Sheetla Chalisa

जय जय माता शीतला तुमही धरे जो ध्यान । होय बिमल शीतल हृदय विकसे बुद्धी बल ज्ञान ॥

jaya jaya mātā śītalā tumahī dhare jo dhyāna | hoya bimala śītala hṛdaya vikase buddhī bala jñāna ||

Hail, hail, Mother Sheetla; whoever holds You in meditation, their heart grows pure and cool, and wisdom, strength and knowledge blossom.

घट घट वासी शीतला शीतल प्रभा तुम्हार । शीतल छैंय्या शीतल मैंय्या पल ना दार ॥

ghaṭa ghaṭa vāsī śītalā śītala prabhā tumhāra | śītala chaiṃyyā śītala maiṃyyā pala nā dāra ||

You dwell in every home, Sheetla; Your radiance is cooling; Your shade is cool, Mother, cooling in every moment.

जय जय श्री शीतला भवानी । जय जग जननि सकल गुणधानी ॥

jaya jaya śrī śītalā bhavānī | jaya jaga janani sakala guṇadhānī ||

Hail, hail, Shri Sheetla Bhavani; hail, Mother of the world, treasure of every virtue.

गृह गृह शक्ति तुम्हारी राजती । पूरन शरन चंद्रसा साजती ॥

gṛha gṛha śakti tumhārī rājatī | pūrana śarana caṃdrasā sājatī ||

In every home Your power shines; You come adorned like the full moon.

विस्फोटक सी जलत शरीरा । शीतल करत हरत सब पीड़ा ॥

visphoṭaka sī jalata śarīrā | śītala karata harata saba pīr̤ā ||

The body burning like an eruption of pox; You cool it, taking away all its pain.

मात शीतला तव शुभनामा । सबके काहे आवही कामा ॥

māta śītalā tava śubhanāmā | sabake kāhe āvahī kāmā ||

Mother Sheetla, Your holy name; it comes to the aid of all.

शोक हरी शंकरी भवानी । बाल प्राण रक्षी सुखदानी ॥

śoka harī śaṃkarī bhavānī | bāla prāṇa rakṣī sukhadānī ||

Remover of grief, Shankari, Bhavani; protector of children's lives, giver of joy.

सूचि बार्जनी कलश कर राजै । मस्तक तेज सूर्य सम साजै ॥

sūci bārjanī kalaśa kara rājai | mastaka teja sūrya sama sājai ||

A cleansing broom and a pitcher shine in Your hand; Your brow blazes bright as the sun.

चौसट योगिन संग दे दावै । पीड़ा ताल मृदंग बजावै ॥

causaṭa yogina saṃga de dāvai | pīr̤ā tāla mṛdaṃga bajāvai ||

With sixty-four yoginis accompanying You, drums and cymbals sound the rhythm of Your affliction upon the demon.

नंदिनाथ भय रो चिकरावै । सहस शेष शिर पार ना पावै ॥

naṃdinātha bhaya ro cikarāvai | sahasa śeṣa śira pāra nā pāvai ||

Nandinath roars in fear; even thousand-hooded Shesha cannot find Your limit.

धन्य धन्य भात्री महारानी । सुर नर मुनी सब सुयश बधानी ॥

dhanya dhanya bhātrī mahārānī | sura nara munī saba suyaśa badhānī ||

Blessed, blessed, Great Queen who dispels affliction; gods, humans and sages all speak Your good fame.

ज्वाला रूप महाबल कारी । दैत्य एक विश्फोटक भारी ॥

jvālā rūpa mahābala kārī | daitya eka viśphoṭaka bhārī ||

In a form of blazing fire, mighty and great; a fearsome eruption-demon of pox.

हर हर प्रविशत कोई दान क्षत । रोग रूप धरी बालक भक्षक ॥

hara hara praviśata ko_ī dāna kṣata | roga rūpa dharī bālaka bhakṣaka ||

It entered here and there, harming many; taking the form of disease, devouring children. (This line's original wording is unclear; rendered from the surrounding sense, not word for word.)

हाहाकार मचो जग भारी । सत्यो ना जब कोई संकट कारी ॥

hāhākāra maco jaga bhārī | satyo nā jaba ko_ī saṃkaṭa kārī ||

A great cry of alarm rose in the world; no one had known such affliction before.

