Devi Khadgamala Stotram
देवी खड्गमाला स्तोत्रम्
What is the Devi Khadgamala Stotram?
Devi Khadgamala Stotram The Devi Khadgamala Stotram is a Shri Vidya litany from the Vamakeshvara Tantra that salutes, in a fixed order, the goddesses of the Sri Chakra across its nine avaranas, centred on Lalita Tripurasundari. Khadga means sword and mala means garland, so the text is a garland of names said to grant the reciter a subtle sword and protection. It is chanted during Navavarana puja and is traditionally an initiate practice.
The Devi Khadgamala Stotram is a Shri Vidya litany that walks the reciter through the whole Sri Chakra, greeting each goddess who resides in its nine enclosures (avaranas) by name. Khadga means sword and mala means garland: the tradition holds that reciting this ordered garland of names grants the practitioner a subtle sword, the power to move through the yantra and past obstacles.It comes from the Vamakeshvara Tantra, framed as a dialogue between Uma and Maheshvara, and centres on Lalita Tripurasundari. Because it names the deities of the Sri Chakra in their fixed sequence, it is chanted during Navavarana puja and in Devi upasana, especially by those initiated into Shri Vidya. This page reproduces the opening and closing framing of the stotra faithfully and explains its structure; the long central roll-call of avarana goddesses is summarised rather than printed in full.
Devi Khadgamala Stotram (Sanskrit & English)
This is a faithful abridgement. The fixed framing shown below (prarthana, viniyoga, dhyana, the mula mantra with the salutation to Tripurasundari, the six anga devatas, the fifteen nitya devatas, then the closing Tripura names and salutation) is reproduced verbatim. The long central portion, the nine Sri Chakra avarana name-garlands running to over two hundred invocations, is summarised in the meaning section rather than printed in full. The Khadgamala is an initiate (Shri Vidya) practice and is traditionally received through guru upadesha.
hrimkarasana-garbhitanala-shikham sauh klim kalam bibhratim
sauvarnambara-dharinim vara-sudha-dhautam trinetrojjvalam
vande pustaka-pasham-ankusha-dharam srag-bhushitam-ujjvalam
tvam gaurim tripuram paratpara-kalam shrichakra-sancharinim
ह्रीङ्कारासनगर्भितानलशिखां सौः क्लीं कलां बिभ्रतीं
सौवर्णाम्बरधारिणीं वरसुधाधौतां त्रिणेत्रोज्ज्वलाम्
वन्दे पुस्तकपाशमङ्कुशधरां स्रग्भूषितामुज्ज्वलां
त्वां गौरीं त्रिपुरां परात्परकलां श्रीचक्रसञ्चारिणीम्
Meaning
I bow to the Goddess seated on the throne of the hrim sound, its flame within, holding the seeds sauh, klim and the digit of the moon. She is robed in gold, bathed in the finest nectar, luminous with three eyes, bearing book, noose and goad, adorned with garlands and radiant. I salute you, Gauri and Tripura, the supreme sliver of consciousness who moves through the Sri Chakra.
asya shri-shuddha-shakti-mala-maha-mantrasya upasthendriyadhishthayi varunaditya rishih
daivi gayatri chandah
mahakameshvari shri lalita bhattarika devata
aim bijam klim shaktih sauh kilakam
khadga-siddhyarthe sarvabhishta-siddhyarthe jape viniyogah
अस्य श्रीशुद्धशक्तिमालामहामन्त्रस्य उपस्थेन्द्रियाधिष्ठायी वरुणादित्य ऋषिः
दैवी गायत्री छन्दः
महाकामेश्वरी श्री ललिता भट्टारिका देवता
ऐं बीजं क्लीं शक्तिः सौः कीलकं
खड्गसिद्ध्यर्थे सर्वाभीष्टसिद्ध्यर्थे जपे विनियोगः
Meaning
This is the great mantra called the garland of pure power. Its seer is Varuna-Aditya, its metre the divine Gayatri, its deity Maha-Kameshvari, the venerable Lalita. Aim is its seed, klim its energy, sauh its pin. It is taken up in recitation for the attainment of the sword and of every cherished aim. The framing that opens the litany, naming seer, metre, deity and seed before the garland begins.
