Table of contents [Show]
Durga Stotram
The Durga Stotram (दुर्गा स्तोत्रम्) is not a single hymn but a treasured collection of Sanskrit stotras glorifying the Divine Mother in her manifold forms. Gathered here are four celebrated hymns: the Shri Kubjika Varnana Stotram from the Agni Mahapurana, the Kumari Stotram, the Sri Tulja Bhavani Stotram composed by the great saint Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati, and the Durga Apaduddharaka Stotram from the Siddheshwari Tantra. Together they offer a complete meditation on the Goddess — her iconography, her names, her blessings and her protection.
Shri Kubjika Varnana Stotram
This meditation hymn is taken from the Agni Mahapurana (chapter 148), where the Goddess Kubjika is described in luminous detail for her worship. Kubjika is a principal deity of the Kubjikamata tradition, a fierce yet loving aspect of Parvati whose very form is consciousness.
नीलोत्पलदलश्यामा षड्वक्त्रा षट्प्रकारिका ।
चिच्छक्तिरष्टादशाख्या बाहुद्वादशसम्युता ॥ १ ॥
nīlotpaladalaśyāmā ṣaḍvaktrā ṣaṭprakārikā,
cicchaktiraṣṭādaśākhyā bāhudvādaśasamyutā || 1 ||
सिंहासनसुखासीना प्रेतपद्मोपरिस्थिता ।
कुलकोटिसहस्राढ्या कर्कोटो मेखलास्थितः ॥ २ ॥
siṁhāsanasukhāsīnā pretapadmoparisthitā,
kulakoṭisahasrādhyā karkoṭo mekhalāsthitaḥ || 2 ||
तक्षकेणोपरिष्टाच्च गले हारश्च वासुकिः ।
कुलिकः कर्णयोर्यस्याः कूर्मः कुण्डलमण्डलः ॥ ३ ॥
takṣakeṇopariṣṭācca gale hāraśca vāsukiḥ,
kulikaḥ karṇayoryasyāḥ kūrmaḥ kuṇḍalamandalaḥ || 3 ||
भ्रुवोः पद्मो महापद्मो वामे नागः कपालकः ।
अक्षसूत्रं च खट्वाङ्गं शङ्खं पुस्तकं च दक्षिणे ॥ ४ ॥
bhruvoḥ padmo mahāpadmo vāme nāgaḥ kapālakaḥ,
akṣasūtraṁ ca khaṭvāṅgaṁ śaṅkhaṁ pustakaṁ ca dakṣiṇe || 4 ||
त्रिशूलं दर्पणं खङ्गं रत्नमालाङ्कुशं धनुः ।
श्वेतमूर्धं मुखं देव्याः ऊर्ध्वश्वेतं तथाम् ॥ ५ ॥
triśūlaṁ darpaṇaṁ khadgaṁ ratnamālāṅkuśaṁ dhanuḥ,
śvetamūrdhaṁ mukhaṁ devyā ūrdhvaśvetam tathām || 5 ||
पूर्वास्यं पाण्डुरं क्रोधि दक्षिणं कृष्णवर्णकम् ।
हिमकुन्देन्दुभं सौम्यं ब्रह्मा पादतले स्थितः ॥ ६ ॥
pūrvāsyaṁ pāṇḍuraṁ krodhi dakṣiṇaṁ kṛṣṇavarṇakam,
himakundendubhaṁ saumyaṁ brahmā pādatale sthitaḥ || 6 ||
विष्णुस्तु जघने रुद्रो हृदि कण्ठे तथेश्वरः ।
सदाशिवो ललाटे स्याच्छिवस्तस्योर्ध्वतः स्थितः ।
आपूर्णिता कुब्जिकैवं ध्येया पूजादिकर्मसु ॥ ७ ॥
viṣṇustu jaghane rudro hṛdi kaṇṭhe tatheśvaraḥ,
sadāśivo lalāṭe syācchivastasyordhvataḥ sthitaḥ,
āpūrṇitā kubjikaivaṁ dhyeyā pūjādikarmasu || 7 ||
Meditation summary: The Goddess is meditated upon as dark as a blue lotus leaf, six-faced and twelve-armed, the very form of consciousness known by eighteen names. She sits at ease upon a lion throne placed over a lotus resting on a corpse. Serpent deities adorn her — Karkota as her girdle, Takshaka as a garland above, Vasuki as a necklace at her throat, Kulika as her ear ornaments and Kurma within the circles of her earrings, with Padma and Mahapadma on her brows and a serpent skull-cup on the left. In her right hands she holds the rosary, the khatvanga (staff), the conch and the book; in her left, the trident, the mirror, the sword, the gem necklace, the goad and the bow. Her faces are white, wrathful, dark and moon-cool; Brahma rests at her feet, Vishnu at her hip, Rudra at her heart, Ishana at her throat, Sadashiva at her forehead and Shiva above — for she is filled with them all. Thus is Kubjika to be meditated upon in all worship.
