Devyaparadha Kshamapana Stotram

The Devyaparadha Kshamapana Stotram, composed by Shri Shankaracharya, is a hymn in which the devotee asks the Divine Mother to forgive all shortcomings in worship.

Atha Devy Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram (॥ अथ देव्यपराधक्षमापनस्तोत्रम् ॥)

Verse 1

न मन्त्रं नो यन्त्रं तदपि च न जाने स्तुतिमहो न चाह्वानं ध्यानं तदपि च न जाने स्तुतिकथाः। न जाने मुद्रास्ते तदपि च न जाने विलपनं परं जाने मातस्त्वदनुसरणं क्लेशहरणम्॥1॥

Na Mantram No Yantram Tadapi Cha Na Jane Stutimaho Na Chahvanam Dhyanam Tadapi Cha Na Jane Stutikathah | Na Jane Mudraste Tadapi Cha Na Jane Vilapanam Param Jane Matas Tvad-Anusaranam Klesha-Haranam || 1 ||

Meaning: Mother! I know neither mantra nor yantra; alas, I do not even know how to praise you. I know neither how to invoke you nor how to meditate on you. I know no stotras or sacred stories either. I do not know your mudras, nor do I even know how to cry out to you in distress; but I know one thing — only to follow you, to walk behind you, which takes away all afflictions, all sorrows and calamities. ॥1॥

Verse 2

विधेरज्ञानेन द्रविणविरहेणालसतया विधेयाशक्यत्वात्तव चरणयोर्या च्युतिरभूत्। तदेतत् क्षन्तव्यं जननि सकलोद्धारिणि शिवे कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति॥2॥

Vidher Ajnanena Dravina-Virahenalasataya Vidheyashakyatvat Tava Charanayorya Chyutirabhut | Tadetat Kshantavyam Janani Sakaloddharini Shive Kuputro Jayeta Kvachidapi Kumata Na Bhavati || 2 ||

Meaning: O auspicious Mother, who uplifts all! I do not know the method of worship; I lack wealth; I am lazy by nature; and I am unable to perform worship properly. For all these reasons, forgive whatever shortcomings there have been in my service at your feet; for a bad son is possible, but nowhere is there a bad mother. ॥2॥

Verse 3

पृथिव्यां पुत्रास्ते जननि बहवः सन्ति सरलाः परं तेषां मध्ये विरलतरलोऽहं तव सुतः। मदीयोऽयं त्यागः समुचितमिदं नो तव शिवे कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति॥3॥

Prithivyam Putraste Janani Bahavah Santi Saralah Param Tesham Madhye Viralataralo'ham Tava Sutah | Madiyo'yam Tyagah Samuchitam Idam No Tava Shive Kuputro Jayeta Kvachidapi Kumata Na Bhavati || 3 ||

Meaning: Mother! On this earth you have many simple, straightforward sons, but among them all I am your most restless child; there can hardly be anyone as fickle as I am. O Shiva! It is not at all fitting for you to abandon me; for in this world a bad son is possible, but nowhere is there a bad mother. ॥3॥

Verse 4

जगन्मातर्मातस्तव चरणसेवा न रचिता न वा दत्तं देवि द्रविणमपि भूयस्तव मया। तथापि त्वं स्नेहं मयि निरुपमं यत्प्रकुरुषे कुपुत्रो जायेत क्वचिदपि कुमाता न भवति॥4॥

Jaganmatar Matas Tava Charanaseva Na Rachita Na Va Dattam Devi Dravinamapi Bhuyastava Maya | Tathapi Tvam Sneham Mayi Nirupamam Yat Prakurushe Kuputro Jayeta Kvachidapi Kumata Na Bhavati || 4 ||

Meaning: O Jagadamba! O Mother! I have never served at your feet, O Devi, nor have I offered you much wealth; yet the reason you show matchless love to someone as lowly as me is simply this: in the world a bad son may be born, but nowhere is there a bad mother. ॥4॥

Verse 5

परित्यक्ता देवा विविधविधसेवाकुलतया मया पञ्चाशीतेरधिकमपनीते तु वयसि। इदानीं चेन्मातस्तव यदि कृपा नापि भविता निरालम्बो लम्बोदरजननि कं यामि शरणम्॥5॥

Parityakta Deva Vividha-Vidha-Sevakulataya Maya Panchashiter Adhikam Apanite Tu Vayasi | Idanim Chen Matas Tava Yadi Kripa Napi Bhavita Niralambo Lambodara-Janani Kam Yami Sharanam || 5 ||

Meaning: O Mother Parvati, who gave birth to Ganesha! [While worshipping the other gods] I had to be busy with many kinds of service, so now that more than eighty-five years of my life have passed, I have given up the gods; I can no longer serve and worship them, and so I have no hope of any help from them. If you do not show me your grace now, where shall I go for refuge, having no support? ॥5॥

Verse 6

श्वपाको जल्पाको भवति मधुपाकोपमगिरा निरातङ्को रङ्को विहरति चिरं कोटिकनकैः। तवापर्णे कर्णे विशति मनुवर्णे फलमिदं जनः को जानीते जननि जपनीयं जपविधौ॥6॥

Shvapako Jalpako Bhavati Madhupakopama-Gira Niratanko Ranko Viharati Chiram Kotikanakaih | Tavaparne Karne Vishati Manuvarne Phalamidam Janah Ko Janite Janani Japaniyam Japavidhau || 6 ||

