Verse 1 — The dance of dissolution
घोरे संसारवह्नौ प्रलयमुपगते या हि कृत्वा श्मशाने
Ghore Samsaravahnau Pralayamupagate Ya Hi Kritva Shmashane
ghore saṃsāravahnau pralayamupagate yā hi kṛtvā śmaśāne
When the world has gone to dissolution in the terrible fire of samsara, she who, in the cremation ground,
नृत्यत्यन्यूनशक्तिर्जगदिदमखिलं मुण्डमालाभिरामा ।
Nrityatyanyunashaktirjagadidamakhilam Mundamalabhirama
nṛtyatyanyūnaśaktirjagadidamakhilaṃ muṇḍamālābhirāmā
dances with undiminished power, beautiful with her garland of skulls,
भिद्यद्ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डं पटुतरनिनदैरट्टहासैरुदारैः
Bhidyadbrahmandabhandam Patutaraninadairattahasairudaraih
bhidyadbrahmāṇḍabhāṇḍaṃ paṭutaraninadairaṭṭahāsairudāraiḥ
splitting the egg of the universe with her piercing cries and great peals of laughter —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ १ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 2 — Madhu and Kaitabha
मग्ने लोकेऽम्बुराशौ नलिनभवनुता विष्णुना कारयित्वा
Magne Lokemburashau Nalinabhavanuta Vishnuna Karayitva
magne loke'mburāśau nalinabhavanutā viṣṇunā kārayitvā
When the world was sunk in the ocean, she, praised by lotus-born Brahma, had Vishnu
चक्रोत्कृत्तोरुकण्ठं मधुमपि भयदं कैटभं चातिभीमम् ।
Chakrotkrittorukantham Madhumapi Bhayadam Kaitabham Chatibhimam
cakrotkṛttorukaṇṭhaṃ madhumapi bhayadaṃ kaiṭabhaṃ cātibhīmam
sever with his discus the thighs and throats of Madhu and the terrible Kaitabha,
पद्मोत्पत्तेः प्रभूतं भयमुत रिपुतोयाहरत्सानुकम्पा
Padmotpatteh Prabhutam Bhayamuta Riputoyaharatsanukampa
padmotpatteḥ prabhūtaṃ bhayamuta riputoyāharatsānukampā
and in her compassion removed the great fear of the lotus-born from his foes —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ २ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 3 — Mahisha
विश्वत्राणं विधातुं महिषमथ राणे याऽसुरं भीमरूपं
Vishvatranam Vidhatum Mahishamatha Rane Yasuram Bhimarupam
viśvatrāṇaṃ vidhātuṃ mahiṣamatha rāṇe yā'suraṃ bhīmarūpaṃ
To save the universe, she struck the terrible demon Mahisha in battle,
शूलेनाहत्य वक्षस्यमरपतिनुता पातयन्ती च भूमौ ।
Shulenahatya Vakshasyamarapatinuta Patayanti Cha Bhumau
śūlenāhatya vakṣasyamarapatinutā pātayantī ca bhūmau
piercing his chest with her trident, praised by the king of the gods, and threw him to the ground,
तस्यासृग्वाहिनीभिर्जलनिधिमखिलं शोणिताभं च चक्रे
Tasyasrigvahinibhirjalanidhimakhilam Shonitabham Cha Chakre
tasyāsṛgvāhinībhirjalanidhimakhilaṃ śoṇitābhaṃ ca cakre
and turned the whole ocean red with the rivers of his blood —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ३ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 4 — Chanda and Munda
या देवी चण्डमुण्डौ त्रिभुवननलिनीवारणौ देवशत्रू
Ya Devi Chandamundau Tribhuvananalinivaranau Devashatru
yā devī caṇḍamuṇḍau tribhuvananalinīvāraṇau devaśatrū
The Goddess who, seeing Chanda and Munda — enemies of the gods, elephants trampling the lotus pond of the three worlds —
दृष्ट्वा युद्धोत्सवे तौ द्रुततरमभियातासिना कृत्तकण्ठौ ।
Drishtva Yuddhotsave Tau Drutataramabhiyatasina Krittakanthau
dṛṣṭvā yuddhotsave tau drutataramabhiyātāsinā kṛttakaṇṭhau
rushed at them in the festival of battle and cut their throats with her sword,
कृत्वा तद्रक्तपानोद्भवमदमुदिता साट्टहासातिभीमा
Kritva Tadraktapanodbhavamadamudita Sattahasatibhima
kṛtvā tadraktapānodbhavamadamuditā sāṭṭahāsātibhīmā
then, drunk with joy from drinking their blood, laughed most terribly —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ४ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 5 — Raktabija
सद्यस्तं रक्तबीजं समरभुवि नता घोररूपानसङ्ख्यान्
Sadyastam Raktabijam Samarabhuvi Nata Ghorarupanasankhyan
sadyastaṃ raktabījaṃ samarabhuvi natā ghorarūpānasaṅkhyān
At once, on the battlefield, Raktabija and the countless fearsome forms
राक्तोद्भूतैरसङ्ख्यैर्गजतुरगरथैस्सार्थमन्यांश्च दैत्यान् ।
Raktodbhutairasankhyairgajaturagarathaissarthamanyamshcha Daityan
rāktodbhūtairasaṅkhyairgajaturagarathaissārthamanyāṃśca daityān
