durgadeviarjunamahabharata

අර්ජුනකෘත දුර්ගා ස්තෝත්රම්

अर्जुनकृत दुर्गा स्तोत्रम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Early morning at dawn (brahma-muhurta); before any important undertaking, journey or contest; during Navaratri·📜 Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, Chapter 23 (Bhagavad-Gita Parva, the chapter preceding the Gita)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, Chapter 23 (Bhagavad-Gita Parva, the chapter preceding the Gita) · Veda Vyasa (the hymn spoken by Arjuna at Krishna's bidding) · Itihasa (Epic) period

On the field of Kurukshetra, as the great armies of the Pandavas and Kauravas stood arrayed for war, Lord Krishna turned to Arjuna and said, 'For the destruction of your enemies, invoke the Goddess Durga.' Arjuna at once stepped down from the chariot and, with folded hands, praised the Goddess by her many names — Siddha-senani, Kali, Bhadrakali, Mahakali, Chandi, Katyayani, Vijaya, Kaushiki, and the slayer of Mahishasura. Pleased by his devotion, the Goddess appeared before him in the heavens, granted him the boon of certain victory, and vanished. Reassured of triumph, Arjuna took up his bow — and it was then that the immortal teaching of the Bhagavad Gita began.

✦ As told in scripture

The Mahabharata records that the Goddess, manifesting in the sky, told Arjuna, 'In a short time you shall conquer your foes, O Pandava; you have Narayana himself as your aid, and you are invincible even to the gods.' Tradition holds that any sincere devotee who recites this hymn at dawn gains the same shelter of the Goddess — freedom from fear, and victory in every righteous endeavour.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

නමස්තේ සිද්ධසේනානි ආර්යේ මන්දරවාසිනි. කුමාරි කාලි කාපාලි කපිලේ කෘෂ්ණපිඞ්ගලේ..

namaste siddha-senāni ārye mandara-vāsini | kumāri kāli kāpāli kapile kṛṣṇa-piṅgale ||

Meaning:हे सिद्धों की सेना की सेनापति! हे मन्दराचल पर निवास करने वाली आर्ये! आपको नमस्कार है — हे कुमारि, हे कालि, हे कापालि, हे कपिले, हे कृष्णपिङ्गले!

Verse 2

භද්රකාලි නමස්තුභ්යං මහාකාලි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ. චණ්ඩි චණ්ඩේ නමස්තුභ්යං තාරිණි වරවර්ණිනි..

bhadrakāli namas-tubhyaṃ mahākāli namo'stu te | caṇḍi caṇḍe namas-tubhyaṃ tāriṇi vara-varṇini ||

Meaning:हे मङ्गलमयी भद्रकालि, आपको नमस्कार; हे महाकालि, आपको नमस्कार हो; हे चण्डि, हे चण्डे, आपको नमस्कार; हे तारिणि, हे वरवर्णिनि!

Verse 3

කාත්යායනි මහාභාගේ කරාලි විජයේ ජයේ. ශිඛිපිච්ඡධ්වජධරේ නානාභරණභූෂිතේ..

kātyāyani mahā-bhāge karāli vijaye jaye | śikhi-piccha-dhvaja-dhare nānā-bharaṇa-bhūṣite ||

Meaning:हे महाभाग्यशालिनी कात्यायनि, हे करालि, हे विजये, हे जये! हे मयूरपिच्छ की ध्वजा धारण करने वाली, नाना आभूषणों से विभूषित देवि!

Verse 4

අට්ටශූලප්රහරණේ ඛඩ්ගඛේටකධාරිණි. ගෝපේන්ද්රස්යානුජේ ජ්යේෂ්ඨේ නන්දගෝපකුලෝද්භවේ..

aṭṭa-śūla-praharaṇe khaḍga-kheṭaka-dhāriṇi | gopendrasyānuje jyeṣṭhe nanda-gopa-kulodbhave ||

Meaning:हे विकराल शूल (त्रिशूल) धारण करने वाली, हे खड्ग और ढाल धारिणि! हे गोपेन्द्र (कृष्ण) की अनुजा, हे ज्येष्ठे, हे नन्दगोप के कुल में जन्म लेने वाली!

Verse 5

මහිෂාසෘක්ප්රියේ නිත්යං කෞශිකි පීතවාසිනි. අට්ටහාසේ කෝකමුඛේ නමස්තේ(අ)ස්තු රණප්රියේ..

mahiṣāsṛk-priye nityaṃ kauśiki pīta-vāsini | aṭṭa-hāse koka-mukhe namas-te'stu raṇa-priye ||

Meaning:हे महिषासुर के रक्त से सदा प्रसन्न रहने वाली, हे पीताम्बरधारिणी कौशिकि! हे अट्टहास करने वाली, हे (विकराल) कोकमुखी! हे रणप्रिये, आपको नमस्कार हो!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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නමස්තේ සිද්ධසේනානි🔊namaste siddha-senānisalutations to You, the commander of the army of the Siddhas (perfected ones)

