durgakatyayanidevishakti

ශ්රී දුර්ගාෂ්ටකම්

श्री दुर्गाष्टकम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 Navaratri (especially Ashtami and Navami), Fridays, and at dawn·📜 Traditional Shakta hymn (Durga stotra literature)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Shakta hymn (Durga stotra literature) · Unknown (traditional) · Puranic era

The Durga Ashtakam belongs to the rich body of devotional octets composed in praise of the Divine Mother. It draws its imagery from the Devi Mahatmya and the Bhagavata: Durga as Katyayani who slays Mahishasura, as Yogamaya born sister to Krishna, as the four Vedas embodied, and as the eight-armed warrior Goddess worshipped on the Ashtami and Navami of Navaratri. Its compact form has made it a favourite for daily recitation and for the great autumn Navaratri festival.

✦ As told in scripture

Worshippers recite the Durga Ashtakam on Maha-Ashtami night when the Goddess is believed to be most present; countless devotees attest that earnest recitation through Navaratri turned away grave difficulties and fulfilled long-cherished prayers, in keeping with the hymn's promise that the reciter 'obtains all his desires'.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

කාත්යායනි මහාමායේ ඛඩ්ගබාණධනුර්ධරි. ඛඩ්ගධාරිණි චණ්ඩි දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..1..

katyayani mahamaye khadga-bana-dhanur-dhari | khadga-dharini chandi durga-devi namo'stu te ||1||

Meaning:हे कात्यायनी, महामाये, खड्ग-बाण-धनुष धारण करने वाली, खड्गधारिणी चण्डी — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 2

වසුදේවසුතේ කාලි වාසුදේවසහෝදරි. වසුන්ධරේ ශ්රියේ දුර්ගේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..2..

vasudeva-sute kali vasudeva-sahodari | vasundhare shriye durge durga-devi namo'stu te ||2||

Meaning:हे वसुदेव की पुत्री काली, वासुदेव (कृष्ण) की सहोदरी, हे वसुन्धरा और श्री-स्वरूपा दुर्गे — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 3

යෝගනිද්රේ මහානිද්රේ යෝගමායේ මහේශ්වරි. යෝගසිද්ධිකරි ශුද්ධේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..3..

yoga-nidre maha-nidre yoga-maye maheshwari | yoga-siddhi-kari shuddhe durga-devi namo'stu te ||3||

Meaning:हे योगनिद्रा, हे महानिद्रा, हे योगमाया, महेश्वरी, योगसिद्धि देने वाली, शुद्धस्वरूपा — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 4

ශඞ්ඛචක්රගදාපාණේ ශාර්ඞ්ගාද්යායුධබාහවේ. පීතාම්බරධරේ ධන්යේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..4..

shankha-chakra-gada-pane sharngadyayudha-bahave | pitambara-dhare dhanye durga-devi namo'stu te ||4||

Meaning:हे शङ्ख, चक्र और गदा धारण करने वाली, शार्ङ्ग आदि आयुधों से युक्त बाहुओं वाली, पीताम्बरधारिणी, धन्ये — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 5

ඍග්යජුඃසාමාථර්වාණශ්චතුඃසාමන්තලෝකිනි. බ්රහ්මස්වරූපිණි බ්රාහ්මි දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..5..

rig-yajuh-samatharvanash chatuh-samanta-lokini | brahma-svarupini brahmi durga-devi namo'stu te ||5||

Meaning:हे ऋक्, यजुः, साम और अथर्व — चारों वेदस्वरूपा, सब लोकों में व्याप्त, ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी ब्राह्मी — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 6

වෘෂ්ණීනාං කුලසම්භූතේ විෂ්ණුනාථසහෝදරි. වෘෂ්ණිරූපධරේ ධන්යේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..6..

vrishninam kula-sambhute vishnu-natha-sahodari | vrishni-rupa-dhare dhanye durga-devi namo'stu te ||6||

Meaning:हे वृष्णिकुल में जन्म लेने वाली, विष्णुनाथ की सहोदरी, वृष्णिरूपधारिणी, धन्ये — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 7

සර්වජ්ඤේ සර්වගේ ශර්වේ සර්වේශේ සර්වසාක්ෂිණි. සර්වාමෘතජටාභාරේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..7..

sarvajne sarvage sharve sarveshe sarva-sakshini | sarvamrita-jata-bhare durga-devi namo'stu te ||7||

Meaning:हे सर्वज्ञे, सर्वव्यापिनी, शर्वे, सर्वेश्वरी, सब की साक्षिणी, समस्त अमृत से युक्त जटा धारण करने वाली — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 8

අෂ්ටබාහු මහාසත්ත්වේ අෂ්ටමීනවමීප්රියේ. අට්ටහාසප්රියේ භද්රේ දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ..8..

ashta-bahu mahasattve ashtami-navami-priye | attahasa-priye bhadre durga-devi namo'stu te ||8||

Meaning:हे अष्टभुजा महासत्त्वा, अष्टमी-नवमी तिथि की प्रिया, अट्टहास में रमने वाली, भद्रे — हे देवि दुर्गे, आपको नमस्कार है!

