śrī durgā candrakalā stuti

O beloved of Umā, O beloved of Ramā — toward these the mind was held alike. I bow to the sovereign among the initiated, versed in the six measures of statecraft; praised by Brahmā, Hari and Īśvara, sporting upon the Vindhya mountain, beloved of Hara, slayer of the enemies of the gods.

Verse 2: She who arose at the prayer of Brahmā (born from the lotus), giving up the divine play of keeping the Lord's eyes sealed in cosmic sleep — the ruler of the universe who slew Madhu and Kaiṭabha: may that Mother stand before me to ward off all approaching calamity.

Verse 3: She who arose when the scattered fragments of slain gods' own powers were reunited — born for the protection of all worlds, fully armed with their combined weapons — the mighty slayer of Mahiṣāsura: may that Mother stand before me.

Verse 4: She who arose from the radiant treasure within the daughter of the Himālaya, beautiful of form with the luster of the blue lotus — Nārāyaṇī, a wish-granting vine (kalpavallī) for all who bow before her, the slayer of Śumbha and Niśumbha: may she bestow upon us boundless joy.

Verse 5: I worship that auspicious Goddess — whose hymns, marked with names like Viśvēśvarī, Mahiṣāntakarī, and Nārāyaṇī, were beheld by Brahmā, by divine sages, and by the gods who receive oblations through Agni's mouth.

Verse 6: I ceaselessly praise that Mother of the universe — whose protective hymns, encompassing her birth, the destruction of demons, and her glory, are recited by those who know all the Upaniṣads without remainder, for the welfare of every being.

Verse 7: When the three worlds were in dire affliction — beset by Vipracitti, the risen-again Śumbha and his host, and by the horror of famine — she manifested in diverse forms. May Ambikā protect me from all calamities through those very forms.

Verse 8: King Suratha and the merchant Samādhi both obtained their heart's desire — unobtainable elsewhere — by repeatedly reciting at the Goddess's feet the very hymn first revealed to Brahmā and the sages. I bow my head to that primordial, eternally youthful Goddess.

Verse 9: Manifesting countless incarnations drawn from her own essence — to slay Mahiṣa's reborn form and the demon Ruru — may Mother Ambā always protect me from all calamities.

Verse 10: I worship that Umā — whose entire narrative, when written, worshipped, or installed in one's home, carries one across every insurmountable difficulty and bestows all auspiciousness.

Verse 11: Whose worship, praise, and salutation please even the three — Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva — and who bestows upon even them their distinctive forms and divine qualities: in that youthful consort of Īśvara I take refuge.

Verse 12: Those trapped deep in forests, sunk in the ocean's waters, or encircled on all sides by enemies — by taking refuge at her feet, they cross over all calamity. May she, the illuminator of all the worlds, ever dwell in my heart.

Verse 13: In captivity, in mortal peril, in the grip of dread fear of death, in loss of wealth, in every great affliction — worship at her feet is proclaimed the one true remedy. May that Bhavānī, universal Mother, be my refuge.

Verse 14: By whose grace, Aniruddha (Pradyumna's son) swiftly won freedom from Bāṇāsura's serpent-bonds, saw Bāṇa's pride of a thousand arms crushed, and was united with Uṣā — may that auspicious Śivā destroy every inauspiciousness in me.

Verse 15: When Sītā (Indirā) trembled — 'The wicked son of Pulastya has risen again and comes even now to carry me away!' — her fear was utterly dispelled through devotion to the Goddess. In that primordial young Goddess I take refuge.

Verse 16: The happiness born of meditating on her — which the Gopī women, through the merit of her worship alone, attained — brought them direct union with Acyuta (Viṣṇu) himself. May that Bhagavatī always be graciously pleased with me.

Verse 17: She who awakens those who take refuge in the Night — protecting them from death's onslaught, tempering them with lesser rewards, yet recognizing their true indifference to those fruits — and leads them onward to liberation: I worship that primordial Mother of all the worlds.

Verse 18 — Phalaśruti: In troubled times and inauspicious places, this Durgā Chandrakalā Stuti should be contemplated at both twilight junctions — for the removal of all calamities.