स्तोत्र · Durga

Mahishasura Mardini Stotram

महिषासुरमर्दिनी स्तोत्रम्

Few Sanskrit hymns are recognised as instantly as the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram. Its opening "Aigiri Nandini" plays at dawn through all nine days of Navratri across India. Composed traditionally by Adi Shankaracharya, the 21 shlokas describe Goddess Durga's battle against Mahishasura, the shape-shifting buffalo demon, in the unique Mahishasura Mardini Chhanda meter that pulses like a war drum when chanted aloud.

Sanskrit · By Adi Shankaracharya (traditional attribution) · 21 shlokas

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Shloka 1

अयि गिरिनन्दिनि नन्दितमेदिनि विश्वविनोदिनि नन्दनुते गिरिवरविन्ध्यशिरोऽधिनिवासिनि विष्णुविलासिनि जिष्णुनुते। भगवति हे शितिकण्ठकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकृते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १॥

Shloka 2

सुरवरवर्षिणि दुर्धरधर्षिणि दुर्मुखमर्षिणि हर्षरते त्रिभुवनपोषिणि शङ्करतोषिणि किल्बिषमोषिणि घोषरते। दनुजनिरोषिणि दितिसुतरोषिणि दुर्मदशोषिणि सिन्धुसुते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ २॥

Shloka 3

अयि जगदम्ब मदम्ब कदम्बवनप्रियवासिनि हासरते शिखरि शिरोमणि तुङ्गहिमालय शृङ्गनिजालय मध्यगते। मधुमधुरे मधुकैटभगञ्जिनि कैटभभञ्जिनि रासरते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ३॥

Shloka 4

अयि शतखण्ड विखण्डितरुण्ड वितुण्डितशुण्ड गजाधिपते रिपुगजगण्ड विदारणचण्ड पराक्रमशौण्ड मृगाधिपते। निजभुजदण्ड निपातितखण्ड विपातितमुण्ड भटाधिपते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ४॥

Shloka 5

अयि रणदुर्मद शत्रुवधोदित दुर्धरनिर्जर शक्तिभृते चतुरविचार धुरीणमहाशिव दूतकृत प्रमथाधिपते। दुरितदुरीह दुराशयदुर्मति दानवदूत कृतान्तमते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ५॥

Shloka 6

अयि शरणागत वैरिवधूवर वीरवराभयदायकरे त्रिभुवनमस्तक शूलविरोधिशिरोऽधिकृतामल शूलकरे। दुमिदुमितामर दुन्दुभिनादमहो मुखरीकृत दिङ्निकरे जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ६॥

Shloka 7

अयि निजहुङ्कृति मात्रनिराकृत धूम्रविलोचन धूम्रशते समरविशोषित शोणितबीज समुद्भवशोणित बीजलते। शिवशिवशुम्भ निशुम्भमहाहव तर्पितभूत पिशाचरते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ७॥

Shloka 8

धनुरनुसङ्ग रणक्षणसङ्ग परिस्फुरदङ्ग नटत्कटके कनकपिशङ्ग पृषत्कनिषङ्ग रसद्भटशृङ्ग हतावटुके। कृतचतुरङ्ग बलक्षितिरङ्ग घटद्बहुरङ्ग रटद्बटुके जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ८॥

Shloka 9

सुरललना ततथेयितथेयित थाभिनयोदर नृत्यरते हासविलास हुलासमयिप्रणतार्तजने मितप्रेमभरे। धिमिकिटधिक्कट धिक्कटधिमि ध्वनिघोरमृदङ्ग निनादरते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ९॥

Shloka 10

जय जय जप्य जयेजय शब्दपरस्तुति तत्परविश्वनुते झणझणझिञ्झिमि झिङ्कृतनूपुर सिञ्जितमोहित भूतपते। नटित नटार्ध नटीनट नायक नाटितनाट्य सुगानरते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १०॥

Shloka 11

अयि सुमनः सुमनःसुमनः सुमनःसुमनो हरकान्तियुते श्रितरजनी रजनीरजनी रजनीरजनी करवक्त्रवृते। सुनयन विभ्रमर भ्रमरभ्रमर भ्रमरभ्रमर अधिपते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ ११॥

Shloka 12

सहितमहाहव मल्लमतल्लिक मल्लितरल्लक मल्लरते विरचितवल्लिक पल्लिकमल्लिक झिल्लिकभिल्लिक वर्गवृते। सितकृतफुल्ल समुल्लसितारुण तल्लजपल्लव सल्ललिते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १२॥

Shloka 13

अविरलगण्ड गलन्मदमेदुर मत्तमतङ्ग जराजपते त्रिभुवनभूषण भूतकलानिधि रूपपयोनिधि राजसुते। अयि सुदतीजन लालसमानस मोहनमन्मथ राजसुते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १३॥

Shloka 14

कमलदलामल कोमलकान्ति कलाकलितामल भाललते सकलविलास कलानिलयक्रम केलिचलत्कल हंसकुले। अलिकुलसङ्कुल कुवलयमण्डल मौलिमिलद्बकु लालिकुले जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १४॥

Shloka 15

करमुरलीरव वीजितकूजित लज्जितकोकिल मञ्जुमते मिलितपुलिन्द मनोहरगुञ्जित रञ्जितशैल निकुञ्जगते। निजगणभूत महाशबरीगण सद्गुणसम्भृत केलितले जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १५॥