Dhyana
araktabham trinetram-arunima-vasanam ratna-tatanka-ramyam
hastambhojaih sa-pashankusha-madana-dhanuh-sayakair-visphurantim
apinottunga-vakshoruha-kalasha-luthat-tara-harojjvalangim
dhyayed-ambhoruha-stham-arunima-vasanam-ishvarim-ishvaranam
आरक्ताभां त्रिनेत्रामरुणिमवसनां रत्नताटङ्करम्यां
हस्ताम्भोजैस्सपाशाङ्कुशमदन धनुस्सायकैर्विस्फुरन्तीम्
आपीनोत्तुङ्गवक्षोरुहकलशलुठत्तारहारोज्ज्वलाङ्गीं
ध्यायेदम्भोरुहस्थामरुणिमवसनामीश्वरीमीश्वराणाम्
Meaning
Meditate on her who glows a soft red, three-eyed, wrapped in crimson, lovely with jewelled ear-ornaments. Her lotus hands flash with noose, goad, the sugarcane bow and flower-arrows. A long pearl strand plays across her breast so her whole form shines. Contemplate the seated Goddess in red, the sovereign of all sovereigns.
om aim hrim shrim aim klim sauh om namas-tripurasundari
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं ऐं क्लीं सौः ॐ नमस्त्रिपुरसुन्दरि
Meaning
Om. Aim, hrim, shrim, aim, klim, sauh. Om, salutations to Tripurasundari. With this cluster of seed-syllables and the salutation to the Beautiful One of the Three Cities, the garland of names begins.
hridaya-devi, shiro-devi, shikha-devi, kavaca-devi, netra-devi, astra-devi
हृदयदेवि, शिरोदेवि, शिखादेवि, कवचदेवि, नेत्रदेवि, अस्त्रदेवि
Meaning
Salutations to the goddesses of the limbs: of the heart, of the head, of the tuft, of the armour, of the eyes, and of the weapon. These six anga devatas are greeted first, before the enclosures of the Sri Chakra are entered.
kameshvari, bhagamalini, nityaklinne, bherunde, vahnivasini, mahavajreshvari, shivaduti, tvarite, kulasundari, nitye, nilapatake, vijaye, sarvamangale, jvalamalini, citre, mahanitye
कामेश्वरि, भगमालिनि, नित्यक्लिन्ने, भेरुण्डे, वह्निवासिनि, महावज्रेश्वरि, शिवदूति, त्वरिते, कुलसुन्दरि, नित्ये, नीलपताके, विजये, सर्वमङ्गले, ज्वालामालिनि, चित्रे, महानित्ये
Meaning
Salutations to the eternal goddesses of the lunar days: Kameshvari, Bhagamalini, Nityaklinna, Bherunda, Vahnivasini, Mahavajreshvari, Shivaduti, Tvarita, Kulasundari, Nitya, Nilapataka, Vijaya, Sarvamangala, Jvalamalini, Chitra, and the great eternal Mahanitya. From here the litany passes to the three guru-lineages and then to the nine avaranas of the Sri Chakra.
tripure, tripureshi, tripurasundari, tripuravasini, tripurashrih, tripuramalini, tripurasiddhe, tripuramba, mahatripurasundari
त्रिपुरे, त्रिपुरेशि, त्रिपुरसुन्दरि, त्रिपुरवासिनि, त्रिपुराश्रीः, त्रिपुरमालिनि, त्रिपुरासिद्धे, त्रिपुराम्ब, महात्रिपुरसुन्दरि
Meaning
After the nine enclosures have been traversed (that long central roll of avarana goddesses is summarised below rather than printed here), the litany names the presiding Goddess in her nine Tripura forms: Tripura, Tripureshi, Tripurasundari, Tripuravasini, Tripurashri, Tripuramalini, Tripurasiddhi, Tripuramba, and the great Mahatripurasundari.
Namaskara (closing salutation)
maha-maheshvari, maha-maharajni, maha-mahashakte, maha-mahagupte, maha-mahajnapte, maha-mahanande, maha-mahaskandhe, maha-mahashaye, maha-maha shrichakra-nagara-samrajni namaste namaste namaste namah
महामहेश्वरि, महामहाराज्ञि, महामहाशक्ते, महामहागुप्ते, महामहाज्ञप्ते, महामहानन्दे, महामहास्कन्धे, महामहाशये, महामहा श्रीचक्रनगरसाम्राज्ञि नमस्ते नमस्ते नमस्ते नमः
Meaning
The great supreme sovereign, the great empress, the great power, the great hidden one, the great commanding one, the great bliss, the great support, the great resting place, the empress of the city that is the Sri Chakra: to you, again and again and again, salutations. This nine-syllable namaskara seals the garland; the phalashruti that follows lists the fruits of its recitation.
Meaning & Significance
The Khadgamala is built like the worship of the Sri Chakra itself, moving from the outside inward. It opens with the prarthana (a prayer to the Goddess of the yantra), the viniyoga (naming seer, metre, deity and seed), the dhyana (the meditation image of the red, three-eyed Devi with noose, goad, bow and arrows), and the pancha-puja, in which the five elements are offered with the seeds lam, ham, yam, ram and vam.
