Saraswati Chalisa

जनक जननि पद कमल रज निज मस्तक पर धारि । बन्दौं मातु सरस्वती बुद्धि बल दे दातारि ॥

janaka janani pada kamala raja nija mastaka para dhāri | bandauṃ mātu sarasvatī buddhi bala de dātāri ||

Placing the dust of my parents' lotus feet upon my own head, I bow to Mother Saraswati, the Giver who grants intellect and strength.

पूर्ण जगत में व्याप्त तव महिमा अमित अनंतु । रामसागर के पाप को मातु तुही अब हन्तु ॥

pūrṇa jagata meṃ vyāpta tava mahimā amita anaṃtu | rāmasāgara ke pāpa ko mātu tuhī aba hantu ||

Your glory pervades the entire world, immeasurable and endless; Mother, only You can now destroy Ramsagar's sin.

जय श्रीसकल बुद्धि बलरासी । जय सर्वज्ञ अमर अविनासी ॥

jaya śrīsakala buddhi balarāsī | jaya sarvajña amara avināsī ||

Victory to You, the treasury of all wisdom and strength; victory to the all-knowing, immortal, imperishable One.

जय जय जय वीणाकर धारी । करती सदा सुहंस सवारी ॥

jaya jaya jaya vīṇākara dhārī | karatī sadā suhaṃsa savārī ||

Victory, victory, victory to You who hold the veena in Your hand; You always ride upon the beautiful swan.

रूप चतुर्भुजधारी माता । सकल विश्व अन्दर विख्याता ॥

rūpa caturbhujadhārī mātā | sakala viśva andara vikhyātā ||

Mother, You bear a four-armed form, and are renowned throughout the whole world.

जग में पाप बुद्धि जब होती । जबहि धर्म की फीकी ज्योती ॥

jaga meṃ pāpa buddhi jaba hotī | jabahi dharma kī phīkī jyotī ||

Whenever sinful thinking arises in the world, whenever the light of dharma grows faint.

तबहि मातु ले निज अवतारा । पाप हीन करती महि तारा ॥

tabahi mātu le nija avatārā | pāpa hīna karatī mahi tārā ||

Then Mother takes Her own incarnation, freeing the earth of sin and delivering it.

बाल्मीकि जी थे हत्यारा । तव प्रसाद जानै संसारा ॥

bālmīki jī the hatyārā | tava prasāda jānai saṃsārā ||

Valmiki was once a bandit and killer; the world knows this was transformed by Your grace.

रामायण जो रचे बनाई । आदि कवी की पदवी पाई ॥

rāmāyaṇa jo race banāī | ādi kavī kī padavī pāī ||

He who composed the Ramayana attained the title of the first poet.

कालिदास जो भये विख्याता । तेरी कृपा दृष्टि से माता ॥

kālidāsa jo bhaye vikhyātā | terī kṛpā dṛṣṭi se mātā ||

Kalidas became renowned, Mother, through Your gracious glance.

तुलसी सूर आदि विद्धाना । भये और जो ज्ञानी नाना ॥

tulasī sūra ādi viddhānā | bhaye aura jo jñānī nānā ||

Tulsi, Sur, and other learned scholars, and many other wise men who came to be.

तिन्हहिं न और रहेउ अवलम्बा । केवल कृपा आपकी अम्बा ॥

tinhahiṃ na aura raheu avalambā | kevala kṛpā āpakī ambā ||

They had no other support; Mother, it was solely Your grace.

करहु कृपा सोइ मातु भवानी । दुखित दीन निज दासहि जानी ॥

karahu kṛpā soi mātu bhavānī | dukhita dīna nija dāsahi jānī ||

Show that same grace, Mother Bhavani, knowing this humble servant to be sorrowful and lowly.

पुत्र करै अपराध बहूता । तेहि न धरइ चित सुन्दर माता ॥

putra karai aparādha bahūtā | tehi na dharai cita sundara mātā ||

A child commits many faults, yet the gracious Mother does not hold them against him in Her heart.

राखु लाज जननी अब मेरी । विनय करूं बहु भाँति घनेरी ॥

rākhu lāja jananī aba merī | vinaya karūṃ bahu bhā~ti ghanerī ||

Preserve my honor now, Mother; I make many kinds of humble entreaty.

