Indrakshi Stotram
इन्द्राक्षी स्तोत्रम्
What is the Indrakshi Stotram?
Indrakshi Stotram The Indrakshi Stotram is a Sanskrit hymn to the Goddess in her form as Indrakshi, traditionally said to have been composed by Indra himself when he needed her protection. It strings together many of her names and forms in short, memorable verses, and for generations it has been the stotram families reach for during fevers, eye trouble, and other illnesses that will not lift, especially in South Indian homes.
Every family that has grown up with the Indrakshi Stotram seems to have the same story: a fever that would not break, a pair of eyes that kept troubling someone, and an elder who pulled out this stotram instead of just another home remedy. That reputation is not an accident. The hymn is built as a long, deliberate roll call of the Goddess as Indrakshi, moving from Gauri and Durga through Katyayani, Chamunda, Saraswati and Lakshmi, and closing on the same verse that ends the Argala Stotram, an appeal to the one who is auspicious among all auspicious things.Tradition credits its first recitation to Indra, king of the gods, who is said to have chanted it when he found himself powerless and afraid. Whether or not that origin story is read literally, it explains why the stotram feels less like a formal Sanskrit composition and more like a plea from someone who genuinely needed help. That tone has carried it into daily worship across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and beyond, where it is chanted both for its own sake and as part of a longer Durga Saptashati or Navratri practice.The Indrakshi Stotram exists in more than one recension. A shorter, commonly circulated version keeps the meditation verse, the direction-protection verses, and the sixteen or so namavali verses that name the Goddess. A longer South Indian recension adds an extended tantric portion, strings of seed syllables and imperative commands aimed at driving off specific fevers and grahas. This page keeps to the verses that are chanted daily by most devotees, the dhyana, the protection verses, and the full namavali through its closing verse, and simply notes where the fuller recension continues into more specialized territory.
Indrakshi Stotram Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Verses below follow the sanskritdocuments.org text, cross-checked against stotranidhi.com's IAST edition; both sources agree almost word for word on the dhyana verse and all fourteen namavali verses. The digbandha (direction-protection) verses are a known point of variation between recensions: this page uses the sanskritdocuments.org wording (Vajrini, Dandini, Khadgini and other weapon-named forms guarding each direction); the longer South Indian recension used by stotranidhi.com names deity forms instead (Ishwari, Kaumari, Varahi, Narasimhi and others) in the same spot. After the closing 'Sarvamangala Mangalye' verse, both full recensions continue into an extended bija-mantra and disease-invocation passage before reaching the phalashruti; that portion is closer to a tantric appendix than to daily devotional recitation and is not reproduced verse by verse here.
Dhyana
Netraanaam dashabhih shataih parivritaam atyugra-charmaambaraam hemaabhaam mahateem vilambita-shikhaam aamukta-keshaanvitaam
Ghantaa-mandita-paada-padma-yugalaam naagendra-kumbhastaneem indrakshim parichintayaami manasaa kalpokta-siddhipradaam
नेत्राणां दशभिश्शतैः परिवृतामत्युग्रचर्माम्बरां हेमाभां महतीं विलम्बितशिखामामुक्तकेशान्विताम्
घण्टामण्डितपादपद्मयुगलां नागेन्द्रकुम्भस्तनीम् इन्द्राक्षीं परिचिन्तयामि मनसा कल्पोक्तसिद्धिप्रदाम्
Meaning
I close my eyes and picture her exactly as the old verse describes: ringed by a thousand watching eyes, wrapped in a fierce hide-garment, golden all over, her tall crest loosely tied and her hair let fully down. Little bells ring softly at her lotus feet, and her form has the same rounded strength as an elephant king's temples. This is the Indrakshi I hold in my mind, the one the ancient texts say grants exactly the accomplishment a sincere seeker asks for.