The garland proper then begins with the mula mantra and the salutation to Tripurasundari, followed by the six anga devatas (heart, head, tuft, armour, eyes, weapon) and the fifteen nitya devatas of the lunar days. Next come three tiers of the guru lineage, the divyaugha, siddhaugha and manavaugha gurus.
The heart of the text is the nine avaranas of the Sri Chakra, worshipped enclosure by enclosure: Trailokyamohana, Sarvashaparipuraka, Sarvasankshobhana, Sarvasaubhagyadayaka, Sarvarthasadhaka, Sarvarakshakara, Sarvarogahara, Sarvasiddhiprada and Sarvanandamaya. Each enclosure carries its own set of goddesses (the siddhis, the mother-powers, the akarshini and other saktis, the anga and yogini figures) and is sealed by its chakra-swamini and presiding yogini. Traversing all nine names well over two hundred invocations, which is why this page summarises them rather than printing the whole list. The litany then closes with the nine Tripura names and the nine-syllable namaskara, after which the phalashruti describes the benefits of recitation.
How It Is Used
- Bathe and sit – Bathe, wear clean clothes, and sit facing east or north before an image of Devi or a drawn Sri Chakra.
- Set the intention – Recite the prarthana and viniyoga, then offer the pancha-puja with the seeds lam, ham, yam, ram, vam, sam.
- Meditate – Hold the dhyana verse in mind, visualising the red-hued three-eyed Goddess with noose, goad, bow and flower-arrows.
- Chant the garland – Recite the mala in its fixed order, beginning with the mula mantra and the salutation to Tripurasundari, without breaking the sequence.
- Seal and close – Finish with the nine-syllable namaskara and the phalashruti, then sit quietly for a few moments.
- Learn it under guidance – Because this is a Shri Vidya practice, it is best received and refined through guru upadesha rather than chanted casually.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
Practitioners treat the Khadgamala less as a wish-list hymn and more as a map of the Sri Chakra held in sound. The tradition attaches these effects to sincere, guided recitation:
- Protection: The phalashruti lists it as a shield in danger, illness and upheaval, said to free the reciter from calamities.
- A map of the Sri Chakra: Chanting names the deities of every avarana in order, fixing the structure of the yantra in memory.
- Focus for Navavarana puja: It supplies the ordered invocation used when worshipping the Sri Chakra enclosure by enclosure.
- Steadiness of mind: The fixed, rhythmic sequence settles attention and supports sustained Devi upasana.
- Connection to Lalita: It draws the reciter toward Lalita Tripurasundari, the presiding goddess of the Shri Vidya lineage.
- Merit of the whole puja: The text says one careful recitation with meditation can yield the fruit of the complete worship.
Who Composed This Stotram?
The Khadgamala belongs to the Vamakeshvara Tantra and is set out as part of a conversation between Uma and Maheshvara, which is why the closing line reads iti shri-vamakeshvara-tantre uma-maheshvara-samvade shri devi-khadgamala-stotra-ratnam. Its subject is the Sri Chakra, the geometric form of the Goddess in Shri Vidya, and its names follow the same order a practitioner uses to worship the yantra from the outer square inward to the central bindu.
Because the sequence encodes the deities and their seed-syllables, the text is treated as an initiate practice: it is usually received with guru upadesha and chanted after due preparation. Regional recensions differ a little in spelling and in the count within some enclosures, and several published editions carry the same opening and closing that appear on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Khadgamala mean?
Khadga means sword and mala means garland. The stotra is a garland of the names of the Sri Chakra goddesses, and the tradition says reciting it grants the practitioner a subtle sword and the power to move through the yantra.
How many goddesses are named in the Khadgamala?
The full litany names the deities of all nine avaranas of the Sri Chakra along with the six anga devatas, the fifteen nitya devatas, three tiers of gurus and the nine Tripura names, totalling well over two hundred invocations.
Is the Khadgamala an initiate practice?
Yes. It is part of Shri Vidya upasana and is traditionally received through guru upadesha. Many teachers advise learning it under guidance rather than chanting it casually.
Which text is the Khadgamala from?
It appears in the Vamakeshvara Tantra as a dialogue between Uma and Maheshvara, and is centred on Lalita Tripurasundari, the presiding goddess of the Sri Chakra.
When is the Khadgamala chanted?
It is chanted during Navavarana puja of the Sri Chakra, on Fridays and during Navratri, usually after bathing and offering the pancha-puja.
Why does this page not print the full litany?
The complete nama-mala of the avaranas runs to hundreds of invocations and is an initiate text. This page faithfully reproduces the fixed opening framing and closing salutation and explains the structure, while the central avarana garlands are summarised.
॥ श्री मात्रे नमः ॥