Mahalakshmi Dhyana (Aksasrak Parashum)
Mahalakshmi Dhyana (Aksasrak Parashum) in English · English
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✦ Meaning
This is the famous dhyana (meditation) verse of Mahalakshmi as she appears in the middle episode (Madhyama Charita) of the Durga Saptashati — the eighteen-armed warrior Goddess who is the slayer of the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. The verse names each of the eighteen weapons and emblems she bears, from the rosary and lotus to the trident, noose and Sudarshana discus, and beholds her serene face as she sits upon the lotus. It is recited as the dhyana before the Saptashati's middle charita and as a powerful meditation on the Goddess in her victorious form.
Origin & Story
Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmyam) — dhyana of the Madhyama Charita · Traditional (Markandeya Purana tradition) · Classical
In the Durga Saptashati the Devi Mahatmyam unfolds in three charitas, each presided over by a great form of the Goddess — Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. This verse is the dhyana of Mahalakshmi, the deity of the middle episode, in which the Goddess took shape from the combined splendour of all the gods and, bearing each of their weapons in her eighteen arms, rode forth to destroy the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. The dhyana is recited to behold and meditate upon that very form before reciting the chapters of her victory.
✦ As told in scripture
It is told in the Devi Mahatmyam that when no god could overcome Mahishasura, their concentrated radiance became this eighteen-armed Goddess, who received a weapon from each deity and slew the demon who had conquered the heavens — and devotees hold that to meditate on this form through the dhyana is to place oneself under the guard of all those divine weapons at once.
The Mantra
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om akṣa-srak-paraśuṃ gadeṣu-kuliśaṃ padmaṃ dhanuṣ-kuṇḍikāṃ daṇḍaṃ śaktim-asiṃ ca carma jala-jaṃ ghaṇṭāṃ surā-bhājanam | śūlaṃ pāśa-sudarśane ca dadhatīṃ hastaiḥ prasannānanāṃ seve sairibha-mardinīm-iha mahālakṣmīṃ saroja-sthitām ||
Meaning:I worship Mahalakshmi, seated upon the lotus, the slayer of the buffalo-demon (Mahishasura), of serene and gracious countenance — who holds in her hands the rosary, the battle-axe, the mace, the arrow and the thunderbolt; the lotus, the bow and the water-pot; the staff, the spear, the sword and the shield; the conch, the bell and the vessel of nectar; the trident, the noose and the Sudarshana discus.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Mahalakshmi Dhyana (Aksasrak Parashum)
The canonical dhyana of the eighteen-armed Mahalakshmi, slayer of Mahishasura, from the Durga Saptashati
Fixes the complete victorious form of the Goddess — with all her weapons — in the mind for meditation
Recited as the meditation verse before the middle charita of a Durga Saptashati / Chandi Path
Invokes both Lakshmi's abundance and Durga's protective, demon-slaying power
Bestows courage, victory over enemies and obstacles, and well-being
Especially chanted during Navaratri and on Tuesdays and Fridays
How to Chant Mahalakshmi Dhyana (Aksasrak Parashum)
Sit facing east or north before an image of the Goddess. Recite this dhyana with concentration, visualising Mahalakshmi seated on the lotus, serene-faced, bearing each of the eighteen weapons and emblems named in the verse. It is traditionally chanted as the meditation verse opening the middle episode of a Chandi Path, and may also be repeated 9 or 108 times on its own.
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Read the full Mahalakshmi Dhyana (Aksasrak Parashum) with verse-by-verse meaning, or explore more sacred texts