Vaishno Devi Chalisa — Lyrics with Meaning
The Vaishno Devi Chalisa praises Maa Vaishno Devi of the Trikuta hills in Jammu. It tells of her penance, devotee Shridhar's feast, Bhairon's chase, the Ardhkuwari cave and her form as the three pindis. The last verse names the poet 'Sharma'. It is especially recited in Navratri.
|| Doha ||
Garud vahini Vaishnavi, Trikuta parvat dham | Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shakti tumhen pranam ||
|| Chaupai ||
Namo namo Vaishno vardani | Kali kaal mein shubh kalyani ||
|| Chaupai ||
Mani parvat par jyoti tumhari | Pindi roop mein ho avatari ||
|| Chaupai ||
Devi devta ansh diyo hai | Ratnakar ghar janm liyo hai ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kari tapasya Ram ko paun | Treta ki shakti kahlaun ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kaha Ram mani parvat jao | Kaliyug ki Devi kahlao ||
|| Chaupai ||
Vishnu roop se Kalki bankar | Loonga shakti roop badalkar ||
|| Chaupai ||
Tab tak Trikuta ghati jao | Gupha andheri jakar pao ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kali-Lakshmi-Saraswati Maa | Karengi shoshan-Parvati Maa ||
|| Chaupai ||
Brahma, Vishnu, Shankar dware | Hanumat Bhairon prahari pyare ||
|| Chaupai ||
Riddhi Siddhi chanvar dulavain | Kaliyug-vasi poojat aavain ||
|| Chaupai ||
Paan supari dhvaja nariyal | Charanamrit charanon ka nirmal ||
|| Chaupai ||
Diya phalit var Maa muskai | Karan tapasya parvat aai ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kali kaal ki bhadki jwala | Ik din apna roop nikala ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kanya ban Nagrota aai | Yogi Bhairon diya dikhai ||
|| Chaupai ||
Roop dekh sundar lalchaya | Peechhe-peechhe bhaga aaya ||
|| Chaupai ||
Kanyaon ke saath mili Maa | Kaul-Kandauli tabhi chali Maa ||
|| Chaupai ||
Deva Mai darshan deena | Pavan roop ho gai praveena ||
|| Chaupai ||
Navratron mein leela rachai | Bhakt Shridhar ke ghar aai ||
|| Chaupai ||
Yogin ko bhandara deena | Sabne ruchikar bhojan keena ||
|| Chaupai ||
Maans, madira Bhairon mangi | Roop pavan kar ichchha tyagi ||
|| Chaupai ||
Baan markar Ganga nikali | Parvat bhagi ho matvali ||
|| Chaupai ||
Charan rakhe aa ek shila jab | Charan-paduka naam pada tab ||
|| Chaupai ||
Peechhe Bhairon tha balkari | Chhoti gupha mein jay padhari ||
|| Chaupai ||
Nau maah tak kiya nivasa | Chali phodkar kiya prakasha ||
|| Chaupai ||
Aadya shakti-Brahma kumari | Kahlai Maa Aad Kunvari ||
|| Chaupai ||
Gupha dwar pahunchi muskai | Langur Veer ne aagya pai ||
|| Chaupai ||
Bhaga-bhaga Bhairon aaya | Raksha hit nij shastra chalaya ||
|| Chaupai ||
Pada sheesh ja parvat oopar | Kiya kshama ja diya use var ||
|| Chaupai ||
Apne sang mein pujvaungi | Bhairon ghati banvaungi ||
|| Chaupai ||
Pehle mera darshan hoga | Peechhe tera sumiran hoga ||
|| Chaupai ||
Baith gai Maa pindi hokar | Charanon mein bahta jal jhar-jhar ||
|| Chaupai ||
Chaunsath yogini-Bhairon barvan | Saptarishi aa karte sumiran ||
|| Chaupai ||
Ghanta dhvani parvat par baaje | Gupha nirali sundar laage ||
|| Chaupai ||
Bhakt Shridhar poojan keena | Bhakti seva ka var leena ||
|| Chaupai ||
Sevak Dhyanu tumko dhyaya | Dhvaja va chola aan chadhaya ||
|| Chaupai ||
Singh sada dar pehra deta | Panja sher ka dukh har leta ||
|| Chaupai ||
Jambu dweep Maharaj manaya | Sar sone ka chhatra chadhaya ||
|| Chaupai ||
Heere ki moorat sang pyari | Jage akhand ik jot tumhari ||
|| Chaupai ||
Ashvin Chaitra Navrate aaun | Pindi Rani darshan paun ||
|| Chaupai ||
Sevak 'Sharma' sharan tihari | Haro Vaishno vipat hamari ||
|| Doha ||
Kaliyug mein mahima teri, hai Maa aparampar | Dharma ki hani ho rahi, pragat ho avatar ||
Meaning
Doha
Garud vahini Vaishnavi, Trikuta parvat dham | Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shakti tumhen pranam ||
O Vaishnavi who rides Garud and lives on Trikuta hill! Shakti in the form of Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati, I bow to you.
