Arjuna’s Stotra to Durgā
This is the stotra that Arjuna sang to Devī Durgā on the first morning of the Kurukshetra war, when both armies stood ready for battle. Bhagavān Kṛshṇa told him to worship Durgā before he fought. The stotra has thirteen verses and is followed by a phalaśruti (the fruits of reciting it) of four verses. It is found in the Mahābhārata, Bhīshma Parva, chapter 23.
The setting
Duryodhana’s great army stood fully arrayed for battle. Bhagavān Kṛshṇa turned to Arjuna and said: “Arjuna, you stand at the threshold of battle. For the sake of victory over the enemy, become pure and worship Durgā Devī.”
At this command Arjuna came down from his chariot and stood on the earth. He began the stotra with a pure heart (viśuddhenāntar-ātmanā). Durgā Devī answered him. She appeared in the sky before Bhagavān Kṛshṇa, blessed Arjuna, called him the Nara to Kṛshṇa’s Nārāyaṇa, and vanished. Arjuna then climbed back into his chariot, and he and Kṛshṇa blew the śaṅkhas Pāñcajanya and Devadatta.
The stotra
Verse 1
namas te! siddha-senāni! ārye! mandara-vāsini! |
kumāri! kāli! kāpāli! kapile! kṛshṇa-piṅgale! ||
Salutation to you, O leader of the siddhas, O noble one, O Devī who live on Mount Mandara. You are Kumārī, Kālī, Kāpālinī, Kapilā and Kṛshṇapiṅgalā. Salutation again and again.
Verse 2
bhadrakāli! namas tubhyam! mahākāli! namo’stu te |
caṇḍi! caṇḍe! namas tubhyam! tāriṇi! vara-varṇini! ||
Salutation to you, O Bhadrakālī. Salutation to you, O Mahākālī. Salutation, O Caṇḍī, O Caṇḍā. You are Tāriṇī, she who carries across, and Vara-varṇinī, she of the most beautiful form.
Verse 3
kātyāyani! mahābhāge karāli! vijaye! jaye! |
śikhi-piñcha-dhvaja-dhare! nānābharaṇa-bhūshite! ||
O Kātyāyanī, O most revered one, O Karālinī of terrible form, Vijayā, Jayā. You carry the banner of peacock feathers and are adorned with ornaments of every kind.
Verse 4
aṭṭa-śūla-praharaṇe! khaḍga-kheṭaka-dhāriṇi! |
gopendrasya anuje! jyeshṭhe! nanda-gopa-kulo-dbhave! ||
You bear the fearful trident, the sword and the shield. You were born in the family of the gopa Nanda. You are the younger sister of Gopendra Kṛshṇa, yet in qualities and glory you are the elder.
Verse 5
mahishāsṛk priye! nityam | kauśiki! pīta-vāsini! |
aṭṭa-hāse! koka-mukhe! namas te’stu raṇa-priye! ||
You are always delighted with the blood of Mahishāsura. O Kauśikī, O wearer of the yellow garment, you give the great aṭṭa-hāsa (loud laugh), and your face blazes like the cakravāka bird. Salutation to you, O lover of battle.
Verse 6
ume! śākambhari! śvete! kṛshṇe! kaiṭabha-nāśini! |
hiraṇyākshi! virūpākshi! sudhūmrākshi! namo’stu te! ||
Salutation to you: Umā, Śākambharī, Śvetā, Kṛshṇā, slayer of Kaiṭabha, Hiraṇyākshī of the golden eyes, Virūpākshī of the unusual form, Sudhūmrākshī of the smoke-dark eyes.
Verse 7
veda-śruti! mahā-puṇye! brahmaṇye! jāta-vedasi! |
jambū-kaṭaka-caityeshu nityaṃ sannihitā’laye! ||
You are the śruti of the Vedas. You are great puṇya. You are the protector of the brāhmaṇas. You are Jātavedas, the all-knowing fire. You always dwell at the jambū-kaṭaka crossroads and in the caitya-sthānas.
