श्री दुर्गा चालीसा, Durga Chalisa Translation
I bow to You O Goddess Durga, the bestower of happiness!
I bow to You O Goddess Amba, who Ends all miseries.
The radiance of your light is limitless and all pervading and all the three
realms (Earth, Heaven And the Nether World) are enlightened by Thee.
Your face is like the moon and mouth very huge. Your eyes shine with a
red glow and You have a Frightening frown.
O Mother! Your look is enchanting, the very sight of which ensures welfare
of the devout.
All the powers of the World repose in Thee and it is You who provide food and
wealth for the World's survival.
Like the feeding Mother Annapoorna, You nurture the whole universe and You are
the one Who appear like the timeless Bala Sundari (young girl of extreme beauty).
At the time of dissolution, it is You, O Mother, who destroys everything. You are the
beloved Consort of Lord Shiva, Gauri (Parvati).
Lord Shiva and all yogis always chant your praise Brahma,
Vishnu and all other Gods ever meditate on You.
You appear in the form of Goddess Saraswati too,
to grant wisdom to the sages and thus ensure their Welfare.
O Mother Amba! It was You who appeared in the form
of Narsimha, sundering the pillar.
Thus You saved Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap also went to
Heaven as he was killed by your Hands.
In the form of Goddess Lakshmi, O Mother, you appear in
this world and repose by the side of Shree Narayan.
Dwelling in the ocean of milk, O Goddess, with Lord Vishnu,
please fulfill my desires.
O Bhavani, the famous Goddess of Hingalaja is no one else but
You Yourself. Illimitable is your Glory, defying description.
You are yourself Matangi and Dhoomavati Mata. It is You who appear as
Bhuvaneshwari and Bagalamukhi Devi to bestow happiness to all.
It is You who redeem the wolrd, appearing in the form of Shree Bhairavi,
Taradevi and Chhinnamasta Devi, and end its sorrows.
Reposing gracefully upon your vehicle, O Goddess Bhavani, You are welcome
by the brave Langour (Lord Hanuman).
When You appear in the form of Goddess Kali, with sword in one hand and a
cupel in the other, Even Time flees in panic.
Beholding You, well armed, with a Trident in your hand, the enemy's
heart aches with the sting Of fear.
You also repose in the form of Devi at Nagarkot in Kangara. Thus all the
three realms shudder in the might of your glory.
You slayed the demons like Shumbh & Nishumb and massacred the
thousand forms of the dreaded Demon Raktabeej.
When the earth was severely distressed bearing the load of the sins
of the arrogant Mahishasur.
You assumed the dreadful form of Goddess Kali and
massacred him along with his army.
Thus, whenever the noble saints were distressed,
it is You O Mother, who came to their rescue.
All the realms including the Amarpuri (divine realm) remain
sorrow-less and happy by Your Grace. O Goddess!
It is the symbol of Your glory that is burning brightly at Shree JwalaJi.
All me and women Ever worship You, O Mother!
He who sings Your glory with devotion, love, and sincerity remains
beyond the reach of grief And poverty.
He who meditates upon Your form with concentration goes
beyond the cycle of births and deaths.
All the yogis, gods and sages openly declare that without your
favor one can't establish communion with God.
Shankaracharya had performed once a special penance called
Aacharaj and by virtue of which he had subdued his anger and desire.
He ever worshipped Lord Shankar and never for a moment
concentrated his mind on You.
Since He did not realize your immense glory, all His powers
waned and then He repented hitherto.
Then He sought refuge in You, chanted Your glory and
'victory, victory, victory to Thee, O Jagadamba Bhavani'.
Then, O Primal Goddess Jagadamba Ji, You were propitiated and
in no time You bestowed Him with his lost powers.
O Mother! Severe afflictions distress me and no one except Your
Honored Self can provide relief please end my afflictions.
Hopes and longings ever torture me. All sorts of passions and
lust ever torment my heart.
O Goddess Bhavani! I meditate only upon you Please
kill my enemies O Queen!
O Merciful Mother! Show me your favor and make me feel
happy by bestowing me with all sorts of riches and powers.
O Mother! May I be receptable of Your grace as long as I live,
ever recounting the feats of Your Glory to all.
This way, whoever sings this Durga Chalisa shall ever enjoy all
sorts of pleasures and shall attain the highest state in the end.
English Translation
[Lord Shiva speaks] O Parvati, the One Who has a lotus-like face! I am telling You those one-hundred and eight names, by the means of which Durga or Sati can be pleased.||1||
During the Indian festival of Navratri, in some Southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka there is the custom of displaying a Navratri Golu, also called Navratri Kolu, Bombe Habba, Bommai Kolu or Bonmala Koluvu. These Navratras golus are nothing but the exhibition of the arrangement of dolls and figurines arranged in odd numbered tiers. People often visit other households and families to see the Golus or Navratri Kolus and prasad, kumkum and other gifts are distributed then. These Gods and Goddesses adorning the Golus are depictions of mythology. As per tradition, these Navratri Golus or Kolus should contain some wooden dolls and also figurines of a boy and girl together.
