श्री महालक्ष्मी अष्टकम्
Mahalakshmi Ashtakam
Namastestu Mahamaye, Indra's hymn to Goddess Mahalakshmi
नमस्तेऽस्तु महामाये श्रीपीठे सुरपूजिते।
Namastestu Mahamaye Shripithe Surapujite.
शङ्खचक्रगदाहस्ते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Shankhachakragadahaste Mahalakshmi namostu te.
नमस्ते गरुडारूढे कोलासुरभयङ्करि।
Namaste Garudarudhe Kolasurabhayankari.
सर्वपापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Sarvapapahare Devi Mahalakshmi namostu te.
सर्वज्ञे सर्ववरदे सर्वदुष्टभयङ्करि।
Sarvajne Sarvavarade Sarvadushtabhayankari.
सर्वदुःखहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Sarvaduhkhahare Devi Mahalakshmi namostu te.
सिद्धिबुद्धिप्रदे देवि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनि।
Siddhibuddhiprade Devi Bhuktimuktipradayini.
मन्त्रमूर्ते सदा देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Mantramurte sada Devi Mahalakshmi namostu te.
आद्यन्तरहिते देवि आद्यशक्तिमहेश्वरि।
Adyantarahite Devi Adyashaktimaheshvari.
योगजे योगसम्भूते महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Yogaje Yogasambhute Mahalakshmi namostu te.
स्थूलसूक्ष्ममहारौद्रे महाशक्तिमहोदरे।
Sthulasukshmamaharaudre Mahashaktimahodare.
महापापहरे देवि महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Mahapapahare Devi Mahalakshmi namostu te.
पद्मासनस्थिते देवि परब्रह्मस्वरूपिणि।
Padmasanasthite Devi Parabrahmasvarupini.
परमेशि जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Parameshi Jaganmatar Mahalakshmi namostu te.
श्वेताम्बरधरे देवि नानालङ्कारभूषिते।
Shvetambaradhare Devi Nanalankarabhushite.
जगत्स्थिते जगन्मातर्महालक्ष्मि नमोऽस्तु ते॥
Jagatsthite Jaganmatar Mahalakshmi namostu te.
महालक्ष्म्यष्टकस्तोत्रं यः पठेद्भक्तिमान्नरः।
Mahalakshmyashtakastotram yah pathed bhaktimannarah.
सर्वसिद्धिमवाप्नोति राज्यं प्राप्नोति सर्वदा॥
Sarvasiddhim avapnoti rajyam prapnoti sarvada.
एककाले पठेन्नित्यं महापापविनाशनम्।
Ekakale pathen nityam mahapapavinashanam.
द्विकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं धनधान्यसमन्वितः॥
Dvikalam yah pathen nityam dhanadhanyasamanvitah.
त्रिकालं यः पठेन्नित्यं महाशत्रुविनाशनम्।
Trikalam yah pathen nityam mahashatruvinashanam.
महालक्ष्मीर्भवेन्नित्यं प्रसन्ना वरदा शुभा॥
Mahalakshmir bhaven nityam prasanna varada shubha.
When it is sung or recited
When it is recited: on Friday evenings, after Lakshmi Puja at Diwali, during Varalakshmi Vratam and other Lakshmi vrats, or at the end of daily puja. Many families recite it after lighting the evening lamp.
Repetitions: Once a day is common. The closing verses themselves speak of reciting it once, twice or three times a day.
Meaning
Indra, king of the gods, praises Mahalakshmi in eight verses, and each verse ends with the refrain 'Mahalakshmi, salutations to you.' She is addressed as the great power of illusion (Mahamaya), seated on the sacred Sri Pitha and worshipped by the gods, holding the conch, discus and mace and riding Garuda. The later verses honor her as all-knowing, as the giver of boons and of both worldly well-being and liberation, as the primal power with no beginning and no end, and finally as the Supreme Brahman and Mother of the world, seated on a lotus and dressed in white. The last three verses, in the style of the Puranas, describe the merit of reciting the hymn once, twice or three times a day. Families read them as an expression of faith in the Goddess's grace, not as a promise of particular results.
Please note
Traditionally ascribed to Indra (the closing line says it was composed by Indra) and said to come from the Padma Purana. The first eight verses are the ashtakam itself and the last three are the phalashruti, the statement of merit. Printed editions differ in small details: some read 'mantrapute' instead of 'mantramurte' in verse 4, and 'jaganmata' instead of 'jaganmatar' in verse 7. This page follows the commonest wording. For correct pronunciation, ask a scholar or your family priest.
Text compared with: sanskritdocuments.org, hindupad.com, bhaktibharat.com, patrika.com. A comparison with printed editions is still in progress. Wording differs between sources, so follow your priest’s version.