मैं अनाथ तेरी अवलंबा । कृपा करउ जय जय जगदंबा ॥

maiṃ anātha terī avalaṃbā | kṛpā karau jaya jaya jagadaṃbā ||

I am helpless, relying on You alone; show grace, victory to You, Mother of the world.

मधु कैटभ जो अति बलवाना । बाहुयुद्ध विष्णू ते ठाना ॥

madhu kaiṭabha jo ati balavānā | bāhuyuddha viṣṇū te ṭhānā ||

Madhu and Kaitabha, extremely powerful, took up hand-to-hand combat against Vishnu.

समर हजार पांच में घोरा । फिर भी मुख उनसे नहिं मोरा ॥

samara hajāra pāṃca meṃ ghorā | phira bhī mukha unase nahiṃ morā ||

In the terrible battle that raged five thousand years, still He did not turn His face from them.

मातु सहाय भई तेहि काला । बुद्धि विपरीत करी खलहाला ॥

mātu sahāya bhaī tehi kālā | buddhi viparīta karī khalahālā ||

At that time Mother came to their aid, turning the wicked ones' own intellect against them.

तेहि ते मृत्यु भई खल केरी । पुरवहु मातु मनोरथ मेरी ॥

tehi te mṛtyu bhaī khala kerī | puravahu mātu manoratha merī ||

Because of this, the wicked ones met their death; Mother, fulfil my heart's wish.

चंड मुण्ड जो थे विख्याता । छण महुं संहारेउ तेहि माता ॥

caṃḍa muṇḍa jo the vikhyātā | chaṇa mahuṃ saṃhāreu tehi mātā ||

Chanda and Munda, the well-known demons, Mother destroyed them in an instant.

रक्तबीज से समरथ पापी । सुर-मुनि हृदय धरा सब कांपी ॥

raktabīja se samaratha pāpī | sura-muni hṛdaya dharā saba kāṃpī ||

The powerful sinner Raktabija made the hearts of gods and sages, and the whole earth, tremble.

काटेउ सिर जिम कदली खम्बा । बार बार बिनवउं जगदंबा ॥

kāṭeu sira jima kadalī khambā | bāra bāra binavauṃ jagadaṃbā ||

She severed his heads as one cuts down a banana-tree trunk; again and again I entreat You, Mother of the world.

जग प्रसिद्ध जो शुंभ निशुंभा । छिन में बधे ताहि तू अम्बा ॥

jaga prasiddha jo śuṃbha niśuṃbhā | china meṃ badhe tāhi tū ambā ||

Shumbha and Nishumbha, famed throughout the world, You, Mother, slew them in a moment.

भरत-मातु बुधि फेरेउ जाई । रामचन्द्र बनवास कराई ॥

bharata-mātu budhi phereu jāī | rāmacandra banavāsa karāī ||

You went and turned Bharat's mother's mind, bringing about Ramchandra's exile to the forest.

एहि विधि रावन वध तुम कीन्हा । सुर नर मुनि सब कहुं सुख दीन्हा ॥

ehi vidhi rāvana vadha tuma kīnhā | sura nara muni saba kahuṃ sukha dīnhā ||

In this way You brought about Ravan's death, giving joy to gods, men and sages alike.

को समरथ तव यश गुन गाना । निगम अनादि अनंत बखाना ॥

ko samaratha tava yaśa guna gānā | nigama anādi anaṃta bakhānā ||

Who has the power to sing Your fame and virtue, which the beginningless, endless scriptures themselves describe?

विष्णु रूद्र अज सकहिं न मारी । जिनकी हो तुम रक्षाकारी ॥

viṣṇu rūdra aja sakahiṃ na mārī | jinakī ho tuma rakṣākārī ||

Not even Vishnu, Rudra, or Brahma the unborn can strike down those whom You protect.

रक्त दन्तिका और शताक्षी । नाम अपार है दानव भक्षी ॥

rakta dantikā aura śatākṣī | nāma apāra hai dānava bhakṣī ||

As Raktadantika and Shatakshi, Your names are boundless, devourer of demons.

