Phase four · Prāṇāyāma

The breath as instrument

Two practices are on this site, with the sessions that explain them. As the others are written they will appear here in the same form.

Sri Aurobindo, 1909

Durgā Stotra

दुर्गास्तोत्र

Fourteen paragraphs to the Mother as Durgā, asking her to come: into the land, and into the one who prays.

Why this one

Sri Aurobindo wrote it in Bengali, in Dharma, on 18 October 1909, for the youth of Bengal. It is given here in the form in which it is read now, in the name of India. Sanskrit: Chinmayee Maheshwari (Sri Aurobindo Society). Hindi translation. English: Nolini Kanta Gupta (the English has no sixth paragraph).

वाचिक: Said out loud, a line to a breath. The syllables light as you say them. उपांशु: The lips move and nobody across the room hears it. The text stays on the screen and stops moving. मानस: Nothing said, nothing shown. The breath and the place. अन्तर्यात्रा: The first third aloud, the second whispered, the last in the mind. Over a stotra this long the voice goes inward by itself; this simply agrees with it.

In which language

How to say it

The traditional three, and the order is a withdrawal inwards rather than a ladder. Nothing is locked.

You can stop anywhere. The page remembers the verse you reached, on this device only, and offers it when you come back.

The whole text

1

ॐ मातर्दुर्गे! सिंहवाहिनि सर्वशक्तिप्रदायिनि मातः शिवप्रिये तव शक्त्यंशजा वयं भारतवर्षस्य युवानः त्वन्मन्दिरे समासीनाः त्वां प्रार्थयामहे ॥ श‍ृणु मातः आविर्भव भारते वर्षे प्रकाशमाना भव ।

Mother Durga! Rider on the lion, giver of all strength, Mother, beloved of Shiva! We, born from thy parts of Power, we the youth of India, are seated here in thy temple. Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest in this land of India.

2

मातर्दुर्गे! युगे युगे मानवीं तनुं धृत्वा जन्मनि जन्मनि तवैव कर्म कृत्वा च त्वदानन्दधाम प्रतियाम। एतर्ह्यपि जन्मजुषो वयं त्वदेककार्यव्रतिन एव श‍ृणु मातः आविर्भव भारते अस्मत्सहाया भव ॥

Mother Durga! From age to age, in life after life, we come down into the human body, do thy work and return to the Home of Delight. Now too we are born, dedicated to thy work. Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, come to our help.

3

मातर्दुर्गे! सिंहवाहिनि त्रिशूलधारिणि वर्मावृतसुन्दरशरीरे मातः जयदायिनि त्वत्प्रतीक्षापरं ह्यद्य भारतं तामेव ते मङ्गलमयीं मूर्तिं वीक्षितुं समुत्सुकम् । श‍ृणु मातः प्रादुर्भव भारते वर्षे प्रकाशस्व ॥

Mother Durga! Rider on the lion, trident in hand, thy body of beauty armour-clad, Mother, giver of victory. India awaits thee, eager to see the gracious form of thine. Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest in this land of India.

4

मातर्दुर्गे! बलदायिनि प्रेमदायिनि ज्ञानदायिनि शक्तिस्वरूपे भीमे सौम्य-रौद्र-रूपे जीवन-सङ्घर्षे भारत-सङ्ग्रामे च त्वत्प्रेरिता योद्धारो वयम् । देहि मातः प्राणमनसोरसुरस्य शक्तिं असुरस्योद्यमं देहि मातः बुद्धिचित्तयोर्देवस्य चरित्रं देवस्य ज्ञानम् ॥

Mother Durga! Giver of force and love and knowledge, terrible art thou in thy own self of might, Mother beautiful and fierce. In the battle of life, in India's battle, we are warriors commissioned by thee; Mother, give to our heart and mind a titan's strength, a titan's energy, to our soul and intelligence a god's character and knowledge.

5

मातर्दुर्गे! जगदग्रगण्या भारतजातिर्ननु समाच्छन्नासीन्निबिडतमसा । त्वं मातः उत्तरोत्तरं समुदीयसे व्योमप्रान्ते त्वद्दिव्यविग्रहस्य तिमिरविजयिना ज्योतिषा सञ्जात उषसः प्रकाशः प्रवितनुस्वालोकं मातः प्रविधुनु तिमिरम् ॥

Mother Durga! India, world's noblest race, lay whelmed in darkness. Mother, thou risest on the eastern horizon, the dawn comes with the glow of thy divine limbs scattering the darkness. Spread thy light, Mother, destroy the darkness.

6

मातर्दुर्गे! श्यामला सर्वसौन्दर्यसमलङ्कृता ज्ञान-प्रेम-शक्तीनां प्रतिष्ठा पुण्यभूमिर्ननु ते विभूतिः एतावत्कालं शक्तिसंहरणार्थं आत्मसंवरणमकार्षीत् । अध्यागतं तद्युगं आगतं तद्दिनं यदा सकलभुवनस्य भारं स्कन्धे वहन्ती समुत्तिष्ठति भारतमाता। एहि मातः प्रकाशस्व ॥

7

मातर्दुर्गे! तव सन्ततिर्वयं त्वत्प्रसादात् त्वत्प्रभावात् बृहतोवदानस्य महनीयभावस्य समुपयुक्ता स्याम । हे मातः क्षोदय क्षुद्रतां समुत्सारय स्वार्थं भञ्जय भयम् ॥

Mother Durga! We are thy children, through thy grace, by thy influence may we become fit for the great work, for the great Ideal. Mother, destroy our smallness, our selfishness, our fear.

