Durga Dvatrimshan Namamala (Garland of 32 Names)

The Durga Dvatrimshan Namamala is the garland of 32 names of Goddess Durga. This page gives the names and the account of how the Goddess revealed them to the gods.

Atha Durga Dvatrimshan Namamala

॥ अथ दुर्गाद्वात्रिंशन्नाममाला ॥

दुर्गा दुर्गार्तिशमनी दुर्गापद्विनिवारिणी।
दुर्गमच्छेदिनी दुर्गसाधिनी दुर्गनाशिनी॥
दुर्गतोद्धारिणी दुर्गनिहन्त्री दुर्गमापहा।
दुर्गमज्ञानदा दुर्गदैत्यलोकदवानला॥
दुर्गमा दुर्गमालोका दुर्गमात्मस्वरूपिणी।
दुर्गमार्गप्रदा दुर्गमविद्या दुर्गमाश्रिता॥
दुर्गमज्ञानसंस्थाना दुर्गमध्यानभासिनी।
दुर्गमोहा दुर्गमगा दुर्गमार्थस्वरूपिणी॥
दुर्गमासुरसंहन्त्री दुर्गमायुधधारिणी।
दुर्गमाङ्गी दुर्गमता दुर्गम्या दुर्गमेश्वरी॥
दुर्गभीमा दुर्गभामा दुर्गभा दुर्गदारिणी।
नामावलिमिमां यस्तु दुर्गाया मम मानवः॥
पठेत् सर्वभयान्मुक्तो भविष्यति न संशयः॥

Durga Durgarti-Shamani Durgapad-Vinivarini |
Durgamach-Chhedini Durgasadhini Durganashini ||
Durgatoddharini Durga-Nihantri Durgamapaha |
Durgama-Jnanada Durga-Daityaloka-Davanala ||
Durgama Durgamaloka Durgamatma-Svarupini |
Durgamarga-Prada Durgamavidya Durgamashrita ||
Durgama-Jnana-Samsthana Durgama-Dhyana-Bhasini |
Durgamoha Durgamaga Durgamartha-Svarupini ||
Durgamasura-Samhantri Durgamayudha-Dharini |
Durgamangi Durgamata Durgamya Durgameshvari ||
Durgabhima Durgabhama Durgabha Durgadarini |
Namavalim Imam Yastu Durgaya Mama Manavah ||
Pathet Sarva-Bhayan Mukto Bhavishyati Na Samshayah ||

Meaning: Whoever recites this garland of the thirty-two names of Goddess Durga becomes free from every kind of fear. There is no doubt about this.

Conclusion

॥ इति दुर्गाद्वात्रिंशन्नाममाला सम्पूर्णम् ॥

|| Iti Durga-Dvatrimshan-Namamala Sampurnam ||

The Story of the 32 Names

Once upon a time, Brahma and the other gods worshipped Maheshvari Durga with flowers and various other offerings. Pleased by this, Durga, the destroyer of misfortune, said: “O gods! I am satisfied with your worship. Ask for whatever you wish, and I will grant you even the rarest of things.”

Hearing these words of Durga, the gods said: “O Devi! You have slain our enemy Mahishasura, who was a thorn to the three worlds, and so the whole world has become well and free from fear. It is by your grace alone that we have regained our positions. You are the wish-fulfilling tree (kalpavriksha) for your devotees, and we have come to take refuge in you. So now no desire to gain anything remains in our minds. We have received everything. Yet since it is your command, we wish to ask you something for the protection of the world. O Maheshvari! What is the means by which you are quickly pleased and protect a living being who has fallen into danger? O Queen of the gods! Even if this is entirely secret, please be sure to tell us.”

When the gods prayed in this way, the compassionate Goddess Durga said: “O gods, listen! This secret is most confidential and rare. The garland of my thirty-two names destroys every kind of calamity. In the three worlds there is no other hymn equal to it. It is a secret. I shall tell it to you; listen:

The 32 Names of Goddess Durga

1. Durga

2. Durgartishamani

3. Durgapadvinivarini

4. Durgamachchhedini

5. Durgasadhini

6. Durganashini

7. Durgatoddharini

8. Durganihantri

9. Durgamapaha

10. Durgamajnanada

11. Durgadaityalokadavanala

12. Durgama

13. Durgamaloka

14. Durgamatmasvarupini

15. Durgamargaprada

16. Durgamavidya

17. Durgamashrita

18. Durgamajnanasamsthana

19. Durgamadhyanabhasini

20. Durgamoha

21. Durgamaga

22. Durgamarthasvarupini

23. Durgamasurasamhantri

24. Durgamayudhadharini

25. Durgamangi

26. Durgamata

27. Durgamya

28. Durgameshvari

29. Durgabhima

30. Durgabhama

31. Durgabha

32. Durgadarini

The person who recites this garland of the names of me, Durga, will without doubt be freed from every kind of fear.

“Whether someone is tormented by enemies or caught in bondage that is hard to break, merely by reciting these thirty-two names he is freed from danger. There is not the slightest room for doubt in this. If a king, filled with anger, orders someone to be put to death or to receive some other harsh punishment, or if a person is surrounded by enemies in battle, or is caught in the clutches of a tiger or other fierce animals in the forest, then merely by reciting these thirty-two names one hundred and eight times, he is freed from all fears. In times of calamity there is no other remedy that destroys fear like this one.

“O gods! Those who recite this garland of names never suffer any harm. It should not be taught to one who lacks devotion, to an unbeliever or to a deceitful person. Whoever, when fallen into great calamity, recites this list of names a thousand, ten thousand or a hundred thousand times himself, or has Brahmins recite it, is freed from every kind of calamity.

“If a person offers a hundred thousand oblations (havan) of white sesame mixed with honey into a consecrated fire with these names, he is freed from all calamities. The purashcharana (formal course of practice) of this garland of names is thirty thousand recitations. By reciting it with purashcharana, a person can accomplish every task through it.

“One should make a beautiful eight-armed clay image of me, with the eight arms holding, in order, a mace, a sword, a trident, an arrow, a bow, a lotus, a shield (kheta) and a mudgara (club). The image should have the mark of the moon on its head and three eyes; it should be dressed in red garments, riding on the shoulder of a lion and slaying Mahishasura with a spear. Having made such an image, one should worship me with devotion using various offerings.

“One should worship a hundred times with the names given above, offering red kaner (oleander) flowers, and perform havan with pua (sweet fried cakes) while chanting the mantra. One should offer many kinds of excellent food. By doing this, a person accomplishes even a task that seems impossible. The person who worships me every day never falls into calamity.”

Having said this to the gods, Jagadamba vanished right there. No calamity befalls those who listen to this story of Durga.