भवानीभुजङ्गम् — Benefits & How to Chant
भवानीभुजङ्गम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting भवानीभुजङ्गम्
Promises victory over the fear of death and the attainment of liberation (verse 14)
Bestows poetic genius (kavitva), eloquence (vagmitva) and sharp intellect (medha) (verse 15)
Grants both worldly enjoyment (bhoga) and final liberation (moksha), as Bhavani is Bhoga-Moksha-prada
A complete head-to-foot (or foot-to-head) meditation on the Goddess, ideal for visualisation
Aids the inner ascent of awareness from the Muladhara through the chakras to the Sahasrara
Cultivates deep devotion and the spirit of total surrender (sharanagati) to the Divine Mother
Brings prosperity (Shri) and the protective grace of the Goddess's compassionate side-glances
How to Chant भवानीभुजङ्गम्
Instructions
Sit before an image or Sri Chakra of the Goddess after bathing. Recite the seventeen verses slowly with a composed, devoted mind (the hymn itself says it should be read 'samadhaya chittam' — with a settled mind). Follow the description from her feet upward through the chakras, visualising each form, and end in the spirit of surrender of the closing verses. It is traditionally recited daily; concluding with the final 'Bhavani tvam eka gatir me Bhavani' as a heartfelt prayer.
Spiritual Significance
The hymn itself declares its fruit: one who recites it daily with a settled, devoted mind 'conquers death, attains wisdom and prosperity, and in another body wins liberation.' Devotees cherish the seventeenth verse as a lifeline — calling Bhavani the only boat across the ocean of existence — and recount finding refuge and rescue in her grace through its constant repetition.
Origin & History
Source: Devotional hymn attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (Sri Vidya / Shakta tradition)
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
The Bhavani Bhujangam belongs to Adi Shankaracharya's celebrated 'Bhujangam' hymns, composed in the serpentine Bhujanga-prayata metre. Like the Soundarya Lahari, it fuses tender devotion with the esoteric science of Sri Vidya and Kundalini yoga: the poet traces the Goddess's presence from the root chakra up the Sushumna to the crown, praising her at once as the beautiful Mother and as the Para-Shakti beyond mind and speech. It closes with one of the most moving surrenders in Shakta literature.