Verse 8
tvaṃ brahma-vidyā vidyānāṃ mahā-nidrā ca dehināṃ |
skanda-mātar bhagavati! durge! kāntāra-vāsini! ||
You are Brahmavidyā among all vidyās. You are Mahānidrā for all embodied beings. O Bhagavatī, mother of Skanda, O Durgā, O dweller in the deep forest.
Verse 9
svāhā-kāraḥ svadhā caiva kalā kāshṭhā sarasvatī |
sāvitri veda-mātā! ca tathā vedānta ucyate! ||
You are Svāhā, Svadhā, Kalā, Kāshṭhā, Sarasvatī, Sāvitrī and Vedamātā, and you are spoken of as Vedānta itself.
Verse 10
stutā’si tvaṃ mahādevi! viśuddhenāntar-ātmanā |
jayo bhavatu me nityam! tvat-prasādāt raṇājire! ||
O Mahādevī, I have praised you with a completely pure heart. By your grace may victory always be mine on this field of battle.
Verse 11
kāntāra-bhaya-durgeshu bhaktānāṃ cā’layeshu ca |
nityaṃ vasasi pātāle yuddhe! jayasi dānavān! ||
You always dwell in frightening forests, in dangerous and hard-to-reach places, and in the homes of your devotees. You dwell in Pātāla. In battle you defeat the dānavas.
Verse 12
tvaṃ jambhani mohinī ca māyā hrīḥ śrīs tathaiva ca |
sandhyā prabhāvatī caiva sāvitri jananī tathā! ||
You are Jambhanī, Mohinī, Māyā, Hrī, Śrī, Sandhyā, Prabhāvatī, Sāvitrī and the mother of all.
Verse 13
tushṭiḥ pushṭir dhṛtir dīptiś candrāditya-vivardhinī |
bhūtir bhūtimatāṃ saṃkhye vīkshyase siddha-cāraṇaiḥ! ||
You are Tushṭi, Pushṭi, Dhṛti and Dīpti. You make the Moon and the Sun grow. Among the prosperous you are their prosperity. The siddhas and cāraṇas see you on the field of battle.
Durgā’s vara
Durgā Devī was full of compassion for human beings. When she received the stotra, offered with a pure heart, she appeared in the sky before Bhagavān Kṛshṇa and spoke to Arjuna:
“O son of Pāṇḍu, in a short time you will win victory over your enemies. O best of heroes, you are Nara himself, the ṛshi Nara, and Nārāyaṇa is your helper. On the battlefield you will not be beaten. Even Indra cannot defeat you.”
Having spoken and given this vara (boon), Durgā Devī vanished from that place at once. With the vara in hand, Arjuna’s trust in his own victory became complete. He climbed back into his chariot. Then Kṛshṇa and Arjuna blew the śaṅkhas Pāñcajanya and Devadatta, and the sound filled all directions.
The phalaśruti
ya idaṃ paṭhate stotraṃ kalya utthāya mānaval |
yaksha-rakshaḥ piśācebhyo na bhayaṃ vidyate sadā! ||
One who gets up at dawn and recites this stotra will never have fear of yakshas, rākshasas or piśācas.
na cāpi ripavastebhyaḥ sarvādyā ye ca daṃshṭriṇaḥ |
na bhayaṃ vidyate tasya sadā rāja-kulād api! ||
He has no fear of enemies, no fear of snakes or any creature with fangs, and no fear even from the royal court.
vivāde jayam āpnoti baddho’mucyeta bandhanāt |
durgaṃ tarati cāvaśyaṃ tathā caurair vimucyate! ||
In a dispute he wins. A prisoner is freed from his bonds. He surely crosses every hard passage, and he is freed from thieves.
saṃgrāme vijayennityam lakshmīṃ prāpnoti kevalām |
ārogya-bala-sampanno jīvec-chata-varshaṃ tathā! ||
In battle he always wins. He gains Lakshmī alone. He lives a hundred years, with health and strength.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Bhīshma Parva, Chapter 23