Kali Chalisa

śrī kālī caraṇa-saroja raja, mana-mandira meṁ dhāra. devi kī mahimā varṇauṁ, karo kṛpā apāra.

माँ काली के चरण-कमलों की धूल को मन-मंदिर में धारण करके, देवि की महिमा का वर्णन करता हूं। हे माँ, अपनी असीम कृपा प्रदान करो।

I place the dust of the lotus feet of Goddess Kali in the temple of my mind, cleansing and consecrating it. Now I proceed to describe her boundless glory. O Mother, please bestow your limitless grace upon this humble endeavor.

buddhihīna jana jānike, karuṁ kālī kī seva. śakti sāhasa jñāna do, dūra karo saba bheva.

अपने आप को बुद्धिहीन जानकर, मैं काली माँ की सेवा करता हूं। हे माँ, शक्ति, साहस और ज्ञान दो, और सभी भ्रम तथा संदेह दूर करो।

Knowing myself to be of limited intellect, I undertake the devotional service of Goddess Kali. O Mother, grant me power, courage, and wisdom, and remove all doubt, confusion, and illusion from my path.

jaya jaya jaya māṁ kālī bhavānī. jagata jananī parama kalyāṇī.

हे जगत की माता काली भवानी, जय, जय, जय! आप जगत की जननी और परम कल्याणी हैं।

Victory, victory, glory to you, O Goddess Kali, the divine Mother of existence! You are the Mother of the entire universe and the supreme bestower of all that is auspicious and good.

nīla varṇa tana, keśa viśālā. gale meṁ śobhe muṇḍa kī mālā.

तुम्हारा तन नीलवर्ण है और केश विशाल हैं। तुम्हारे गले में मुण्डन की माला शोभायमान है।

Your body is of deep dark-blue hue, and your hair flows freely like a dark storm cloud. Around your neck shines the garland of skulls, symbol of your absolute sovereignty over ego and death.

caturbhujā māṁ khaḍga dhāriṇī. abhaya pāśa vara dāyinī.

हे चतुर्भुजा माँ, तुम खड्ग धारण किए हो। अभय, पाश और वर देने वाली हो।

O four-armed Mother, you hold the sword of wisdom in one hand and grant fearlessness with another. You carry the noose to bind evil and offer boons to your devoted children.

kapāla hātha jihvā vistārī. rūpa bhayaṅkara para kṛpā tumhārī.

कपाल हाथ में लिए और जिह्वा विस्तृत किए, तुम्हारा रूप भले ही भयंकर है, पर तुम्हारी कृपा असीम है।

With a skull cup in hand and tongue extended wide, your form appears fearsome to those who see only the surface. Yet to those who truly know you, behind that fierce exterior lies boundless grace and compassion.

śiva ke vakṣa para caraṇa dharatīṁ. jaga ke tāpa ko dūra karatīṁ.

तुम शिव के वक्षस्थल पर अपने चरण रखती हो। जग के ताप को दूर करती हो।

You place your feet upon the chest of Lord Shiva, who lies beneath you in divine surrender. In this sacred union of Shakti and Shiva, of energy and consciousness, the sufferings of the entire world are dissolved.

mahākālī māṁ kāla vināśinī. bhakta janon kī pāpa praṇāśinī.

हे महाकाली माँ! तुम काल की विनाशिनी हो और भक्त जनों के पापों की प्रणाशिनी हो।

O Mahakali, you are the destroyer of Time itself and its binding limitations. For your devoted children, you obliterate accumulated karmic burdens and liberate them from cycles of suffering.

kālīghāṭa dhāma sukhakārī. kolakātā meṁ jaya-jayakārī.

कालीघाट धाम सुख देने वाला है। कोलकाता में तेरी जय-जयकार गूंजती है।

The sacred abode of Kalighat in Kolkata brings happiness to all who enter with open hearts. The entire city resounds with victorious chants of devotees who come to sing your glory.

rāmakṛṣṇa ne tumheṁ japāyā. paramahaṁsa ne darśana pāyā.

रामकृष्ण परमहंस ने तुम्हें जपा और उन्होंने माँ का दर्शन पाया।

The great saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa called upon you with unending devotion and was blessed with your direct divine vision. Your grace descends upon all who seek you with complete sincerity.

dakṣiṇeśvara mandira prasiddha. bhakta janon ko karate siddha.

