Kali Chalisa

Kali Chalisa

Jayati mahaakaalii jayati,
aadya kaalii maata
jai karaala vadane jayati,
jagata maatu vikhyaata

Victory to you, O Mahakali! Victory to you, O primordial source of all beings!
Victory to you, O formidable-looking goddess, who are renowned as the mother
of the world!

Jai jai ruupa prachandikaa,
mahaakaalikaa devi
jayati jayati shiva-chandrikaa,
sura nara munijana sevi

Victory, all victory to you, O great goddess Mahakalika, of terrible and
frightening aspect! Victory to you, O Moon on the locks of Shiva who are ever
adored by gods, men, hermits and devotees.

Jayati jayati raktaasanaa,
raudramukhi rudraanii
ari shonita khappara bharanii,
khadaga dhaarinii shuchi paani

Victory, all victory to you. O consort of Rudra; you are fearsome to look at
and prefer a drink of hot blood; you are described as having a sword in your
hallowed hand and as one who fills her cranial bowl with the blood of her
victims.

Jai jai jai maiyaa shrii kaalii
jayati khadaga kara khappara vaalii
jayati mahaamaayaa vikaraalaa
rudra-shakti kaalahun ko kaalaa

Glory, glory to you, O Kali, the bearer of a cranial bowl and a sword in your
hands. Victory to you, O terrible Delusion, the might of Rudra and the very
death of Death.

Maan madhu kaitabha ke vadha hetu
pragati shrii hari ke tana se tuu
shyaamala gaata maata tava sohata
ravi sama cavi lakhi chavipati mohata

O Mother, it is for the slaughter of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha that you
appeared from the body of Hari. O Mother, your dark form radiant as the sun
looks so splendidly winsome that the god of beauty himself cannot but succumb
to its charm.

Dasha mukha tiisa netra mana bhaavana
bhaala baala shashi mukuta suhaavana
ko chavi varani sakai maan terii
shyaama kesha janu ghataa sugherii

You are ten-faced with thirty attractive eyes, the crescent moon and a lovely
coronet on your head. O Divine mother; who can describe your comeliness and
your dark hair like massed clouds?

Ura ari mundamaala chavi chaajata
astra shastra dasha hasta viraajata
khappara khadaga trishuula kuthaarii
gadaa chakra dhanu shankha sudhaarii

The beauty of the wreath made of your victims' skulls looks splendid as do the
weapons and missiles in all your ten hands. You carry a cranial bowl, a sword,
a three-pronged trident, an axe, a club, a disc, a bow and a conch, all in
their proper places.

Ari kara katana ghaangaraa raajai
anga-anga shuchi bhuusana saajai
ranjita rakta dasa charana karaalaa
jihi vishaala ruupa vikaraalaa

The beautiful skirt made of he severed arms of your enemies looks so becoming
like the sacred ornaments adorning every part of your body. Your ten dread
feet are all smeared with blood and your long tongue sticks out, rendering
your appearance frightening.

Jabahin attahaasa maa karatii
kaampata thara-thara thara-thara dharatii
aadi shakti dhani jaga dhaatrii
mahaa pralaya kii adhishthaatrii

When, O Mother, you laugh aloud, the earth shivers (like one suffering from
shaking chills). Blessed are you, O Primordial Energy and foster-mother of the
world, you are the presiding deity of Doom (who causes universal destruction).

Maan tava pragata shrii shankara
rasanaa baahara vadana bhayankara
dhani dhani kalakatte kii kaalii
sahasabhuji shrii shivapura vaalii

O Mother Kali! It is your divine feet that made Shiva's appearance possible in
the world; you have long protruding tongue and a frightening look. Blessed,
all blessed are you O Mother Kali of Calcutta, who are thousand-armed and who
have your abode in Shivapura.

Tuuhii kaalii siya dashamukha naashyo
shrii raghupati pada vijaya vilaaso
jaga sukha shaanti hetu kalyaanaa
kariin ruupa dhaarana vidhi naanaa

O Kali, as Sita you were instrumental in bringing about Ravana's destruction
and Raghupati's victory which, appearing became amorous of the Lord's feet.
You assumed manifold forms for the well being peace and happiness of the world.

Tuu hii shrii krishna ruupa kii kaalii
chandrahaasa muralii kara vaalii
chaturbhujii tau astabhujii dhaarii
kahun dashabhuja ashtaadashakarii

You manifested yourself in the form of Krishna and let your sword be
mysteriously transformed into a flute in his hand. Sometimes you take on the
form of Vishnu with his four arms, at other times of one (Durga, for example)
having eight arms, at still other one having ten or eighteen arms.

kahun batiisa chausatha bhuja dhaarata
kahun sahasra bhuja kari ari maarata
tuu hari shakti ardha vaalii
tiikshanadanta rasanaa risi vaalii

You sometimes appear with thirty-two arms, at other times with just the double
this number, and at still others you multiply your arms into a thousand in
order to slay your enemies. You are the very power of Hari invoked with prayer
at midnight; you have long sharp fangs and a protruding tongue showing your
blood-thirsty and fearsome nature.

