Saraswati Chalisa

जनक जननि पद कमल रज, निज मस्तक पर धारि। बन्दौं मातु सरस्वती, बुद्धि बल दे दातारि॥

Janak janani pad kamal raj, nij mastak par dhaari. Bandauñ Maatu Saraswati, buddhi bal de daataari

Placing on my own head the dust from the lotus feet of my father and mother, I bow before Mother Saraswati, who hands out wisdom and strength

पूर्ण जगत में व्याप्त तव, महिमा अमित अनंतु। रामसागर के पाप को, मातु तुही अब हन्तु॥

Pooran jagat mein vyaapt tav, mahimaa amit anantu. Raamsaagar ke paap ko, Maatu tuhee ab hantu

Your greatness, beyond measure and without end, pervades the entire world. Mother, You alone can now wipe out the sins of Ram Sagar

जय श्री सकल बुद्धि बलरासी। जय सर्वज्ञ अमर अविनासी॥ जय जय जय वीणाकर धारी। करती सदा सुहंस सवारी॥

Jai Shree sakal buddhi balaraasee. Jai sarvagya amar avinaasee. Jai jai jai veenaa kar dhaaree. Karatee sadaa suhans savaaree

Glory to You, the store of all understanding and strength. Glory to You who know everything, who never die and never perish. Glory, glory, glory to You who hold the veena in Your hands and always ride upon a fine swan

रूप चतुर्भुजधारी माता। सकल विश्व अन्दर विख्याता॥ जग में पाप बुद्धि जब होती। जबहि धर्म की फीकी ज्योती॥

Roop chaturbhujadhaaree Maataa. Sakal vishwar andar vikhyaaataa. Jag mein paap buddhi jab hotee. Jabahi dharm kee pheekee jyotee

Mother, You wear a form with four arms, and the whole universe knows Your name. Whenever people's minds turn toward sin and the light of dharma grows dim,

तबहि मातु ले निज अवतारा। पाप हीन करती महि तारा॥ बाल्मीकि जी थे बहम ज्ञानी। तव प्रसाद जानै संसारा॥

Tabahi Maatu le nij avataaraa. Paap heen karatee mahi taaraa. Baalmeeki jee the baham gyaanee. Tav prasaad jaanai sansaaraa

that is when You, Mother, descend in a form of Your own, rid the earth of sin and set it free. Valmiki was a knower of Brahman; the world knows this came from Your blessing

रामायण जो रचे बनाई। आदि कवी की पदवी पाई॥ कालिदास जो भये विख्याता। तेरी कृपा दृष्टि से माता॥

Raamaayan jo rache banaaee. Aadi kavee kee padavee paaee. Kaalidaas jo bhaye vikhyaaataa. Teree kripaa drishti se Maataa

He shaped and composed the Ramayana and earned the title of the first poet. Kalidasa too rose to fame, Mother, under Your kindly gaze

तुलसी सूर आदि विद्धाना। भये और जो ज्ञानी नाना॥ तिन्हहिं न और रहेउ अवलम्बा। केवल कृपा आपकी अम्बा॥

Tulasee Soor aadi viddhaanaa. Bhaye aur jo gyaanee naanaa. Tinhahin na aur raheu avalambaa. Kewal kripaa aapakee ambaa

Tulsi, Sur and the other scholars, and all the many wise ones who came after, had nothing else to lean on, Mother, nothing but Your kindness

करहु कृपा सोइ मातु भवानी। दुखित दीन निज दासहि जानी॥ पुत्र करै अपराध बहूता। तेहि न धरइ चित सुन्दर माता॥

Karahu kripaa soee Maatu Bhavaanee. Dukheet deen nij daasahi jaanee. Putra karai apraadh bahoootaa. Tehi na dharai chit sundar Maataa

Show me that same kindness, Mother Bhavani; see this hurting, helpless servant as Your own. A child may do a great deal wrong, yet a good mother does not keep it in her heart