तब मैंय्या धरि अद्भुत रूपा । कर गई रिपुसही आंधीनी सूपा ॥

taba maiṃyyā dhari adbhuta rūpā | kara ga_ī ripusahī āṃdhīnī sūpā ||

Then Mother assumed a wondrous form; and, winnowing like a storm, She overpowered the foe.

विस्फोटक हि पकड़ी करी लीन्हो । मुसल प्रमाण बहु बिधि कीन्हो ॥

visphoṭaka hi pakar̤ī karī līnho | musala pramāṇa bahu bidhi kīnho ||

She seized the eruption-demon and held him fast, dealing him blows heavy as a pestle, in many ways.

बहु प्रकार बल बीनती कीन्हा । मैय्या नहीं फल कछु मैं कीन्हा ॥

bahu prakāra bala bīnatī kīnhā | maiyyā nahīṃ phala kachu maiṃ kīnhā ||

In many ways he pleaded with great force; Mother, none of this is my doing, he said.

अब नही मातु काहू गृह जै हो । जह अपवित्र वही घर रहि हो ॥

aba nahī mātu kāhū gṛha jai ho | jaha apavitra vahī ghara rahi ho ||

Now, Mother, I shall enter no home; wherever there is impurity, that home alone I shall dwell in.

पूजन पाठ मातु जब करी है । भय आनंद सकल दुःख हरी है ॥

pūjana pāṭha mātu jaba karī hai | bhaya ānaṃda sakala duḥkha harī hai ||

When Mother performed the worship and its rites, fear turned to joy and every sorrow was taken away.

अब भगतन शीतल भय जै हे । विस्फोटक भय घोर न सै हे ॥

aba bhagatana śītala bhaya jai he | visphoṭaka bhaya ghora na sai he ||

Now, devotees, be cool through Sheetla's grace; the terror of the eruption-demon will trouble you no more.

श्री शीतल ही बचे कल्याना । बचन सत्य भाषे भगवाना ॥

śrī śītala hī bace kalyānā | bacana satya bhāṣe bhagavānā ||

Shri Sheetla alone brings blessing; the divine one speaks the true word.

कलश शीतलाका करवावै । वृजसे विधीवत पाठ करावै ॥

kalaśa śītalākā karavāvai | vṛjase vidhīvata pāṭha karāvai ||

Whoever has Sheetla's pitcher-worship performed, or has the recitation done properly from the start,

विस्फोटक भय गृह गृह भाई । भजे तेरी सह यही उपाई ॥

visphoṭaka bhaya gṛha gṛha bhā_ī | bhaje terī saha yahī upā_ī ||

the fear of the eruption in every home, O brother, is dispelled by this one remedy: worship of You alone.

तुमही शीतला जगकी माता । तुमही पिता जग के सुखदाता ॥

tumahī śītalā jagakī mātā | tumahī pitā jaga ke sukhadātā ||

You alone, Sheetla, are the mother of the world; You alone are the father, giver of joy to the world.

तुमही जगका अतिसुख सेवी । नमो नमामी शीतले देवी ॥

tumahī jagakā atisukha sevī | namo namāmī śītale devī ||

You alone are the world's supreme joy; salutations, salutations to You, Goddess Sheetla.

नमो सूर्य करवी दुख हरणी । नमो नमो जग तारिणी धरणी ॥

namo sūrya karavī dukha haraṇī | namo namo jaga tāriṇī dharaṇī ||

Salutations to the one bright as the sun, remover of sorrow; salutations, salutations, Mother, deliverer of the world, ground of all.

नमो नमो ग्रहोंके बंदिनी । दुख दारिद्रा निस निखंदिनी ॥

namo namo grahoṃke baṃdinī | dukha dāridrā nisa nikhaṃdinī ||

Salutations, salutations, prisoner of the planets; ever destroying poverty and sorrow.

श्री शीतला शेखला बहला । गुणकी गुणकी मातृ मंगला ॥

śrī śītalā śekhalā bahalā | guṇakī guṇakī mātṛ maṃgalā ||

Shri Sheetla, adorned with garlands, beautiful in Your grandeur; O Mother, mine of virtue, mine of blessing.

मात शीतला तुम धनुधारी । शोभित पंचनाम असवारी ॥

māta śītalā tuma dhanudhārī | śobhita paṃcanāma asavārī ||

Mother Sheetla, You bear a bow; adorned, You ride upon five sacred names.