दक्षिणेश्वर मंदिर प्रसिद्ध है, जो भक्त जनों को सिद्ध करता है।

The renowned Dakshineswar temple stands as a beacon of your divine presence. All who visit with sincere faith find themselves spiritually fulfilled and inwardly transformed by your grace.

kāmākhyā pīṭha śakti apārā. asama bhūmi meṁ jaya-jayakārā.

कामाख्या पीठ में अपार शक्ति है। असम भूमि में तेरी जय-जयकार है।

The Kamakhya Shakti Pitha in Assam holds boundless divine power on its ancient hills. The whole land of Assam resounds with the victorious acclaim of those who journey there seeking your blessings.

caṇḍa-muṇḍa kā anta kiyā. cāmuṇḍā nāma jagata diyā.

तुमने चण्ड-मुण्ड का अंत किया और जगत ने तुम्हें चामुण्डा नाम दिया।

You destroyed the fierce demon generals Chanda and Munda, and from that great victory the world bestowed upon you the name Chamunda, one of your most celebrated and powerful epithets.

raktabīja ko māra girāyā. apanā hī śoṇita pāna karāyā.

तुमने रक्तबीज को मार गिराया और उसके शोणित का पान करते-करते उसे समाप्त किया।

You slew the demon Raktabija, whose every drop of blood spawned a new copy of himself. By drinking every drop before it touched the ground, you ended his seemingly unstoppable rampage and preserved the cosmos.

śumbha-niśumbha kā māna harā. devaloka meṁ ānanda bharā.

तुमने शुम्भ-निशुम्भ का मान चूर किया। देवलोक में आनंद भर गया।

You crushed the pride and power of the demon kings Shumbha and Nishumbha, freeing the heavens from their tyranny. The realm of the gods overflowed with joy at your divine victory.

mahiṣāsura mardana karanevālī. durgatināśinī duḥkha haranevālī.

तुम महिषासुर मर्दन करने वाली हो। दुर्गतिनाशिनी और दुख हरने वाली हो।

You are the one who crushed the mighty Mahishasura, the shape-shifting buffalo demon who terrorized the cosmos. As Durgatinashini, the remover of all adversity, you lift sorrow from the lives of all who seek you.

ādiśakti tuma ajara amara ho. janma-mṛtyu se sadā pare ho.

हे आदिशक्ति! तुम अजर और अमर हो। जन्म-मृत्यु के चक्र से सदा परे हो।

O Primal Goddess, you are ageless and immortal, untouched by birth and death. While all of creation rises and falls within time, you remain eternally beyond every cycle.

tuma śakti ho, śiva cetanā haiṁ. donoṁ meṁ jaga kī dhaḍakana hai.

तुम शक्ति हो और शिव चेतना हैं। इन दोनों के मिलन में जग की धड़कन है।

You are the primordial energy and Shiva is the pure consciousness. In the sacred union of these two, of energy and awareness, the eternal heartbeat of the universe finds its rhythm.

śmaśāna meṁ bhī tuma virājatīṁ. mṛtyu ke pare kā pāṭha paḍhātīṁ.

श्मशान में भी तुम विराजमान हो। मृत्यु के परे का पाठ पढ़ाती हो।

Even in the cremation ground, the place most people fear to approach, you reside in calm majesty. By making it your home, you teach the highest lesson: there is something beyond death that cannot be destroyed.

daśa mahāvidyā meṁ tuma śreṣṭha ho. tantra-mantra kī parama upadeṣṭa ho.

दस महाविद्याओं में तुम सर्वश्रेष्ठ हो। तंत्र-मंत्र की परम उपदेष्ट हो।

Among the Ten Mahavidyas, the ten great tantric wisdom goddesses of the Hindu tradition, you stand supreme. You are the ultimate source and teacher of the sacred sciences of tantra and mantra.

tārā chinnamasatā tripurā sātha. bhuvanešvarī haiṁ tere hātha.