Vajrini poorvatah paatu chaagneyyaam parameshwari
Dandini dakshine paatu nairrityaam paatu khadgini
Pashchime paashadhaari cha dhwajasthaa vaayu-dingmukhe
Kaumodaki tathodeechyaam paatvaishaanyaam maheshwari
Oordhwadeshe padmini maamadhastaat paatu vaishnavi
Evam dashadisho raksheta sarvadaa bhuvaneshwari
वज्रिणी पूर्वतः पातु चाग्नेय्यां परमेश्वरी
दण्डिनी दक्षिणे पातु नैरॠत्यां पातु खड्गिनी
पश्चिमे पाशधारी च ध्वजस्था वायुदिङ्मुखे
कौमोदकी तथोदीच्यां पात्वैशान्यां महेश्वरी
ऊर्ध्वदेशे पद्मिनी मामधस्तात् पातु वैष्णवी
एवं दशदिशो रक्षेत् सर्वदा भुवनेश्वरी
Meaning
Before a single name is called out, the stotram sets a kind of protective circle. Vajrini guards the east and the fierce Parameshwari the south-east, Dandini the south and sword-bearing Khadgini the south-west, Pashadhari the west and the west-north corner, Kaumodaki the north and Maheshwari the north-east, Padmini above and Vaishnavi below. Ten directions, ten forms of the same Goddess, standing watch so the person chanting can settle into the rest of the hymn without fear.
Indrakshi naama saa devi daivataih samudaahritaa
Gauri Shaakambhari devi Durgaa naamniti vishrutaa
इन्द्राक्षी नाम सा देवी दैवतैः समुदाहृता
गौरी शाकम्भरी देवी दुर्गा नाम्नीति विश्रुता
Meaning
The very Devi the gods themselves call Indrakshi is no separate goddess at all. She is the same one known everywhere as Gauri, as Shakambhari who feeds the world, and as Durga.
Nityaanandaa niraahaaraa nishkalaayai namo’stu te
Kaatyaayani mahaadevi Chandraghantaa mahaatapaah
नित्यानन्दा निराहारा निष्कलायै नमोऽस्तु ते
कात्यायनी महादेवी चन्द्रघण्टा महातपाः
Meaning
Salutations to her who is endlessly joyful, who needs nothing from outside herself, complete without any missing part. She is Katyayani, the great Devi, Chandraghanta of the deep, quiet austerity.
Saavitri saa cha Gaayatri Brahmaani Brahmavaadini
Naaraayani Bhadrakaali Rudraani Krishnapingalaa
सावित्री सा च गायत्री ब्रह्माणी ब्रह्मवादिनी
नारायणी भद्रकाली रुद्राणी कृष्णपिङ्गला
Meaning
The same Devi is Savitri and Gayatri, is Brahmani who carries the voice of Vedic wisdom, is Narayani, Bhadrakali, Rudrani, and Krishnapingala.
Agnijwaalaa raudramukhee kaalaraatristapaswinee
Meghashyaamaa sahasraakshee vikataangee jadodaree
अग्निज्वाला रौद्रमुखी कालरात्रिस्तपस्विनी
मेघस्श्यामा सहस्राक्षी विकटाङ्गी जडोदरी
Meaning
She burns like a flame, her face fierce enough to stop danger in its tracks, and yet she is also the still night of dissolution living as an ascetic. Dark as a monsoon cloud, watching through a thousand eyes, her form is enormous and unshakeable.
Mahodaree muktakeshee ghoraroopaa mahaabalaa
Ajitaa bhadradaanantaa rogahartree shivapradaa
महोदरी मुक्तकेशी घोररूपा महाबला
अजिता भद्रदानन्ता रोगहर्त्री शिवप्रदा
Meaning
Vast in form, hair completely loose, terrifying to look at yet immensely strong, she has never once been defeated. Her generosity has no end, and this is the verse where the stotram says plainly what devotees have always come to her for: she takes disease away, and she gives wellbeing in its place.
Shivadootee karaalee cha pratyaksha-parameshwaree
Indraanee indraroopaa cha indrashaktih paraayanaa
शिवदूती कराली च प्रत्यक्ष-परमेश्वरी
इन्द्राणी इन्द्ररूपा च इन्द्रशक्तिः परायणा
Meaning
She goes out as Shiva's own messenger, dreadful to whatever opposes good, and yet the Supreme Goddess made plainly visible to those who look for her. She is Indrani, Indra's own queen, and she is also the strength inside Indra himself, entirely devoted to upholding what is right.
