Kanyakumari Chalisa

Victory to Goddess Kanyakumari, the guiding lady who leads the whole world.

Where two seas and an ocean flow together as the king of holy waters, your dwelling place holds a depth of mystery beyond the reach of thought.

You stand at the far southern boundary, the very last stretch of land at the tip of Bharat.

This is a great Shakti Peeth of penance, the spot where Parvati sat absorbed in deep, quiet meditation.

Bhagavathy is the name you carry, and you have taken the form of a young, unmarried maiden.

Longing for the union of Shiva and Parvati, you became a doer of stern penance to draw them together.

On hearing the words of Sage Narada, you set your heart on winning Lord Shiva as your husband.

For your marriage to Shiva, every arrangement was readied and set in motion.

Sensing the timing that had to shift, Narada made a rooster crow as if dawn had already broken.

Believing the hour had passed, Shiva turned back on the way, and the marriage was left unfinished at its very edge.

You stayed on in your maiden form while Shiva broke off the journey and departed.

To bring about the death of Banasura, O Bhagavathy, you rose up fully awakened.

Banasura held a boon that only a virgin could defeat him, so with all his strength he still overpowered the mighty.

When the gods had been beaten by him, you alone stepped forward to face him in battle.

Casting off your jewelled crown and diadem, you took on a form fierce and dread to behold.

At the sight of that terrifying form, the heart of Banasura cracked open with fear.

With a sword gripped in your hand, you cut down the demons without mercy.

In a single instant you struck the head from Banasura, ending him in less than a moment.

You forever take away the troubles that press upon your devotees.

The person who repeats your name reaches the great and lofty state of liberation.

'Kanya Kumari' is the name that is sung of you and firmly recorded in the ancient Puranas.

The meeting of the three waters at your holy seat makes the three worlds pure.

Your abode of Kanyakumari is the crowning treasure among all places of pilgrimage.

Like the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, your deep ocean holds a fund of profound spiritual merit.

To watch the sun rise and set at your shore grants boundless and auspicious reward.

The moon rising over your waters bestows the blessing of a happy and lasting married life.

The chime of your anklets rings out and plays through the sea and the rivers.

You raise the fortune of your devotees so that all of them may find true well-being.

Glory, glory to Lord Rama, and glory to Goddess Kanyakumari.

You are Bhavani, you are the consort of Shiva, you are Parvati, and you are the mother of the whole world.

Gods, demons, seers and sages all bow before you each day with heartfelt devotion.

You alone are the matchless embodiment of Shakti, celebrated across the three worlds.

You bring an end to death and time itself, and you are the sure refuge of those who trust in you.

Whoever reads this daily with devotion walks through life free of fear.

Whoever takes up the recitation of this Kanyakumari Chalisa…

…becomes a loving devotee of yours and gains abundant good fortune.

By bathing at the Triveni confluence and holding your vision within the heart…

…that person reaches the highest state and is blessed for all time.

To carry living beings across the ocean of worldly existence, you took on your incarnation.

Pour your grace upon me and keep me always under the shelter of your protection.