born from his blood, with their elephants, horses and chariots, and the other demons,
वक्त्रे निक्षिप्य दष्ट्वा गुरुतरदशनैरापपौ शोणितौघं
Vaktre Nikshipya Dashtva Gurutaradashanairapapau Shonitaugham
vaktre nikṣipya daṣṭvā gurutaradaśanairāpapau śoṇitaughaṃ
she threw into her mouth, crushed with her great teeth, and drank the flood of blood —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ५ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 6 — Shumbha and Nishumbha
स्थानाद्भ्रष्टैश्च देवैस्तुहिनगिरितटे सङ्गतैस्संस्तुता या
Sthanadbhrashtaishcha Devaistuhinagiritate Sangataissamstuta Ya
sthānādbhraṣṭaiśca devaistuhinagiritaṭe saṅgataissaṃstutā yā
Praised by the gods who, driven from their places, gathered on the slopes of the Himalaya,
सङ्ख्याहीनैस्समेतं त्रिदशरिपुगणैस्स्यन्दनेभाश्वयुक्तैः ।
Sankhyahinaissametam Tridasharipuganaissyandanebhashvayuktaih
saṅkhyāhīnaissametaṃ tridaśaripugaṇaissyandanebhāśvayuktaiḥ
she, with the countless hosts of the gods’ enemies, their chariots, elephants and horses,
युद्धे शुम्भं निशुम्भं त्रिभुवनविपदं नाशयन्ती च जघ्ने
Yuddhe Shumbham Nishumbham Tribhuvanavipadam Nashayanti Cha Jaghne
yuddhe śumbhaṃ niśumbhaṃ tribhuvanavipadaṃ nāśayantī ca jaghne
struck down Shumbha and Nishumbha in battle, the calamity of the three worlds —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ६ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 7 — Daruka
शम्भोर्नेत्रानले या जननमपि जगत्त्राणहेतोरयासीत्
Shambhornetranale Ya Jananamapi Jagattranahetorayasit
śambhornetrānale yā jananamapi jagattrāṇahetorayāsīt
She who was born from the fire of Shambhu’s eye to protect the world,
भूयस्तीक्ष्णातिधाराविदलितदनुजा दारुकं चापि हत्वा ।
Bhuyastikshnatidharavidalitadanuja Darukam Chapi Hatva
bhūyastīkṣṇātidhārāvidalitadanujā dārukaṃ cāpi hatvā
who again tore the demons apart with her very sharp blade and killed Daruka too,
तस्यासृक्पानतुष्टा मुहुरपि कृतवत्यट्टहासं कठोरं
Tasyasrikpanatushta Muhurapi Kritavatyattahasam Kathoram
tasyāsṛkpānatuṣṭā muhurapi kṛtavatyaṭṭahāsaṃ kaṭhoraṃ
and, pleased by drinking his blood, laughed harshly again and again —
सास्माकं वैरिवर्गं शमयतु तरसा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ७ ॥
Sasmakam Vairivargam Shamayatu Tarasa Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sāsmākaṃ vairivargaṃ śamayatu tarasā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, swiftly quell the host of our enemies.
Verse 8 — Her many forms
या देवी कालरात्री तुहिनगिरसुता लोकमाता धरित्री
Ya Devi Kalaratri Tuhinagirasuta Lokamata Dharitri
yā devī kālarātrī tuhinagirasutā lokamātā dharitrī
The Goddess who is the night of time, daughter of the snowy mountain, mother of the world, the earth,
वणी निद्रा च मायामनसिजदयिता घोररूपातिसौम्या ।
Vani Nidra Cha Mayamanasijadayita Ghorarupatisaumya
vaṇī nidrā ca māyāmanasijadayitā ghorarūpātisaumyā
speech, sleep and illusion, beloved of the mind-born god, both terrible and most gentle,
चामुण्डा खड्गहस्ता रिपुहननपरा शोणितास्वादकामा
Chamunda Khadgahasta Ripuhananapara Shonitasvadakama
cāmuṇḍā khaḍgahastā ripuhananaparā śoṇitāsvādakāmā
Chamunda, sword in hand, intent on killing enemies, eager to taste their blood —
सा हन्याद्विश्ववन्द्या मम रिपुनिवहा भद्रदा भद्रकाली ॥ ८ ॥
Sa Hanyadvishvavandya Mama Ripunivaha Bhadrada Bhadrakali
sā hanyādviśvavandyā mama ripunivahā bhadradā bhadrakālī
may she, honoured by the universe, Bhadrakali, giver of good fortune, destroy the hosts of my enemies.
The fruit of the hymn
भद्रकाल्यष्टकं जप्यं शत्रुसंक्षयकाङ्क्षिणा ।
Bhadrakalyashtakam Japyam Shatrusamkshayakankshina
bhadrakālyaṣṭakaṃ japyaṃ śatrusaṃkṣayakāṅkṣiṇā
This Bhadrakali Ashtakam should be recited by one who wishes for the destruction of enemies;
स्वर्गापवर्गदं पुण्यं दुष्टग्रहनिवारणम् ॥ ९ ॥
Svargapavargadam Punyam Dushtagrahanivaranam
svargāpavargadaṃ puṇyaṃ duṣṭagrahanivāraṇam
it is holy, it grants heaven and liberation, and wards off harmful planetary influences.
