Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam — Benefits & How to Chant
श्री राजराजेश्वर्यष्टकम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam
Invokes Sri Rajarajeshwari (Lalita Tripurasundari) as the supreme sovereign Goddess
Promises 'samrajya-lakshmi'
imperial fortune, prosperity and abundance
The phalashruti assures unbroken aishwarya (prosperity) and ultimately moksha (liberation)
Gathers the Devi's many forms
Parvati, Kali, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Varahi — into one worship
Bestows the Mother's gracious kataksha (sidelong glance) of blessing
Especially auspicious during Navaratri and on Fridays for the Devi's grace
Cultivates one-pointed devotion and the bliss (ananda) the hymn celebrates
How to Chant Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam
Instructions
Bathe and sit before an image or Sri Chakra of the Goddess. Light a lamp and offer kumkum and flowers. Recite the eight verses with attention to the recurring refrain 'Chidrupi Paradevata Bhagavati Sri Rajarajeshwari', letting the mind rest on the Goddess as pure Consciousness (chit). Nine or eleven recitations on Fridays and through the nine nights of Navaratri are especially recommended for her grace and prosperity.
Spiritual Significance
Devotees of Sri Rajarajeshwari hold that sincere daily recitation of this Ambashtakam draws the Mother's kataksha — her single glance of grace that the hymn says 'beautifies' the reciter — bringing about sudden turns of fortune, the lifting of long-standing want, and at the last, as the phalashruti promises, the gift of liberation.
Origin & History
Source: Stotra attributed to Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of Advaita Vedanta, was also a supreme devotee of the Divine Mother and composed numerous Shakta hymns. In the Rajarajeshwari Ashtakam he addresses the Goddess as the highest sovereignty (Rajarajeshwari) and as pure Consciousness (chidrupi), weaving together her countless names and forms — Saguna in description yet Nirguna in essence. The hymn reflects his vision that the Mother of the universe and the formless Brahman are one.