8

मातर्दुर्गे! कालीरूपिणि नृमुण्डमालिनि दिगम्बरे कृपाणपाणि देवि असुरविनाशिनि दारुणनिनादेन निषूदय रिपुदलमन्तरस्थं येन नैकोऽपि रिपुरस्मदन्तरे जीवितस्तिष्ठेत् येन च वयं विमला निर्मलाश्च स्याम इयमेव प्रार्थना मातः प्रकाशमाना भव ॥

Mother Durga! Thou art Kali, naked, garlanded with human heads, sword in hand, thou slayest the Asura. Goddess, do thou slay with thy pitiless cry the enemies who dwell within us, may none remain alive there, not one. May we become pure and spotless, this is our prayer. O Mother, make thyself manifest.

9

मातर्दुर्गे! स्वार्थेन भयेन क्षुद्राशयत्वेन म्रियमाणं खलु भारतम् । हे मातः विधेहि नो महतः महाप्रयासकृतः उदारचेतसः सत्यसङ्कल्पजुष येन नातःपरं स्याम स्वल्पाशंसिनः निश्चेष्टा अलसाः सन्त्रस्ताः वा ॥

Mother Durga! India lies now in selfishness and fearfulness and littleness. Make us great, make our efforts great, our hearts vast, make us true to our resolve. May we no longer desire the small, void of energy, given to laziness, stricken with fear.

10

मातर्दुर्गे! विस्तारय योगशक्तिम् । त्वत्प्रिया हि वयमार्यसन्ततयः अस्मात् सुसमुद्भावय लुप्तां शिक्षां मेधाशक्तिं च श्रद्धां भक्तिं तपस्यां च लुप्तं चरित्रं ब्रह्मचर्यं सत्यज्ञानं च अस्मदन्तः समुद्भाव्य च भुवनाय च वितर। मानवसह्ये दुर्गतिनाशिनि जगदम्बे प्रकाशस्व ॥

Mother Durga! Extend wide the power of Yoga. We are thy Aryan children, develop in us again the lost teaching, character, strength of intelligence, faith and devotion, force of austerity, power of chastity and true knowledge, bestow all that upon the world. To help mankind, appear, O Mother of the world, dispel all ills.

11

मातर्दुर्गे! अन्तःस्थानां रिपूणां संहारं विधाय समुन्मूलय बाह्यविघ्नबाधाः । बलपराक्रमोपेता समुन्नतचेता आर्यजातिर्भारतस्य पवित्रकाननेषु समुर्वरक्षेत्रेषु व्योमचुम्बिपर्वतप्रदेशेषु पूतसलिलसरितां तीरेषु किलैकत्वे प्रेम्णि च सत्ये शक्तौ च शिल्पे साहित्ये च विक्रमे ज्ञाने च मूर्धन्या सति निवसेत् एषैव प्रार्थना मातृचरणयोः प्रकाशमाना भव ॥

Mother Durga! Slay the enemy within, then root out all obstacles outside. May the noble heroic mighty Indian race, supreme in love and unity, truth and strength, arts and letters, force and knowledge ever dwell in its holy woodlands, its fertile fields under its sky-scraping hills, along the banks of its pure-streaming rivers. This is our prayer at the feet of the Mother. Make thyself manifest.

12

मातर्दुर्गे! अनुप्रविश नो देहं योगशक्त्या भविष्यामस्तव यन्त्राणि अशुभविनाशिनस्तव निस्त्रिंशाः अज्ञानतिमिरापहास्तव प्रदीपाः । हे मातः सम्पूरय स्पृहामेतां भारतीयतरुणवृन्दस्य। यन्त्रस्वामिनि चालय यन्त्रम्। अशुभोच्छेदिनि समुल्लासय चन्द्रहासं ज्ञाननदीप्तिविभासिनि गृहाण हस्ते प्रदीपं प्रकाशस्व प्रकाशस्व ॥

Mother Durga! Enter our bodies in thy Yogic strength. We shall become thy instruments, thy sword slaying all evil, thy lamp dispelling all ignorance. Fulfil this yearning of thy young children, O Mother. Be the master and drive the instrument, wield thy sword and slay the evil, hold up the lamp and spread the light of knowledge. Make thyself manifest.

13

मातर्दुर्गे! त्वां प्राप्य न वयमितःपरं विधास्यामस्तव विसर्जनं श्रद्धाभक्तिप्रेम्णां सूत्रेण समासज्ज्य हृदये सन्निधास्यामः । एहि मातः अस्माकं मनसि प्राणे शरीरे च प्रकाशस्व ॥

Mother Durga! When we possess thee, we shall no longer cast thee away; we shall bind thee to us with the tie of love and devotion. Come, Mother, manifest in our mind and life and body.

14

वीरमार्गप्रदर्शिनि आयाहि न हि विधास्यते विसर्जनमतःपरं आस्तां ननु समस्तमस्मज्जीवनमनवच्छिन्नं दुर्गापूजनं सर्वमपि नः कार्यजातं अविरतं पवित्रं प्रेममयं शक्तिमयं च मातृसेवाव्रतं स्यात् एषैव प्रार्थना मातः । आविर्भव भारते वर्षे प्रकाशमाना भव ॥

Come, Revealer of the hero-path. We shall no longer cast thee away. May our entire life become a ceaseless worship of the Mother, all our acts a continuous service to the Mother, full of love, full of energy. This is our prayer, O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest in this land of India.

The Sanskrit is older than any copyright and is set down as it is chanted, checked verse by verse against the count this stotra is known by. Everything said about it here was written for this page.

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