Kali Chaalisa

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 very mother of the world !

Victory, all victory to you, O great goddess Mahakalika, of terrible and frightening aspect ! Victory to you, O Moon on the locks of Siva, who are ever adored by gods, men, hermits, and devotees.

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 hollowed hand and as one who fills her cranial bowl with the blood of her victim.

Glory, glory, all 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.

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

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?

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.

The beautiful skirt made of the 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.

When, O Mother, you laugh aloud, the earth shives (like one suffering from shaking chills). Blessed are you, O Primordial Energy and foster-mother of the world, you are presiding deity of Doom (who causes universal destruction).

O Mother Kali ! It is your divine feet that made Siva’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 Sivapura.

O Kali ! as Sita you were instrumental in bringing about Ravana’s destruction and Raghupati’s which, appearing, became amorous of the Lord’s feet. You assumed manifold forms for the well-being, peace and happiness of the world.

You manifested yourself in the form of Krsna and let your sword be mysteriously transformed into a flute in his hand. Sometimes you take on the form of Visnu with his four arms, at other times of one (Durga, for example) having eight arms, at still other one having ten or eighteen arms.

You sometimes appear with thirty-two arms, at other times with just the double of this number, and at still others 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.

You are furious combatant (raktacandika) 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 sublime as a hundred peaked mountain and a primordial deity of black or dark complexion. You dwell amongst dark, untrodden caverns.

You’re the original mother (of all beings) and at the same time a dread deity with human heads for your garland; you’re the very slayer of Kamsa and subduer of ghosts and goblins; you’re Bhadrakali, a dweller on Kailasa and one who thrists for the blood of the wicked.

Again and again you strike off the heads of your enemies (with your slashing 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.

Blessed, blessed, all 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.

I am in a perilous predicament, O Mother, and know not whom to call for help. I am being pursued on the rough roads of life by four robbers who are bent upon turning me against the lord of the house of Raghus, Rama.

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 Krsna

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.

Those who cause vexation without being provoked, and who render all religious observances propitious activities fruitless, you pick up, O Mother, and slaughter them without delay; let not this prayer of your son go in vain.

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.

Fill the homes of your devotees with peace, happiness and prosperity, so that this countryside becomes seat of growing exultation and felicity. Sundardasa bows to you again and again, O Mother, and supplicates you to fulfil his expectation.

This hymn to the acts of the formidable Kali is like a sacred formula capable of fulfulling 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. Kai incarnates the very vital force and power of Hari with which she destroys her enemies for the well-being of the world.

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 Sundaradasa.