Sadaa sammohinee devee sundaree bhuvaneshwaree
Ekaaksharee parabrahma sthoola-sookshma-pravardhinee
सदा सम्मोहिनी देवी सुन्दरी भुवनेश्वरी
एकाक्षरी परब्रह्मस्थूलसूक्ष्म-प्रवर्धिनी
Meaning
Forever captivating, beautiful, ruler of every world, she is the single syllable that holds the whole of the Absolute, and she grows and expresses herself equally through the gross world we can touch and the subtle world we cannot.
Rakshaakaree raktadantaa raktamaalyaambaraa paraa
Mahishaasura-hantree cha Chaamundaa khadgadhaarinee
रक्षाकरी रक्तदन्ता रक्तमाल्याम्बरा परा
महिषासुर-हन्त्री च चामुण्डा खड्गधारिणी
Meaning
She protects those who call on her, her teeth reddened from the battle, dressed in red garlands and red cloth. This is the same Devi who ended Mahishasura, Chamunda herself, sword raised and ready.
Vaaraahee naarasimhee cha bheemaa bhairavanaadinee
Shrutih smritir dhritir medhaa vidyaa Lakshmeeh Saraswatee
वाराही नारसिंही च भीमा भैरवनादिनी
श्रुतिः स्मृतिर्धृतिर्मेधा विद्या लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती
Meaning
She takes the form of Varahi and of Narasimhi, terrifying, her roar matching Bhairava's own. And she is also the quieter things we depend on every day: the revealed scriptures, remembered tradition, patience, sharp intelligence, learning itself, and both Lakshmi and Saraswati.
Anantaa Vijayaa Aparnaa maanastokaaparaajitaa
Bhavaanee Paarvatee Durgaa Haimavatyambikaa Shivaa
अनन्ता विजयापर्णा मानस्तोकापराजिता
भवानी पार्वती दुर्गा हैमवत्यम्बिका शिवा
Meaning
Endless, victorious, Aparna who once fasted without even a leaf to eat, unconquered in resolve as much as in battle. She is Bhavani, Parvati, Durga, the daughter of the Himalayas, Ambika, the auspicious one.
Shivaa Bhavaanee Rudraanee Shankaraardha-shareerinee
Airaavata-gajaaroodhaa vajrahastaa varapradaa
शिवा भवानी रुद्राणी शङ्करार्ध-शरीरिणी
ऐरावतगजारूढा वज्रहस्ता वरप्रदा
Meaning
She is Shiva, Bhavani, Rudrani, the one who is literally half of Shankara's own body in the Ardhanarishvara form. Seated on Airavata, the elephant of Indra, thunderbolt in hand, she grants the boons asked of her.
Nityaa sakala-kalyaanee sarvaishwarya-pradaayinee
Daakshaayanee padmahastaa Bhaaratee sarvamangalaa
नित्या सकल-कल्याणी सर्वैश्वर्य-प्रदायिनी
दाक्षायणी पद्महस्ता भारती सर्वमङ्गला
Meaning
Eternal, wholly auspicious, the one who hands out every form of prosperity to those who ask sincerely. She is Daksha's daughter, lotus in hand, Bharati who governs speech, and she is auspiciousness itself.
Kalyaanee jananee Durgaa sarva-durga-vinaashinee
Indrakshee sarvabhooteshee sarvaroopaa manonmanee
कल्याणी जननी दुर्गा सर्वदुर्गविनाशिनी
इन्द्राक्षी सर्वभूतेशी सर्वरूपा मनोन्मनी
Meaning
The auspicious mother, Durga, who clears away every hardship a devotee brings before her (some manuscripts read this as every sorrow rather than every hardship). She is Indrakshi, ruler of every living being, present in every form there is, and the one who quietly lifts the mind beyond its own noise.