तारा, छिन्नमस्ता और त्रिपुरा। भुवनेश्वरी तेरे हाथ में है।

Tara, Chinnamasta, Tripura Bhairavi, each a luminous face of your boundless power. Through Bhuvaneshvari who holds the universe within herself, you reveal that all of creation rests in your hands.

ṣoḍaśī kamalā lalitā māṁ. dhūmāvatī mātaṅgī kṛpā māṁ.

षोडशी, कमला, ललिता माँ। धूमावती, मातंगी — सब में तेरी कृपा है माँ।

As Shodashi, Kamala, and Lalita you bestow fullness, abundance, and grace. As Dhumavati and Matangi you hold the wisdom of endings and of the overlooked. All ten faces reveal your infinite compassion, O Mother.

navarātra kī mahimā apārā. bhakta jana karate jaya-jayakārā.

नवरात्र की महिमा अपार है। भक्त जन जय-जयकार करते हैं।

The glory of Navaratri, the nine sacred nights of your worship, is beyond measure. During these holy nights, devotees fill the world with joyous proclamations of your victory over all that oppresses the human spirit.

kālīpūjā baṅgāla kī śāna. lākhoṁ bhakta lete terā nāma.

कालीपूजा बंगाल की शान है। लाखों भक्त तेरा नाम लेते हैं।

Kali Puja is the crowning glory of Bengal's devotional culture. On that sacred night, millions of devotees take your name and offer their hearts at your feet in a collective act of love and surrender.

amāvasa ko tuma pūjī jāo. bhakta janon ko śakti dikhāo.

अमावस को तुम पूजी जाती हो। भक्त जनों को शक्ति दिखाती हो।

On the darkest night of the new moon, when all outer light withdraws, you are worshipped in your fullest form. In the very absence of light, you reveal your power most completely to those who have the courage to seek you.

vindhyavāsinī rūpa tumhārā. vindhyācala para ho ujiyārā.

विंध्यवासिनी रूप में तुम विराजमान हो। विंध्याचल पर तुम्हारा उजियारा है।

In the form of Vindhyavasini, you dwell upon the ancient Vindhya mountains. Your divine radiance illuminates those peaks and all who journey there with sincere devotion.

jo jana terī śaraṇa meṁ āya. uske saba duḥkha-darda miṭa jāya.

जो व्यक्ति तेरी शरण में आता है, उसके सब दुख-दर्द मिट जाते हैं।

Whoever takes genuine refuge in you, O Kali, finds all their sorrow and pain dissolved as though they never existed. Your shelter is the most complete protection any being can find.

sukha sampati de, duḥkha ko haro. mana kī murāda saba tuma bharo.

सुख-संपति दो, दुख को हरो। मन की सब मुरादें भरो।

Grant happiness and prosperity, and remove all sorrow from our lives. Fulfill all the sincere wishes of the heart, O Mother, for you alone know what we truly need.

bandhana kāṭo māṁ mukti do. bhavasāgara se pāra karo.

बंधन काटो माँ, मुक्ति दो। भवसागर से पार करो।

O Mother, cut through all the bonds that keep us tied to suffering and illusion, and grant us liberation. Carry us across the endless ocean of worldly existence to the far shore of freedom.

nirbhaya hokara jo tumheṁ dhyāya. kāla kā bhaya turaṁta miṭa jāya.

जो निर्भय होकर तुम्हें ध्याता है, उसका काल का भय तुरंत मिट जाता है।

Whoever meditates upon you with a fearless and open heart finds the fear of time and death immediately dissolved. You are the answer to the most primal and deepest fear that human beings carry.

jo nita kālī-kālī kahe. uske ghara meṁ lakṣmī rahe.

जो नित्य काली-काली का जाप करता है, उसके घर में लक्ष्मी का वास रहता है।

Whoever chants the sacred name of Kali daily with genuine devotion will find that abundance and prosperity dwell permanently in their home. Grace flows naturally to those who maintain consistent devotion.

vidyārthī jo māṁ ko dhyāeṁ. parīkṣā meṁ ve niścita pāeṁ.

जो विद्यार्थी माँ का ध्यान करते हैं, वे परीक्षा में निश्चित रूप से सफल होते हैं।

Students who meditate upon the Mother Goddess with sincere devotion will certainly find success in their examinations. Her grace sharpens the mind and brings clarity and steadiness when it matters most.

gṛhastha jana māṁ ko pūjeṁ jo. ghara meṁ sukha śānti pāeṁ so.