Kumari Stotram
The Kumari Stotram glorifies the Goddess as the eternal maiden — the young, radiant form of Durga who grants the three aims of life (dharma, artha, kama):
जगत्पूज्ये जगद्वन्द्ये सर्वशक्तिस्वरूपिणी ।
पूजां गृहाण कौमारि जगन्मातर्नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १ ॥
jagatpūjye jagadvandye sarvaśaktisvarūpiṇī,
pūjāṁ gṛhāṇa kaumāri jaganmātarnamo:’stu te || 1 ||
त्रिपुरां त्रिपुराधारां त्रिवर्गज्ञानरूपिणीम् ।
त्रैलोक्यवन्दितां देवीं त्रिमूर्तिं पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ २ ॥
tripurāṁ tripurādhārāṁ trivargajñānarūpiṇīm,
trailokyavanditāṁ devīṁ trimūrtiṁ pūjayāmyaham || 2 ||
कलात्मिकां कलातीतां कारुण्यहृदयां शिवाम् ।
कल्याणजननीं देवीं कल्याणीं पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ३ ॥
kalātmikāṁ kalātītāṁ kāruṇyahṛdayāṁ śivām,
kalyāṇajananiṁ devīṁ kalyāṇīṁ pūjayāmyaham || 3 ||
अणिमादिगुणाधरा-मकाराद्यक्षरात्मिकाम् ।
अनन्तशक्तिकां लक्ष्मीं रोहिणीं पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ४ ॥
aṇimādiguṇādharā-makārādyakṣarātmikām,
anantaśaktikāṁ lakṣmīṁ rohiṇīṁ pūjayāmyaham || 4 ||
कामचारीं शुभां कान्तां कालचक्रस्वरूपिणीम् ।
कामदां करुणोदारां कालिकां पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ५ ॥
kāmacārīṁ śubhāṁ kāntāṁ kālacakrasvarūpiṇīm,
kāmadāṁ karuṇodārāṁ kālikāṁ pūjayāmyaham || 5 ||
चण्डवीरां चण्डमायां चण्डमुण्डप्रभञ्जिनीम् ।
पूजयामि सदा देवीं चण्डिकां चण्डविक्रमाम् ॥ ६ ॥
caṇḍavīrāṁ caṇḍamāyāṁ caṇḍamuṇḍaprabhañjinīm,
pūjayāmi sadā devīṁ caṇḍikāṁ caṇḍavikramām || 6 ||
सदानन्दकरीं शान्तां सर्वदेवनमस्कृताम् ।
सर्वभूतात्मिकां लक्ष्मीं शाम्भवीं पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
sadānandakarīṁ śāntāṁ sarvadevanamaskṛtām,
sarvabhūtātmikāṁ lakṣmīṁ śāmbhavīṁ pūjayāmyaham || 7 ||
दुर्गमे दुस्तरे कार्ये भवदुःखविनाशिनीम् ।
पूजयामि सदा भक्त्या दुर्गां दुर्गार्तिनाशिनीम् ॥ ८ ॥
durgame dustare kārye bhavaduḥkhavināśinīm,
pūjayāmi sadā bhaktyā durgāṁ durgārtināśinīm || 8 ||
सुन्दरीं स्वर्णवर्णाभां सुखसौभाग्यदायिनीम् ।
सुभद्रा जननीं देवीं सुभद्रां पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ९ ॥
sundarīṁ svarṇavarṇābhāṁ sukhasaubhāgyadāyinīm,
subhadrā jananīṁ devīṁ subhadrāṁ pūjayāmyaham || 9 ||
iti śrī kumārī stotram — Thus concludes the Sri Kumari Stotram.
