Listen and chant along
Play the video and follow the stotra text below.
devi krod'amukhi tvadanghrikamaladvandvaanuraktaatmane
mahyam druhyati yo maheshi manasaa kaayena vaachaa narah' |
tasyaashu tvadayogranisht'hurahalaaghaataprabhootavyathaa-
-paryasyanmanaso bhavantu vapushah' praanaah' prayaanonmukhaah' || 1 ||
devi tvatpadapadmabhaktivibhavapraksheenadushkarmani
praadurbhootanri'shamsabhaavamalinaam vri'ttim vidhatte mayi |
yo dehee bhuvane tadeeyahri'dayaannirgatvarairlohitaih'
sadyah' poorayase karaabjachashakam vaanchhaaphalairmaamapi || 2 ||
chand'ottund'avideernadamsht'rahri'dayaprodbhinnaraktachchhat'aa
haalaapaanamadaat't'ahaasaninadaat'opaprataapotkat'am |
maatarmatparipanthinaamapahri'taih' praanaistvadanghridvayam
dhyaanoddaamaravairbhavodayavashaatsantarpayaami kshanaat || 3 ||
shyaamaam taamarasaananaanghrinayanaam somaardhachood'aam jaga-
-ttraanavyagrahalaayudhaagramusalaam santraasamudraavateem |
ye tvaam raktakapaalineem haravaraarohe varaahaananaam
bhaavaih' sandadhate katham kshanamapi praananti teshaam dvishah' || 4 ||
vishvaadheeshvaravallabhe vijayase yaa tvam niyantryaatmikaa
bhootaantaa purushaayushaavadhikaree paakapradaakarmanaam |
tvaam yaache bhavateem kimapyavitatham yo madvirodheejana-
-stasyaayurmama vaanchhitaavadhibhavenmaatastavaivaajnyayaa || 5 ||
maatah' samyagupaasitum jad'amatistvaam naiva shaknomyaham
yadyapyanvitadaishikaanghrikamalaanukroshapaatrasya me |
jantuh' kashchana chintayatyakushalam yastasya tadvaishasam
bhooyaaddevi virodhino mama cha te shreyah' padaasanginah' || 6 ||
vaaraahee vyathamaanamaanasagalatsaukhyam tadaashaabalim
seedantam yamapaakri'taadhyavasitam praaptaakhilotpaaditam |
krandadbandhujanaih' kalankitatulam kant'havranodyatkri'mi
pashyaami pratipakshamaashu patitam bhraantam lut'hantam muhuh' || 7 ||
vaaraahee tvamasheshajantushu punah' praanaatmikaa spandase
shaktivyaaptacharaacharaa khalu yatastvaametadabhyarthaye |
tvatpaadaambujasangino mama sakri'tpaapam chikeershanti ye
teshaam maa kuru shankarapriyatame dehaantaraavasthitim || 8 ||
iti shree vaaraaheenigrahaasht'akam |
Meaning
What nigraha means
The Sri Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam is a set of eight verses in the long shardulavikriditam metre. Nigraha means restraint or punishment, and every verse asks Varahi to check those who intend harm to her devotee. It is often paired with the Varahi Anugraha Ashtakam, which asks for her favour instead. The text as given here does not name its author.
The verses
Verse 1 addresses her as Krodamukhi, the boar-faced one, and asks that the blow of her hard plough fall at once on anyone who wrongs the devotee in mind, body or speech. Verses 2 and 3 continue with fierce images of her cup and her roaring laughter. Verse 4 reads like a dhyana: dark-hued, with lotus-like face, eyes and feet, the half moon on her head, plough and pestle in hand, raktakapalini holding a skull, beloved of Hara, boar-faced. Those who meditate on her in this form, it says, cannot be outlived by their enemies for even a moment.
Verse 5 calls her Vishvadhishvaravallabhe, consort of the lord of the universe, who sets the span of human life and ripens the fruit of karma. Verse 6 is the humble one: the reciter admits he is dull and cannot worship her properly, though his guru's compassion rests on him, and asks that harm planned against him return to its source. Verse 7 pictures the fallen adversary. Verse 8 closes by calling her the life-breath that pulses in every creature, dearest to Shankara.
When it is read
Varahi upasakas recite it during Ashadha Varahi Navaratri and on Panchami days; a careful reading takes about six minutes. Because of its fierce wording, it is customarily learned from a guru.
Frequently asked questions
What does nigraha mean in the Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam?
How is Varahi described in the fourth verse of the Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam?
Why does the Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam keep mentioning the plough?
What makes the sixth verse of the Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam different?
In what metre is the Varahi Nigraha Ashtakam and how long does it take?
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