राखु लाज जननी अब मेरी। विनय करूं बहु भाँति घनेरी॥ मैं अनाथ तेरी अवलंबा। कृपा करउ जय जय जगदंबा॥

Raakhu laaj janani ab meree. Vinay karoñ bahu bhaanti ghaneree. Main anaath teree avalambaa. Kripaa karaun jai jai Jagadambaa

Mother, guard my good name now; I plead with You over and over in every way I can. I have no one, and You are all I lean on; be kind to me. Glory, glory to You, Jagadamba

मधु कैटभ जो अति बलवाना। बाहुयुद्ध विष्णू ते ठाना॥ समर हजार पांच में घोरा। फिर भी मुख उनसे नहिं मोरा॥

Madhu Kaitabh jo ati balavaanaa. Baahuyuddh Vishnoo te thaananaa. Samar hazaar paanch mein ghoraa. Phir bhee mukh unse nahin moraa

Madhu and Kaitabha, hugely powerful, took on Vishnu in a wrestling match. Five thousand years of brutal fighting, and still they would not back away from Him

मातु सहाय भई तेहि काला। बुद्धि विपरीत करी खलहाला॥ तेहि ते मृत्यु भई खल केरी। पुरवहु मातु मनोरथ मेरी॥

Maatu sahaay bhee tehi kaalaa. Buddhi vipareet karee khalahaalaa. Tehi te mrityu bhee khal keree. Puravahu Maatu manorath meree

At that moment, Mother, You stepped in to help and clouded the judgment of the wicked pair. That is how those villains met their death. Mother, grant what my heart is set on

चंड मुण्ड जो थे विख्याता। छण महुं संहारेउ तेहि माता॥ रक्तबीज से समरथ पापी। सुर-मुनि हृदय धरा सब कांपी॥

Chand Mund jo the vikhyaaataa. Chhan mahun sanhaareu tehi Maataa. Raktabeej se samarath paapee. Sur-muni hriday dharaa sab kaanpee

Chanda and Munda were known everywhere, and You, Mother, wiped them out in a flash. Before a sinner as strong as Raktabija, the hearts of the gods, the sages and the earth itself shook

काटेउ सिर जिम कदली खम्बा। बार बार बिनवउं जगदंबा॥ जग प्रसिद्ध जो शुंभ निशुंभा। छिन में बधे ताहि तू अम्बा॥

Kaateu sir jim kadalee khambaa. Baar baar binavaun Jagadambaa. Jag prasiddh jo Shumbh Nishumbhaa. Chhin mein badhe taahi too Ambaa

You lopped off his head the way one chops a plantain trunk; again and again I plead with You, Jagadamba. Shumbha and Nishumbha, famous across the world, You struck down in an instant, Mother

भरत-मातु बुधि फेरेउ जाई। रामचन्द्र बनवास कराई॥ एहि विधि रावन वध तुम कीन्हा। सुर नर मुनि सब कहुं सुख दीन्हा॥

Bharat-Maatu buddhi phereu jaaee. Raamchandr banavaas karaaee. Ehi vidhi Raavan vadh tum keenhaa. Sur nar muni sab kahun sukh deenhaa

You went and changed the mind of Bharata's mother, which sent Ramachandra into exile in the forest. By this means You brought about the killing of Ravana and gave happiness to gods, humans and sages alike

को समरथ तव यश गुन गाना। निगम अनादि अनंत बखाना॥ विष्णु रूद्र अज सकहिं न मारी। जिनकी हो तुम रक्षाकारी॥

Ko samarath tav yash gun gaanaa. Nigam anaadi anant bakhaanaa. Vishnu Rudra Aj sakahin na maaree. Jinke ho tum rakshakaataree

Who has the power to sing of Your glory and virtues? The Vedas call You beginningless and endless. Not even Vishnu, Rudra or Brahma can harm the one You have taken under Your protection

रक्त दन्तिका और शताक्षी। नाम अपार है दानव भक्षी॥ दुर्गम काज धरा पर कीन्हा। दुर्गा नाम सकल जग लीन्हा॥

