Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram

न मन्त्रं नो यन्त्रं तदपि च न जाने स्तुतिमहो

Na mantraṃ no yantraṃ tadapi ca na jāne stutimaho

I know no mantra, no yantra, and alas, no hymn of praise either,

न चाह्वानं ध्यानं तदपि च न जाने स्तुतिकथाः ।

Na cāhvānaṃ dhyānaṃ tadapi ca na jāne stutikathāḥ |

nor invocation, nor meditation, and I know no telling of Your praises,

न जाने मुद्रास्ते तदपि च न जाने विलपनं

Na jāne mudrāste tadapi ca na jāne vilapanaṃ

I do not know Your mudras, nor do I know how to weep before You,

परं जाने मातस्त्वदनुसरणं क्लेशहरणम्

Paraṃ jāne mātastvadanusaraṇaṃ kleśaharaṇam

but this I do know, Mother: that following You takes affliction away.

विधेरज्ञानेन द्रविणविरहेणालसतया

Vidherajñānena draviṇaviraheṇālasatayā

Through not knowing the rite, through want of means, through sheer sloth,

विधेयाशक्यत्वात्तव चरणयोर्या च्युतिरभूत् ।

Vidheyāśakyatvāttava caraṇayoryā cyutirabhūt |

and through being unable to do what ought to be done, whatever falling away from Your feet has happened,

तदेतत् क्षन्तव्यं जननि सकलोद्धारिणि शिवे

Tadetat kṣantavyaṃ janani sakaloddhāriṇi śive

all of that must be forgiven, Mother, You who lift up every one, O auspicious one,

कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति

Kuputro jāyeta kvacidapi kumātā na bhavati

a bad son may be born somewhere, but a bad mother never.

पृथिव्यां पुत्रास्ते जननि बहवः सन्ति सरलाः

Pṛthivyāṃ putrāste janani bahavaḥ santi saralāḥ

On earth, Mother, You have many sons, and honest ones,

परं तेषां मध्ये विरलतरलोऽहं तव सुतः ।

Paraṃ teṣāṃ madhye viralataralo'haṃ tava sutaḥ |

but among them all, I, Your son, am the most unsteady,

मदीयोऽयं त्यागः समुचितमिदं नो तव शिवे

Madīyo'yaṃ tyāgaḥ samucitamidaṃ no tava śive

yet to cast me off would not be fitting for You, O auspicious one,

कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति

Kuputro jāyeta kvacidapi kumātā na bhavati

a bad son may be born somewhere, but a bad mother never.

जगन्मातर्मातस्तव चरणसेवा न रचिता

Jaganmātarmātastava caraṇasevā na racitā

Mother of the world, Mother, no service at Your feet have I offered,

न वा दत्तं देवि द्रविणमपि भूयस्तव मया ।

Na vā dattaṃ devi draviṇamapi bhūyastava mayā |

nor have I given You much wealth either, Devi,

तथापि त्वं स्नेहं मयि निरुपमं यत्प्रकुरुषे

Tathāpi tvaṃ snehaṃ mayi nirupamaṃ yatprakuruṣe

and yet the love beyond compare that You pour upon me:

कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति

Kuputro jāyeta kvacidapi kumātā na bhavati

a bad son may be born somewhere, but a bad mother never.

परित्यक्ता देवा विविधविधसेवाकुलतया

Parityaktā devā vividhavidhasevākulatayā

The gods I have left behind, worn out by service of so many kinds,

मया पञ्चा शीतेरधिकमपनीते तु वयसि ।

Mayā pañcā śīteradhikamapanīte tu vayasi |

and now that more than eighty-five years of my life have been spent,

इदानीं चेन्मातस्तव यदि कृपा नापि भविता

Idānīṃ cenmātastava yadi kṛpā nāpi bhavitā

if even now, Mother, Your grace is not to come,

निरालम्बो लम्बोदरजननि कं यामि शरणम्

Nirālambo lambodarajanani kaṃ yāmi śaraṇam

then with no support left, mother of Lambodara, to whom shall I go for refuge?

श्वपाको जल्पाको भवति मधुपाकोपमगिरा

Śvapāko jalpāko bhavati madhupākopamagirā

One of the most despised station becomes eloquent, his speech like honey newly made,

निरातङ्को रङ्को विहरति चिरं कोटिकनकैः ।

Nirātaṅko raṅko viharati ciraṃ koṭikanakaiḥ |

the pauper, all fear gone, disports himself long with ten million gold pieces:

तवापर्णे कर्णे विशति मनु वर्णे फलमिदं

Tavāparṇe karṇe viśati manu varṇe phalamidaṃ

this is the fruit, Aparna, when the syllables of Your mantra enter the ear.