Mahisha-mastaka-nritya-vinodana-sphutaranan-mani-noopura-paadukaa
Janana-rakshana-moksha-vidhaayinee jayatu Shumbha-Nishumbha-nishoodinee
महिषमस्तक-नृत्य-विनोदन-स्फुटरणन्मणि-नूपुर-पादुका
जनन-रक्षण-मोक्षविधायिनी जयतु शुम्भ-निशुम्भ-निषूदिनी
Meaning
Her jewelled anklets ring out clearly as she dances, almost playfully, on the fallen head of the buffalo-demon. It is she who governs a soul's birth, its protection through life, and its eventual release. Victory to her, the one who ended Shumbha and Nishumbha.
Sarvamangala-maangalye shive sarvaartha-saadhike
Sharanye tryambake devi Naaraayani namo’stute
सर्वमङ्गल-माङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थ-साधिके
शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तुते
Meaning
O you who are the very source of auspiciousness among all things auspicious, gracious one, who accomplishes every true aim of the one who asks, refuge of all who seek shelter, three-eyed Devi, Narayani, I bow to you. This verse closes the namavali here, and readers who know the Argala Stotram from Durga Saptashati will recognise it immediately, since the two hymns share this exact line.
Phalashruti
Evam naamavarair devee stutaa Shakrena dheemataa
Aayur-aarogyam aishwaryam apamrityu-bhayaapaham
Kshayaapasmaara-kushthaadi-taapajwara-nivaaranam
Chora-vyaaghra-bhayaarishta-vaishnava-jwara-vaaranam
Maaheshwara-mahaamaaree-sarvajwara-nivaaranam
Sheeta-paittaka-vaataadi-sarvaroga-nivaaranam
Shatam aavartayed yastu muchyate vyaadhi-bandhanaat
Aavartana-sahasraat tu labhate vaanchhitam phalam
एवं नामवरैर्देवी स्तुता शक्रेण धीमता
आयुरारोग्यमैश्वर्यमपमृत्युभयापहम्
क्षयापस्मारकुष्ठादितापज्वरनिवारणम्
चोरव्याघ्रभयारिष्ठवैष्णवज्वरवारणम्
माहेश्वरमहामारीसर्वज्वरनिवारणम्
शीतपैत्तकवातादिसर्वरोगनिवारणम्
शतमावर्तयेद्यस्तु मुच्यते व्याधिबन्धनात्
आवर्तनसहस्रात्तु लभते वाञ्छितं फलम्
Meaning
This is the promise the wise Indra received after praising her with these names: long life, health, prosperity, and freedom from the fear of an untimely death. Wasting illness, epilepsy, skin disease, burning fevers, danger from thieves or wild animals, and every kind of fever, whether from cold, from bile, or from wind, are all said to lift. One who repeats the stotram a hundred times is said to be freed from illness's grip, and a thousand repetitions are said to bring whatever the heart genuinely wishes for.
Meaning & Significance
Read straight through, the Indrakshi Stotram can feel like a very long list of names, and in a sense it is exactly that. But the point of a namavali like this is not to memorise a directory of the Goddess’s identities. Each name is a doorway. Gauri is her gentleness, Chamunda is her force, Saraswati is her clarity, Chandraghanta is her discipline, and the stotram moves through all of them to make one simple claim: whatever a person is facing right now, whichever quality is missing from their life or their body, that quality already exists somewhere inside Indrakshi.
That is also why the healing reputation of this stotram makes sense rather than feeling like superstition tacked onto old poetry. Verse after verse names her as the remover of disease (rogahartri), the ender of every fever, the one who dances free even on the field where a demon has just fallen. The hymn is not shy about asking for physical relief alongside spiritual growth, and that honesty is part of why ordinary households, not only temple priests, have kept it alive for so long.
How to Chant the Indrakshi Stotram
- Settle in – Sit facing east or north, wash your hands and face if you can, and light a lamp. A red flower nearby is traditional but not required.
- Begin with the dhyana – Read the meditation verse slowly and actually picture the form it describes before saying anything else aloud. This is what turns recitation into worship.
- Chant the digbandha – Recite the direction-protection verses next, so the space around you feels settled before the main hymn begins.
- Move through the namavali at an even pace – Let each name be heard clearly rather than rushing to the next line. There is no benefit to speed here.