JAYATI MAHAAKAALII JAYATI,

AADYA KAALII MAATA

JAI KARAALA VADANE JAYATI

JAGATA MAATU VIKHYAATA

JAI JAI RUUPA PRACHANDIKAA,

MAHAAKAALIKAA DEVI

JAYATI JAYATI SHIVA-CHANDRIKAA,

SURA NARA MUNIJANA SEVI

JAYATI JAYATI RAKTAASANAA,

RAUDRAMUKHI RUDRAANII

ARI SHONITA KHAPPARA BHARANII,

KHADAGA DHAARINII SHUCHI PAANI

JAI JAI JAI MAIYAA SHRII KAALII

JAYATI KHADAGA KARA KHAPPARA VAALII

JAYATI MAHAAMAAYAA VIKARAA

LAARUDRA-SHAKTI KAALAHUN KO KAALAA

MAAN MADHU KAITABHA KE VADHA HETU

PRAGATI SHRII HARI KE TANA SE TUU

SHYAAMALA GAATA MAATA TAVA SOHATA

RAVI SAMA CAVI LAKHI CHAVIPATI MOHATA

DASHA MUKHA TIISA NETRA MANA BHAAVANA

BHAALA BAALA SHASHI MUKUTA SUHAAVANA

KO CHAVI VARANI SAKAI MAAN TERII

SHYAAMA KESHA JANU GHATAA SUGHERII

URA ARI MUNDAMAALA CHAVI CHAAJATA

ASTRA SHASTRA DASHA HASTA VIRAAJATA

KHAPPARA KHADAGA TRISHUULA KUTHAARII

GADAA CHAKRA DHANU SHANKHA SUDHAARII

ARI KARA KATANA GHAANGARAA RAAJAI

ANGA-ANGA SHUCHI BHUUSANA SAAJAI

RANJITA RAKTA DASA CHARANA KARAALAA

JIHI VISHAALA RUUPA VIKARAALAA

JABAHIN ATTAHAASA MAA KARATII

KAAMPATA THARA-THARA THARA-THARA DHARATII

AADI SHAKTI DHANI JAGA DHAATRII

MAHAA PRALAYA KII ADHISHTHAATRII

MAAN TAVA PRAGATA SHRII SHANKARA

RASANAA BAAHARA VADANA BHAYANKARA

DHANI DHANI KALAKATTE KII KAALII

SAHASABHUJI SHRII SHIVAPURA VAALII

TUUHII KAALII SIYA DASHAMUKHA NAASHYO

SHRII RAGHUPATI PADA VIJAYA VILAASO

JAGA SUKHA SHAANTI HETU KALYAANAA

KARIIN RUUPA DHAARANA VIDHI NAANAA

TUU HII SHRII KRISHNA RUUPA KII KAALII

CHANDRAHAASA MURALII KARA VAALII

CHATURBHUJII TAU ASTABHUJII DHAARII

KAHUN DASHABHUJA ASHTAADASHAKARII

KAHUN BATIISA CHAUSATHA BHUJA DHAARATA

KAHUN SAHASRA BHUJA KARI ARI MAARATA

TUU HARI SHAKTI ARDHA VAALII

TIIKSHANADANTA RASANAA RISI VAALII

RAKTACHANDIKAA KHADAGA DHAARINII

RUDRA CHANDRIKAA KHALA SANHAARINII

SHRII SATASHRINGII AADYA KAALII

KAALII KHOHA NIVAASINI VAALII

AADI MAATU TUUHII NARA SHIRAMAALII

TUMHIIN KANSA HANANII VAITAALII

TUMHIIN BHADRAKAALII KAILAASHII

SADAA KHALANA KE RAKTA MKII PYAASII

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

GANI-GANI-GANI ARI KARAHU NIPAATAA

DHANI-DHANI-DHANI SHRII KAALII MAATAA

YAHI ARADAASA DAASA KAHAN MAAII

PUURAHU AASA TU HOU SAHAAII

PARYO GAADHA SANKATA ABA BHAARII

KEHI KAA MAIYAA AAJA PUKAARII

CHARI CHORA LAAGYO MAGA MOHII

KARANA CHAHATA RAGHUPATI KO DROHII

HAI YEHII SHATRUNA KAA BHUUPAA

KAAMA KRODHA MOHA LOBHA SARUUPAA

INHIIN DEHUN YADI ANTA PACHAARII

TABAHIN MILAHIN BHAGAVANTA MURARII

DUUJO EKA ARJA YAHA MAATAA

TODAHU SAPADI KHALANA KE TAANTAA

JETE DUSHTA MAHAA APARAADHII

BADAKARMII PAAMARA BAKA VYAADHII

JO NITA BINU APARAADHA SATAAVATA

DHARMA KARMA SHUBHA HO NA PAAVATA

TINHIN MAATU TUU CHAKI JAA HAALII

BACHANA PUTRA KII HOYA NA KHAALII

PUNI BANI AINDRII AAVAHU MAATAAA

DBHUTA SHAKTI DIKHAAVAHU MAATAA

JHATAPATA LEHU KHALAHIN SANHAARI

MORI MAATU JANI KARAHU ABAARII

BHARAHU SHANTI SUKHA DHANA JANA DHAAMAA

ATI ANANDA HOII YAHA GRAAMAA

PUNI PUNI VINAVAHI SUNDARADAASAA

MAIYAA PUURA KARAHU ABHILAASHAA

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

JEHI SUMIRATA SABA AASA, LAHATA PUURANA JAGA NAARINARA

GAAVATA SUNDARADAASA, PAAVATA ATI SHUBHA SAHAJA PHALA