The forty-verse Hindi hymn to Durga, running through her forms, her seats of worship and the demons she overcame.
Follows the widely printed Hindi text, cross-checked against the digital edition at sanskritdocuments.org (durga40). That page also prints a second, older mula-patha whose spellings differ; the numbered text is the one carried here.
Not included here
This transliterates the script letter for letter - it is not a pronunciation guide. The inherent vowel is always written (हनुमान → hanumāna), so every akshara on screen has exactly one syllable under it. Hindi and Awadhi text uses ISO 15919, because IAST has no symbol for ड़ at all - so here कृपा is kr̥pā and बड़ाई is baṛāī.
नमो नमो दुर्गे सुख करनी
नमो नमो दुर्गे दुःख हरनी
namo namo durge sukha karanī
namo namo durge duḥkha haranī
Homage, homage to Durga who makes ease; homage, homage to Durga who takes sorrow away.
Durga Chalisa · 1/41
निरंकार है ज्योति तुम्हारी
तिहूँ लोक फैली उजियारी
niraṁkāra hai jyoti tumhārī
tihūm̐ loka phailī ujiyārī
Your light is without form, and its brightness has spread through all three worlds.
शशि ललाट मुख महाविशाला
नेत्र लाल भृकुटि विकराला
śaśi lalāṭa mukha mahāviśālā
netra lāla bhr̥kuṭi vikarālā
The moon is on your brow and your face is vast; your eyes are red and your brows are terrible.
रूप मातु को अधिक सुहावे
दरश करत जन अति सुख पावे
rūpa mātu ko adhika suhāve
daraśa karata jana ati sukha pāve
Mother, your form is exceedingly lovely, and those who look on it come into great ease.
तुम संसार शक्ति लै कीना
पालन हेतु अन्न धन दीना
tuma saṁsāra śakti lai kīnā
pālana hetu anna dhana dīnā
You made the world by taking up power, and for its keeping you gave grain and wealth.
अन्नपूर्णा हुई जग पाला
तुम ही आदि सुन्दरी बाला
annapūrṇā huī jaga pālā
tuma hī ādi sundarī bālā
As Annapurna you nourished the world; you yourself are the first Bala Sundari.
प्रलयकाल सब नाशन हारी
तुम गौरी शिवशंकर प्यारी
pralayakāla saba nāśana hārī
tuma gaurī śivaśaṁkara pyārī
At the time of dissolution you undo everything; you are Gauri, dear to Shiva Shankara.
शिव योगी तुम्हरे गुण गावें
ब्रह्मा विष्णु तुम्हें नित ध्यावें
śiva yogī tumhare guṇa gāveṁ
brahmā viṣṇu tumheṁ nita dhyāveṁ
Shiva and the yogis sing your qualities; Brahma and Vishnu meditate on you every day.
रूप सरस्वती को तुम धारा
दे सुबुद्धि ऋषि मुनिन उबारा
rūpa sarasvatī ko tuma dhārā
de subuddhi r̥ṣi munina ubārā
You took the form of Sarasvati and, giving sound judgement, lifted the rishis and sages up.
धरयो रूप नरसिंह को अम्बा
परगट भई फाड़कर खम्बा
dharayo rūpa narasiṁha ko ambā
paragaṭa bhaī phāṛakara khambā
Amba, you took the form of Narasimha and came forth, splitting the pillar open.
रक्षा करि प्रह्लाद बचायो
हिरण्याक्ष को स्वर्ग पठायो
rakṣā kari prahlāda bacāyo
hiraṇyākṣa ko svarga paṭhāyo
You stood guard over Prahlada and saved him, and sent Hiranyaksha to heaven.
लक्ष्मी रूप धरो जग माहीं
श्री नारायण अंग समाहीं
lakṣmī rūpa dharo jaga māhīṁ
śrī nārāyaṇa aṁga samāhīṁ
You took the form of Lakshmi in the world and were joined to the side of Shri Narayana.
क्षीरसिन्धु में करत विलासा
दयासिन्धु दीजै मन आसा
kṣīrasindhu meṁ karata vilāsā
dayāsindhu dījai mana āsā
You take your ease in the ocean of milk; ocean of compassion, give my heart what it hopes for.
हिंगलाज में तुम्हीं भवानी
महिमा अमित न जात बखानी
hiṁgalāja meṁ tumhīṁ bhavānī
mahimā amita na jāta bakhānī
At Hinglaj it is you, Bhavani; your greatness is beyond measure and cannot be told out.
मातंगी अरु धूमावति माता
भुवनेश्वरी बगला सुख दाता
mātaṁgī aru dhūmāvati mātā
bhuvaneśvarī bagalā sukha dātā
You are Matangi and mother Dhumavati; you are Bhuvaneshvari and Bagala, the giver of ease.
श्री भैरव तारा जग तारिणी
छिन्न भाल भव दुःख निवारिणी
śrī bhairava tārā jaga tāriṇī
chinna bhāla bhava duḥkha nivāriṇī
You are Bhairavi and Tara who ferries the world across; as Chhinnamasta you put away the sorrow of existence.
केहरि वाहन सोह भवानी
लांगुर वीर चलत अगवानी
kehari vāhana soha bhavānī
lāṁgura vīra calata agavānī
Bhavani, you ride in state upon a lion, and the hero Langur goes before you in welcome.
कर में खप्पर खड्ग विराजै
जाको देख काल डर भाजै
kara meṁ khappara khaḍga virājai
jāko dekha kāla ḍara bhājai
The skull-bowl and the sword shine in your hands; seeing them, even Time takes fright and runs.
सोहै अस्त्र और त्रिशूला
जाते उठत शत्रु हिय शूला
sohai astra aura triśūlā
jāte uṭhata śatru hiya śūlā
Your weapons and your trident shine, and at the sight of them a pang rises in the enemy's heart.
नगरकोट में तुम्हीं विराजत
तिहुँलोक में डंका बाजत
nagarakoṭa meṁ tumhīṁ virājata
tihum̐loka meṁ ḍaṁkā bājata
At Nagarkot it is you who are enthroned; your drum sounds through all three worlds.
शुम्भ निशुम्भ दानव तुम मारे
रक्तबीज शंखन संहारे
śumbha niśumbha dānava tuma māre
raktabīja śaṁkhana saṁhāre
You killed the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha, and made an end of Raktabija and Shankha.
महिषासुर नृप अति अभिमानी
जेहि अघ भार मही अकुलानी
mahiṣāsura nr̥pa ati abhimānī
jehi agha bhāra mahī akulānī
Mahishasura the king was swollen with pride, and under the weight of his wrongdoing the earth was in anguish.
रूप कराल कालिका धारा
सेन सहित तुम तिहि संहारा
rūpa karāla kālikā dhārā
sena sahita tuma tihi saṁhārā
You took the fearsome form of Kalika and destroyed him together with his army.
परी गाढ़ सन्तन पर जब जब
भई सहाय मातु तुम तब तब
parī gāṛha santana para jaba jaba
bhaī sahāya mātu tuma taba taba
Whenever hardship fell upon the holy ones, mother, you came to their aid then and there.
अमरपुरी अरु बासव लोका
तब महिमा सब रहें अशोका
amarapurī aru bāsava lokā
taba mahimā saba raheṁ aśokā
Amarapuri and the world of Vasava - by your greatness they all stay untouched by grief.
ज्वाला में है ज्योति तुम्हारी
तुम्हें सदा पूजें नर-नारी
jvālā meṁ hai jyoti tumhārī
tumheṁ sadā pūjeṁ nara-nārī
At Jwala it is your flame that burns; men and women worship you always.
प्रेम भक्ति से जो यश गावें
दुःख दारिद्र निकट नहिं आवें
prema bhakti se jo yaśa gāveṁ
duḥkha dāridra nikaṭa nahiṁ āveṁ
The verse says that for whoever sings your fame with love and devotion, sorrow and poverty do not come near.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
ध्यावे तुम्हें जो नर मन लाई
जन्म-मरण ताकौ छुटि जाई
dhyāve tumheṁ jo nara mana lāī
janma-maraṇa tākau chuṭi jāī
The verse says that whoever meditates on you with a settled mind is let go of birth and rebirth.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
जोगी सुर मुनि कहत पुकारी
योग न हो बिन शक्ति तुम्हारी
jogī sura muni kahata pukārī
yoga na ho bina śakti tumhārī
Yogis, gods and sages cry aloud that without your power there is no yoga at all.
