Argala Stotram
अर्गला स्तोत्रम्
What is the Argala Stotram?
Argala Stotram The Argala Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn to Goddess Durga from the Durga Saptashati (Markandeya Purana), recited as one of the three preliminary prayers before the Chandi Path. Its verses repeat the plea 'grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.'
The Argala Stotram is a short but powerful hymn to Goddess Durga, drawn from the Durga Saptashati (also called the Devi Mahatmya) within the Markandeya Purana. The word argala means a bolt or latch, and this prayer is understood to unlock the full grace of the Goddess for the reciter.Along with the Devi Kavacham and the Kilaka Stotram, it forms the trio of preparatory hymns that a devotee chants before beginning the main Saptashati recitation during Navratri and other Devi worship. Nearly every verse closes with the same fourfold request: रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि – grant me beauty, grant me victory, grant me glory, and destroy those who oppose me.
Argala Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
The recitation opens with the invocation <span lang="sa">ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै</span> and the words <span lang="sa">मार्कण्डेय उवाच</span> (Markandeya said), followed by the verses below. The refrain repeats through most verses; verse numbering can differ slightly between printed editions.
Jayantī maṅgalā kālī bhadrakālī kapālinī
Durgā kṣamā śivā dhātrī svāhā svadhā namo’stu te
जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी।
दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Meaning
Salutations to the Goddess in all her names: Jayanti, Mangala, Kali, Bhadrakali, Kapalini, Durga, forgiveness itself, the auspicious one, the sustainer, and as the sacred utterances Svaha and Svadha. I bow to you.
Jaya tvaṃ devi cāmuṇḍe jaya bhūtāpahāriṇi
Jaya sarvagate devi kālarātri namo’stu te
जय त्वं देवि चामुण्डे जय भूतापहारिणि।
जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Meaning
Victory to you, O Devi Chamunda, remover of the afflictions of all beings. Victory to you, all-pervading Devi Kalaratri; I bow to you.
Madhukaiṭabha-vidhvaṃsi vidhātṛ-varade namaḥ
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
मधुकैटभविध्वंसि विधातृवरदे नमः।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O slayer of the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, giver of boons to Brahma the creator, I salute you. Grant me beauty, grant me victory, grant me glory, and destroy my foes.
Mahiṣāsura-nirnāśi bhaktānāṃ sukhade namaḥ
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
महिषासुरनिर्नाशि भक्तानां सुखदे नमः।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O destroyer of Mahishasura, giver of happiness to your devotees, I bow to you. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Dhūmranetra-vadhe devi dharma-kāmārtha-dāyini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
धूम्रनेत्रवधे देवि धर्मकामार्थदायिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Devi who slew the demon Dhumralochana, bestower of righteousness, fulfilled desire, and prosperity. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Raktabīja-vadhe devi caṇḍamuṇḍa-vināśini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
रक्तबीजवधे देवि चण्डमुण्डविनाशिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Devi who killed Raktabija and cut down the demons Chanda and Munda. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Niśumbha-śumbha-nirnāśi trailokya-śubhade namaḥ
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
निशुम्भशुम्भनिर्नाशि त्रैलोक्यशुभदे नमः।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O vanquisher of Nishumbha and Shumbha, giver of welfare to the three worlds, I salute you. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Vanditāṅghri-yuge devi sarva-saubhāgya-dāyini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
वन्दिताङ्घ्रियुगे देवि सर्वसौभाग्यदायिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Devi whose pair of feet are honoured by all, giver of every good fortune. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Acintya-rūpa-carite sarva-śatru-vināśini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
अचिन्त्यरूपचरिते सर्वशत्रुविनाशिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Goddess of form and deeds beyond thought, destroyer of every enemy. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Natebhyaḥ sarvadā bhaktyā caṇḍike duritāpahe
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
नतेभ्यः सर्वदा भक्त्या चण्डिके दुरितापहे।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Chandika who forever removes the sins of those who bow to you with devotion. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Stuvadbhyo bhakti-pūrvaṃ tvāṃ caṇḍike vyādhi-nāśini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
स्तुवद्भ्यो भक्तिपूर्वं त्वां चण्डिके व्याधिनाशिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Chandika who cures the diseases of those who praise you with devotion. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Caṇḍike satataṃ ye tvām arcayantīha bhaktitaḥ
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
