1. ~~~~~~~~~~Shri Mahakali 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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 a 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 dame 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

5. 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.
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DOHAA

6. 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.
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SORATHA
JEHI SUMIRATA SABA AASA, LAHATA PUURANA JAGA NAARINARA
GAAVATA SUNDARADAASA, PAAVATA ATI SHUBHA SAHAJA PHALA
Every man and woman who seeks refuge in Mother’s protective grace and abandoning
all other support, meditates on her, reaps all the auspicious rewards without any effort,
so sings Sundardas