Mata Mahamaya or Vishwaprakriti governs the functioning of this material world. Although She is in the form of Maya or illusion, by chanting Mahamaya Ashtakam, one can seek her grace and one can get freedom from the illusion of this material world.
भद्रकाळी विश्वमाता जगत्स्रोत कारिणी शिवपत्नी पापहर्त्री सर्वभूत तारिणी स्कन्दमाता शिवा शिवा सर्वसृष्टि धारिणी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! हिमाळय नन्दिनी ||१||
Bhadra Kaalee Vishwa Maataa Jagat Strota Kaarinee Shiva Patni Paapa Hartree Sarva Bhoota Taarinee Skanda Maataa Shivaa Shivaa Sarva Srishti Dhaarinee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Himaalaya Nandinee ||1||
O Bhadrakali, the mother of the entire universe, you are the cause of the flow of this river that is the universe (the universe is a flow/current from the past to future through the present). O the consort of Mahadeva, the remover of sins, you deliver all living beings. Omother of Skanda (Karthikeya), the beloved of Lord Shiva, (Shivaa also means all auspiciousness), the beholder of the universe, I bow to you again and again O Mahamaya the daughter of King Himalaya. (1)
नारीणां च शंखिन्यापि हस्तिनी वा चित्रिणी पद्मगन्धा पुष्परूपा सम्मोहिनी पद्मिनी मातृ पुत्री भग्नि भार्य़ा सर्वरूपा भवानी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! भवभय खण्डिनी ||२||
Naareenaamcha Shankheenyaapi Hastinee Vaa Chitrinee PadmaGandhaa Pushpa Roopaa Sammohinee Padminee Maatru Putri Bhagni Bhaaryaa Sarva Roopaa Bhavaanee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Bhava Bhaya Khandinee ||2||
There are four kinds of women, Shankhini, Hastini, Chitrini and Padmini (Padmini: who captivates everyone with the fragrance of flowers), all of them are your forms. Mother, daughter, sister, beloved, all these different relationships are your manifestation. I bow to you again and again O Mahamaya, the remover of fear of this material world. (2)
पाप ताप भव भय़ भूतेश्वरी कामिनी तवकृपा सर्व क्षय सर्वजना वन्दिनी प्रेम प्रीति लज्ज न्याय नारीणां च मोहिनी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! ॠण्डमाळा धारिणी ||३||
Paapa Taapa Bhava Bhaya Bhooteshwaree Kaaminee Tava Krupaa Sarva Kshaya Sarvajanaa Vandinee Prema Preeti Lajjaa Nyaaya Naareenaamcha Mohinee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Rundamaalaa Dhaarinee ||3||
O Bhooteshwari (the controller of all living beings), O Kamini you are worshiped by all beings and by your grace all the sins, pain/sufferings (‘Taap’ means pain or sufferings, adhyatmik, adhidaivik and adhibhautik), and fears of this material world get destroyed. The qualities of women like love, affection, modesty, justice/righteousness, all these have come from you. I bow to you again and again, O Mahamaya who wears a garland of skulls. (3)
खड्ग चक्र हस्तेधारी शंखिनी सुनादिनी संमोहना रूपा नारी हृदय विदारिणी अहंकार कामरूपा भुवन विळासिनी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! जगत प्रकाशिनी ||४||
Khadga Chakra Hastey Dhaaree Shankheeni Sunaadinee Sammohanaa Roopaa Naaree Hrudaya Vidaarinee Ahankaara Kaamaroopa Bhuvana Vilaasinee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Jagata Prakaashinee ||4||
O one who holds the sword and the chakra in her hands, O Shankhini, O cause of the divine sound you captivate all and can stir/tear away the hearts of all. You enjoy the material world in the form of ego and desires but you are also the one who illuminates the world. I bow to you again and again O Mahamaya. (4)
लह्व लह्व तव जिह्वा पापासुर मर्द्धिनी खण्ड गण्ड मुण्ड स्पृहा शोभाकान्ति वर्द्धिनी अङ्ग भङ्ग रंग काय़ा माय़ाछन्द छन्दिनी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! दुःखशोक नाशिनी ||५||
Lahva Lahva Tava Jivhaa Paapaashura Mard’dhinee Khanda Ganda Munda Spruhaa Shobhaa Kaanti Vard’dhinee Anga Bhanga Ranga Kaayaa Maaya Chhanda Chhandinee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Dukha Shoka Naashinee ||5||
The red tongue of yours that is completely out and looks beautiful, it kills the sinners and demons. While killing Shumbha, Nishumbha and other demons, their limbs, necks, heads all were torn apart into pieces, such a scene was very intense and interesting. Even at the time of killing Raktabeeja, different Chandis came and did not let any drop of his blood fall down, their body parts (The Chandis) were dancing fiercely and drinking the blood of Raktabeeja. Remembering this scene, all the grief vanishes. I bow to you again and again O Mahamaya. (5)