चण्डिके सततं ये त्वामर्चयन्तीह भक्तितः।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Chandika, for those who worship you here constantly and with devotion. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Dehi saubhāgyam ārogyaṃ dehi devi paraṃ sukham
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
देहि सौभाग्यमारोग्यं देहि देवि परं सुखम्।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
Grant good fortune and health, O Devi, and the highest happiness. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Vidhehi devi kalyāṇaṃ vidhehi vipulāṃ śriyam
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
विधेहि देवि कल्याणं विधेहि विपुलां श्रियम्।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
Bring about my welfare, O Devi, and bestow abundant prosperity. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Vidhehi dviṣatāṃ nāśaṃ vidhehi balam uccakaiḥ
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं विधेहि बलमुच्चकैः।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
Bring the ruin of those who hate me, and grant me strength in full measure. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Surāsura-śiroratna-nighṛṣṭa-caraṇe’mbike
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
सुरासुरशिरोरत्ननिघृष्टचरणेऽम्बिके।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Ambika, whose feet are burnished by the crown-jewels of gods and demons bowing before you. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Vidyāvantaṃ yaśasvantaṃ lakṣmīvantaṃ janaṃ kuru
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
विद्यावन्तं यशस्वन्तं लक्ष्मीवन्तं जनं कुरु।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
Make your devotee learned, renowned, and blessed with wealth. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Pracaṇḍa-daitya-darpaghne caṇḍike praṇatāya me
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
प्रचण्डदैत्यदर्पघ्ने चण्डिके प्रणताय मे।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Chandika who crushes the arrogance of fierce demons, to me who bow before you. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes. (Numbered verse 19 in some editions.)
Caturbhuje catur-vaktra-saṃstute parameśvari
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
चतुर्भुजे चतुर्वक्त्रसंस्तुते परमेश्वरि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O four-armed supreme Goddess, praised by the four-faced Brahma. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Kṛṣṇena saṃstute devi śaśvad-bhaktyā tvam ambike
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
कृष्णेन संस्तुते देवि शश्वद्भक्त्या त्वमम्बिके।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Devi Ambika, ever praised with steadfast devotion by Krishna. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Himācala-sutā-nātha-saṃstute parameśvari
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
हिमाचलसुतानाथसंस्तुते परमेश्वरि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O supreme Goddess, praised by Shiva, the lord of Parvati the daughter of the Himalaya. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Indrāṇī-pati-sadbhāva-pūjite parameśvari
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
इन्द्राणीपतिसद्भावपूजिते परमेश्वरि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O supreme Goddess, worshipped with sincere devotion by Indra, the lord of Indrani. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Devi pracaṇḍa-dordaṇḍa-daitya-darpa-vināśini
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
देवि प्रचण्डदोर्दण्डदैत्यदर्पविनाशिनि।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Devi, with mighty arms that shatter the pride of demons. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Devi bhaktajanoddāma-dattānandodaye’mbike
Rūpaṃ dehi jayaṃ dehi yaśo dehi dviṣo jahi
देवि भक्तजनोद्दामदत्तानन्दोदयेऽम्बिके।
रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि॥
Meaning
O Ambika who makes boundless bliss rise in the hearts of your devotees. Grant me beauty, victory, glory, and destroy my foes.
Patnīṃ manoramāṃ dehi manovṛttānusāriṇīm
Tāriṇīṃ durga-saṃsāra-sāgarasya kulodbhavām
पत्नीं मनोरमां देहि मनोवृत्तानुसारिणीम्।
तारिणीं दुर्गसंसारसागरस्य कुलोद्भवाम्॥
Meaning
Grant me a loving partner, agreeable in mind and conduct, born of a good family, who helps me cross the hard-to-traverse ocean of worldly life.
Phalashruti
Idaṃ stotraṃ paṭhitvā tu mahāstotraṃ paṭhen-naraḥ
Saptaśatīṃ samārādhya varam āpnoti durlabham
इदं स्तोत्रं पठित्वा तु महास्तोत्रं पठेन्नरः।
सप्तशतीं समाराध्य वरमाप्नोति दुर्लभम्॥
Meaning
Having recited this hymn, one should then read the great hymn, the Saptashati. By worshipping the Goddess through the Saptashati, the reciter obtains even the rarest of boons.
Meaning & Significance
The Argala Stotram is built around a single, direct appeal that the devotee returns to again and again: रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि, which asks for beauty, victory, glory, and freedom from enemies. In this context, beauty (rupa) is understood less as physical appearance and more as an auspicious, radiant character; the enemies (dvish) are read as both outer obstacles and inner faults such as anger, greed, and ego.
