Devi Atharvashirsha (Devi Upanishad): Sanskrit Text, Transliteration and Meaning, from the 1925 Print

हरिः ॐ
सर्वे वै देवा देवीमुपतस्थुः
कासि त्वं महादेवि
साब्रवीदहं ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी
मत्तः प्रकृतिपुरुषात्मकं जगच्छून्यं चाशून्यं च
अहमानन्दानानन्दौ
विज्ञानाविज्ञाने अहम्
ब्रह्माब्रह्मणी वेदितव्ये
इत्याहाथर्वणी श्रुतिः
अहं पञ्चभूतान्यपञ्चभूतानि
अहमखिलं जगत्
वेदोऽहमवेदोऽहम्
विद्याहमविद्याहम्
अजाहमनजाहम्
अधश्चोर्ध्वं च तिर्यक्चाहम्
अहं रुद्रेभिर्वसुभिश्चराम्यहमादित्यैरुत विश्वदेवैः
अहं मित्रावरुणावुभौ बिभर्म्यहमिन्द्राग्नी अहमश्विनावुभौ
अहं सोमं त्वष्टारं पूषणं भगं दधाम्यहम्
विष्णुमुरुक्रमं ब्रह्माणमुत प्रजापतिं दधामि
अहं दधामि द्रविणं हविष्मते सुप्राव्ये३ यजमानाय सुन्वते ॥ २ ॥

Harih om
Sarve vai deva devimupatasthuh
Kasi tvam mahadevi
Sabravidaham brahmasvarupini
Mattah prakritipurushatmakam jagachchhunyam chashunyam cha
Ahamanandananandau
Vijnanavijnane aham
Brahmabrahmani veditavye
Ityahatharvani shrutih
Aham panchabhutanyapanchabhutani
Ahamakhilam jagat
Vedo'hamavedo'ham
Vidyahamavidyaham
Ajahamanajaham
Adhashchordhvam cha tiryakchaham
Aham rudrebhirvasubhishcharamyahamadityairuta vishvadevaih
Aham mitravarunavubhau bibharmyahamindragni ahamashvinavubhau
Aham somam tvashtaram pushanam bhagam dadhamyaham
Vishnumurukramam brahmanamuta prajapatim dadhami
Aham dadhami dravinam havishmate supravye3 yajamanaya sunvate 2

MeaningThe gods all came to the goddess and asked, "Who are you, great goddess?" She answered: "I am of the nature of Brahman. From me comes this world of nature and spirit, both empty and full. I am bliss and what is not bliss, knowledge and what is not knowledge. I am Brahman and what is not Brahman, the things that are to be known." So the scripture of the Atharvan sages says. "I am the five elements and what is not the five elements. I am the whole world. I am the Veda and what is not the Veda, learning and unlearning, the unborn and the born, below, above and across. I move with the Rudras, the Vasus, the Adityas and the All-gods. I carry both Mitra and Varuna, Indra and Agni, and both Ashvins. I hold up Soma, Tvashtar, Pushan and Bhaga. I support Vishnu of the wide stride, Brahma and the Lord of beings. I give wealth to the one who makes the offering, who serves the gods well, who presses the soma." This part follows the old hymn in which the goddess speaks of herself, which is also on this site as the Devi Suktam.

अहं राष्ट्री सङ्गमनी वसूनामहं सुवे पितरमस्य मूर्धन्मम योनिरप्स्वन्तः समुद्रे
य एवं वेद स देवीपदमाप्नोति
ते देवा अब्रुवन्
नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सततं नमः
नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् ॥ ३ ॥

Aham rashtri sangamani vasunamaham suve pitaramasya murdhanmama yonirapsvantah samudre
Ya evam veda sa devipadamapnoti
Te deva abruvan
Namo devyai mahadevyai shivayai satatam namah
Namah prakrityai bhadrayai niyatah pranatah sma tam 3

MeaningShe says: "I am the queen who gathers treasures. I bring forth the father of this world at its summit, and my source lies in the waters within the ocean." One who knows this reaches the state of the goddess. The gods then said: "Salutation to the goddess, the great goddess, the auspicious one, always. Salutation to Nature, the gracious one. Self-controlled, we bow to her."

तामग्निवर्णां तपसा ज्वलन्तीं वैरोचनीं कर्मफलेषु जुष्टाम्
दुर्गां देवीं शरणमहं प्रपद्ये सुतरां नाशयते तमः ॥ ४ ॥

Tamagnivarnam tapasa jvalantim vairochanim karmaphaleshu jushtam
Durgam devim sharanamaham prapadye sutaram nashayate tamah 4

MeaningI take refuge in the goddess Durga, fire-coloured, blazing with her own heat, shining, and dear to those who look to the fruit of their actions. She entirely destroys darkness.

