Mahamaya Ashtakam is a beautiful verse about the goddess Parvati, who is Mahamaya. The one who is the supreme illusion, and with pure devotion, she frees bhaktas to attain salvation. Sri Krishnadasa ji Maharaj, a saint from the Himalayas, wrote these verses in praise of Maa Bhagavati.
Mahamaya Ashtakam in Sanskrit
महामाय़ा अष्टकम्
भद्रकाली विश्वमाता जगत्स्रोतकारिणी
शिवपत्नी पापहर्त्री सर्वभूत तारिणी
स्कन्दमाता शिवा शिवा सर्वसृष्टि धारिणी
नमः नमः महामाया ! हिमालय-नन्दिनी ॥ १॥
नारीणां च शंखिन्यापि हस्तिनी वा चित्रिणी
पद्मगन्धा पुष्परूपा सम्मोहिनी पद्मिनी
मातृ -पुत्री- भग्नि -भार्या सर्वरूपा भवानी
नमः नमः महामाया ! भवभय-खण्डिनी ॥ २॥
पाप- ताप- भव- भय भूतेश्वरी कामिनी
तव-कृपा- सर्व-क्षय सर्वजना -वन्दिनी
प्रेम- प्रीति -लज्जा- न्याय नारीणां च मोहिनी
नमः नमः महामाया ! ॠण्डमाला -धारिणी ॥ ३॥
खड्ग -चक्र -हस्तेधारी शङ्खिनी- सुनादिनी
सम्मोहना -रूपा- नारी हृदय-विदारिणी
अहंकार- कामरूपा- भुवन-विलासिनी
नमः नमः महामाया ! जगत-प्रकाशिनी ॥ ४॥
लह्व -लह्व- तव -जिह्वा पापासुर मर्दिनी
खण्ड- गण्ड- मुण्ड -स्पृहा शोभाकान्ति वर्धिनी
अङ्ग- भङ्ग -रङ्ग -काया मायाछन्द छन्दिनी
नमः नमः महामाया ! दुःखशोक नाशिनी ॥ ५॥
धन- जन- तन -मान रूपेण त्वमं संस्थिता
काम -क्रोध- लोभ -मोह मद वापि मूढता
निद्राहार -काम -भय पशुतुल्य जीवनात्
नमः नमः महामाया ! कुरु मुक्त बन्धनात् ॥ ६॥
मैत्री -दया -लक्ष्मी -वृत्ति- अन्ते जीव लक्षणा
लज्जा-छाया-तृष्णा-क्षुधा बन्धनस्य-श कारणा
तुष्टि-बुद्धि-श्रद्धा-भक्ति सदा मुक्ति दायिका
शान्ति-भ्रान्ति-क्लान्ति-क्षान्ति तव रूपा अनेका
प्रीति-स्मृति-जाति-शक्ति-रूपा माया अभेद्या
नमः नमः महामाया ! नमस्त्वं महाविद्या ॥ ७॥
नवदुर्गा महाकाली सर्वाङ्गभूषावृत्तां
भुवनेश्वरी -मातङ्गी हन्तु मधुकैटभं
विमला तारा षोड़शी हस्ते खड्ग धारिणी
धुमावति -मा -बगला महिषासुर मर्दिनी
बालात्रिपुरसुन्दरी त्रिभुवन मोहिनी
नमः नमः महामाया ! सर्वदुःख हारिणी ॥ ८॥
मम माता लोके मर्त्त्य कृष्णदासः तव भृत्त्य
यदा तदा यथा तथा माया छिन्न मोक्षकथा
सदा सदा तव भिक्षा कृपा दीने भव रक्षा
नमः नमः महामाया कृष्णदासे तव दया ॥ ०॥
||इति श्री कृष्णदासः विरचितं महामाय़ा अष्टकम् य: पठति सः भव सागर निस्तरति||
Mahamaya Ashtakam in English with Meaning
Bhadrakaalee vishvamaataa jagatsrotakaarinee
Shivapatnee paapahartree sarvabhootataarinee
Skandamaataa shivaa shivaa sarvasrishtidhaarinee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 1..
O’ Bhadrakali, the mother of the entire universe, you are the cause of the flow of this river, which is the universe (the universe is a flow/current from the past to the future through the present). O’ the Consort of Mahadeva, the remover of sins, you deliver all living beings. O mother of Skanda (Karthikeya), the beloved of Lord Shiva, (Shivaa also means all auspiciousness), the beholder Of the universe, I bow to you again and again O’ Mahamaya the daughter of King Himalaya.
Naareenaam cha shankhinyaapi hastinee vaa chitrinee
Padmagandhaa pushparoopaa sammohinee padminee
Maatri putree bhagni bhaaryaa sarvaroopaa bhavaanee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 2..
There are four kinds of women, Shankhini, Hastini, Chitrini and Padmini (Padmini: who captivates everyone with the fragrance of flowers), all of them are your forms. Mother, daughter,sister, beloved, all these different relationships are your manifestation. I bow to you again and again O’ Mahamaya, the remover of fear of this material world.
