Bhavani Ashtakam — Devanagari Script

⚠️ AI-generated translation — the English meaning was produced by AI and automatically cross-checked against the Sanskrit, but it may still contain errors. It has not yet been reviewed by a scholar. Please refer to a traditional commentary for study.

Summary — English

The Bhavani Ashtakam is a hymn to the goddess Devi (Bhavani) in which the speaker repeatedly declares that none of the ties and supports of worldly life—family, spouse, learning, livelihood—belong to him, and that she alone is his refuge. He confesses to being greedy, heedless, and bound in the ocean of worldly existence, and admits he knows neither charity, meditation, tantra, mantras, worship, merit, pilgrimage, liberation, nor devotion. He describes himself as a doer of evil deeds, of evil company and intellect, and says he knows no other lord among the various divine rulers. He asks the giver of refuge to protect him always in dispute, sorrow, travel, water, fire, mountains, among enemies, and in the forest, and confesses himself helpless, poor, afflicted by old age and disease, and fallen into calamity. Each verse closes with the refrain that she alone is his refuge.

AI-generated · not yet verified

The English meaning of each verse is shown below the verse.

Meaning —

Verse 1

न तातो न माता न बन्धुर्न दाता
न पुत्रो न पुत्री न भृत्यो न भर्ता
न जाया न विद्या न वृत्तिर्ममैव
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 1 ॥

na tāto na mātā na bandhurna dātā
na putro na putrī na bhṛtyo na bhartā
na jāyā na vidyā na vṛttirmamaiva
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 1 ||

Neither father, nor mother, nor kinsman, nor giver; neither son, nor daughter, nor servant, nor husband; neither wife, nor learning, nor livelihood are mine. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 2

भवाब्धावपारे महादुःखभीरु
पपात प्रकामी प्रलोभी प्रमत्तः
कुसंसारपाशप्रबद्धः सदाहं
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 2 ॥

bhavābdhāvapāre mahāduḥkhabhīru
papāta prakāmī pralobhī pramattaḥ
kusaṃsārapāśaprabaddhaḥ sadāhaṃ
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 2 ||

In the boundless ocean of worldly existence, full of great sorrow, I, desirous, greedy and heedless, have fallen; ever bound by the noose of this evil world, I am always so. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 3

न जानामि दानं न च ध्यानयोगं
न जानामि तन्त्रं न च स्तोत्रमन्त्रम्
न जानामि पूजां न च न्यासयोगं
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 3 ॥

na jānāmi dānaṃ na ca dhyānayogaṃ
na jānāmi tantraṃ na ca stotramantram
na jānāmi pūjāṃ na ca nyāsayogaṃ
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 3 ||

I do not know charity, nor the yoga of meditation; I do not know tantra, nor hymns and mantras; I do not know worship, nor the yoga of nyasa. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 4

न जानामि पुण्यं न जानामि तीर्थं
न जानामि मुक्तिं लयं वा कदाचित्
न जानामि भक्तिं व्रतं वापि मातः
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 4 ॥

na jānāmi puṇyaṃ na jānāmi tīrthaṃ
na jānāmi muktiṃ layaṃ vā kadācit
na jānāmi bhaktiṃ vrataṃ vāpi mātaḥ
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 4 ||

I do not know merit, nor sacred places of pilgrimage; I do not know liberation, nor dissolution, ever; I do not know devotion, nor vows, O Mother. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 5

कुकर्मी कुसङ्गी कुबुद्धिः कुदासः
कुलाचारहीनः कदाचारलीनः
कुदृष्टिः कुवाक्यप्रबन्धः सदाहं
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 5 ॥

kukarmī kusaṅgī kubuddhiḥ kudāsaḥ
kulācārahīnaḥ kadācāralīnaḥ
kudṛṣṭiḥ kuvākyaprabandhaḥ sadāhaṃ
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 5 ||

A doer of evil deeds, of evil company, of evil intellect, an evil servant; devoid of family conduct, engrossed in wicked conduct; of evil sight, ever composing evil words — I am always so. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 6

प्रजेशं रमेशं महेशं सुरेशं
दिनेशं निशीथेश्वरं वा कदाचित्
न जानामि चान्यत् सदाहं शरण्ये
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 6 ॥

prajeśaṃ rameśaṃ maheśaṃ sureśaṃ
dineśaṃ niśītheśvaraṃ vā kadācit
na jānāmi cānyat sadāhaṃ śaraṇye
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 6 ||

The lord of creatures, the lord of Lakshmi, the great lord, the lord of the gods, the lord of the day, or the lord of night — I do not know any other, O giver of refuge; I am always so. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 7

विवादे विषादे प्रमादे प्रवासे
जले चानले पर्वते शत्रुमध्ये
अरण्ये शरण्ये सदा मां प्रपाहि
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 7 ॥

vivāde viṣāde pramāde pravāse
jale cānale parvate śatrumadhye
araṇye śaraṇye sadā māṃ prapāhi
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 7 ||

In dispute, in sorrow, in negligence, in travel, in water, in fire, on a mountain, in the midst of enemies, in the forest — O giver of refuge, always protect me. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

Verse 8

अनाथो दरिद्रो जरारोगयुक्तो
महाक्षीणदीनः सदा जाड्यवक्त्रः
विपत्तौ प्रविष्टः प्रनष्टः सदाहं
गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि ॥ 8 ॥

anātho daridro jarārogayukto
mahākṣīṇadīnaḥ sadā jāḍyavaktraḥ
vipattau praviṣṭaḥ pranaṣṭaḥ sadāhaṃ
gatistvaṃ gatistvaṃ tvamekā bhavāni || 8 ||

Helpless, poor, afflicted by old age and disease, greatly weakened and wretched, ever dull-faced, fallen into calamity, ever ruined — I am so. You alone are my refuge, you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani. ^AI

॥ इति श्रीमदादिशङ्कराचार्यविरचितं भवान्यष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥

भवानी अष्टकम्