & Hindiनमो नमो विन्ध्येश्वरी, नमो नमो जगदम्ब । सन्त जनों के काज को, करती नहीं विलम्ब ॥

Tamilநமோ நமோ விந்த்யேஶ்வரீ, நமோ நமோ ஜகதம்ப । ஸந்த ஜநோம் கே காஜ கோ, கரதீ நஹீம் விலம்ப ॥

Teluguనమో నమో విన్ధ్యేశ్వరీ, నమో నమో జగదమ్బ । సన్త జనోం కే కాజ కో, కరతీ నహీం విలమ్బ ॥

Kannadaನಮೋ ನಮೋ ವಿನ್ಧ್ಯೇಶ್ವರೀ, ನಮೋ ನಮೋ ಜಗದಮ್ಬ । ಸನ್ತ ಜನೋಂ ಕೇ ಕಾಜ ಕೋ, ಕರತೀ ನಹೀಂ ವಿಲಮ್ಬ ॥

Malayalamനമോ നമോ വിന്ധ്യേശ്വരീ, നമോ നമോ ജഗദമ്ബ । സന്ത ജനോം കേ കാജ കോ, കരതീ നഹീം വിലമ്ബ ॥

EnglishRoman transliterationnamo namo vindhyeśvarī, namo namo jagadamba | santa janoṃ ke kāja ko, karatī nahīṃ vilamba ||

“Salutations again and again to Vindhyeshwari, salutations again and again to the Mother of the world. In the work of the saintly she never delays.”

नमो: namo — salutations
नमो: namo — salutations
विन्ध्येश्वरी: vindhyeśvarī — Lady of the Vindhyas
नमो: namo — salutations
नमो: namo — salutations
जगदम्ब: jagadamba — Mother of the world
सन्त: santa — saintly
जनों: janoṃ — people
के: ke — of
काज: kāja — work, task
को: ko — for
करती: karatī — she does (makes)
नहीं: nahīṃ — no
विलम्ब: vilamba — delay

Vindhyavasini Chalisa lyrics in full

An opening doha and thirty-eight chaupais, as the hymn is usually printed.

All 39 verses, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, each with its meaning. Choose a script:

Download the Vindhyavasini Chalisa PDFAll 39 verses with their meanings, in Hindi. Free to print and keep.

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Doha 1

नमो नमो विन्ध्येश्वरी, नमो नमो जगदम्ब ।
सन्त जनों के काज को, करती नहीं विलम्ब ॥

Salutations again and again to Vindhyeshwari, salutations again and again to the Mother of the world. In the work of the saintly she never delays.

Chaupai 1

जय जय जय विन्ध्याचल रानी ।
आदि-शक्ति जग विदित भवानी ॥

Victory, victory, victory to the Queen of the Vindhya hills, Bhavani, the primal power known throughout the world.

Chaupai 2

सिंहवाहिनी जै जगमाता ।
जै जै जै त्रिभुवन सुखदाता ॥

Victory to the Mother of the world who rides the lion; victory, victory, victory to her who gives happiness to the three worlds.

Chaupai 3

कष्ट निवारिनि जै जगदेवी ।
जै जै सन्त असुर सुरसेवी ॥

Victory to the Goddess of the world who removes suffering; victory to her who is served by saints, demons and gods alike.

Chaupai 4

महिमा अमित अपार तुम्हारी ।
शेष सहस मुख वर्णत हारी ॥

Your glory is boundless and without end; even Shesha with his thousand mouths grows weary describing it.

Chaupai 5

दीनन को दुख हरत भवानी ।
नहिं देख्यो तुम सम कोइ दानी ॥

Bhavani, you take away the sorrows of the poor and helpless; no giver equal to you has ever been seen.

Chaupai 6

सब कर मनसा पुरवत माता ।
महिमा अमित भक्त विख्याता ॥

Mother, you fulfil the wishes of all; your boundless glory is known to your devotees.

Chaupai 7

जो नर ध्यान तुम्हारो लावै ।
सो तुरतहिं वाञ्छित फल पावै ॥

The verse says that whoever brings you into meditation at once receives the fruit he longs for.

Chaupai 8

तुही वैष्णवी तुही रुद्रानी ।
तुही शारदा अरु ब्रह्मानी ॥

You alone are Vaishnavi, you alone are Rudrani; you alone are Sharada and Brahmani.