देवीं वाचमजनयन्त देवास्तां विश्वरूपाः पशवो वदन्ति
सा नो मन्द्रेषमूर्जं दुहाना धेनुर्वागस्मानुपसुष्टुतैतु ॥ ५ ॥

Devim vachamajanayanta devastam vishvarupah pashavo vadanti
Sa no mandreshamurjam duhana dhenurvagasmanupasushtutaitu 5

MeaningThe gods brought forth the goddess Speech, whom living beings of every form speak. May that Speech, a cow yielding delight, food and strength, come to us when we praise her well.

कालरात्रिं ब्रह्मस्तुतां वैष्णवीं स्कन्दमातरम्
सरस्वतीमदितिं दक्षदुहितरं नमामः पावनां शिवाम् ॥ ६ ॥

Kalaratrim brahmastutam vaishnavim skandamataram
Sarasvatimaditim dakshaduhitaram namamah pavanam shivam 6

MeaningWe bow to Kalaratri, praised by Brahma, the power of Vishnu and mother of Skanda. We bow to Sarasvati and Aditi, daughter of Daksha, the pure and auspicious one.

महालक्ष्मीश्च विद्महे सर्वसिद्धिश्च धीमहि
तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात् ॥ ७ ॥

Mahalakshmishcha vidmahe sarvasiddhishcha dhimahi
Tanno devi prachodayat 7

MeaningWe come to know Mahalakshmi and we meditate on the giver of all success. May that goddess guide our minds. This is a verse in the pattern of the Gayatri.

अदितिर्ह्यजनिष्ट दक्ष या दुहिता तव
तां देवा अन्वजायन्त भद्रा अमृतबन्धवः ॥ ८ ॥

Aditirhyajanishta daksha ya duhita tava
Tam deva anvajayanta bhadra amritabandhavah 8

MeaningAditi was born, O Daksha, as your daughter. After her were born the gods, the gracious ones, whose kin are the immortals.

कामो योनिः कामकला वज्रपाणिर्गुहा हसा
मातरिश्वाभ्रमिन्द्रः पुनर्गुहा सकला मायया च पुनः कोशा विश्वमाता दिवि द्योम् ॥ ९ ॥

Kamo yonih kamakala vajrapanirguha hasa
Matarishvabhramindrah punarguha sakala mayaya cha punah kosha vishvamata divi dyom 9

MeaningA verse that spells out a seed syllable (bija) of the goddess by coded names. The tradition teaches how to read the code from a teacher, and we do not decode it here. Note that one word near the end, which we read as dyom, is hard to make out in the scan (see the note below the text).

एषात्मशक्तिः
एषा विश्वमोहिनी पाशाङ्कुशधनुर्बाणधरा
एषा श्रीमहाविद्या
य एवं वेद स शोकं तरति
नमस्ते अस्तु भगवति भवति मातरस्मान्पातु सर्वतः
सैषाष्टौ वसवः
सैषैकादश रुद्राः
सैषा द्वादशादित्याः
सैषा विश्वेदेवाः सोमपा असोमपाश्च
सैषा यातुधाना असुरा रक्षांसि पिशाचयक्षाः सिद्धाः
सैषा सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि
सैषा प्रजापतीन्द्रमनवः
सैषा ग्रहनक्षत्रज्योतींषि कलाकाष्ठादिकालरूपिणी
तामहं प्रणौमि नित्यम्
तापापहारिणीं देवीं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनीम्
अनन्तां विजयां शुद्धां शरण्यां शिवदां शिवाम् ॥ १० ॥

Eshatmashaktih
Esha vishvamohini pashankushadhanurbanadhara
Esha shrimahavidya
Ya evam veda sa shokam tarati
Namaste astu bhagavati bhavati matarasmanpatu sarvatah
Saishashtau vasavah
Saishaikadasha rudrah
Saisha dvadashadityah
Saisha vishvedevah somapa asomapashcha
Saisha yatudhana asura rakshamsi pishachayakshah siddhah
Saisha sattvarajastamamsi
Saisha prajapatindramanavah
Saisha grahanakshatrajyotimshi kalakashthadikalarupini
Tamaham pranaumi nityam
Tapapaharinim devim bhuktimuktipradayinim
Anantam vijayam shuddham sharanyam shivadam shivam 10

MeaningShe is the power of the Self. She is the one who enchants the world, holding noose, goad, bow and arrow. She is the Great Knowledge. One who knows this crosses over sorrow. "Salutation to you, venerable lady. May you, mother, protect us on every side." She is the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras and the twelve Adityas. She is the All-gods, the soma drinkers and the non-drinkers. She is the demons, spirits and other beings, and the perfected ones. She is sattva, rajas and tamas. She is the lords of beings, Indra and the Manus, the planets, stars and lights, and she takes the form of time with its divisions. I bow to her always, the remover of distress, who gives both enjoyment and liberation, the endless, victorious, pure, sheltering, kind and auspicious one.