धन जन तन मान रूपेण त्वं संस्थिता काम क्रोध लोभ मोह मद वापि मूढता निद्राहार काम भय़ पशुतुल्य़ जीवनात् नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! कुरु मुक्त बन्धनात् ||६||
Dhana Jana Tana Maana Roopena Tvam Sansthitaa Kaama Krodha Lobha Moha Mada Baapi Moodhataa Nidraahaara Kaama Bhaya Pashutulya Jeevanaat Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Kuru Mukta Bandhanaat ||6||
Goddess, you are present in the form of wealth, people, body (women and men for physical pleasure), respect and you are also in all forms of lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride which are nothing but foolishness a human being falls into. You are in sleep, food, desire and fear as well, which are animal-like activities. That is why, O Mahamaya, please free me from all these bondages, I bow to you again and again. (6)
मैत्री दय़ा लक्ष्मी वृत्ति अन्ते जीव लक्षणा लज्ज छाय़ा तृष्ण क्षुधा बन्धनस्य़ कारणा तुष्टि बुद्धि श्रद्धा भक्ति सदा मुक्ति दायिका शान्ति भ्रान्ति क्ळान्ति क्षान्ति तव रूपा अनेका प्रीति स्मृति जाति शक्ति रूपा माय़ा अभेद्या नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! नमस्त्वं महाविद्या ||७||
Maitree Dayaa Lakshmee Vrutti Antey Jeeva Lakshanaa Lajjaa Chhayaa Trushnaa Kshudhaa Bandhanasya Kaaranaa Tushti Buddhi Shraddhaa Bhakti Sadaa Mukti Daayeekaa Shaanti Bhraanti Klaanti Kshaanti Tava Roopaa Anekaa Preeti Smruti Jaati Shakti Roopaa Maayaa Abhedyaa Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Namastvam Mahaavidyaa ||7||
In the end, when living beings are realised, the characteristic actions that emerge are friendship, kindness and opulence all these come from you. Shame, Shadow, thirst, hunger; all these qualities are the reasons for bondage. Satisfaction/contentment, intellect, faith, devotion, all these are the qualities that give liberation are your forms. Peace, hallucinations, fatigue all these are your different forms as well as love, memory, ability to reproduce/create and power. These forms (22 forms of Maya) can never be destroyed. O Mahamaya, O Mahavidya, I bow to you again and again. (7)
नवदुर्गा महाकाळी सर्वान्गभूषावृत्ताम् भुवनेश्वरी मातङ्गी हन्तु मधुकैटभम् विमळा तारा षोड़शी हस्ते खड्ग धारिणी धुमावति मा बगळा महिषासुर मर्द्धिनी बाळात्रिपुरसुन्दरी त्रिभुवन मोहिनी नमः नमः महामाय़ा ! सर्वदुःख हारिणी ||८||
Nava Durgaa Mahaakaali Sarvaanga Bhooshaavruttaam Bhuvaneshvaree Maatangee Hantu Madhu Kaitabham Vimalaa Taaraa Shodashee Hastey Khadga Dhaareeni Dhumaabati Maa Bagalaa Mahishaasura Mard’dhinee Baalaa Tripuraa Sundaree Tribhubana Mohinee Namah Namah Mahaa Maayaa ! Sarva Duhkha Haarinee ||8||
O Navadurga, O Mahakali, the one who is wearing beautiful clothes and ornaments on all the body parts (Bhadrakali form), O Bhuvaneshwari, O Matangi, you are the one who killed Madhu Kaitabha. O Maa Vimala, O Maa Tara, O Maa Shodashi, you have a sword in your hand, O Maa Dhumavati, O Maa Bagala, you are the one who killed Mahishasura, O Maa Balatripurasundari, you are the one who captivates all three lokas. I bow to you again and again who take away all the sorrows. (8)
मम माता लोके मर्त्त्य़ कृष्णदासः तव भृत्त्य़ य़दा तदा य़था तथा माय़ा छिन्न मोक्ष कथा सदा सदा तव भिक्षा कृपा दीने भव रक्षा नमः नमः महामाय़ा कृष्णदासे तव दय़ा ||0||
Mama Maataa Loke Marttya Krishnadaasa Tava Bhruttya Yadaa Tadaa Yathaa Tathaa Maayaa Chhinna Moksha Kathaa Sadaa Sadaa Tava Bhikshaa Kripaa Deene Bhava Rakshaa Namah Namah Mahaa-Maayaa Krishna Daase Tava Dayaa ||0||
O my mother, in the mortal world, this Krishnadasa is your servant. Wherever he goes, here, there and everywhere, at all times he talks only about how to attain salvation by breaking the illusion, he does not talk about anything else. Please have mercy on this poor person and protect him from this world of illusion. O Mahamaya, I bow to you again and again, may you have mercy on this Krishnadasa. (0)
इति श्री कृष्णदासः विरचित महामाय़ा अष्टकम् यः पठति सः भवसागर निस्तरति ||