Why it is called Argala
Argala is the wooden bolt that fastens a door. The tradition holds that the Devi Kavacham forms the protective armour, the Argala Stotram acts as the bolt that secures that grace in place, and the Kilaka Stotram serves as the pin that keeps the whole practice locked. Recited together before the Saptashati, they are said to open the way to the full benefit of the reading.
The names and victories
The early verses gather the Goddess’s many names, and the middle verses recall her great victories, over Madhu and Kaitabha, Mahishasura, Dhumralochana, Raktabija, Chanda and Munda, and the brothers Shumbha and Nishumbha. Each recollection is followed by the same request, so remembrance of her power flows straight into a prayer for the devotee’s own life.
How to Chant the Argala Stotram
- Prepare the space – Bathe, sit facing east or north before an image or picture of Durga, and light a lamp or incense if available.
- Set the intention – Begin with the invocation Om namaschandikayai and quietly hold your purpose for the recitation in mind.
- Recite in order – Chant the Devi Kavacham first, then the Argala Stotram, then the Kilaka Stotram, keeping this traditional sequence before the Saptashati.
- Keep the refrain steady – Let the repeated line Rupam dehi jayam dehi yasho dehi dvisho jahi stay even and unhurried through each verse.
- Close and continue – Finish with the phalashruti verse and, if you are doing a full path, move on to the Durga Saptashati reading.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Devotees recite the Argala Stotram for these commonly described benefits:
- Removal of obstacles: The prayer is chanted to clear hurdles in work, study, and daily life so that efforts meet fewer blocks.
- Victory and success: The plea for jaya (victory) is aimed at courtrooms, competitions, examinations, and honest struggles where a favourable outcome is sought.
- Good name and reputation: The request for yasha (glory) is understood as a prayer for standing, respect, and lasting good repute.
- Protection from ill-will: The line dvisho jahi asks the Goddess to neutralise enemies, envy, and hostile forces around the devotee.
- Health and prosperity: Verses asking for saubhagya, arogya, and shri are recited for well-being, family welfare, and steady means.
- Preparation for Saptashati: As a preliminary hymn, it is believed to make the following Chandi Path more complete and fruitful.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Argala Stotram belongs to the ritual framework of the Durga Saptashati, the seven-hundred-verse hymn set within the Markandeya Purana that is also known as the Devi Mahatmya or Chandi Path. The Saptashati is recited by the sage Markandeya, and the Argala Stotram carries his name in its opening line, Markandeya uvacha (Markandeya said).
In practice the hymn is never recited in isolation. It is one of three angas or limbs, the Kavacha, the Argala, and the Kilaka, that a devotee takes up before the main reading. The Kavacha shields, the Argala secures, and the Kilaka fastens the practice, which is why the three are almost always printed and chanted together in Saptashati texts published for home and temple use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Argala Stotram mean?
Argala means a door-bolt or latch. The hymn is understood as the bolt that locks in the grace of Goddess Durga, securing the protection sought through the Devi Kavacham before the main Saptashati recitation.
When should the Argala Stotram be recited?
It is chanted early in the morning after bathing, and most often during Navratri and Durga Puja. Traditionally it is recited right before the Durga Saptashati, after the Devi Kavacham and before the Kilaka Stotram.
How many verses does the Argala Stotram have?
The commonly recited recension has an opening invocation followed by about twenty-five verses and a closing phalashruti. Printed editions differ, so the total is variously counted between roughly sixteen and twenty-seven verses.
What does the refrain Rupam dehi jayam dehi yasho dehi dvisho jahi mean?
It means grant me beauty, grant me victory, grant me glory, and destroy my enemies. The line repeats through most verses and holds the central prayer of the whole hymn.
Can the Argala Stotram be recited on its own?
It can be chanted by itself as a prayer to Durga, and many devotees do so daily. In formal worship, however, it is recited as part of the trio of preliminary hymns leading into the full Chandi Path.
Which Goddess is the Argala Stotram addressed to?
It is addressed to Goddess Durga in her fierce and protective form as Chandi or Chandika, and it names her many aspects including Kali, Bhadrakali, Ambika, and Kalaratri.
॥ इति श्रीदुर्गासप्तशत्यां अर्गलास्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ॥