Chaupai 9

रमा राधिका श्यामा काली ।
तुही मातु सन्तन प्रतिपाली ॥

Rama, Radhika, Shyama and Kali; you alone, Mother, protect the saintly.

Chaupai 10

उमा माधवी चण्डी ज्वाला ।
वेगि मोहिं पर होहु दयाला ॥

Uma, Madhavi, Chandi and Jvala, be quickly merciful to me.

Chaupai 11

तूही हिङ्गलाज महरानी ।
तुही शीतला अरु विद्यानी ॥

You alone are Hinglaj, the great queen; you alone are Shitala and the one of knowledge.

Chaupai 12

दुर्गा दुर्ग विनाशिनि माता ।
तुही लक्ष्मी जग सुखदाता ॥

Durga, the Mother who destroys the fortress of difficulty; you alone are Lakshmi, who gives happiness to the world.

Chaupai 13

तूही जाह्नवी अरु उत्रानी ।
हेमावती अम्ब निर्वानी ॥

You alone are Jahnavi (the Ganga) and Utrani; Hemavati, the Mother beyond all bonds.

Chaupai 14

अष्टभुजी बाराहिनि देवी ।
करत विष्णु शिव जाकर सेवी ॥

Goddess of eight arms, Varahi, whom Vishnu and Shiva serve.

Chaupai 15

चौसट्ठी देवी कल्यानी ।
मङ्गला गौरी सब गुणखानी ॥

The sixty-four goddesses, the auspicious one; Mangala and Gauri, mine of every virtue.

Chaupai 16

पाटन मुम्बा दन्तकुमारी ।
भद्रकालि सुनु विनय हमारी ॥

Patan, Mumba and Dantakumari, and Bhadrakali, hear my humble prayer.

Chaupai 17

वज्रधारिणी शोक-नाशिनी ।
आयुरक्षिणी विन्ध्यवासिनी ॥

Holder of the thunderbolt, destroyer of grief, protector of life, she who dwells in the Vindhyas.

Chaupai 18

जया और विजया बैताली ।
मातु सङ्कटा अरु विकराली ॥

Jaya and Vijaya, Baitali, Mother Sankata and the fearsome one.

Chaupai 19

नाम अनन्त तुम्हार भवानी ।
बरनै किमि मानुष अज्ञानी ॥

Bhavani, your names are endless; how could an ignorant human describe them?

Chaupai 20

जापर कृपा मातु तव होई ।
तो वह करै चहै मन सोई ॥

The verse says that the one on whom your grace falls, Mother, can do whatever his heart desires.

Chaupai 21

कृपा करहु मोपर महरानी ।
सिद्ध करिय अब यह मम बानी ॥

Great Queen, have mercy on me, and now make these words of mine fruitful.

Chaupai 22

जो नर धरै मातुकर ध्याना ।
ताकर सदा होय कल्याना ॥

The verse says that the person who holds the Mother in meditation always meets with well-being.

Chaupai 23

बिपति ताहि सपनेहुँ नहिं आवे ।
जो देवी कर जाप करावे ॥

The verse says that misfortune does not come to him even in dreams who has the japa of the Goddess performed.

Chaupai 24

जो नर कहँ ऋण होय अपारा ।
सो नर पाठ करे शतबारा ॥

The verse says that a person burdened with boundless debt should recite this a hundred times.

Chaupai 25

निश्चय ऋणमोचन होइ जाई ।
जो नर पाठ करे मन लाई ॥

The verse says that the debt is surely released for the one who recites it with a settled mind.

Chaupai 26

अस्तुति जो नर पढ़ए पढ़ावे ।
या जग में सो बहु सुख पावे ॥

The verse says that whoever reads this hymn of praise, or has it read, finds much happiness in this world.

Chaupai 27

जाको व्याधि सतावे भाई ।
जाप करत सब दूरि पराई ॥

Brother, the verse says that whatever illness troubles a person, by doing japa it all runs far away.

Chaupai 28

जो नर अति बन्दी महँ होई ।
बार हजार पाठ कर सोई ॥

The verse says that a person held in close confinement should recite it a thousand times.

Chaupai 29

निश्चय बन्दी से छुटि जाई ।
सत्य वचन मम मानहु भाई ॥

The verse says he is surely freed from confinement; brother, accept my words as true.