Chaupai 1
Namo namo Vaishno vardani | Kali kaal mein shubh kalyani ||
Salutations again and again to Vaishno, giver of boons. In the Kali age you are the one who brings good.
Chaupai 2
Mani parvat par jyoti tumhari | Pindi roop mein ho avatari ||
Your light shines on the jewelled mountain. You have appeared in the form of the pindis.
Chaupai 3
Devi devta ansh diyo hai | Ratnakar ghar janm liyo hai ||
The gods and goddesses gave a part of their power to form you. You were born in the home of Ratnakar.
Chaupai 4
Kari tapasya Ram ko paun | Treta ki shakti kahlaun ||
You did penance, wishing to attain Ram and be known as the Shakti of the Treta age.
Chaupai 5
Kaha Ram mani parvat jao | Kaliyug ki Devi kahlao ||
Ram said: go to the jewelled mountain and be known as the Goddess of the Kali age.
Chaupai 6
Vishnu roop se Kalki bankar | Loonga shakti roop badalkar ||
I will come as Kalki, a form of Vishnu, and in that changed form accept you as my Shakti.
Chaupai 7
Tab tak Trikuta ghati jao | Gupha andheri jakar pao ||
Until then, go to the Trikuta valley and dwell in the dark cave there.
Chaupai 8
Kali-Lakshmi-Saraswati Maa | Karengi shoshan-Parvati Maa ||
There the powers of Mother Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati will be with you.
Chaupai 9
Brahma, Vishnu, Shankar dware | Hanumat Bhairon prahari pyare ||
Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar stand at your door. Hanuman and Bhairon are your dear guards.
Chaupai 10
Riddhi Siddhi chanvar dulavain | Kaliyug-vasi poojat aavain ||
Riddhi and Siddhi wave the fly-whisk for you. People of the Kali age come to worship you.
Chaupai 11
Paan supari dhvaja nariyal | Charanamrit charanon ka nirmal ||
Devotees offer betel, areca nut, flags and coconuts, and receive the pure water that has touched your feet.
Chaupai 12
Diya phalit var Maa muskai | Karan tapasya parvat aai ||
Smiling, the Mother gave a fruitful blessing and came to the mountain to do penance.
Chaupai 13
Kali kaal ki bhadki jwala | Ik din apna roop nikala ||
When the fire of the Kali age blazed up, one day the Mother revealed her form.
Chaupai 14
Kanya ban Nagrota aai | Yogi Bhairon diya dikhai ||
Taking the form of a young girl she came to Nagrota, where the yogi Bhairon saw her.
Chaupai 15
Roop dekh sundar lalchaya | Peechhe-peechhe bhaga aaya ||
Seeing her beauty, Bhairon was filled with desire and ran after her.
Chaupai 16
Kanyaon ke saath mili Maa | Kaul-Kandauli tabhi chali Maa ||
The Mother joined a group of young girls and then set off for Kaul-Kandauli.
Chaupai 17
Deva Mai darshan deena | Pavan roop ho gai praveena ||
Giving darshan at Deva Mai, the wise Mother became like the wind and vanished.
Chaupai 18
Navratron mein leela rachai | Bhakt Shridhar ke ghar aai ||
During Navratri the Mother wove her divine play and came to the home of her devotee Shridhar.
Chaupai 19
Yogin ko bhandara deena | Sabne ruchikar bhojan keena ||
She held a feast for the yogis, and everyone ate delicious food.
Chaupai 20
Maans, madira Bhairon mangi | Roop pavan kar ichchha tyagi ||
Bhairon demanded meat and wine; the Mother refused his wish and left in the form of the wind.
Chaupai 21
Baan markar Ganga nikali | Parvat bhagi ho matvali ||
She shot an arrow into the ground and brought forth a stream (Banganga), then sped joyfully up the mountain.