Verse 9

දුර්ගාෂ්ටකමිදං පුණ්යං භක්තිතෝ යඃ පඨේන්නරඃ. සර්වකාමමවාප්නෝති දුර්ගාලෝකං ස ගච්ඡති..

durgashtakam idam punyam bhaktito yah pathen narah | sarva-kamam avapnoti durga-lokam sa gacchati ||

Meaning:जो मनुष्य भक्तिपूर्वक इस पवित्र दुर्गाष्टक का पाठ करता है, वह समस्त कामनाओं को प्राप्त करता है और दुर्गालोक को जाता है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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කාත්යායනි🔊katyayaniO Katyayani — the Goddess born in the lineage of sage Katyayana

මහාමායේ🔊mahamayeO great power of cosmic illusion (Maha-Maya)

ඛඩ්ගබාණධනුර්ධරි🔊khadga-bana-dhanur-dhariBearer of the sword, arrow and bow

චණ්ඩි🔊chandiO fierce Chandi

දුර්ගාදේවි නමෝ(අ)ස්තු තේ🔊durga-devi namo'stu teO Goddess Durga, salutations to you (the refrain ending each verse)

කාලි🔊kaliO Kali (the dark, all-devouring power of time)

වාසුදේවසහෝදරි🔊vasudeva-sahodariSister of Vasudeva (Krishna) — Yogamaya born to deliver him

වසුන්ධරේ ශ්රියේ🔊vasundhare shriyeO bearer of wealth (Earth) and prosperity (Shri/Lakshmi)

යෝගනිද්රේ🔊yoga-nidreO Yoganidra — the cosmic sleep of Vishnu

යෝගමායේ🔊yoga-mayeO Yogamaya — the divine power of yogic illusion

යෝගසිද්ධිකරි🔊yoga-siddhi-kariGranter of success in yoga and spiritual attainment

ශඞ්ඛචක්රගදාපාණේ🔊shankha-chakra-gada-paneHolding conch, discus and mace in your hands

පීතාම්බරධරේ🔊pitambara-dhareClad in yellow silken garments

ඍග්යජුඃසාමාථර්වාණ🔊rig-yajuh-samatharvanaYou are the four Vedas — Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva

බ්රහ්මස්වරූපිණි🔊brahma-svarupiniOne whose very form is Brahman / the sacred Veda

වෘෂ්ණීනාං කුලසම්භූතේ🔊vrishninam kula-sambhuteBorn in the clan of the Vrishnis (Krishna's lineage)

සර්වජ්ඤේ සර්වගේ🔊sarvajne sarvageO all-knowing, all-pervading one

සර්වසාක්ෂිණි🔊sarva-sakshiniThe witness of all (omniscient observer)

අෂ්ටබාහු🔊ashta-bahuThe eight-armed Goddess

අෂ්ටමීනවමීප්රියේ🔊ashtami-navami-priyeFond of the eighth and ninth lunar days (the Durga-puja tithis)

දුර්ගාලෝකං ස ගච්ඡති🔊durga-lokam sa gacchatiHe attains the abode of Durga (Devi-loka)

Benefits of Chanting श्री दुर्गाष्टकम्

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A complete, concise salutation to Durga in her principal forms — ideal for daily worship

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The phalashruti promises fulfilment of all righteous desires (sarva-kama)

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Recitation is said to lead the devotee to Durga-loka, the Goddess's abode

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Especially powerful when chanted on Ashtami and Navami during Navaratri

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Invokes Durga as Yogamaya — granter of success in yoga and spiritual practice

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Affords protection, courage and the destruction of inner and outer enemies

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Short enough to memorise, making consistent devotion easy

How to Chant श्री दुर्गाष्टकम्

Repetitions8times

Best TimeNavaratri (especially Ashtami and Navami), Fridays, and at dawn

Sit before an image of Durga, light a lamp and offer red flowers and kumkum. Recite the eight verses with devotion, dwelling on the refrain 'Durga-devi namo'stu te' at the close of each, and conclude with the phalashruti. Recitation is most fruitful during Navaratri — particularly on the eighth (Ashtami) and ninth (Navami) days, which the hymn itself names as dear to the Goddess. Eight or nine recitations daily through Navaratri is a traditional practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्री दुर्गाष्टकम् 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 an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn (ashtakam) addressed to Goddess Durga, beginning 'Katyayani Mahamaye'. Each verse praises a different aspect of the Goddess and ends with the salutation 'Durga-devi namo'stu te'.

In the Bhagavata tradition the Goddess took birth as Yogamaya, the sister of Krishna (Vasudeva's son), to protect him at his birth and announce the doom of Kamsa. So she is hailed as 'sister of Vasudeva/Vishnu', the same Yogamaya and Maha-Maya.

During Navaratri, and most especially on Ashtami and Navami — the eighth and ninth lunar days — which the hymn names as beloved of the Goddess (ashtami-navami-priye). It is also recited on Fridays and at dawn through the year.

The phalashruti (fruit-verse) declares that whoever recites this holy Durga Ashtakam with devotion 'obtains all his desires and goes to the abode of Durga' — promising both worldly fulfilment and ultimate residence with the Mother.