Sri Tulja Bhavani Stotram
Composed by Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati (the great saint popularly known as Tembe Swami), this stotram honours the Goddess of Tuljapur — Tulja Bhavani, the presiding deity of the Balaji and Bhavani shrines of Maharashtra, worshipped as the family deity (kula devi) of countless households:
नमोऽस्तु ते महादेवि शिवे कल्याणि शाम्भवि ।
प्रसीद वेदविनुते जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १ ॥
namo:’stu te mahādevi śive kalyāṇi śāmbhavi,
prasīda vedavinute jagadamba namo:’stu te || 1 ||
जगतामादिभूता त्वं जगत्त्वं जगदाश्रया ।
एकाऽप्यनेकरूपासि जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ २ ॥
jagatāmādibhūtā tvaṁ jagattvaṁ jagadāśrayā,
ekā’pyanekarūpāsi jagadamba namo:’stu te || 2 ||
सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां हेतुभूते मुनिस्तुते ।
प्रसीद देवविनुते जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ३ ॥
sṛṣṭisthitivināśānāṁ hetubhūte munistute,
prasīda devavinute jagadamba namo:’stu te || 3 ||
सर्वेश्वरि नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वसौभाग्यदायिनि ।
सर्वशक्तियुतेऽनन्ते जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ४ ॥
sarveśvari namastubhyaṁ sarvasaubhāgyadāyini,
sarvaśaktiyute:’nante jagadamba namo:’stu te || 4 ||
विविधारिष्टशमनि त्रिविधोत्पातनाशिनि ।
प्रसीद देवि ललिते जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ५ ॥
vividhāriṣṭaśamani trividhotpātanāśini,
prasīda devi lalite jagadamba namo:’stu te || 5 ||
प्रसीद करुणासिन्धो त्वत्तः कारुणिका परा ।
यतो नास्ति महादेवि जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ६ ॥
prasīda karuṇāsindho tvattaḥ kāruṇikā parā,
yato nāsti mahādevi jagadamba namo:’stu te || 6 ||
शत्रून् जहि जयं देहि सर्वान्कामांश्च देहि मे ।
भयं नाशय रोगांश्च जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ ७ ॥
śatrūn jahi jayaṁ dehi sarvānkāmāṁśca dehi me,
bhayaṁ nāśaya rogāṁśca jagadamba namo:’stu te || 7 ||
जगदम्ब नमोऽस्तु ते हिते जय शम्भोर्दयिते महामते ।
कुलदेवि नमोऽस्तु ते सदा हृदि मे तिष्ठ यतोऽसि सर्वदा ॥ ८ ॥
jagadamba namo:’stu te hite jaya śambhordayite mahāmate,
kuladevi namo:’stu te sadā hṛdi me tiṣṭha yato:’si sarvadā || 8 ||
तुलजापुरवासिन्या देव्याः स्तोत्रमिदं परम् ।
यः पठेत्प्रयतो भक्त्या सर्वान्कामान्स आप्नुयात् ॥ ९ ॥
tulajāpuravāsinyā devyāḥ stotramidam param,
yaḥ paṭhetprayato bhaktyā sarvānkāmānsa āpnuyāt || 9 ||
iti śrīmatparamahaṁsa parivrājakācārya śrīvāsudevānandasarasvati viracitaṁ śrītulajāpuravāsinyā devyāḥ stotram sampūrṇam — Thus concludes the Sri Tulja Bhavani Stotram, composed by Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati. Whoever recites it with devotion attains all their righteous desires.