जो गृहस्थ जन माँ को पूजते हैं, वे घर में सुख-शांति पाते हैं।

Householders who worship the Mother Goddess faithfully will find their homes filled with happiness and peace. The divine feminine, invoked with devotion, brings harmony to every dimension of family life.

vyāpārī jo māṁ ko dhyāeṁ. vyāpāra meṁ yaśa-dhana ve pāeṁ.

जो व्यापारी माँ को ध्याते हैं, व्यापार में यश और धन पाते हैं।

Merchants and entrepreneurs who meditate upon the Mother with gratitude find that their ventures earn not only material wealth but lasting renown and genuine respect from those they serve.

rogī jana māṁ kī śaraṇa leṁ. ārogya aura sukha varaṇa kareṁ.

रोगी जन माँ की शरण में जाएं। आरोग्य और सुख पाएं।

Those who suffer from illness, take refuge in the Mother Goddess. She who holds the very energies of life bestows healing and the happiness of restored health upon those who approach her with sincere faith.

nārī meṁ tuma śakti jagāo. hara ghara meṁ māṁ dīpa jalāo.

नारियों में शक्ति जगाओ माँ। हर घर में दीप जलाओ माँ।

Awaken the power within every woman, O Mother Goddess. Let your divine light be kindled in every home, illuminating lives and activating the strength that lies waiting within all your daughters.

saṅkaṭa meṁ jo māṁ ko pukāre. māṁ ā jātī, saba duḥkha ṭāre.

जो संकट में माँ को पुकारता है, माँ आ जाती है और सब दुख दूर करती है।

Whoever calls upon the Mother in times of crisis will find she comes immediately to their side and removes all suffering. Her responsiveness to sincere need is as swift as it is complete.

jo yaha pāṭha kālī kā kare. uske saba saṅkaṭa dūra ṭare.

जो यह काली का पाठ करता है, उसके सब संकट दूर हो जाते हैं।

Whoever recites this Kali Chalisa with devotion and sincerity will find all their troubles and crises dispelled. The sacred hymn carries the living energy of the Goddess herself.

śata bāra jo yaha cālīsā kare. māṁ kālī ke caraṇa nitya dhare.

जो सौ बार इस चालीसा का पाठ करता है, वह माँ काली के चरणों में नित्य रहता है।

Whoever recites this Kali Chalisa a hundred times and places themselves at the feet of the Mother daily will receive her highest blessings. Depth of devotion, sustained over time, is the path to liberation.

jo yaha kālī-cālīsā paḍhe. bhavasāgara se turaṁta ubhare.

जो यह काली चालीसा पढ़ता है, वह भव बंधन से तुरंत उबर जाता है।

Whoever reads this Kali Chalisa with sincere faith will immediately rise above the bonds of worldly existence. The hymn acts as a vessel to carry the devoted across the ocean of suffering.

jaya jaya māṁ kālī jaya jaya māī. terī mahimā jaga meṁ chāī.

जय जय काली! जय जय माई! तेरी महिमा जग में छाई है।

Victory, victory to Mother Kali! Victory, victory to the Great Mother! Your glory has spread throughout the entire world, filling every corner of creation with the energy of your divine presence.

bhārata mātā kī śakti ho tuma. jana-jana ke mana kī bhakti ho tuma.

तुम भारत माता की शक्ति हो। जन-जन के मन की भक्ति हो।

You are the Shakti that breathes life into Mother India herself. You are the devotion that lives in the heart of every person, the love of this sacred land expressed through the pulse of its people.

jaya māṁ kālī kṛpā karo, duḥkha dāridrya haro. bhava bandhana se mukta kara, bhakta ko ubhāro.

जय माँ काली! कृपा करो, दुख और दारिद्र्य हरो। भव बंधन से मुक्त कर, हे माँ, भक्त को उबारो।

Victory to Mother Kali! Bestow your grace upon us, remove suffering and poverty from our lives. Free us from the bonds of worldly existence, O Mother, and lift your devoted children up to the light of liberation.