Shashṭhī Devī Stotra
The Shashṭhī Devī Stotra is a hymn of praise (stotra) to Shashṭhī Devī, also called Devasenā. King Priyavrata, the son of Svāyambhuva Manu, composed it after she gave life back to his dead newborn son. It is found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, chapter 43.
In it Priyavrata praises Devī Shashṭhī as the mother of all the worlds, the protector of every child and the giver of children to those who have none.
The setting
King Priyavrata, son of Svāyambhuva Manu, had no children for a long time. Following the instruction of Brahmā, he performed the Shashṭhī pūjā (worship of Devī Shashṭhī). After this his queen became pregnant. But the child was born dead.
The grieving mother took the dead child to the cremation ground and wept there. Devasenā, who is Shashṭhī Devī herself, appeared before her in her beautiful divine form and touched the dead child. The infant at once began to breathe and cry, fully alive.
King Priyavrata was full of gratitude and devotion. He composed this stotra in praise of Devī Shashṭhī.
The stotra
Priyavrata praised Shashṭhī Devī (Devasenā) with these names:
- Shashṭhī: the sixth aspect of Mūla Prakṛti, the root Prakṛti
- Devasenā: the army of the devas, the protector of all
- Śiśu-rakshiṇī: protector of all infants
- Sarvaloka-mātar: mother of all the worlds
- Putra-dāyinī: giver of sons
- Śubha-dāyinī: giver of all that is auspicious
- Kṛpāmayī: full of compassion
- Śveta-campaka-prabhā: with the radiance of white campaka flowers
- Ratna-bhūshitā: adorned with divine gems
- Pariśuddhā: ever pure, without any stain
The meaning of the stotra is this. Priyavrata says: “O Devī Devasenā, you protect all children in every world and in every universe, in the water, on the earth and in the sky. I bow to you. You appeared in my darkest hour and gave life back to my dead child. My gratitude is beyond words. May you protect my son, my family and all children everywhere. I worship you always.”
The mūla mantra
The mūla mantra (root mantra) of Shashṭhī Devī is the Ashṭāksharī mantra, the mantra of eight syllables:
Oṃ Hrīṃ Shashṭhidevyai Svāhā
Repeating this mantra (japa) one lakh (100,000) times gives the siddhi (success) of the mantra. The devotee will obtain children and all that is auspicious.
The phalaśruti
The stotra ends with the phalaśruti, the fruit of reciting it. The meaning is this. A person who reads this stotra of Shashṭhī Devī on Śukla Shashṭhī (the sixth day of the bright half of the month), on the sixth day after a child’s birth, on the twenty-first day, and at annaprāśana (the first feeding of solid food), will have their children protected by Devī Shashṭhī. Childless couples who worship Devasenā with this stotra will obtain children. All the desires of the devotee are fulfilled.
Sources
- Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, chapter 43