Sri Durga Ashtakam

The Sri Durga Ashtakam is a short prayer of eight verses, each closing with the same line, Durgadevi namostu te, salutations to you, Goddess Durga. A ninth verse gives the phala shruti. The text as given here does not name its author.

Verses 1 to 4: the armed goddess and Krishna's sister

The opening verse calls her Katyayani and Mahamaye, bearing sword, arrows and bow, and names her Chandi. Verse 2 draws on the Krishna story. She is Vasudeva-sute and Vasudeva-sahodari, counted as a daughter of Vasudeva's house and as Krishna's sister, the Yogamaya who took the newborn's place. Verse 3 continues with Yoganidra, Mahanidra and Yogamaya. In verse 4 she holds Vishnu's own conch, discus, mace and Sharnga bow and wears yellow silk, so the poem shows her in a clearly Vaishnava form.

Verses 5 to 8: Vedas, Vrishni clan and eight arms

Verse 5 links her with the four Vedas and calls her Brahmi. Verse 6 again places her in the Vrishni clan as Vishnu's sister. Verse 7 strings together names beginning with sarva, all-knowing and all-pervading, and gives her a crown of matted hair, a Shaiva touch. Verse 8 describes her as Ashtabahu, eight-armed, fond of Ashtami and Navami, and of the loud laugh called attahasa.

The closing verse and when it is read

The last verse says that whoever reads this sacred Durgashtakam with devotion obtains every wish and reaches the world of Durga. Because verse 8 names Ashtami and Navami, many families read it on those tithis, above all on Durgashtami and Mahanavami during Navaratri. It takes only a few minutes and fits easily into an evening lamp-lighting.