durgastotramsanskritkalika

𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌿𑌕𑌾 𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌮𑍍

Kalika Ashtakam in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Morning or evening; especially Fridays·📜 Ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya · Adi Shankaracharya · Classical

The Kalika Ashtakam is traditionally ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya. Eight verses to Goddess Kalika (Kali) by Adi Shankaracharya — beginning with a meditation on Her fierce, dark, liberating form, garlanded with skulls, the Mother who devours time and grants fearlessness.

✦ As told in scripture

It is said that to recite the Kalika Ashtakam with a sincere and devoted heart is to draw near to the grace of the Lord, who never forsakes those who lovingly call upon Him.

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The Mantra

Tap any line — or the ▶ button — to hear it recited

𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌮𑍍 । 𑌗𑌲𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍁𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌾𑌵𑌲𑍀𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑌮𑌾𑌲𑌾 𑌮𑌹𑍋𑌘𑍋𑌰𑌰𑌾𑌵𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌦𑌂𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌲𑌾 । 𑌵𑌿𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌶𑍍𑌮𑌶𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌲𑌯𑌾 𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌕𑍇𑌶𑍀 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌕𑍁𑌲𑌾 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌯𑌮𑍍 ॥ ௧॥ 𑌭𑍁𑌜𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌯𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌮𑍇 𑌶𑌿𑌰𑍋𑌽𑌸𑌿𑌂 𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌨𑌾 𑌵𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌯𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌮𑍇𑌽𑌭𑌯𑌂 𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌥𑍈𑌵 । 𑌸𑍁𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌽𑌪𑌿 𑌤𑍁𑌙𑍍𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌨𑌾 𑌭𑌾𑌰𑌨𑌮𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌲𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍃𑌕𑍍𑌕𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌯𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾 ॥ ௨॥ 𑌶𑌵𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌾𑌵𑌤𑌂𑌸𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌕𑍇𑌶𑍀 𑌲𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍍𑌰𑍇𑌤𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌿𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑍈𑌕𑌕𑌾𑌞𑍍𑌚𑍀 । 𑌶𑌵𑌾𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌮𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌧𑌿𑌰𑍂𑌢𑌾 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌭𑌿𑌶𑍍- 𑌚𑌤𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌶𑌬𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌽𑌭𑌿𑌰𑍇𑌜𑍇 ॥ ௩॥ ॥ 𑌅𑌥 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁𑌤𑌿𑌃 ॥ 𑌵𑌿𑌰𑌞𑍍𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌗𑍁𑌣𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌨𑍍 𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌾𑌲𑍀𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌧𑌾𑌨𑌾 𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌬𑍁𑌃 । 𑌅𑌨𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌂 𑌮𑌖𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌂 𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௧॥ 𑌜𑌗𑌨𑍍𑌮𑍋𑌹𑌿𑌨𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌤𑍁 𑌵𑌾𑌗𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌨𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌹𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍋𑌷𑌿𑌣𑍀𑌶𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌸𑌂𑌹𑌾𑌰𑌣𑍀𑌯𑌮𑍍 । 𑌵𑌚𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍𑌭𑌨𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌟𑌨𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௨॥ 𑌇𑌯𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌗𑌦𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌪𑍁𑌨𑌃 𑌕𑌲𑍍𑌪𑌵𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍀 𑌮𑌨𑍋𑌜𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌤𑍍 । 𑌤𑌥𑌾 𑌤𑍇 𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥𑌾 𑌭𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍀𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௩॥ 𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌨𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌾 𑌸𑍁𑌭𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌨𑍁𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌾 𑌲𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌪𑍂𑌤𑌚𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌸𑌦𑌾𑌵𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌭𑌵𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇 । 𑌜𑌪𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌪𑍂𑌜𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌧𑌾𑌧𑍗𑌤𑌪𑌙𑍍𑌕𑌾 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௪॥ 𑌚𑌿𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌕𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌂 𑌹𑌸𑌨𑍍 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌂 𑌶𑌰𑌚𑍍𑌚𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌕𑍋𑌟𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌾𑌪𑍁𑌞𑍍𑌜𑌬𑌿𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌮𑍍 । 𑌮𑍁𑌨𑍀𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌕𑌵𑍀𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌿 𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌤𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௫॥ 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌮𑍇𑌘𑌕𑌾𑌲𑍀 𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌶𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌰𑌾 𑌕𑌦𑌾𑌚𑌿𑌦𑍍 𑌵𑌿𑌚𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌗𑌮𑌾𑌯𑌾 । 𑌨 𑌬𑌾𑌲𑌾 𑌨 𑌵𑍃𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌾 𑌨 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௬॥ 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌧𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌗𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌂 𑌮𑌯𑌾 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌶𑌿𑌕𑍃𑌤𑌂 𑌯𑌤𑍍 । 𑌤𑌵 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌪𑍂𑌤𑍇𑌨 𑌚𑌾𑌪𑌲𑍍𑌯𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌤𑍍 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௭॥ (𑌫𑌲𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌤𑌿𑌃) 𑌯𑌦𑌿 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌦𑍍 𑌯𑍋 𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍- 𑌤𑌦𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌲𑍋𑌕𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑌾𑌲𑍋 𑌭𑌵𑍇𑌚𑍍𑌚 । 𑌗𑍃𑌹𑍇 𑌚𑌾𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌸𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌧𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍇 𑌚𑌾𑌪𑌿 𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍀𑌯𑌂 𑌨 𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃 ॥ ௮॥ ॥ 𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌮𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌙𑍍𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌚𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌿𑌰𑌚𑌿𑌤𑌂 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌲𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌮𑍍 ॥

dhyānam | galadraktamuṇḍāvalīkaṇṭhamālā mahoghorarāvā sudaṃṣṭrā karālā | vivastrā śmaśānālayā muktakeśī mahākālakāmākulā kālikeyam || 1|| bhujevāmayugme śiro'siṃ dadhānā varaṃ dakṣayugme'bhayaṃ vai tathaiva | sumadhyā'pi tuṅgastanā bhāranamrā lasadraktasṛkkadvayā susmitāsyā || 2|| śavadvandvakarṇāvataṃsā sukeśī lasatpretapāṇiṃ prayuktaikakāñcī | śavākāramañcādhirūḍhā śivābhiś- caturdikṣuśabdāyamānā'bhireje || 3|| || atha stutiḥ || virañcyādidevāstrayaste guṇāstrīn samārādhya kālīṃ pradhānā babhūbuḥ | anādiṃ surādiṃ makhādiṃ bhavādiṃ svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 1|| jaganmohinīyaṃ tu vāgvādinīyaṃ suhṛtpoṣiṇīśatrusaṃhāraṇīyam | vacastambhanīyaṃ kimuccāṭanīyaṃ svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 2|| iyaṃ svargadātrī punaḥ kalpavallī manojāstu kāmān yathārthaṃ prakuryāt | tathā te kṛtārthā bhavantīti nityaṃ svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 3|| surāpānamattā subhaktānuraktā lasatpūtacitte sadāvirbhavatte | japadhyānapūjāsudhādhautapaṅkā svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 4|| cidānandakandaṃ hasan mandamandaṃ śaraccandrakoṭiprabhāpuñjabimbam | munīnāṃ kavīnāṃ hṛdi dyotayantaṃ svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 5|| mahāmeghakālī suraktāpi śubhrā kadācid vicitrākṛtiryogamāyā | na bālā na vṛddhā na kāmāturāpi svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 6|| kṣamasvāparādhaṃ mahāguptabhāvaṃ mayā lokamadhye prakāśikṛtaṃ yat | tava dhyānapūtena cāpalyabhāvāt svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 7|| (phalaśrutiḥ) yadi dhyānayuktaṃ paṭhed yo manuṣyas- tadā sarvaloke viśālo bhavecca | gṛhe cāṣṭasiddhirmṛte cāpi muktiḥ svarūpaṃ tvadīyaṃ na vindanti devāḥ || 8|| || iti śrīmacchaṅkarācāryaviracitaṃ śrīkālikāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam ||

Meaning:Eight verses to Goddess Kalika (Kali) by Adi Shankaracharya — beginning with a meditation on Her fierce, dark, liberating form, garlanded with skulls, the Mother who devours time and grants fearlessness.

Benefits of Chanting Kalika Ashtakam

✦

Recitation of the Kalika Ashtakam is held to bring the grace, blessings and protection of the Lord.

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Cultivates devotion, calms the mind and steadies the heart in the Lord’s remembrance.

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Most auspicious on Fridays, and during Navaratri and Fridays.

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A short, melodious hymn that anyone can learn and recite daily with faith.

How to Chant Kalika Ashtakam

Repetitions1times

Best TimeMorning or evening; especially Fridays

FaceEast or North

Bathe and sit facing east or north before an image of the deity. Light a lamp and recite the Kalika Ashtakam slowly and with devotion. It may be chanted daily, or especially during Navaratri and Fridays. Conclude with a prayer for grace and protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Kalika Ashtakam written in the Grantha 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.

Eight verses to Goddess Kalika (Kali) by Adi Shankaracharya — beginning with a meditation on Her fierce, dark, liberating form, garlanded with skulls, the Mother who devours time and grants fearlessness.

It is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (Ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya). It is recited in the morning or evening with devotion, and especially on Fridays and during Navaratri and Fridays.

Origin & Story

The Mantra

Benefits of Chanting Kalika Ashtakam

How to Chant Kalika Ashtakam

Frequently Asked Questions

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