durgadevidurga-saptashatimahishasura

𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌣𑌂 𑌮𑍂𑌢 (𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍀 𑌕𑍀 𑌲𑌲𑌕𑌾𑌰 𑌔𑌰 𑌮𑌹𑌿𑌷𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰-𑌵𑌧)

Garja Garja Kshanam Mudha (The Devi's Challenge and the Slaying of Mahishasura) in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 During Navaratri (especially Ashtami and Navami), or on Tuesdays at dawn·📜 Durga Saptashati Chapter 3

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Durga Saptashati Chapter 3 · Sage Markandeya (Markandeya Purana) · c. 400–600 CE (Markandeya Purana)

After the Goddess had destroyed Mahishasura's vast armies and his generals, Mahishasura himself, repeatedly changing his shape between buffalo, lion, man and elephant, attacked her. The Devi, intoxicated with the battle, drank the divine madhu, hurled her defiant challenge, and finally pinned him underfoot and severed his head as he tried to escape his buffalo form, ending the hundred-year tyranny of the asuras.

✦ As told in scripture

Devotees recount that recalling this scene — the Goddess crushing the shape-shifting demon underfoot — has emboldened the weak and fearful to stand firm against bullies and oppressors, as if borrowing Durga's own conquering valour in their hour of need.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌣𑌂 𑌮𑍂𑌢 𑌮𑌧𑍁 𑌯𑌾𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌬𑌾𑌮𑍍𑌯𑌹𑌮𑍍 । 𑌮𑌯𑌾 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌿 𑌹𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍈𑌵 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌶𑍁 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌤𑌾𑌃 ॥

devyuvāca garja garja kṣaṇaṃ mūḍha madhu yāvatpibāmyaham mayā tvayi hate'traiva garjiṣyantyāśu devatāḥ

Meaning:The Devi said: 'Roar, roar your fill for a moment, O fool, while I drink this wine. When you are slain by me here, the gods themselves shall soon roar in triumph.' The Rishi said: Having spoken thus, she sprang up and, mounting upon that great asura, pressed his neck with her foot and struck him with her trident. Then, pressed down by her foot, he came forth half-out from his own buffalo mouth, wholly overpowered by the Devi's valour. Fighting thus, only half-emerged, that great asura was felled by the Devi, who cut off his head with her great sword.

Verse 2

𑌋𑌷𑌿𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚 𑌏𑌵𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌯 𑌸𑌾𑌰𑍂𑌢𑌾 𑌤𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌮𑍍 । 𑌪𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌨𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑍇 𑌚 𑌶𑍂𑌲𑍇𑌨𑍈𑌨𑌮𑌤𑌾𑌡𑌯𑌤𑍍 ॥

ṛṣiruvāca evamuktvā samutpatya sārūḍhā taṃ mahāsuram pādenākramya kaṇṭhe ca śūlenainamatāḍayat

Verse 3

𑌤𑌤𑌃 𑌸𑍋𑌽𑌪𑌿 𑌪𑌦𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌯𑌾 𑌨𑌿𑌜𑌮𑍁𑌖𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌦𑌾 । 𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤 𑌏𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍀𑌦𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌵𑍀𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌣 𑌸𑌂𑌵𑍃𑌤𑌃 ॥

tataḥ so'pi padākrāntastayā nijamukhāttadā ardhaniṣkrānta evāsīddevyā vīryeṇa saṃvṛtaḥ

Verse 4

𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤 𑌏𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍗 𑌯𑍁𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍋 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌃 । 𑌤𑌯𑌾 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌸𑌿𑌨𑌾 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌶𑌿𑌰𑌶𑍍𑌛𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌨𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌤𑌃 ॥

ardhaniṣkrānta evāsau yudhyamāno mahāsuraḥ tayā mahāsinā devyā śiraśchittvā nipātitaḥ

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊devyuvācaThe Devi (Goddess) said

𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜 𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜🔊garja garjaRoar, roar (bellow your fill)

𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌣𑌮𑍍🔊kṣaṇamFor a moment

𑌮𑍂𑌢🔊mūḍhaO fool, O deluded one

𑌮𑌧𑍁 𑌯𑌾𑌵𑌤𑍍 𑌪𑌿𑌬𑌾𑌮𑌿 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑍍🔊madhu yāvat pibāmi ahamWhile I drink this wine (madhu)

𑌮𑌯𑌾 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌿 𑌹𑌤𑍇🔊mayā tvayi hateWhen you are slain by me

𑌅𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌏𑌵🔊atra evaRight here, in this very place

𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌜𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌆𑌶𑍁 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌤𑌾𑌃🔊garjiṣyanti āśu devatāḥThe gods shall soon roar (in triumph)

𑌋𑌷𑌿𑌰𑍁𑌵𑌾𑌚🔊ṛṣiruvācaThe Rishi (sage) said

𑌏𑌵𑌮𑍍 𑌉𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌯🔊evam uktvā samutpatyaHaving said this, springing up

𑌸𑌾𑌰𑍂𑌢𑌾 𑌤𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌮𑍍🔊sārūḍhā taṃ mahāsuramMounting upon that great asura

𑌪𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌨 𑌆𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑍇🔊pādena ākramya kaṇṭhePressing his neck with her foot

𑌶𑍂𑌲𑍇𑌨 𑌏𑌨𑌮𑍍 𑌅𑌤𑌾𑌡𑌯𑌤𑍍🔊śūlena enam atāḍayatStruck him with her trident

𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌧𑌨𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌃🔊ardha-niṣkrāntaḥOnly half-emerged (from the buffalo's mouth)

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌸𑌿𑌨𑌾 𑌶𑌿𑌰𑌃 𑌛𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌨𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌤𑌃🔊mahāsinā śiraḥ chittvā nipātitaḥFelled, his head cut off with her great sword

Benefits of Chanting Garja Garja Kshanam Mudha (The Devi's Challenge and the Slaying of Mahishasura)

✦

Invokes the Goddess as Mahishasura-Mardini, the fearless slayer of evil

✦

Instils courage and resolve to confront and overcome one's inner and outer demons

✦

The Devi's defiant words inspire confidence in certain victory over adharma

✦

Recited for protection against enemies and obstacles that change shape and persist

✦

Powerful during Navaratri, especially on Maha Ashtami and Navami

✦

Reminds the devotee that the divine always triumphs over arrogance and tyranny

How to Chant Garja Garja Kshanam Mudha (The Devi's Challenge and the Slaying of Mahishasura)

Repetitions11times

Best TimeDuring Navaratri (especially Ashtami and Navami), or on Tuesdays at dawn

Prefix with the Saptashati seed mantra 'Om Aim Hrim Klim Chamundayai Vichche' and chant with vigour and devotion, picturing the Goddess astride the demon in her moment of victory. These verses are recited to draw on Durga's conquering energy when facing persistent difficulties. Best chanted as part of the Mahishasura-Mardini narrative or during the third chapter path of the Durga Saptashati.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Garja Garja Kshanam Mudha (The Devi's Challenge and the Slaying of Mahishasura) written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

They describe the final slaying of Mahishasura, the buffalo-demon. The Devi challenges him to roar while he can, then leaps upon him, holds down his neck with her foot, strikes him with her trident and beheads him with her sword as he is caught half-emerged from his buffalo form.

Mahishasura had been boasting and bellowing in the pride of his strength, repeatedly changing forms. The Devi's words 'Roar, roar your fill, O fool' are a fearless challenge declaring that his arrogance is about to end and that the gods will soon roar in triumph at his death.

It is the very deed that earns the Goddess the title Mahishasura-Mardini, 'the slayer of Mahishasura'. The popular Mahishasura-Mardini Stotra (Aigiri Nandini) celebrates this same victory described in the third chapter of the Durga Saptashati.