paraśurāmakṛta durgā stotram

Parashurama said:

In Goloka, the abode of Lord Krishna, the most complete form manifested from His divine form, even before the creation began.

She, adorned with the brilliance of a million suns, was adorned with beautiful garments and ornaments, wearing a pure garment of fire, smiling and enchanting.

Endowed with youthful beauty, she shone with a vermilion hue, her lovely tresses adorned with a garland of jasmine flowers.

Oh, indescribable one, you bear a charming form, granting liberation to those who seek it, and even the great Vishnu and Brahma are captivated by you.

In a moment, seeing you, the all-enchanting one, even the children, together with a smile, ran towards you in the past.

Known by the virtuous as Radha, the original nature and goddess, Krishna, frightened, quickly performed a heroic act.

From her emerged a great child, then a great cosmic form, within whose hair follicles exist all the universes.

From Radha’s breath emerged a great wind, which became the cosmic support, the great air.

The cosmic sphere was submerged in the water of fear and righteousness, and that great cosmic being became a mass of water.

Then you became fivefold, bearing five forms, the life-sustaining forms of Krishna, the supreme soul.

The ancient sages speak of Radha as dearer to Krishna than life itself, the form presiding over the Vedas, the origin of the scriptures.

The wise call her Savitri, pure in form, the presiding deity of prosperity, peace, and tranquility.

The saints speak of her as Lakshmi, pure and embodying the essence of goodness, the goddess presiding over passion, the white form, the mother of the virtuous.

The learned speak of her as Saraswati, the knower of scriptures, the embodiment of intellect, knowledge, and all powers.

The saints call her the bestower of all auspiciousness, the most auspicious among the auspicious, the embodiment of all auspicious forms.

Now, as the abode of the seed of all auspiciousness, Shiva, you are the form of Shiva, Lakshmi, near Narayana.

Saraswati, Savitri, the origin of the Vedas, beloved of Brahma, Radha, the queen of the dance, the most complete form.

The embodiment of supreme bliss, you are the form of supreme bliss, even the wives of the gods are your partial expansions.

You are the knowledge, the essence of all women, the seed form of all, the shadow of the sun, the moon, Rohini, the all-enchanting one.

Shachi, the beloved of Indra, Rati, the goddess of love, Varunani, the beloved of the lord of waters, the beloved of the wind, the life of the soul.

The beloved of fire is Swaha, the beauty of Kubera, the virtuous one of Yama, and the beloved of Nirrti, Kaitabhi.

Ishani is the moon’s phase, Shatarupa, the beloved of Manu, Devahuti, the wife of Kardama, and Arundhati, the wife of Vasistha.

Lopamudra, the wife of Agastya, the mother of the gods, Aditi, Ahalya, the wife of Gautama, and the earth, the support of all.

Ganga and Tulsi, the best rivers on earth, all these and others are your manifestations, O Ambika.

The household prosperity in homes, the royal prosperity among kings, the austerity of ascetics, you are Gayatri for the Brahmins.

The essence of goodness for the virtuous, the seed of conflict for the wicked, the form of light, the power of the formless, and the manifest.

You are the radiant form in the sun, the burning power in fire, the coolness in water, and the beauty in the moon.

You are the fragrance in the earth, the sound in the sky, hunger, thirst, and all powers of living beings.

The form of all seeds, the essence of the world, memory, intelligence, wisdom, and the power of knowledge for the wise.

The knowledge given by Krishna, the source of all knowledge, auspicious, you are the grace by which Shiva became the conqueror of death.

The threefold powers of creation, preservation, and destruction of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, you are indeed, I bow to you.

Fearful of Madhu and Kaitabha, the creator trembled, praising the goddess, he was freed, I bow my head to her.

In the battle with Madhu and Kaitabha, Vishnu was saved by praising the goddess, I bow to that Durga.

In the great battle of Tripura, when Shiva fell from his chariot, all the gods praised her, I bow to that Durga.

When Vishnu, in the form of a bull, arose as Shambhu, he destroyed Tripura, praising her, I bow to that Durga.

By whose command the wind blows, the sun always shines, Indra rains, and fire burns, I bow to that Durga.

By whose command time constantly moves swiftly, and death roams among creatures, I bow to that Durga.

The creator creates, the preserver preserves by her command, and the destroyer destroys in time, I bow to that Durga.

The Lord Krishna, the form of light, is himself without qualities, without her, he is not capable of creation, I bow to her.

Protect, protect, O Mother of the universe, forgive my offenses, for what mother gets angry at the offenses of her children?

Having said this, Parashurama bowed to her and wept, pleased, Durga, with excitement, granted him fearlessness and a boon.

“Become immortal, O son, go with stability, by the grace of Shiva, may you always have victory everywhere.”

May the all-pervading Lord, Hari, always be pleased with you, may you have devotion to Krishna, Shiva, and the guru.

One who has eternal devotion to the chosen deity and guru cannot be harmed by any angry deity.

You are a devotee of Lord Krishna and a disciple of Shankara, who can harm you when you praise the guru’s wife?

Indeed, nothing inauspicious happens to Krishna’s devotees, those who are devoted to other deities or not devoted are unrestrained.

When the moon is pleased with the fortunate, what can the weak stars do when they are angry?

When a great king is pleased with someone, what can the angry, weak servants do to him?

Having said this, pleased Parvati gave blessings to Rama and quickly went to the inner chambers, and the sound of Hari arose.

Whoever recites this hymn from the Kanva branch during worship, travel, or in the morning, will surely obtain the desired result.

One desiring a son will obtain a son, one desiring a daughter will obtain a daughter, a student will obtain knowledge, and one desiring progeny will obtain children.

One who has lost a kingdom will regain it, one who has lost wealth will obtain wealth, even if the guru, deity, king, or relative is angry.

They will be pleased and grant boons by the grace of this hymn, one afflicted by robbers, snakes, enemies, or fear.

One afflicted by disease will be freed by merely remembering the hymn, in the king’s court, cremation ground, prison, or bondage.

One submerged in water will be freed by merely remembering it, in the case of betrayal by a master, son, or friend.

By merely remembering the hymn, one will surely obtain the desired result.

By offering oblations for a year and listening to the hymn with devotion, worshiping Durga, a barren woman will give birth.

She will obtain a divine, wise, and long-lived son, and one without fortune will obtain fortune by listening for six months.

A woman who has had miscarriages, by listening to the hymn for nine months with devotion, will surely obtain a son.

A mother of daughters, without a son, by listening for five months, worshiping Durga with a pot, will surely obtain a son.

Thus ends the Durga Stotra composed by Parashurama in the dialogue between Narada and Narayana in the Ganapati Khanda of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana.