Saraswati Chalisa सरस्वती चालीसा

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1. Opening dohas
2. Doha (opening) 1

   जनक जननि पद कमल रज, निज मस्तक पर धारि।बन्दौं मातु सरस्वती, बुद्धि बल दे दातारि॥

   janaka janani pada kamala raja, nija mastaka para dhāri।bandauṃ mātu sarasvatī, buddhi bala de dātāri॥

   Taking the dust of my father's and mother's feet upon my head, I bow to Mother Saraswati, giver of the strength of wisdom.

3. Doha (opening) 2

   पूर्ण जगत में व्याप्त तव, महिमा अमित अनंतु।रामसागर के पाप को, मातु तुही अब हन्तु॥

   pūrṇa jagata meṃ vyāpta tava, mahimā amita anantu।rāmasāgara ke pāpa ko, mātu tuhī aba hantu॥

   Your glory pervades and fills the whole world, immeasurable and endless — Mother, now put an end to the sins of Ramsagar.

4. The 39 chaupais
5. Chaupai 1

   जय श्री सकल बुद्धि बलरासी।जय सर्वज्ञ अमर अविनासी॥

   jaya śrī sakala buddhi balarāsī।jaya sarvajña amara avināsī॥

   Victory to Shri, the treasure-mound of all wisdom and strength; victory to the all-knowing, immortal, imperishable one.

6. Chaupai 2

   जय जय जय वीणाकर धारी।करती सदा सुहंस सवारी॥

   jaya jaya jaya vīṇākara dhārī।karatī sadā suhaṃsa savārī॥

   Victory, victory, victory to the one who holds the veena in her hand; she ever rides upon the beautiful swan.

7. Chaupai 3

   रूप चतुर्भुजधारी माता।सकल विश्व अन्दर विख्याता॥

   rūpa caturbhujadhārī mātā।sakala viśva andara vikhyātā॥

   The Mother's form bears four arms; she is renowned throughout the whole universe.

8. Chaupai 4

   जग में पाप बुद्धि जब होती।जबहि धर्म की फीकी ज्योती॥

   jaga meṃ pāpa buddhi jaba hotī।jabahi dharma kī phīkī jyotī॥

   Whenever sinful thinking arises in the world, and the light of dharma grows dim,

9. Chaupai 5

   तबहि मातु ले निज अवतारा।पाप हीन करती महि तारा॥

   tabahi mātu le nija avatārā।pāpa hīna karatī mahi tārā॥

   then the Mother takes birth in her own incarnation, freeing the earth of sin and carrying it across.

10. Chaupai 6

    बाल्मीकि जी थे बहम ज्ञानी।तव प्रसाद जानै संसारा॥

    bālmīki jī the bahama jñānī।tava prasāda jānai saṃsārā॥

    Sage Valmiki was a man of great wisdom; the world knows this was by your grace.

11. Chaupai 7

    रामायण जो रचे बनाई।आदि कवी की पदवी पाई॥

    rāmāyaṇa jo race banāī।ādi kavī kī padavī pāī॥

    He composed and completed the Ramayana, and thereby earned the title of the first poet.

12. Chaupai 8

    कालिदास जो भये विख्याता।तेरी कृपा दृष्टि से माता॥

    kālidāsa jo bhaye vikhyātā।terī kṛpā dṛṣṭi se mātā॥

    Kalidasa, too, became renowned, Mother, through your merciful glance.

13. Chaupai 9

    तुलसी सूर आदि विद्धाना।भये और जो ज्ञानी नाना॥

    tulasī sūra ādi viddhānā।bhaye aura jo jñānī nānā॥

    Tulsidas, Surdas, and other scholars, and every other wise soul who ever lived,

14. Chaupai 10

    तिन्हहिं न और रहेउ अवलम्बा।केवल कृपा आपकी अम्बा॥

    tinhahiṃ na aura raheu avalambā।kevala kṛpā āpakī ambā॥

    had no other support to rely on — it was your grace alone, O Mother.

15. Chaupai 11

    करहु कृपा सोइ मातु भवानी।दुखित दीन निज दासहि जानी॥

    karahu kṛpā soi mātu bhavānī।dukhita dīna nija dāsahi jānī॥

    Show that same grace, Mother Bhavani, knowing this humble servant to be sorrowful and poor.

16. Chaupai 12

    पुत्र करै अपराध बहूता।तेहि न धरइ चित सुन्दर माता॥

    putra karai aparādha bahūtā।tehi na dharai cita sundara mātā॥

    Even if a child commits many faults, a good mother does not hold them against him.

17. Chaupai 13

    राखु लाज जननी अब मेरी।विनय करूं बहु भाँति घनेरी॥

    rākhu lāja jananī aba merī।vinaya karūṃ bahu bhām̐ti ghanerī॥

    Preserve my honor now, O Mother; I offer you my humble prayer in many ways.

18. Chaupai 14

    मैं अनाथ तेरी अवलंबा।कृपा करउ जय जय जगदंबा॥

    maiṃ anātha terī avalaṃbā।kṛpā karau jaya jaya jagadaṃbā॥

    I am orphaned, dependent on you alone; show mercy, victory, victory to the Mother of the world.

19. Chaupai 15

    मधु कैटभ जो अति बलवाना।बाहुयुद्ध विष्णू ते ठाना॥

    madhu kaiṭabha jo ati balavānā।bāhuyuddha viṣṇū te ṭhānā॥

    Madhu and Kaitabha, who were exceedingly powerful, took up hand-to-hand combat with Vishnu.

20. Chaupai 16

    समर हजार पांच में घोरा।फिर भी मुख उनसे नहिं मोरा॥

    samara hajāra pāṃca meṃ ghorā।phira bhī mukha unase nahiṃ morā॥

    The terrible battle raged for five thousand years, yet still he did not turn his face from them.

21. Chaupai 17

    मातु सहाय भई तेहि काला।बुद्धि विपरीत करी खलहाला॥

    mātu sahāya bhaī tehi kālā।buddhi viparīta karī khalahālā॥

    At that time the Mother came to his aid, and turned the wicked pair's own reason against them.

22. Chaupai 18

    तेहि ते मृत्यु भई खल केरी।पुरवहु मातु मनोरथ मेरी॥

    tehi te mṛtyu bhaī khala kerī।puravahu mātu manoratha merī॥

    By that, death came to those two demons — Mother, fulfil this longing of mine as well.

23. Chaupai 19

    चंड मुण्ड जो थे विख्याता।छण महुं संहारेउ तेहि माता॥

    caṃḍa muṇḍa jo the vikhyātā।chaṇa mahuṃ saṃhāreu tehi mātā॥

    Chanda and Munda, who were notorious demons — the Mother destroyed them in an instant.

24. Chaupai 20

    रक्तबीज से समरथ पापी।सुर-मुनि हृदय धरा सब कांपी॥

    raktabīja se samaratha pāpī।sura-muni hṛdaya dharā saba kāṃpī॥

    Raktabija, a sinner of such might that the hearts of gods and sages alike trembled with fear,

25. Chaupai 21

    काटेउ सिर जिम कदली खम्बा।बार बार बिनवउं जगदंबा॥

    kāṭeu sira jima kadalī khambā।bāra bāra binavauṃ jagadaṃbā॥

    you severed his head as easily as a banana stalk — again and again I offer my prayer to you, Mother of the world.

26. Chaupai 22

    जग प्रसिद्ध जो शुंभ निशुंभा।छिन में बधे ताहि तू अम्बा॥

    jaga prasiddha jo śuṃbha niśuṃbhā।china meṃ badhe tāhi tū ambā॥

    Shumbha and Nishumbha, so famed throughout the world — you, O Mother, slew them both in an instant.

27. Chaupai 23

    भरत-मातु बुधि फेरेउ जाई।रामचन्द्र बनवास कराई॥

    bharata-mātu budhi phereu jāī।rāmacandra banavāsa karāī॥

    You turned Bharata's mother's mind, and so brought about Ramachandra's exile to the forest —

28. Chaupai 24

    एहि विधि रावन वध तुम कीन्हा।सुर नर मुनि सब कहुं सुख दीन्हा॥

    ehi vidhi rāvana vadha tuma kīnhā।sura nara muni saba kahuṃ sukha dīnhā॥

    it was by this design that you brought about Ravana's death, and gave joy to gods, men, and sages alike.

29. Chaupai 25

    को समरथ तव यश गुन गाना।निगम अनादि अनंत बखाना॥

    ko samaratha tava yaśa guna gānā।nigama anādi ananta bakhānā॥

    Who has the power to sing your fame and virtues? The scriptures themselves declare them beginningless and endless.

30. Chaupai 26

    विष्णु रूद्र अज सकहिं न मारी।जिनकी हो तुम रक्षाकारी॥

    viṣṇu rūdra aja sakahiṃ na mārī।jinakī ho tuma rakṣākārī॥

    Not even Vishnu, Rudra, or Brahma (the unborn) can slay one whom you have chosen to protect.

31. Chaupai 27

    रक्त दन्तिका और शताक्षी।नाम अपार है दानव भक्षी॥

    rakta dantikā aura śatākṣī।nāma apāra hai dānava bhakṣī॥

    As Raktadantika and Shatakshi your names are countless — devourer of demons.

32. Chaupai 28

    दुर्गम काज धरा पर कीन्हा।दुर्गा नाम सकल जग लीन्हा॥

    durgama kāja dharā para kīnhā।durgā nāma sakala jaga līnhā॥

    You accomplished the hardest of tasks upon this earth, and so the whole world came to call you Durga.

33. Chaupai 29

    दुर्ग आदि हरनी तू माता।कृपा करहु जब जब सुखदाता॥

    durga ādi haranī tū mātā।kṛpā karahu jaba jaba sukhadātā॥

    You are the remover of hardship and every trouble, Mother — show your mercy again and again, giver of happiness.

34. Chaupai 30

    नृप कोपित जो मारन चाहै।कानन में घेरे मृग नाहै॥

    nṛpa kopita jo mārana cāhai।kānana meṃ ghere mṛga nāhai॥

    When an angry king seeks to kill, or wild beasts surround one in the forest,

35. Chaupai 31

    सागर मध्य पोत के भंगे।अति तूफान नहिं कोऊ संगे॥

    sāgara madhya pota ke bhaṃge।ati tūphāna nahiṃ koū saṃge॥

    when a ship is wrecked in the middle of the ocean amid a fierce storm with no one at one's side,

36. Chaupai 32

    भूत प्रेत बाधा या दुःख में।हो दरिद्र अथवा संकट में॥

    bhūta preta bādhā yā duḥkha meṃ।ho daridra athavā saṃkaṭa meṃ॥

    or one is troubled by ghosts and spirits, or is poor, or caught in any difficulty —

37. Chaupai 33

    नाम जपे मंगल सब होई।संशय इसमें करइ न कोई॥

    nāma jape maṃgala saba hoī।saṃśaya isameṃ karai na koī॥

    chanting your name brings about every good — let no one doubt this.

38. Chaupai 34

    पुत्रहीन जो आतुर भाई।सबै छांड़ि पूजें एहि माई॥

    putrahīna jo ātura bhāī।sabai chāṃḍi pūjeṃ ehi māī॥

    One who is childless and distressed should set everything else aside and worship this Mother alone.

39. Chaupai 35

    करै पाठ नित यह चालीसा।होय पुत्र सुन्दर गुण ईसा॥

    karai pāṭha nita yah cālīsā।hoya putra sundara guṇa īsā॥

    One who recites this Chalisa daily is blessed with a son of fine form and noble qualities.

40. Chaupai 36

    धूपादिक नैवेद्य चढावै।संकट रहित अवश्य हो जावै॥

    dhūpādika naivedya caḍhāvai।saṃkaṭa rahita avaśya ho jāvai॥

    One who offers incense and other food offerings to her is certainly freed of all troubles.

41. Chaupai 37

    भक्ति मातु की करै हमेशा।निकट न आवै ताहि कलेशा॥

    bhakti mātu kī karai hameśā।nikaṭa na āvai tāhi kaleśā॥

    One who is ever devoted to the Mother is never approached by suffering.

42. Chaupai 38

    बंदी पाठ करें शत बारा।बंदी पाश दूर हो सारा॥

    baṃdī pāṭha kareṃ śata bārā।baṃdī pāśa dūra ho sārā॥

    If a prisoner recites it a hundred times, every bond of his captivity falls away.

43. Chaupai 39

    करहु कृपा भवमुक्ति भवानी।मो कहं दास सदा निज जानी॥

    karahu kṛpā bhavamukti bhavānī।mo kahaṃ dāsa sadā nija jānī॥

    Grant me freedom from this worldly bondage, Bhavani — knowing me always as your own servant.

44. Closing dohas
45. Doha (closing) 1

    माता सूरज कान्ति तव, अंधकार मम रूप।डूबन ते रक्षा करहु, परूं न मैं भव-कूप॥

    mātā sūraja kānti tava, andhakāra mama rūpa।ḍūbana te rakṣā karahu, parūṃ na maiṃ bhava-kūpa॥

    Mother, your radiance is like the sun, while my nature is darkness itself; save me from drowning, so that I do not sink into this well of worldly existence.

46. Doha (closing) 2

    बल बुद्धि विद्या देहुं मोहि, सुनहु सरस्वति मातु।अधम रामसागरहिं तुम, आश्रय देउ पुनातु॥

    bala buddhi vidyā dehuṃ mohi, sunahu sarasvati mātu।adhama rāmasāgarahiṃ tuma, āśraya deu punātu॥

    Grant me strength, wisdom, and learning — hear me, Mother Saraswati; give shelter and sanctify this lowly Ramsagar.