वियदाकारसंयुक्तं वीतिहोत्रसमन्वितम्
अर्धेन्दुलसितं देव्या बीजं सर्वार्थसाधकम् ॥ ११ ॥

Viyadakarasamyuktam vitihotrasamanvitam
Ardhendulasitam devya bijam sarvarthasadhakam 11

MeaningAnother coded description of the goddess's seed syllable, shining with the half moon, which the verse says accomplishes every aim. As above, the reading of the code belongs to oral teaching.

एवमेकाक्षरं मन्त्रं यतयः शुद्धचेतसः
ध्यायन्ति परमानन्दमया ज्ञानाम्बुराशयः ॥ १२ ॥

Evamekaksharam mantram yatayah shuddhachetasah
Dhyayanti paramanandamaya jnanamburashayah 12

MeaningIn this way ascetics of pure mind meditate on the one-syllable mantra, full of supreme bliss, oceans of knowledge.

वाङ्मया ब्रह्मभूस्तस्मात् षष्ठं वक्त्रसमन्वितम्
सूर्यो वामश्रोत्रबिन्दुः संयुताष्टतृतीयकः ॥ १३ ॥ नारायणेन संयुक्तो वायुश्चाधरसंयुतः
विच्चे नवार्णकोऽर्णः स्यान्महदानन्ददायकः ॥ १४ ॥

Vanmaya brahmabhustasmat shashtham vaktrasamanvitam
Suryo vamashrotrabinduh samyutashtatritiyakah 13 narayanena samyukto vayushchadharasamyutah
Vichche navarnako'rnah syanmahadanandadayakah 14

MeaningThese two verses describe the nine-syllable mantra of the goddess, again in the coded way of the tradition, and say it gives great joy. We do not decode it. Two words in verse 13 are blurred in the scan (see the note below the text).

हृत्पुण्डरीकमध्यस्थां प्रातःसूर्यसमप्रभाम्
पाशाङ्कुशधरां सौम्यां वरदाभयहस्तकाम्
त्रिनेत्रां रक्तवसनां भक्तकामदुघां भजे ॥ १५ ॥

Hritpundarikamadhyastham pratahsuryasamaprabham
Pashankushadharam saumyam varadabhayahastakam
Trinetram raktavasanam bhaktakamadugham bhaje 15

MeaningI worship her who sits in the middle of the lotus of the heart, with the brightness of the morning sun. She holds a noose and a goad, is gentle, and shows with her hands the gestures of giving a boon and of freedom from fear. She has three eyes and red garments and grants what her devotees ask.

नमामि त्वां महादेवीं महाभयविनाशिनीम्
महादुर्गप्रशमनीं महाकारुण्यरूपिणीम् ॥ १६ ॥

Namami tvam mahadevim mahabhayavinashinim
Mahadurgaprashamanim mahakarunyarupinim 16

MeaningI bow to you, great goddess, who destroys great fear, calms great difficulties and takes the form of great compassion.

यस्याः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मादयो न जानन्ति तस्मादुच्यतेऽज्ञेया
यस्या अन्तो न विद्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽनन्ता
यस्या ग्रहणं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽलक्ष्या
यस्या जननं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽजा
एकैव सर्वत्र वर्तते तस्मादुच्यते एका
एकैव विश्वरूपिणी तस्मादुच्यते नैका
अत एवोच्यतेऽज्ञेयानन्तालक्ष्याजैका नैकेति
मन्त्राणां मातृका देवी शब्दानां ज्ञानरूपिणी
ज्ञानानां चिन्मयातीता शून्यानां शून्यसाक्षिणी ॥ १७ ॥

Yasyah svarupam brahmadayo na jananti tasmaduchyate'jneya
Yasya anto na vidyate tasmaduchyate'nanta
Yasya grahanam nopalabhyate tasmaduchyate'lakshya
Yasya jananam nopalabhyate tasmaduchyate'ja
Ekaiva sarvatra vartate tasmaduchyate eka
Ekaiva vishvarupini tasmaduchyate naika
Ata evochyate'jneyanantalakshyajaika naiketi
Mantranam matrika devi shabdanam jnanarupini
Jnananam chinmayatita shunyanam shunyasakshini 17

MeaningBrahma and the others do not know her true nature, so she is called the Unknowable. She has no end, so she is called the Endless. Her grasp cannot be found, so she is called the Unseen. Her birth cannot be found, so she is called the Unborn. She alone is present everywhere, so she is called the One. She alone takes the form of the world, so she is called the Many. So she is named the Unknowable, Endless, Unseen, Unborn, One and Many. She is the goddess who is the mother of the letters of the mantras, the knowledge within words, and, among knowledges, the consciousness that goes beyond them. Of the voids she is the witness of the void.