Shloka 16

कटितटपीत दुकूलविचित्र मयूखतिरस्कृत चन्द्ररुचे प्रणतसुरासुर मौलिमणिस्फुर दंशुलसन्नख चन्द्ररुचे। जितकनकाचल मौलिमदोर्जित निर्जरकुञ्जर कुम्भकुचे जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १६॥

Shloka 17

विजितसहस्रकरैक सहस्रकरैक सहस्रकरैकनुते कृतसुरतारकसङ्गर तारकसङ्गर तारकसूनुसुते। सुरथसमाधि समानसमाधि समाधिसमाधि सुजातरते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १७॥

Shloka 18

पदकमलं करुणानिलये वरिवस्यति योऽनुदिनं स शिवे अयि कमले कमलानिलये कमलानिलयः स कथं न भवेत्। तव पदमेव परम्पदमित्यनुशीलयतो मम किं न शिवे जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १८॥

Shloka 19

कनकलसत्कल सिन्धुजलैरनुसिञ्चिनुते गुणरङ्गभुवं भजति स किं न शचीकुचकुम्भतटी परिरम्भसुखानुभवम्। तव चरणं शरणं करवाणि नतामरवाणि निवासि शिवं जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ १९॥

Shloka 20

तव विमलेन्दुकुलं वदनेन्दुमलं सकलं ननु कूलयते किमु पुरुहूतपुरीन्दुमुखी सुमुखीभिरसौ विमुखीक्रियते। मम तु मतं शिवनामधने भवती कृपया किमुत क्रियते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ २०॥

Shloka 21

अयि मयि दीनदयालुतया कृपयैव त्वया भवितव्यमुमे अयि जगतो जननी कृपयासि यथासि तथानुमितासि रते। यदुचितमत्र भवत्युररीकुरुतादुरुतापमपाकुरुते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते॥ २१॥

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Frequently Asked Questions about Mahishasura Mardini Stotram

What does "Mahishasura Mardini" mean?

"Mahishasura" is a compound: "Mahisha" means buffalo, and "asura" means demon — together, the buffalo-demon king. "Mardini" means the one who crushes, grinds, or destroys. So "Mahishasura Mardini" means "the destroyer of the buffalo-demon" — one of the principal epithets of Goddess Durga, referring to her supreme mythological victory as recounted in the Devi Mahatmyam (Durga Saptashati). According to the legend, Mahishasura had been granted a boon that no male being could kill him, so the gods combined their energies to create the female Goddess Durga, who slew him in a fierce nine-day battle — the basis of Navratri.

Who composed the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram?

The Stotram is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher-saint and founder of Advaita Vedanta. Shankara composed many celebrated devotional stotras — Soundarya Lahari, Kanakadhara Stotram, Sivananda Lahari — and the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram is included in this body of devotional work in the standard Bhakti Granthavali collections. However, modern textual scholarship (Hacker, Mayeda, and others) considers the Shankara attribution uncertain on stylistic grounds, since the meter and devotional intensity differ somewhat from his confirmed Advaita compositions. Regardless of authorship debate, the Stotram is universally beloved across all Hindu traditions.

What is the meaning of "Aigiri Nandini" with which the Stotram begins?

"Ayi Giri" (often rendered "Aigiri") means "O Mountain" — a vocative address to the mountain; "Nandini" means "daughter" or "she who gives joy." Together, "Ayi Giri Nandini" addresses Goddess Durga as "O Daughter of the Mountain" — referring to her birth as Parvati, daughter of Himavan, the king of the Himalayas. This opening immediately establishes the goddess's identity as both the daughter of nature's mightiest mountain and the supreme cosmic power who will be celebrated through 21 verses for her destruction of the most fearsome demon.

What is the significance of reciting this Stotram during Navratri?

During Navratri — the nine sacred nights when the Goddess is worshipped in her nine forms (Nava-Durga) — the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram is central to the devotional practice. The Stotram celebrates the Goddess's victory over Mahishasura, which is precisely the mythological event that Navratri commemorates. In many temple traditions across South India (particularly Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh) the Stotram is broadcast at dawn during the nine days. Its powerful meter and vivid battle imagery create an atmosphere of fierce devotion that perfectly matches the festival's spiritual energy. It is recited on Mahanavami (the ninth night), Vijayadashami (Dussehra), and especially at the Durga Visarjan ceremony.

What is the meter (chhanda) of this Stotram?

The Stotram is composed in a unique meter known as Mahishasura Mardini Chhanda (sometimes also called Mahisha-mardini Vritta) — a 16-syllable-per-quarter pattern with a specific light-heavy arrangement that creates an irresistibly forward-moving, wave-like rhythm. The famous "tatha-theyita-tha" and "jhana-jhana-jhinjhimi" syllables embedded in some verses (9, 10) are actually representations of the rhythmic syllables (bols) used in classical Indian percussion and dance — the Stotram is deeply intertwined with the tradition of devotional music and the cosmic Tandava dance. When chanted correctly, the meter itself seems to pulse with the energy of the Goddess's battle.

Why does the refrain mention "Ramya Kapardini" (braided locks)?

"Kapardini" refers to a feminine bearer of "Kaparda" — a specific type of matted, braided lock of hair, identical to the kind worn by Shiva. By calling the Goddess "Ramya Kapardini" — beautiful braided one — the Stotram explicitly identifies her with Shiva as his consort, sharing the ascetic-warrior aesthetic of the Mahadeva himself. This recurring epithet across all 21 verses constantly reminds the reciter that the fierce battle-form of Durga and the meditative, peaceful form of Parvati are the same Goddess — Shakti.