Durga Apaduddharaka Stotram
The collection concludes with the celebrated Durga Apaduddharaka Stotram from the Siddheshwari Tantra, revealed in the dialogue of Uma and Maheshwara. Its thirteen verses invoke the Goddess as the refuge of the orphaned, the protector in the forest and battlefield, the boat across the ocean of Samsara, and the awakening of the Kundalini nāḍīs (Iḍā, Piṅgalā and Suṣumṇā). It opens with the prayer:
नमस्ते शरण्ये शिवे सानुकम्पे ।
नमस्ते जगद्व्यापिके विश्वरूपे ।
नमस्ते जगद्वन्द्यपादारविन्दे ।
नमस्ते जगत्तारिणि त्राहि दुर्गे ॥ १ ॥
Namaste Śaraṇye Śive Sānukampe,
namaste Jagad-Vyāpike Viśva-Rūpe,
namaste Jagad-Vandya-Pāda-Aravinde,
namaste Jagat-Tāriṇi Trāhi Durgе ||1||
The scripture promises that recitation at the three sandhyas — or even at a single sandhya — releases the devotee from the most terrible dangers. For the complete text with every verse, transliteration and meaning, see our dedicated guide to the Durga Apaduddharaka Stotram (Siddheshwari Tantra).
Key Attributes of Goddess Kubjika
- Deity: Goddess Kubjika (कुब्जिका), a form of Devi Parvati
- Complexion: Dark, like the leaf of the blue lotus (nīlotpala)
- Form: Six faces, twelve arms, form of pure consciousness (Chicchakti)
- Seat: Lion throne over a lotus resting on a corpse
- Serpent Ornaments: Karkota (girdle), Takshaka (garland), Vasuki (necklace), Kulika (earrings), Kurma (kundala circles)
- Weapons & Objects: Rosary, khatvanga, conch, book; trident, mirror, sword, gem necklace, goad and bow
- Deities Enthroned Within Her: Brahma (feet), Vishnu (hip), Rudra (heart), Ishana (throat), Sadashiva (forehead), Shiva (above)
Practical / Modern Context
These stotrams make a powerful daily or Navratri practice. The Kubjika Varnana doubles as a profound meditation — visualizing the Goddess in minute detail steadies a restless mind far more effectively than abstract reflection. The Kumari Stotram is ideal for parents praying for daughters and for young women seeking strength and grace. The Tulja Bhavani Stotram, being a family deity hymn, is chanted in homes for the protection of the household. Even a single verse, repeated with love, becomes an anchor of peace in a busy modern life.
Common Misconceptions
- "These stotrams must be chanted only in a temple." All four hymns are household prayers. The Tulja Bhavani Stotram, in particular, is traditionally chanted in homes where Tulja Bhavani is the kula devi (family deity).
- "Only learned priests may recite them." The hymns themselves only ask for bhakti — devotion and purity of intent. Correct pronunciation is valued, but sincerity is what the Goddess responds to.
- "Kubjika is a different, non-mainstream goddess." Kubjika is a well-established form of Parvati glorified in the Agni Purana and the Kubjika Tantra tradition; her hymn here is drawn directly from the Agni Mahapurana.
Conclusion
The Durga Stotram collection is a complete worship manual in miniature — iconographic meditation from the Agni Purana, the maiden's blessing in the Kumari Stotram, the family deity's protection in the Tulja Bhavani Stotram, and the ultimate refuge of the Apaduddharaka hymn. Whether recited during Navratri, on festivals, or in quiet daily prayer, these verses carry the devotee into the reassuring presence of the Divine Mother, who is one in all her many names.
- Complete Guide to Chanting Gayatri Mantra
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple & Sacred Banaras
- Meaning of Om Namah Shivaya Mantra
For more authentic Hindu temple guides, pilgrimage routes, mantras, and Vedic insights, visit Prabhukedwar.
