The verse and its meaning · Stotras · Stotras — Mahishasura Mardini Stotram

Daughter of the Mountain

Mahishasura Mardini Stotram 1

अयिगिरिनन्दिनि नन्दितमेदिनि विश्वविनोदिनि नन्दिनुते गिरिवरविन्ध्य-शिरोधिनिवासिनि विष्णुविलासिनि जिष्णुनुते । भगवति हे शितिकण्ठकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकृते जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते

Meaning · English

Daughter of the mountain, gladdener of the earth, delight of the world, living on Vindhya's crest; wife of the blue-throated one, victory to you, conqueror of Mahisha, lovely-haired mountain daughter.

The singer opens by calling her name after name. She is the mountain's daughter. She makes the earth glad and is the world's delight, praised by Nandi, Shiva's attendant. She lives on the high ridges of the Vindhya hills, delights Vishnu, and is praised by Indra. She is wife of Shiva, the blue-throated one, mother to a huge family, and doer of great deeds. The refrain then calls out victory twice to her who crushed the buffalo demon Mahisha, and names her lovely matted hair.

Think of a birthday toast for a grandmother. Someone stands and lists her: the girl from the hill village, the one who fed the whole street, the one with the long braid. Only then do the glasses go up. The list of names is the praise. The verse works the same way, piling up who she is before its cheer.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

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