- Close with Sarvamangala Mangalye – This verse is a natural resting point. Many devotees pause here in silence for a breath or two before finishing.
- Repeat if chanting for healing – The phalashruti itself suggests repeating the stotram many times, traditionally 100 or 1008 repetitions spread across days or weeks, rather than expecting a single reading to do the work.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting?
The Indrakshi Stotram is chanted for more than one reason, but three come up again and again in how families actually use it.
- Relief during fever and illness: The phalashruti names fevers, wasting disease, and other lingering ailments directly, which is why this stotram is often the first one reached for when someone in the family has been unwell for days without improvement.
- Support for eye health: The name Indrakshi itself points to the eyes, and generations of devotees have specifically chanted this hymn when eye strain, infection, or vision trouble will not settle.
- A settled, protected feeling: The digbandha verses at the start are meant to be felt, not just read. Many people say the ten-direction protection genuinely calms a racing mind before sleep or during an anxious stretch.
- Navratri and Devi worship: Because the stotram touches on nearly every major form of the Goddess, from Durga to Saraswati to Lakshmi, it fits naturally into Navratri chanting alongside Durga Saptashati.
- A sense of steadiness under pressure: The Indra origin story, a powerful being who still needed help, resonates with people going through their own difficult stretch, whether that is health, work, or family stress.
- General longevity and wellbeing: The final phala verses tie the practice to long life and steady prosperity, so many households keep it as a standing part of their weekly or monthly worship rather than only reaching for it in a crisis.
Who Composed This Stotram?
Tradition places the first recitation of the Indrakshi Stotram in the mouth of Indra, king of the gods, chanted at a moment when his own power had failed him. Later verses in the longer recension frame this as a conversation, with the sage Narada asking Narayana why this particular hymn to the Goddess is considered so effective, and Narayana explaining that Indra himself composed it to turn back every kind of calamity. It is worth reading that story as devotional framing rather than strict history, since like most stotram traditions the exact authorship and date are impossible to pin down with certainty.
What is easier to trace is the stotram’s strong footing in South Indian practice, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, where it is printed alongside other core Devi stotras and is often chanted as a companion to the Durga Saptashati during Navratri. The closing verse it shares with the Argala Stotram, ‘Sarvamangala Mangalye’, is one clue to how closely this hymn sits within that same Devi-Mahatmya tradition rather than standing apart from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Indrakshi mean?
Indrakshi combines Indra and akshi, meaning eye, so the name points to the Goddess as one whose eyes carry Indra's own power, or who is dear to Indra as his protector. It is this connection to the eyes that also explains why the stotram is chanted so often for eye-related troubles.
Why do people specifically chant this for fevers and eye problems?
The phalashruti at the end of the stotram names these conditions directly, listing fevers of different kinds, wasting illness, and skin disease among what the recitation is said to relieve, and the name Indrakshi itself keeps eye health close to the surface of the hymn.
Can anyone chant the Indrakshi Stotram, or is it restricted?
The stotram is chanted widely by devotees of all backgrounds. A few of the longer, more tantric portions found in the fuller recension are traditionally passed on through a teacher, but the dhyana, protection verses, and namavali covered on this page are recited openly in homes and temples every day.
How many times should the stotram be repeated?
The phalashruti itself suggests a hundred repetitions to be freed from illness, and a thousand to receive a specific wish, usually spread across several days rather than attempted in a single sitting. Even a single sincere recitation, though, is considered worthwhile.
Is Indrakshi a different goddess from Durga?
No. The stotram is explicit about this in its very first namavali verse, stating that the same Devi the gods call Indrakshi is known elsewhere as Gauri, Shakambhari, and Durga. Indrakshi is a form and a name, not a separate deity.
What is the phalashruti, and why does it matter?
Phalashruti literally means the hearing of the fruit, the closing section of a stotram that describes the benefits of chanting it. For the Indrakshi Stotram this section is unusually specific about health, naming fevers, epilepsy, skin disease and more, which is a large part of why the hymn is remembered today as a healing prayer rather than only a devotional one.
॥ श्री इन्द्राक्ष्यै नमः ॥