Raktachandikaa khadaga dhaarinii
rudra chandrikaa khala sanhaarinii
shrii satashringii aadya kaalii
kaalii khoha nivaasini vaalii

You are furious combatant with a sword in your hand (you are usually shown on
the battlefield or in a cremation ground where you sit on a corpse surrounded
by jackals and goblins); you are at once soothing like the moon and fearsome
like Rudra and the slayer of the wicked. You are as sublime as a hundred-
peaked mountain and a primordial deity of black or dark complexion. You dwell
amongst dark, untrodden caverns.

Aadi maatu tuuhii nara shiramaalii
tumhiin kansa hananii vaitaalii
tumhiin bhadrakaalii kailaashii
sadaa khalana ke rakta mkii pyaasii

You are the original mother (of all beings) and at the same time a dread deity
with human heads for your garland; you are the very slayer of Kansa and
subduer of ghosts and goblins; you are yourself Bhadrakali, a dweller on
Kailasha and one who thirsts for the blood of the wicked.

Khacha-khacha-khacha shira kati shatru kara
bhara-bhara-bhara shonita khappara bhara
dala-dala-dala daanava bhakshana kara
chala-chala chala-chala rakta khalana kara

Again and again you strike off the heads of your enemies (with your lashing
sword) and fill your cranial bowl with blood (oozing from corpses). You gorge
yourself on the demon host one after another and rushing on and on shed their
wicked blood.

Gani-gani-gani ari karahu nipaataa
dhani-dhani-dhani shrii kaalii maataa
yahi aradaasa daasa kahan maaii
puurahu aasa tu hou sahaaii

Blessed, blessed, blessed are you, O Mother Kali, who cause your enemies to
lick the dust one after another. I entreat you, O mother, to fulfil your
votary's expectations and grant him your favour.

Paryo gaadha sankata aba bhaarii
kehi kaa maiyaa aaja pukaarii
chari chora laagyo maga mohii
karana chahata raghupati ko drohii

I am in a perilous predicament O Mother, and know not whom to call for help. I
am being pursued on the rough roads of life by four robbers who are bent upon
turning me against the Lord of the house of Raghu Rama.

Hai yehii shatruna kaa bhuupaa
kaama krodha moha lobha saruupaa
inhiin dehun yadi anta pachaarii
tabahin milahin bhagavanta murarii

These are my prime enemies, the sovereign lords of all the deadly evils; lust,
anger, infatuation and avarice. If you overthrow them (and abandon me not to
my troubles), I would be blessed with devotion to the enemy of Mura, namely,
Lord Krishna.

Duujo eka arja yaha maataa
todahu sapadi khalana ke taantaa
jete dushta mahaa aparaadhii
badakarmii paamara baka vyaadhii

I also urge you, Mother, to put an end to the unending string of the wicked
(bent on vexing me) immediately. All those wicked souls, who are confirmed
sinners, evil-doers, mean and suffer from idle volubility and vain chattering:

jo nita binu aparaadha sataavata
dharma karma shubha ho na paavata
tinhin maatu tuu chaki jaa haalii
bachana putra kii hoya na khaalii

Those who cause vexation without being provoked and who render all religious
observances and propitious activities fruitless, you pick up, O Mother and
slaughter them without delay; let not this prayer of your son go in vain.

Puni bani aindrii aavahu maataa
adbhuta shakti dikhaavahu maataa
jhatapata lehu khalahin sanhaari
mori maatu jani karahu abaarii

I entreat you, O Mother, to reveal yourself as the power of Indra (or as
Indrani or as Durga) and display your wondrous might. Slay the villains
promptly without further delay.

Bharahu shanti sukha dhana jana dhaamaa
ati ananda hoii yaha graamaa
puni puni vinavahi sundaradaasaa
maiyaa puura karahu abhilaashaa

Fill the homes of your devotees with peace, happiness and prosperity so that
this countryside becomes a seat of growing exultation and felicity. Sundardasa
bows to you again and again, O Mother, and supplicates you to fulfill his
expectations.


DOHAA

mahaakaaliikaa charita yaha, ika prakaara kaa mantra
sarva kaamanaa prati, manahu yanra aru tanra
kaalii chaaliisaa padhai, laalii chahai ju koii
kaalii ari kaa naasha ho, khaalii vachana na hoii
kaalii hari kaa teja hain, ari ko naashana haara
hari ki puurana shakti hain karata hetu sanhaara

This hymn to the acts of the formidable Kali is like a sacred formula capable
of fulfilling every wish as if it were a magic talisman and a charm. He who
wishes to attain brilliance should read this hymn to Kali; for it will ensure
the destruction of all those who are hostile to Kali-promise which would never
go in vain. Kali incarnates the very vital force and power of Hari with which
she destroys her enemies for the well being of the world.