ආර්යේ මන්දරවාසිනි🔊ārye mandara-vāsiniO noble one, who dwells upon the Mandara mountain

කුමාරි🔊kumāriO ever-youthful virgin (Kumari)

කාලි කාපාලි🔊kāli kāpāliO dark one (Kali), bearer of skulls (Kapali)

කපිලේ කෘෂ්ණපිඞ්ගලේ🔊kapile kṛṣṇa-piṅgaleO tawny-hued one, dark and reddish-brown in form

භද්රකාලි නමස්තුභ්යං🔊bhadrakāli namas-tubhyaṃO auspicious Bhadrakali, salutations to You

මහාකාලි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ🔊mahākāli namo'stu teO great Mahakali, may my obeisance be unto You

චණ්ඩි චණ්ඩේ🔊caṇḍi caṇḍeO fierce Chandi, O wrathful one

තාරිණි වරවර්ණිනි🔊tāriṇi vara-varṇiniO deliverer (who carries beings across), of most excellent complexion

කාත්යායනි මහාභාගේ🔊kātyāyani mahā-bhāgeO Katyayani, the greatly fortunate and glorious one

කරාලි විජයේ ජයේ🔊karāli vijaye jayeO fearsome one, O Vijaya (victory) and Jaya (triumph)

ශිඛිපිච්ඡධ්වජධරේ🔊śikhi-piccha-dhvaja-dhareO bearer of the banner adorned with peacock feathers

නානාභරණභූෂිතේ🔊nānā-bharaṇa-bhūṣiteO You who are adorned with manifold ornaments

අට්ටශූලප්රහරණේ🔊aṭṭa-śūla-praharaṇeO wielder of a great and terrible spear (trident)

ඛඩ්ගඛේටකධාරිණි🔊khaḍga-kheṭaka-dhāriṇiO bearer of the sword and shield

ගෝපේන්ද්රස්ය අනුජේ ජ්යේෂ්ඨේ🔊gopendrasyānuje jyeṣṭheO younger sister of the lord of cowherds (Krishna), O elder one

නන්දගෝපකුලෝද්භවේ🔊nanda-gopa-kulodbhaveO You who took birth in the house of the cowherd Nanda

මහිෂාසෘක්ප්රියේ නිත්යං🔊mahiṣāsṛk-priye nityaṃO You ever pleased by the blood of the buffalo-demon (Mahishasura)

කෞශිකි පීතවාසිනි🔊kauśiki pīta-vāsiniO Kaushiki, clad in yellow garments

අට්ටහාසේ කෝකමුඛේ🔊aṭṭa-hāse koka-mukheO You of loud laughter, with a face (fierce) like a wolf

නමස්තේ අස්තු රණප්රියේ🔊namas-te'stu raṇa-priyesalutations be unto You, O lover of battle

Benefits of Chanting अर्जुनकृत दुर्गा स्तोत्रम्

✦

Recited before battles and great undertakings for assured victory, as granted to Arjuna

✦

Invokes the protection of Goddess Durga in her fierce, demon-slaying forms

✦

Bestows courage, fearlessness and strength to face every difficulty

✦

Said to free the devotee who rises at dawn and recites it from all fear and danger

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Removes obstacles and the influence of enemies and hostile forces

✦

A direct prayer from the Mahabharata, blessed by the very victory of the Pandavas

How to Chant अर्जुनकृत दुर्गा स्तोत्रम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeEarly morning at dawn (brahma-muhurta); before any important undertaking, journey or contest; during Navaratri

As Arjuna did, stand or sit facing the rising sun, fold your hands, and recite the verses with full faith and a warrior's resolve. According to the Mahabharata, one who rises at dawn and recites this hymn is freed from fear at all times and gains victory. It is especially powerful when chanted before a difficult task, examination, journey, or any contest, with the mind surrendered to the Goddess as the giver of victory.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete अर्जुनकृत दुर्गा स्तोत्रम् written in the Sinhala 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.

It is the prayer to Goddess Durga offered by Arjuna at the start of the Kurukshetra war, on the instruction of Lord Krishna. It is recorded in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata (Chapter 23), in the section that comes just before the Bhagavad Gita, and is also known as the Durga Stava.

As the two armies stood ready, Krishna told Arjuna to invoke the Goddess Durga for victory over his foes. Arjuna alighted from the chariot and recited this hymn; pleased with his devotion, the Goddess appeared in the sky and assured him of triumph, after which the Bhagavad Gita was spoken.

The Mahabharata itself states that whoever rises early and recites this hymn to the Goddess is freed from all fear and gains victory, prosperity and protection. It is traditionally chanted before battles, journeys, examinations and any great undertaking to win success and overcome obstacles.

The hymn identifies the Goddess with Yoganidra, who took birth in the household of the cowherd Nanda as the daughter exchanged for the infant Krishna. This is why she is praised as the younger sister of Krishna (Gopendra) and as one 'born in the family of Nanda the cowherd' (Nandagopakulodbhava).