Kṛshṇa’s Stotra to Durgā

This is the stotra that Bhagavān Kṛshṇa himself sang to Durgā Devī in the Rāsamaṇḍala of Goloka, in the month of Caitra. It praises Durgā as Mūlaprakṛti (the root of all nature), as Māyā, and as the śakti that fills every part of existence, from the work of creation, upkeep and dissolution to the inner life of every living being. It is found in the Prakṛti Khaṇḍa of the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, chapter 65. Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa taught it to Nārada in the account of Sūratha.

The setting

Nārada asked Nārāyaṇa Muni to tell him the stotra and the kavaca of Durgā Devī. Nārāyaṇa said that Bhagavān Kṛshṇa himself made this stotra when he worshipped Durgā in the Rāsamaṇḍala in the month of Caitra. This began the practice of worshipping Durgā before all else.

After Kṛshṇa, others worshipped her in turn:

  • Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu worshipped her before he fought Madhu and Kaiṭabha.
  • Bhagavān Brahmā worshipped her when he was in danger for his prāṇa (life-breath).
  • Bhagavān Śiva worshipped her before the war with Tripurāsura.
  • Indra worshipped her before he fought Vṛtrāsura.
  • The devas who had lost their high places worshipped her.
  • After them, ṛshis and kings, among them Sūratha, worshipped her.

In every kalpa this worship goes on.

The stotra

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa’s stotra begins with these words, here in plain English.

Mother of all

“O Durgā, you are the mother of all, Mūlaprakṛti, Īśvarī. At the start of sṛshṭi (creation) you were the first to be born. You are the form of sattva, rajas and tamas.”

You are truly nirguṇā (beyond the guṇas). Yet for the sake of divine work and for your devotees you take form as saguṇā, the eternal and shining one who always gives grace to devotees. All forms in this world are your forms alone. You are the Īśvarī of all beings in the world. You are the support of everything. You are the parāt-parā (beyond the highest). All causes are you alone. You are the one all should worship. You need no support. You are sarvajñā (all-knowing). You are sarvato-bhadra (good in every direction). You alone are sarvamaṅgala-maṅgala (the auspiciousness of all that is auspicious). You are the form of all intelligence. You are the form of all śakti. You are the devatā who gives all jñāna. You are the bhāvinī of all. All of this is you alone.

In yajña, dāna and daily life

When offerings such as caru (cooked rice) are given to the devas in yajña, you are present as Svāhā, the wife of Agni. In the pitṛ-yajña (rite for the ancestors) you are Svadhā. In all gifts (dāna) you appear as Dakshiṇā, the form of all śakti.

Nidrā (sleep), dayā (compassion), tṛshṇā (thirst), kshudhā (hunger), kshamā (forgiveness), śānti (peace), eternal sṛshṭi, śraddhā (faith), pushṭi (nourishment), tandrā (drowsiness), hrī (modesty), śobhā (radiance) and dayā: all these are your forms.

To those who have gathered puṇya you appear as ānanda (joy). To those who do pāpa you appear as the seed of kalaha (quarrel). To sat-purushas (good people) you appear as sampada (prosperity). To dushṭas (wicked people) you appear as āpada (calamity). To all living beings you appear as the śakti of karma (karmamayī śakti).

When the devas lost their places, you gave them back their stations. For the devas you destroyed all the rākshasas.

Yoganidrā and the śaktis

You are Yoganidrā, the form of yoga and the form of siddhi. You give siddhi and you grant yoga. All of this is you.

You are Brahmā’s śakti as Brāhmaṇī. You are Maheśvara’s śakti as Māheśvarī. You are Vishṇu’s māyā as Vaishṇavī. You are Bhadrakālī, who is fearsome to all the worlds.

In village, home and battle

O Mother, in every village you appear as the grāmadevatā (village deity). In every home you appear as Gṛhalakshmī. The good name of the sat-purushas and the blame on the dushṭas: these too are your forms.

In great battles you appear as Mahāmārī, who destroys the wicked. You protect the righteous like a mother. Bhagavān Brahmā and all the devas always praise you.

In every part of life

You are the brahma-tejas (radiance of Brahman) of the brāhmaṇas. You are tapas for the munis. You are vidyā (learning) for the learned. You are buddhi (intellect) for the wise. You are medhā (memory of learning) and the form of smṛti (memory). For those with pratibhā (brilliance) you are pratibhā. For kings you are pratāpa (majestic power). For merchants you are trade. In sṛshṭi you are the form of creation. In sthiti (upkeep) you appear as the protector.

At pralaya

In the time of pralaya (dissolution) you appear as Mahāmārī. Kālarātrī, Mahārātrī and Moharātrī are all your forms.

You are my own māyā-rūpiṇī (form of māyā), whom no one can pass beyond. So through you this whole world is held under the power of moha (delusion). Because of this, even a learned man, like an unlearned one, does not strive for the path to moksha.

The phalaśruti

  • One who recites this stotra regularly during pūjā gains all siddhis.
  • A woman who has no child, or who has lost her children again and again, will without fail get a good son if she hears this stotra regularly for a year.
  • A person who is in prison or bound in heavy chains will be freed from bondage if they recite this stotra for a month.
  • A person afflicted with kshaya-roga (tuberculosis), kushṭha-roga (leprosy), disease of the belly or another serious illness will be freed from the disease if they hear this stotra every day for a year.
  • A person separated from a loved one will be united again if they recite it steadily for a month.
  • In royal courts, burning grounds, great forests, battlefields, near fearsome animals, in fire disasters or in any calamity, reciting this stotra removes all difficulties.
  • Even a person who is very poor, or foolish, will become rich and learned if they recite it for a year.

Sources

  • Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapter 65