Namo Devyai Mahadevyai — Benefits & How to Chant
नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Namo Devyai Mahadevyai
A pure act of namaskara (salutation) to the Goddess in all her names and forms
Invokes the Mother as Mahadevi, Shiva, Prakriti, Gauri, Kalyani, Siddhi and Durga together
Believed to draw the grace of the invincible Aparajita Devi who removes all calamity
Cultivates humility and surrender as the heart bows again and again 'namo namah'
Forms the sacred opening of the 'Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu' stuti recited during Navaratri
Recited for protection, auspiciousness, growth (vriddhi) and spiritual attainment (siddhi)
How to Chant Namo Devyai Mahadevyai
Instructions
Sit before an image or yantra of Durga with a lit lamp, fold the hands in reverence, and recite these salutation verses after 'Om'. They are most powerful when chanted as the opening of the full Tantrokta Devi Suktam, flowing into the 'Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu' litany. Let each 'namah' be an inward bow. This stuti is part of daily Durga worship and is recited at the close of the Durga Saptashati during the nine nights of Navaratri.
Spiritual Significance
It is said that the gods' recitation of this stuti on the Himalaya so pleased the Goddess that she manifested as Ambika from the sheath of Parvati's body — radiant as Gauri — to undertake the slaying of Shumbha and Nishumbha. Devotees hold that those who bow with these salutations are likewise never abandoned by the Aparajita ('unconquered') Devi, who comes to the aid of all who remember her.
Origin & History
Source: Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmyam) Chapter 5 — Tantrokta Devi Suktam / Aparajita Stuti, verses 7-10; from the Markandeya Purana
Author: Sage Markandeya (traditional)
When the asuras Shumbha and Nishumbha seized the three worlds and the offices of the gods, the deities, cast out and defeated, went to the Himalaya and called to mind the invincible Goddess (Aparajita), who had promised to end their direst calamities whenever remembered. There, beside Himavan, lord of mountains, they extolled her as Vishnu-maya with the Tantrokta Devi Suktam, beginning with these salutations — 'Namo Devyai Mahadevyai' — that lead into the celebrated 'Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu' litany.