Hymn to Durga
Translated by Nolini Kanta Gupta from Sri Aurobindo’s original written in Bengali in 1909 when he was in Kolkata. The translation was revised by Sri Aurobindo around 1945.
MOTHER DURGA! Rider on the lion, giver of all strength,
Mother, beloved of Siva! We born from thy parts of Power,
we the youth of India, are seated here in thy temple.
Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest
in this land of India.
MOTHER DURGA! From age to age, in life after life, we
come down into the human body, do thy work and return
to the Home of Delight. Now too we are born, dedicated
to thy work. Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, come
to our help.
MOTHER DURGA! Rider on the lion, trident in hand, thy
body of beauty armour-clad, Mother, giver of victory, India
awaits thee, eager to see the gracious form of thine.
Listen, O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest
in this land of India.
MOTHER DURGA! Giver of force and love and knowledge,
terrible art thou in thy own self of might, Mother
beautiful and fierce. In the battle of life, in India's battle,
we are warriors commissioned by thee; Mother, give to our
heart and mind a titan's strength, a titan's energy, to our
soul and intelligence a god's character and knowledge.
MOTHER DURGA! India, world's noblest race, lay
whelmed in darkness. Mother, thou risest on the eastern
horizon, the dawn comes with the glow of thy divine limbs
scattering the darkness. Spread thy light, Mother, destroy
the darkness.
MOTHER DURGA! We are thy children, through thy grace,
by thy influence may we become fit for the great work, for
the great Ideal. Mother, destroy our smallness, our selfishness,
our fear.
MOTHER DURGA! Thou art Kali, naked, garlanded with
human heads, sword in hand, thou slayest the Asura. Goddess,
do thou slay with thy pitiless cry the enemies who
dwell within us, may none remain alive there, not one. May
we become pure and spotless, this is our prayer, O Mother,
make thyself manifest.
MOTHER DURGA! India lies low in selfishness and fearfulness
and littleness. Make us great, make our efforts great,
our hearts vast, make us true to our resolve. May we no
longer desire the small, void of energy, given to laziness,
stricken with fear.
MOTHER DURGA! Extend wide the power of Yoga. We
are thy Aryan children, develop in us again the lost teaching,
character, strength of intelligence, faith and devotion,
force of austerity, power of chastity and true knowledge,
bestow all that upon the world. To help mankind, appear,
O Mother of the world, dispel all ills.
MOTHER DURGA! Slay the enemy within, then root out
all obstacles outside. May the noble heroic mighty Indian
race, supreme in love and unity, truth and strength, arts and
letters, force and knowledge ever dwell in its holy woodlands,
its fertile fields, under its sky-scraping hills, along the
banks of its pure-streaming rivers. This is our prayer at the
feet of the Mother. Make thyself manifest.
MOTHER DURGA! Enter our bodies in thy Yogic strength.
We shall become thy instruments, thy sword slaying all evil,
thy lamp dispelling all ignorance. Fulfil this yearning of thy
young children, O Mother. Be the master and drive thy
instrument, wield thy sword and slay the evil, hold up
the lamp and spread the light of knowledge. Make thyself
manifest.
MOTHER DURGA! When we possess thee, we shall no
longer cast thee away; we shall bind thee to us with the tie
of love and devotion. Come, Mother, manifest thyself in
our mind and life and body.
Come, Revealer of the hero-path. We shall no longer
cast thee away. May our entire life become a ceaseless
worship of the Mother, all our acts a continuous service
to the Mother, full of love, full of energy. This is our prayer,
O Mother, descend upon earth, make thyself manifest in
this land of India.