Rakt Dantikaa aur Shataakshee. Naam apaar hai daanav bhakshee. Durgam kaaj dharaa par keenhaa. Durgaa naam sakal jag leenhaa

Raktadantika, Shatakshi: Your names are endless, eater of demons. Since You carried out a task on earth that no one else could, the whole world began to call You Durga

दुर्ग आदि हरनी तू माता। कृपा करहु जब जब सुखदाता॥ नृप कोपित जो मारन चाहै। कानन में घेरे मृग नाहै॥

Durg aadi haranee too Maataa. Kripaa karahu jab jab sukhadaataa. Nrip kopit jo maaran chaahai. Kaanan mein ghere mrig naahai

Mother, You lift away hardship and every kind of trouble; giver of happiness, be kind to us again and again. When a furious king wants someone dead, or a lion closes in on someone in the forest,

सागर मध्य पोत के भंगे। अति तूफान नहिं कोऊ संगे॥ भूत प्रेत बाधा या दुःख में। हो दरिद्र अथवा संकट में॥

Saagar madhy pot ke bhange. Ati tooofaan nahin koee sange. Bhoot pret baadhhaa yaa dukh mein. Ho daridr athavaa sankat mein

when a ship breaks apart in mid-ocean in a raging storm with no one to help; when troubled by ghosts and spirits, or weighed down by grief, poverty or danger,

नाम जपे मंगल सब होई। संशय इसमें करइ न कोई॥ पुत्रहीन जो आतुर भाई। सबै छांड़ि पूजें एहि माई॥

Naam jape mangal sab hoee. Sanshay ismein karai na koee. Putraheen jo aatur bhaaee. Sabai chhaandhi poojen ehi Maaee

repeat Her name and everything turns out well; let no one have any doubt about this. A brother who is desperate for a son should drop everything else and worship this Mother

करै पाठ नित यह चालीसा। होय पुत्र सुन्दर गुण ईसा॥ धूपादिक नैवेद्य चढावै। संकट रहित अवश्य हो जावै॥

Karaai paath nit yah chaaleesaa. Hoy putra sundar gun eesaa. Dhoopaadik naivedya chadhaavai. Sankat rahit avashya ho jaavai

If he recites these forty verses every day, he will be given a fine son with godly qualities. If he offers incense and food, his troubles will certainly come to an end

भक्ति मातु की करै हमेशा। निकट न आवै ताहि कलेशा॥ बंदी पाठ करें शत बारा। बंदी पाश दूर हो सारा॥

Bhakti Maatu kee karai hameshaa. Nikat na aavai taahi kaleshaa. Bandee paath karen shat baaraa. Bandee paash door ho saaraa

Whoever stays constant in devotion to the Mother, no distress can come near. If a captive recites it a hundred times, every chain that holds him will be loosed

करहु कृपा भवमुक्ति भवानी। मो कहं दास सदा निज जानी॥

Karahu kripaa bhavamukti Bhavaanee. Mo kahañ daas sadaa nij jaanee

Bhavani, be kind and release me from the cycle of this world; always know me as Your own servant

माता सूरज कान्ति तव, अंधकार मम रूप। डूबन ते रक्षा करहु, परूं न मैं भव-कूप॥

Maataa sooraj kaanti tav, andhakaar mam roop. Dooban te rakshaa karahu, parooñ na main bhav-koop

Mother, You shine like the sun, while I am made of darkness. Keep me from going under; do not let me fall into the pit of worldly existence

बल बुद्धि विद्या देहुं मोहि, सुनहु सरस्वति मातु। अधम रामसागरहिं तुम, आश्रय देउ पुनातु॥

Bal buddhi vidyaa dehuñ mohi, sunahu Saraswati Maatu. Adham Raamsaagarahiñ tum, aashray deu punaatu

Hear me, Mother Saraswati, and give me strength, understanding and learning. Take the lowly Ram Sagar under Your shelter and make him pure