यस्याः परतरं नास्ति सैषा दुर्गा प्रकीर्तिता
[ दुर्गात्संत्रायते यस्माद्देवी दुर्गेति कथ्यते ॥ १८ ॥ प्रपद्ये शरणं देवीं दुर्गे दुरितं हर ॥ ]

Yasyah parataram nasti saisha durga prakirtita
[ durgatsantrayate yasmaddevi durgeti kathyate 18 prapadye sharanam devim durge duritam hara ]

MeaningThere is nothing beyond her, and so she is called Durga. The bracketed lines in the print add: because she saves from difficulty, the goddess is called Durga. I take refuge in the goddess. O Durga, take away my wrong.

तां दुर्गां दुर्गमां देवीं दुराचारविघातिनीम्
नमामि भवभीतोऽहं संसारार्णवतारिणीम् ॥ १९ ॥

Tam durgam durgamam devim duracharavighatinim
Namami bhavabhito'ham samsararnavatarinim 19

MeaningI, afraid of worldly existence, bow to that goddess Durga, hard to reach, who destroys wrong conduct and carries us across the ocean of rebirth.

इदमथर्वशीर्षं योऽधीते स पञ्चाथर्वशीर्षजपफलमाप्नोति
इदमथर्वशीर्षमज्ञात्वा योऽर्चां स्थापयति
शतलक्षं प्रजप्त्वापि सोऽर्चासिद्धिं न विन्दति
शतमष्टोत्तरं चास्याः पुरश्चर्याविधिः स्मृतः ॥ २० ॥ दशवारं पठेद्यस्तु सद्यः पापैः प्रमुच्यते
महादुर्गाणि तरति महादेव्याः प्रसादतः ॥ २१ ॥ प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति
सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति
तत्सायं प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानः पापोऽपापो भवति
निशीथे तुरीयसन्ध्यायां जप्त्वा वाक्सिद्धिर्भवति
नूतनप्रतिमायां जप्त्वा देवतासान्निध्यं भवति
प्राणप्रतिष्ठायां जप्त्वा प्राणानां प्रतिष्ठा भवति
भौमाश्विन्यां महादेवीसन्निधौ जप्त्वा महामृत्युं तरति
य एवं वेद
इत्युपनिषत् ॥ ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिरिति शान्तिः ॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् ॥ इति श्रीदेव्युपनिषत्समाप्ता ॥

Idamatharvashirsham yo'dhite sa panchatharvashirshajapaphalamapnoti
Idamatharvashirshamajnatva yo'rcham sthapayati
Shatalaksham prajaptvapi so'rchasiddhim na vindati
Shatamashtottaram chasyah purashcharyavidhih smritah 20 dashavaram pathedyastu sadyah papaih pramuchyate
Mahadurgani tarati mahadevyah prasadatah 21 prataradhiyano ratrikritam papam nashayati
Sayamadhiyano divasakritam papam nashayati
Tatsayam pratah prayunjanah papo'papo bhavati
Nishithe turiyasandhyayam japtva vaksiddhirbhavati
Nutanapratimayam japtva devatasannidhyam bhavati
Pranapratishthayam japtva prananam pratishtha bhavati
Bhaumashvinyam mahadevisannidhau japtva mahamrityum tarati
Ya evam veda
Ityupanishat om bhadram karnebhiriti shantih harih om tatsat iti shridevyupanishatsamapta

MeaningThe text says that one who studies this Atharvashirsha gets the fruit of reciting the five Atharvashirshas, and that one who sets up an image without knowing it does not gain the success of the worship even after a hundred thousand recitations. A count of one hundred and eight is named as its preparatory rite. It says that reading it ten times frees one at once from wrongs and carries one over great difficulties by the grace of the great goddess. Read in the morning, it removes what was done wrong in the night, and read in the evening, what was done in the day. It then names times for reading: at midnight in the fourth twilight for mastery of speech, with a new image for the presence of the deity, at an installation for the establishment of life in the image, and on a Tuesday under Ashvini in the presence of the great goddess for crossing great death. It ends: the one who knows this, thus the Upanishad. The print then repeats the opening words of the peace invocation (Om bhadram karnebhih) and closes. These are the text's own claims, which we report as devotional statements, not as promises.