जनः को जानीते जननि जननीयं जपविधौ

Janaḥ ko jānīte janani jananīyaṃ japavidhau

What person knows, Mother, what is brought to birth in the practice of your japa?

चिताभस्मालेपो गरलमशनं दिक्पटधरो

Citābhasmālepo garalamaśanaṃ dikpaṭadharo

Smeared with ash from the cremation ground, poison for His food, the open directions for His clothing,

जटाधारी कण्ठे भुजगपतिहारी पशुपतिः ।

Jaṭādhārī kaṇṭhe bhujagapatihārī paśupatiḥ |

matted-haired, the lord of serpents worn as a necklace at His throat, Pashupati,

कपाली भूतेशो भजति जगदीशैकपदवीं

Kapālī bhūteśo bhajati jagadīśaikapadavīṃ

the skull-bearer, lord of the bhutas: yet He holds the one rank of Lord of the world.

भवानि त्वत्पाणिग्रहणपरिपाटीफलमिदम्

Bhavāni tvatpāṇigrahaṇaparipāṭīphalamidam

Bhavani, this is the fruit of the good fortune of having taken Your hand.

न मोक्षस्याकाङ्क्षा भवविभववाञ्छापि च न मे

Na mokṣasyākāṅkṣā bhavavibhavavāñchāpi ca na me

I have no longing for liberation, nor any wish for worldly splendour,

न विज्ञानापेक्षा शशिमुखि सुखेच्छापि न पुनः ।

Na vijñānāpekṣā śaśimukhi sukhecchāpi na punaḥ |

no hope of knowledge either, moon-faced one, and no desire for pleasure again,

अतस्त्वां संयाचे जननि जननं यातु मम वै

Atastvāṃ saṃyāce janani jananaṃ yātu mama vai

so this alone I beg of You, Mother: let my life go by

मृडानी रुद्राणी शिव शिव भवानीति जपतः

Mṛḍānī rudrāṇī śiva śiva bhavānīti japataḥ

in repeating: Mridani, Rudrani, Shiva Shiva, Bhavani.

नाराधितासि विधिना विविधोपचारैः

Nārādhitāsi vidhinā vividhopacāraiḥ

You have not been worshipped by me by the rule, with varied offerings,

किं रुक्षचिन्तनपरैर्न कृतं वचोभिः ।

Kiṃ rukṣacintanaparairna kṛtaṃ vacobhiḥ |

and what have I not done with words given over to harsh thinking?

श्यामे त्वमेव यदि किञ्चन मय्यनाथे

Śyāme tvameva yadi kiñcana mayyanāthe

O dark one, if You Yourself still bestow even a little

धत्से कृपामुचितमम्ब परं तवैव

Dhatse kṛpāmucitamamba paraṃ tavaiva

grace upon me who am without protector, Mother, that befits none but You.

आपत्सु मग्नः स्मरणं त्वदीयं

Āpatsu magnaḥ smaraṇaṃ tvadīyaṃ

Sunk in calamities, I make remembrance of You,

करोमि दुर्गे करुणार्णवेशि ।

Karomi durge karuṇārṇaveśi |

Durga, mistress of the ocean of compassion.

नैतच्छठत्वं मम भावयेथाः

Naitacchaṭhatvaṃ mama bhāvayethāḥ

Do not take this for guile in me:

क्षुधातृषार्ता जननीं स्मरन्ति

Kṣudhātṛṣārtā jananīṃ smaranti

those tormented by hunger and thirst remember their mother.

जगदम्ब विचित्र मत्र किं

Jagadamba vicitra matra kiṃ

Mother of the world, what is strange in this,

परिपूर्णा करुणास्ति चेन्मयि ।

Paripūrṇā karuṇāsti cenmayi |

if Your compassion towards me is complete?

अपराधपरम्परापरं

Aparādhaparamparāparaṃ

Though he is given over to an unbroken succession of offences,

न हि माता समुपेक्षते सुतम्

Na hi mātā samupekṣate sutam

a mother does not disregard her son.

मत्समः पातकी नास्ति पापघ्नी त्वत्समा न हि ।

Matsamaḥ pātakī nāsti pāpaghnī tvatsamā na hi |

There is no sinner to equal me, and no destroyer of sin to equal You.

एवं ज्ञात्वा महादेवि यथायोग्यं तथा कुरु

Evaṃ jñātvā mahādevi yathāyogyaṃ tathā kuru

Knowing this, Mahadevi, do as You see fit.