Chaupai 22
Charan rakhe aa ek shila jab | Charan-paduka naam pada tab ||
When the Mother set her feet on a rock, the place came to be called Charan Paduka.
Chaupai 23
Peechhe Bhairon tha balkari | Chhoti gupha mein jay padhari ||
The mighty Bhairon was close behind, so the Mother entered a small cave.
Chaupai 24
Nau maah tak kiya nivasa | Chali phodkar kiya prakasha ||
She stayed there for nine months, then broke open the cave and came forth in light.
Chaupai 25
Aadya shakti-Brahma kumari | Kahlai Maa Aad Kunvari ||
So the primal Shakti, the virgin goddess, came to be called Aad Kunvari (Ardhkuwari).
Chaupai 26
Gupha dwar pahunchi muskai | Langur Veer ne aagya pai ||
Smiling, the Mother reached the mouth of the main cave and gave her command to the brave Langur (Hanuman).
Chaupai 27
Bhaga-bhaga Bhairon aaya | Raksha hit nij shastra chalaya ||
Bhairon came running there, and the Mother struck with her weapon to protect all.
Chaupai 28
Pada sheesh ja parvat oopar | Kiya kshama ja diya use var ||
Bhairon's head fell far up the mountain. The Mother forgave him and gave him a boon.
Chaupai 29
Apne sang mein pujvaungi | Bhairon ghati banvaungi ||
"I will have you worshipped along with me, and the Bhairon valley will be built for you."
Chaupai 30
Pehle mera darshan hoga | Peechhe tera sumiran hoga ||
"Pilgrims will first have my darshan, and after that they will remember you."
Chaupai 31
Baith gai Maa pindi hokar | Charanon mein bahta jal jhar-jhar ||
The Mother settled in the form of the pindis, and water flows gurgling at her feet.
Chaupai 32
Chaunsath yogini-Bhairon barvan | Saptarishi aa karte sumiran ||
The sixty-four yoginis and Bhairon sing of you; the Seven Sages come to remember you.
Chaupai 33
Ghanta dhvani parvat par baaje | Gupha nirali sundar laage ||
The sound of bells rings out on the mountain. Your wondrous cave looks beautiful.
Chaupai 34
Bhakt Shridhar poojan keena | Bhakti seva ka var leena ||
Devotee Shridhar worshipped you and received the blessing of devotion and service.
Chaupai 35
Sevak Dhyanu tumko dhyaya | Dhvaja va chola aan chadhaya ||
Your servant Dhyanu Bhagat meditated on you and offered a flag and a sacred robe.
Chaupai 36
Singh sada dar pehra deta | Panja sher ka dukh har leta ||
A lion always guards your door; the lion's paw takes away the sorrows of devotees.
Chaupai 37
Jambu dweep Maharaj manaya | Sar sone ka chhatra chadhaya ||
The Maharaja of Jammu honoured you and offered a golden canopy over your head.
Chaupai 38
Heere ki moorat sang pyari | Jage akhand ik jot tumhari ||
Beside your lovely diamond image, your undying flame burns without pause.
Chaupai 39
Ashvin Chaitra Navrate aaun | Pindi Rani darshan paun ||
May I come in the Navratris of Ashvin and Chaitra and receive darshan of the Pindi Queen.
Chaupai 40
Sevak 'Sharma' sharan tihari | Haro Vaishno vipat hamari ||
Your servant 'Sharma' takes refuge in you. O Mother Vaishno, take away our troubles.
Doha
Kaliyug mein mahima teri, hai Maa aparampar | Dharma ki hani ho rahi, pragat ho avatar ||
O Mother, your glory in the Kali age is boundless. Dharma is declining — appear again in a new avatar.
Meanings written in simple language by the KathaMantra team.
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Frequently asked questions
When should the Vaishno Devi Chalisa be recited?
It can be read in daily worship. Traditionally the Chaitra and Ashvin Navratris, Ashtami, Fridays and the time of the Vaishno Devi yatra are considered auspicious.
Why is Vaishno Devi worshipped as pindis?
Tradition says that after ending Bhairon, the Mother settled in the cave as three pindis (rock forms), seen as Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.
Why do pilgrims visit the Bhairon temple?
As the Chalisa says, when Bhairon asked forgiveness the Mother blessed him: pilgrims would see her first and then remember him. So pilgrims visit Bhairon Ghati after the Mother's darshan.