राघव खर बैसाख सुनंदन । कर भग दुरवा कंत निकंदन ॥

rāghava khara baisākha sunaṃdana | kara bhaga duravā kaṃta nikaṃdana ||

(This line names attendant figures and epithets in a form too corrupted in the source to render reliably; not translated word for word to avoid inventing meaning the text does not clearly support.)

सुनी रत संग शीतला माई । चाही सकल सुख दूर धुराई ॥

sunī rata saṃga śītalā mā_ī | cāhī sakala sukha dūra dhurā_ī ||

Together with Sheetla, in loving companionship; may all happiness be granted, sorrow driven far away.

कलका गन गंगा किछु होई । जाकर मंत्र ना औषधी कोई ॥

kalakā gana gaṃgā kichu ho_ī | jākara maṃtra nā auṣadhī ko_ī ||

For this affliction there is no mantra and no medicine; the goddess's own intervention alone can do something.

हेत मातजी का आराधन । और नही है कोई साधन ॥

heta mātajī kā ārādhana | aura nahī hai ko_ī sādhana ||

For this reason, worship of the Mother; there is no other remedy at all.

निश्चय मातु शरण जो आवै । निर्भय ईप्सित सो फल पावै ॥

niścaya mātu śaraṇa jo āvai | nirbhaya īpsita so phala pāvai ||

Whoever comes to Your refuge with certainty attains, fearless, the fruit they seek.

कोढी निर्मल काया धारे । अंधा कृत नित दृष्टी विहारे ॥

koḍhī nirmala kāyā dhāre | aṃdhā kṛta nita dṛṣṭī vihāre ||

The leper's body becomes pure; the blind, though made so, gain the gift of sight.

बंधा नारी पुत्रको पावे । जन्म दरिद्र धनी हो जावे ॥

baṃdhā nārī putrako pāve | janma daridra dhanī ho jāve ||

A barren woman gains a son; one born into poverty becomes wealthy.

सुंदरदास नाम गुण गावत । लक्ष्य मूलको छंद बनावत ॥

suṃdaradāsa nāma guṇa gāvata | lakṣya mūlako chaṃda banāvata ||

The servant Sundardas sings this praise; composing a verse founded on this very theme.

या दे कोई करे यदी शंका । जग दे मैंय्या काही डंका ॥

yā de ko_ī kare yadī śaṃkā | jaga de maiṃyyā kāhī ḍaṃkā ||

If anyone has doubt about this, let the world sound this proclamation, Mother, in reply.

कहत राम सुंदर प्रभुदासा । तट प्रयागसे पूरब पासा ॥

kahata rāma suṃdara prabhudāsā | taṭa prayāgase pūraba pāsā ||

Ram Sundar, servant of the Lord, speaks: from the eastern side of Prayag's bank,

ग्राम तिवारी पूर मम बासा । प्रगरा ग्राम निकट दुर वासा ॥

grāma tivārī pūra mama bāsā | pragarā grāma nikaṭa dura vāsā ||

in the village of Tiwari lies my complete home; near the village of Pragara my distant dwelling.

अब विलंब भय मोही पुकारत । मातृ कृपाकी बाट निहारत ॥

aba vilaṃba bhaya mohī pukārata | mātṛ kṛpākī bāṭa nihārata ||

Now, in delay, I call out to You; I watch the path for the Mother's grace.

बड़ा द्वार सब आस लगाई । अब सुधि लेत शीतला माई ॥

bar̤ā dvāra saba āsa lagā_ī | aba sudhi leta śītalā mā_ī ||

At Your great door I have set all my hope; now, Mother Sheetla, take heed of me.

यह चालीसा शीतला पाठ करे जो कोय । सपनेउ दुःख व्यापे नही नित सब मंगल होय ॥

yaha cālīsā śītalā pāṭha kare jo koya | sapane_u duḥkha vyāpe nahī nita saba maṃgala hoya ||

Whoever recites this Sheetla Chalisa, even in dream shall never know sorrow; every day brings blessing.

बुझे सहस्र विक्रमी शुक्ल भाल भल किंतु । जग जननी का ये चरित रचित भक्ति रस बिंदु ॥

bujhe sahasra vikramī śukla bhāla bhala kiṃtu | jaga jananī kā ye carita racita bhakti rasa biṃdu ||

A thousand accomplished, radiant sages have proclaimed this well; this composition of the Mother of the world is set to devotional verse.