Goddess Kali

śrī kālikāṣṭakam

(Shri Kalikashtakam in English (IAST))

Adi Shankaracharya

Composed by the philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, this profound stotra offers an evocative description of Goddess Kali in her fierce, transformative form. Through its eight powerful verses, the hymn explores themes of time, dissolution, and ultimate liberation. Devotees chant this prayer to overcome the fear of death, destroy ignorance, and gain spiritual strength. The meditation on the Goddess’s formidable appearance serves as a symbolic shedding of the ego, helping the practitioner transcend worldly attachments and attain the divine grace of the Mother who consumes all duality and ego to reveal the eternal truth.

dhyānam

galadraktamuṇḍāvalīkaṇṭhamālā
mahāghorarāvā sudaṃṣṭrā karālā |
vivastrā śmaśānālayā muktakeśī
mahākālakāmākulā kālikeyam || 1 ||
bhuje vāmayugme śiro'siṃ dadhānā
varaṃ dakṣayugme'bhayaṃ vai tathaiva |
sumadhyā'pi tuṅgastanā bhāranamrā
lasadraktasṛkkadvayā susmitāsyā || 2 ||
śavadvandvakarṇāvataṃsā sukeśī
lasatpretapāṇiṃ prayuktaikakāñcī |
śavākāramañcādhirūḍhā śivābhiḥ
caturdikṣuśabdāyamānā'bhireje || 3 ||
stutiḥ
virañcyādidevāstrayaste guṇāstrīn
samārādhya kālīṃ pradhānā babhūvuḥ |
anādiṃ surādiṃ makhādiṃ bhavādiṃ
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 1 ||
jaganmohinīyaṃ tu vāgvādinīyaṃ
suhṛtpoṣiṇī śatrusaṃhāraṇīyam |
vacastambhanīyaṃ kimuccāṭanīyaṃ
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 2 ||
iyaṃ svargadātrī punaḥ kalpavallī
manojāstu kāmān yathārthaṃ prakuryāt |
tathā te kṛtārthā bhavantīti nityaṃ
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 3 ||
surāpānamattā subhaktānuraktā
lasatpūtacitte sadāvirbhavatte |
japadhyānapūjāsudhādhautapaṅkā
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 4 ||
cidānandakandaṃ hasanmandamandaṃ
śaraccandrakoṭiprabhāpuñjabimbam |
munīnāṃ kavīnāṃ hṛdi dyotayantaṃ
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 5 ||
mahāmeghakālī suraktāpi śubhrā
kadācidvicitrākṛtiryogamāyā |
na bālā na vṛddhā na kāmāturāpi
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 6 ||
kṣamasvāparādhaṃ mahāguptabhāvaṃ
mayā lokamadhye prakāśīkṛtaṃ yat |
tava dhyānapūtena cāpalyabhāvāt
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 7 ||
yadi dhyānayuktaṃ paṭhedyo manuṣyaḥ
tadā sarvaloke viśālo bhavecca |
gṛhe cāṣṭasiddhirmṛte cāpi muktiḥ
svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 8 ||
iti śrīmacchaṅkarācāryaviracitaṃ śrīkālikāṣṭakam |

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