Chaupai 30

जापर जो कछु सङ्कट होई ।
निश्चय देविहिं सुमिरै सोई ॥

Whatever trouble befalls anyone, let him surely remember the Goddess.

Chaupai 31

जा कहँ पुत्र होय नहिं भाई ।
सो नर या विधि करै उपाई ॥

Brother, the one to whom no son is born should follow this method.

Chaupai 32

पाँच वर्ष सो पाठ करावै ।
नौरातर महँ विप्र जिमावै ॥

He should have the recitation done for five years and feed brahmins during the Navaratri.

Chaupai 33

निश्चय होय प्रसन्न भवानी ।
पुत्र देहि ताकहँ गुणखानी ॥

The verse says that Bhavani is surely pleased and gives him a son who is a mine of virtues.

Chaupai 34

ध्वजा नारियल आनि चढ़ावै ।
विधि समेत पूजन करवावै ॥

He should bring and offer a flag and a coconut, and have the worship done according to the rite.

Chaupai 35

नित प्रति पाठ करै मनलाई ।
प्रेम-सहित नहिं आन उपाई ॥

He should recite it daily with his mind fixed, with love, and seek no other means.

Chaupai 36

यह श्रीविन्ध्याचल चालीसा ।
रङ्क पढ़त होवै अवनीसा ॥

This is the Shri Vindhyachal Chalisa; the verse says that even a pauper who reads it becomes a lord of the earth.

Chaupai 37

यह जनि अचरज मानहु भाई ।
कृपा-दृष्टि जापर होइ जाई ॥

Brother, do not think it a wonder for the one on whom her gracious glance falls.

Chaupai 38

जै जै जै जग मातु भवानी ।
कृपा करहु मोहिं पर जन जानी ॥

Victory, victory, victory to Bhavani, Mother of the world; be gracious to me, knowing me as your devotee.

The syllable people get wrong

Vindhyeśvarī, the name in the first line of the opening doha, joins an aspirated dh directly to y: vin-DHYESH-va-ree, with a breath after the d and no vowel between dh and y. Saying 'Vindeshwari' drops both the aspiration and the y, and with them the link to Vindhya, the hills she is named for.

When the Vindhyavasini Chalisa is chanted

Weekday. Friday

Festival. Chaitra and Sharad Navaratri

Questions

The hymn is printed as one opening doha and thirty-eight chaupais, and no printing adds a closing doha or two further couplets. Here 'chalisa' names the form, a north Indian hymn of about forty lines, rather than an exact count. Printings that number the lines as though there were forty still stop at the same couplet, the plea 'jai jai jai jaga matu Bhavani'. Chaupai 36 gives the hymn's own title, Shri Vindhyachal Chalisa.

Vindhyeshwari means the Lady of the Vindhyas; she is the Goddess also called Vindhyavasini, the one who dwells in the Vindhyas, worshipped at Vindhyachal on the Ganga. The chalisa answers the question itself. Chaupai 12 calls her Durga, the Mother who destroys the fortress of difficulty, and the surrounding lines make her Uma, Chandi, Kali and Lakshmi as well. The temple at Vindhyachal treats her as a form of Durga and is counted by its devotees among the Shakti Peethas.

Several of its names are places. Chaupai 11 names Hinglaj, the far western Shakti Peetha in present-day Pakistan, and Shitala, the village goddess of north India. Chaupai 16 names Mumba, the patron goddess whose temple stands at Bhuleshwar in Mumbai, and Patan, widely read as Patan Devi of Patna, another Shakti Peetha. Chaupai 14's eight-armed Ashtabhuji matches the Ashtabhuja temple on the hill near Vindhyachal. The hymn's point is that every such goddess is the one Vindhyavasini.

From Chaupai 20 the hymn turns to its phala. The verse says the one who holds the Mother in meditation meets with well-being, that misfortune does not come near even in dreams, and that debt, illness and confinement are released. Chaupais 31 to 35 describe a vow for one who has no son, set within Navaratri with an offering of a flag and a coconut. Chaupai 36 says even a pauper who reads it becomes a lord of the earth. These are the hymn's own claims.

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Vindhyavasini Chalisa

What the Vindhyavasini Chalisa is

The infant who escaped Kamsa to the Vindhyas

The mantra, in six scripts

Vindhyavasini Chalisa lyrics in full

The syllable people get wrong

When the Vindhyavasini Chalisa is chanted

Questions

Have your chart read before you decide

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