Meaning: O Mother Aparna! If even a single syllable of your mantra falls upon the ear, the result is that even an ignorant chandala (outcaste) becomes an excellent speaker whose words are as sweet as madhupaka (honey sweets), and even a poor man becomes rich with tens of millions of gold coins and lives fearlessly for a long time. If hearing a single syllable of the mantra brings such fruit, then who can know what excellent fruit will come to those who are engaged in chanting it according to the proper method? ॥6॥

Verse 7

चिताभस्मालेपो गरलमशनं दिक्पटधरो जटाधारी कण्ठे भुजगपतिहारी पशुपतिः। कपाली भूतेशो भजति जगदीशैकपदवीं भवानि त्वत्पाणिग्रहणपरिपाटीफलमिदम्॥7॥

Chita-Bhasma-Lepo Garalam Ashanam Dikpatadharo Jatadhari Kanthe Bhujagapati-Hari Pashupatih | Kapali Bhutesho Bhajati Jagadishaika-Padavim Bhavani Tvat-Panigrahana-Paripati-Phalam Idam || 7 ||

Meaning: O Bhavani! He who smears his limbs with the ash of the funeral pyre, whose food is poison, who is sky-clad (naked), who wears matted locks on his head and Vasuki, king of serpents, as a necklace around his neck, and in whose hand a skull (begging bowl) shines — that Bhutanatha, Pashupati — why does he alone bear the title ‘Jagadisha’ (Lord of the World)? How did he gain this greatness? It is simply the fruit of the custom of taking your hand in marriage; his greatness grew only because he was married to you. ॥7॥

Verse 8

न मोक्षस्याकाङ्क्षा भवविभववाञ्छापि च न मे न विज्ञानापेक्षा शशिमुखि सुखेच्छापि न पुनः। अतस्त्वां संयाचे जननि जननं यातु मम वै मृडानी रुद्राणी शिव शिव भवानीति जपतः॥8॥

Na Mokshasyakanksha Bhava-Vibhava-Vanchhapi Cha Na Me Na Vijnanapeksha Shashimukhi Sukhechchhapi Na Punah | Atastvam Samyache Janani Jananam Yatu Mama Vai Mridani Rudrani Shiva Shiva Bhavaniti Japatah || 8 ||

Meaning: O Mother, whose face bears the beauty of the moon! I have no desire for liberation, nor do I long for the riches of the world; I seek neither higher knowledge (vijnana) nor happiness. So this is my only request to you: may my life pass in chanting these names — ‘Mridani, Rudrani, Shiva, Shiva, Bhavani’. ॥8॥

Verse 9

नाराधितासि विधिना विविधोपचारैः किं रुक्षचिन्तनपरैर्न कृतं वचोभिः। श्यामे त्वमेव यदि किञ्चन मय्यनाथे धत्से कृपामुचितमम्ब परं तवैव॥9॥

Naradhitasi Vidhina Vividhopacharaih Kim Ruksha-Chintanaparair Na Kritam Vachobhih | Shyame Tvameva Yadi Kinchana Mayyanathe Dhatse Kripam Uchitam Amba Param Tavaiva || 9 ||

Meaning: Mother Shyama! I have never been able to worship you properly with the various items of worship. What offence has my speech, always dwelling on harsh thoughts, not committed! And yet you yourself take the trouble to cast even a little glance of grace upon me, an orphan — Mother, this is worthy of you alone. Only a compassionate mother like you can give shelter even to a bad son like me. ॥9॥

Verse 10

आपत्सु मग्नः स्मरणं त्वदीयं करोमि दुर्गे करुणार्णवेशि। नैतच्छठत्वं मम भावयेथाः क्षुधातृषार्ता जननीं स्मरन्ति॥10॥

Apatsu Magnah Smaranam Tvadiyam Karomi Durge Karunarnaveshi | Naitach Chhathatvam Mama Bhavayethah Kshudha-Trisharta Jananim Smaranti || 10 ||

Meaning: O Mother Durga! O Maheshvari, ocean of compassion! Today, caught in calamities, I remember you [I never did before]; do not take this to be deceit on my part, for children tormented by hunger and thirst remember only their mother. ॥10॥

Verse 11

जगदम्ब विचित्रमत्र किं परिपूर्णा करुणास्ति चेन्मयि। अपराधपरम्परापरं न हि माता समुपेक्षते सुतम्॥11॥

Jagadamba Vichitram Atra Kim Paripurna Karunasti Chenmayi | Aparadha-Parampara-Param Na Hi Mata Samupekshate Sutam || 11 ||

Meaning: O Jagadamba! What wonder is there in the fact that your full grace remains upon me? Even if a son keeps committing offence upon offence, a mother does not neglect him. ॥11॥

Verse 12

मत्समः पातकी नास्ति पापघ्नी त्वत्समा न हि। एवं ज्ञात्वा महादेवि यथायोग्यं तथा कुरु॥12॥

Matsamah Pataki Nasti Papaghni Tvatsama Na Hi | Evam Jnatva Mahadevi Yathayogyam Tatha Kuru || 12 ||

Meaning: O Mahadevi! There is no sinner like me, and there is no other remover of sins like you. Knowing this, do whatever seems right to you. ॥12॥