दुर्गम काज धरा पर कीन्हा । दुर्गा नाम सकल जग लीन्हा ॥

durgama kāja dharā para kīnhā | durgā nāma sakala jaga līnhā ||

You accomplished the most difficult task on earth; the whole world took up the name Durga for You.

दुर्ग आदि हरनी तू माता । कृपा करहु जब जब सुखदाता ॥

durga ādi haranī tū mātā | kṛpā karahu jaba jaba sukhadātā ||

Mother, You remove hardship and every such trial; O giver of joy, show grace time and again.

नृप कोपित जो मारन चाहै । कानन में घेरे मृग नाहै ॥

nṛpa kopita jo mārana cāhai | kānana meṃ ghere mṛga nāhai ||

Whether an angry king wishes to kill, or one is surrounded by wild beasts in the forest.

सागर मध्य पोत के भंगे । अति तूफान नहिं कोऊ संगे ॥

sāgara madhya pota ke bhaṃge | ati tūphāna nahiṃ koū saṃge ||

Or one's ship is wrecked mid-ocean amid a fierce storm, with no one beside them.

भूत प्रेत बाधा या दुःख में । हो दरिद्र अथवा संकट में ॥

bhūta preta bādhā yā duḥkha meṃ | ho daridra athavā saṃkaṭa meṃ ||

In torment from ghosts and spirits, or in sorrow, poverty, or crisis.

नाम जपे मंगल सब होई । संशय इसमें करइ न कोई ॥

nāma jape maṃgala saba hoī | saṃśaya isameṃ karai na koī ||

By chanting Your name, all becomes auspicious; let none doubt this at all.

पुत्रहीन जो आतुर भाई । सबै छांड़ि पूजें एहि माई ॥

putrahīna jo ātura bhāī | sabai chāṃḍa़i pūjeṃ ehi māī ||

One who is childless and anxious should give up all else and worship this Mother alone.

करै पाठ नित यह चालीसा । होय पुत्र सुन्दर गुण ईसा ॥

karai pāṭha nita yaha cālīsā | hoya putra sundara guṇa īsā ||

One who recites this Chalisa daily shall be blessed with a virtuous, godly son.

धूपादिक नैवेद्य चढावै । संकट रहित अवश्य हो जावै ॥

dhūpādika naivedya caḍhāvai | saṃkaṭa rahita avaśya ho jāvai ||

One who offers incense and food offerings shall surely become free of troubles.

भक्ति मातु की करै हमेशा । निकट न आवै ताहि कलेशा ॥

bhakti mātu kī karai hameśā | nikaṭa na āvai tāhi kaleśā ||

One who always keeps devotion to the Mother, affliction never comes near them.

बंदी पाठ करें शत बारा । बंदी पाश दूर हो सारा ॥

baṃdī pāṭha kareṃ śata bārā | baṃdī pāśa dūra ho sārā ||

If a prisoner recites this a hundred times, every bond of captivity is removed.

करहु कृपा भवमुक्ति भवानी । मो कहं दास सदा निज जानी ॥

karahu kṛpā bhavamukti bhavānī | mo kahaṃ dāsa sadā nija jānī ||

Show grace, Bhavani, and grant liberation from worldly bondage; consider me always Your own servant.

माता सूरज कान्ति तव अंधकार मम रूप । डूबन ते रक्षा करहु परूं न मैं भव-कूप ॥

mātā sūraja kānti tava aṃdhakāra mama rūpa | ḍūbana te rakṣā karahu parūṃ na maiṃ bhava-kūpa ||

Mother, Your radiance is like the sun, while my nature is darkness; protect me from drowning, let me not fall into the well of worldly existence.

बल बुद्धि विद्या देहुं मोहि सुनहु सरस्वति मातु । अधम रामसागरहिं तुम आश्रय देउ पुनातु ॥

bala buddhi vidyā dehuṃ mohi sunahu sarasvati mātu | adhama rāmasāgarahiṃ tuma āśraya deu punātu ||

Grant me strength, intellect, and learning; hear me, Mother Saraswati — give shelter to this lowly Ramsagar and purify him.