शंकर आचारज तप कीनो
काम अरु क्रोध जीति सब लीनो
śaṁkara ācāraja tapa kīno
kāma aru krodha jīti saba līno
Shankaracharya performed austerity and won a victory over desire and anger alike.
निशिदिन ध्यान धरो शंकर को
काहु काल नहिं सुमिरो तुमको
niśidina dhyāna dharo śaṁkara ko
kāhu kāla nahiṁ sumiro tumako
Night and day he held Shankara in meditation, and at no time called you to mind.
शक्ति रूप का मरम न पायो
शक्ति गई तब मन पछितायो
śakti rūpa kā marama na pāyo
śakti gaī taba mana pachitāyo
He did not reach the secret of the form of Shakti; when his power went from him his mind was full of regret.
शरणागत हुई कीर्ति बखानी
जय जय जय जगदम्ब भवानी
śaraṇāgata huī kīrti bakhānī
jaya jaya jaya jagadamba bhavānī
He came into your shelter and told out your renown: victory, victory, victory to Jagadamba Bhavani.
भई प्रसन्न आदि जगदम्बा
दई शक्ति नहिं कीन विलम्बा
bhaī prasanna ādi jagadambā
daī śakti nahiṁ kīna vilambā
The first Jagadamba was pleased, and gave his power back to him without any delay.
मोको मातु कष्ट अति घेरो
तुम बिन कौन हरै दुःख मेरो
moko mātu kaṣṭa ati ghero
tuma bina kauna harai duḥkha mero
Mother, hardship has closed in around me; who but you will carry off my sorrow?
आशा तृष्णा निपट सतावें
मोह मदादिक सब बिनशावें
āśā tr̥ṣṇā nipaṭa satāveṁ
moha madādika saba binaśāveṁ
Hope and craving torment me utterly; delusion, pride and the rest - undo them all.
शत्रु नाश कीजै महारानी
सुमिरौं इकचित तुम्हें भवानी
śatru nāśa kījai mahārānī
sumirauṁ ikacita tumheṁ bhavānī
Great queen, make an end of what stands against me; Bhavani, I hold you in mind with a single thought.
करो कृपा हे मातु दयाला
ऋद्धि-सिद्धि दै करहु निहाला
karo kr̥pā he mātu dayālā
r̥ddhi-siddhi dai karahu nihālā
Show your grace, compassionate mother; give riches and attainment, and make me glad.
जब लगि जिऊँ दया फल पाऊँ
तुम्हरो यश मैं सदा सुनाऊँ
jaba lagi jiūm̐ dayā phala pāūm̐
tumharo yaśa maiṁ sadā sunāūm̐
As long as I live, let me have the fruit of your compassion, and I shall tell out your fame always.
श्री दुर्गा चालीसा जो कोई गावै
सब सुख भोग परमपद पावै
śrī durgā cālīsā jo koī gāvai
saba sukha bhoga paramapada pāvai
The verse says that whoever sings this Durga Chalisa enjoys every comfort and attains the highest state.
This promise belongs to the hymn. AstroZivi makes no claim that reciting it produces any outcome, health-related or otherwise.
देवीदास शरण निज जानी
करहु कृपा जगदम्ब भवानी
devīdāsa śaraṇa nija jānī
karahu kr̥pā jagadamba bhavānī
Devidas knows himself to be in your shelter: show your grace, Jagadamba Bhavani.
Your place is kept on this device. Finishing a reading records one repetition on the jaap counter - which is also what stops today's chant reminder from nudging you again.
Traditionally recited through the nine nights of Navaratri and on Tuesdays and Fridays. One complete reading counts as one repetition on the counter below.
The text here is centuries old and in the public domain, but a recording of it carries a separate copyright: s.27 of India's Copyright Act gives a sound recording 60 years from publication, independent of the age of the work recorded. Well-known recitations are therefore still protected. AstroZivi will add audio only when it is either commissioned under a written agreement or covered by a verifiable Creative Commons licence.
The text shown here is public domain and reproduced verbatim; the English and Hindi meanings are AstroZivi's own prose, not a copy of any published translation. Where a verse promises an outcome, that promise belongs to the hymn - AstroZivi makes no claim, health-related or otherwise, that reciting it produces any result. For educational purposes.