Paapa taapa bhava bhaya bhooteshvaree kaaminee
Tavakripaa sarvakshaya sarvajanaa andinee
Prema preeti lajja nyaaya naareenaam cha mohinee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 3..
O’ Bhooteshwari (the controller of all living beings), O’ Kamini you are worshiped by all beings And by your grace all the sins, pain/sufferings (‘Taap’ means pain or sufferings, adhyatmik, Adhidaivik and adhibhautik), and fears of this material world get destroyed. The qualities of women like love, affection, modesty, justice/righteousness, all these have come from you. I bow to you again and again, O’ Mahamaya who wears a garland of skulls.
Khadga chakra hastedhaaree shankhinee sunaadinee
Sammohanaa roopaa naaree hridayavidaarinee
Ahankaara kaamaroopaa bhuvanavilaasinee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 4..
O’ one who holds the sword and the chakra in her hands, O’ Shankhini, O’ cause of the divine sound you captivate all and can stir/tear away the hearts of all. You enjoy in the material world in The form of ego and desires but you are also the one who illuminates the world. I bow to you Again and again O’ Mahamaya.
Lahva lahva tava jihvaa paapaasuramardinee
Khanda ganda munda sprihaa shobhaakaantivardhinee
Anga bhanga ranga kaayaa maayaachhandachhandinee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee.. 5..
The red tongue of yours that is completely out and looks beautiful, it kills the sinners and demons. While killing Shumbha, Nishumbha and other demons, their limbs, necks, heads all were torn apart into pieces, such a scene was very intense and interesting. Even at the time of killing Raktabeeja, different Chandis came and did not let any drop of his blood fall down, their body parts (The Chandis) were dancing fiercely and drinking the blood of Raktabeeja.Remembering this scene, all the grief vanishes. I bow to you again and again O’ Mahamaya.
Dhana jana tana maana roopena tvam samsthitaa
Kaama krodha lobha moha mada vaapi moodhataa
Nidraahaara kaama bhaya pashutulya jeevanaat
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee.. 6..
Goddess, you are present in the form of wealth, people, body (women and men for physical Pleasure), respect and you are also in all forms of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride which Are nothing but foolishness a human being falls into. You are in sleep, food, desire and fear as Well, which are animal-like activities. That is why, O’ Mahamaya, please free me from all these Bondages, I bow to you again and again.
Maitree dayaa lakshmee vritti ante jeeva lakshanaa
Lajjaa-chhaayaa-trishnaa-kshudhaa-bandhanasya-kaaranaa
Tushti-buddhi-shraddhaa-bhakti-sadaa-muktidaayikaa
Shaanti-bhraanti-klaanti-kshaanti tava roopaa anekaa
Preeti-smriti-jaati-shaktiroopaa maayaa abhedyaa
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee.. 7..
In the end, when living beings are realised, the characteristic actions that emerge are friendship,Kindness and opulence all these come from you. Shame, shadow, thirst, hunger; all these qualities are the reasons for bondage. Satisfaction/contentment, intellect, faith, devotion, all These are the qualities that give liberation are your forms. Peace, hallucinations, fatigue all these Are your different forms as well as love, memory, ability to reproduce/create and power. These forms (22 forms of Maya) can never be destroyed. O’ Mahamaya, O’ Mahavidya, I bow to you Again and again.
Navadurgaa mahaakaalee sarvaangabhooshaavrittaam
Bhuvaneshvaree maatangee hantu madhukaitabham
Vimalaa taaraa shorashee haste khadgadhaarinee
Dhumaavati maa bagalaa mahishaasuramardinee
Baalaatripurasundaree tribhuvanamohinee
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 8..
O’ Navadurga, O’ Mahakali, the one who is wearing beautiful clothes and ornaments on all the body parts (Bhadrakali form), O’ Bhuvaneshwari, O’ Matangi, you are the one who killed Madhu Kaitabha. O’ Maa Vimala, O’ Maa Tara, O’ Maa Shodashi, you have a sword in your hand, O’ Maa Dhumavati, O’ Maa Bagala, you are the one who killed Mahishasura, O’ Maa Balatripurasundari, you are the one who captivates all three lokas. I bow to you again and again who takes away all the sorrows.
Mama maataa loke marttya krishnadaasah tava bhrittya
Yadaa tadaa yathaa tathaa maayaa chhinna mokshakathaa
Sadaa sadaa tava bhikshaa kripaa deene bhava rakshaa
Namah namah mahaamaayaa ! himaalayanandinee .. 0..
O’ my mother, in the mortal world, this Krishnadasa is your servant. Wherever he goes, here, there and everywhere, at all times he talks only about how to attain salvation by breaking the Illusion, he does not talk about anything else. Please have mercy on this poor person and Protect him from this world of illusion. O’ Mahamaya, I bow to you again and again, may you Have mercy on this Krishnadasa.
.. Iti shree krishnadaasa virachitaa mahaamaaya ashtakam yah pathati sah bhavasaagara nistarati ..
Thus whoever recites the Mahamaya Ashtakam, composed by Sri Krishna Das ji , He/she crosses the ocean of the material existence.
