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Part of: श्रीदुर्गासप्तशती

कीलकम्

Kilakam

The third hymn read before the Saptashati, on Shiva's seal

18 verses Audio will be added later

About this stotra

The Kilakam is the third of the three hymns read before the Durga Saptashati, after the Devi Kavacham and the Argala Stotram. A kīlaka is a pin or peg. The hymn says the Saptashati is so powerful that Mahadeva fastened it with a rule, as a pin holds a thing in place, and that it opens for one who knows the rule and recites accordingly. It is not part of the Devi Mahatmya in the Markandeya Purana; according to tradition it belongs to the reading as a preliminary. The Sanskrit here follows the Gita Press, Gorakhpur edition of the Shri Durga Saptashati.

How it is laid out

  • The viniyoga names Shiva as the seer and Mahasarasvati as the deity.
  • Verse 1: a salutation to Shiva, who wears the half-moon.
  • Verses 2–11: the power of the hymn, the seal Shiva placed on it, and how it is released.
  • Verses 12–14: why the reading should be taken up.

The Kilakam is terse, and commentators read some verses differently. Where a verse needs the traditional explanation to make sense, we give it in brackets so you can see what is in the Sanskrit and what is added.

If you are reading it for the first time

It is short, so read it slowly; the hymn itself asks for recitation done śanaiḥ, unhurried. Watch these sounds: the three-consonant cluster ddhy in सिद्ध्यन्ति, the visarga in श्रेयःप्राप्ति, the ṣk in निष्कीलां, and the ṛ and ṣṇ in कृष्णायां.

The meaning on this page was written by our team directly from the Sanskrit. Whether a scholar has reviewed it is shown on the page.

ॐ अस्य श्रीकीलकमन्त्रस्य शिव ऋषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, श्रीमहासरस्वती देवता, श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीत्यर्थं सप्तशतीपाठाङ्गत्वेन जपे विनियोगः।

oṃ asya śrīkīlakamantrasya śiva ṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, śrīmahāsarasvatī devatā, śrījagadambāprītyarthaṃ saptaśatīpāṭhāṅgatvena jape viniyogaḥ |

Viniyoga, the statement of purpose. For the Kilakam, taken as a mantra, the seer is Shiva, the metre is anuṣṭubh and the deity is Shri Mahasarasvati. It is recited as a part of the Saptashati reading, to please Jagadamba, the Mother of the world.

ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै॥

oṃ namaścaṇḍikāyai ||

Om. Salutation to Chandika.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca

Markandeya said:

ॐ विशुद्धज्ञानदेहाय त्रिवेदीदिव्यचक्षुषे। श्रेयःप्राप्तिनिमित्ताय नमः सोमार्धधारिणे॥

oṃ viśuddhajñānadehāya trivedīdivyacakṣuṣe | śreyaḥprāptinimittāya namaḥ somārdhadhāriṇe ||

Om. Salutation to Shiva, whose body is pure knowledge, whose divine eyes are the three Vedas, who is the means of reaching the highest good, and who wears the half-moon.

सर्वमेतद्विजानीयान्मन्त्राणामभिकीलकम्। सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सततं जाप्यतत्परः॥

sarvametadvijānīyānmantrāṇāmabhikīlakam | so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti satataṃ jāpyatatparaḥ ||

One should understand all of this: it is the kīlaka of the mantras, the pin that holds them fast. One who stays devoted to steady recitation also gains well-being.

सिद्ध्यन्त्युच्चाटनादीनि वस्तूनि सकलान्यपि। एतेन स्तुवतां देवी स्तोत्रमात्रेण सिद्ध्यति॥

siddhyantyuccāṭanādīni vastūni sakalānyapi | etena stuvatāṃ devī stotramātreṇa siddhyati ||

All such aims, beginning with uccāṭana (driving a foe away), are fulfilled. For those who praise her with this hymn, the Devi is won by the hymn alone.

न मन्त्रो नौषधं तत्र न किञ्चिदपि विद्यते। विना जाप्येन सिद्ध्येत सर्वमुच्चाटनादिकम्॥

na mantro nauṣadhaṃ tatra na kiñcidapi vidyate | vinā jāpyena siddhyeta sarvamuccāṭanādikam ||

No other mantra, no herb, nothing else is needed for it. Even without separate recitation, uccāṭana and the rest are all accomplished.

समग्राण्यपि सिद्ध्यन्ति लोकशङ्कामिमां हरः। कृत्वा निमन्त्रयामास सर्वमेवमिदं शुभम्॥

samagrāṇyapi siddhyanti lokaśaṅkāmimāṃ haraḥ | kṛtvā nimantrayāmāsa sarvamevamidaṃ śubham ||

Everything is fully accomplished by it. Taking note of the doubt this raised among people, Hara, that is Shiva, placed this whole auspicious hymn under a rule in the following way.

स्तोत्रं वै चण्डिकायास्तु तच्च गुप्तं चकार सः। समाप्तिर्न च पुण्यस्य तां यथावन्नियन्त्रणाम्॥

stotraṃ vai caṇḍikāyāstu tacca guptaṃ cakāra saḥ | samāptirna ca puṇyasya tāṃ yathāvanniyantraṇām ||

He made this hymn of Chandika secret. For one who keeps that rule as it should be kept, the merit has no end.

सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सर्वमेवं न संशयः। कृष्णायां वा चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां वा समाहितः॥

so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti sarvamevaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | kṛṣṇāyāṃ vā caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā samāhitaḥ ||

Such a person also gains well-being in every way. There is no doubt about this. On the fourteenth or the eighth day of the dark fortnight, with a collected mind —

ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति नान्यथैषा प्रसीदति। इत्थंरूपेण कीलेन महादेवेन कीलितम्॥

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti nānyathaiṣā prasīdati | itthaṃrūpeṇa kīlena mahādevena kīlitam ||

one gives (all that is one's own to the Devi) and receives it back (as her gift). She is pleased in no other way. This is the pin with which Mahadeva fastened the hymn.

यो निष्कीलां विधायैनां नित्यं जपति संस्फुटम्। स सिद्धः स गणः सोऽपि गन्धर्वो जायते नरः॥

yo niṣkīlāṃ vidhāyaināṃ nityaṃ japati saṃsphuṭam | sa siddhaḥ sa gaṇaḥ so'pi gandharvo jāyate naraḥ ||

One who releases it from the pin and recites it every day, clearly, becomes a siddha, one of Shiva's gaṇas, and even a gandharva.

न चैवाप्यटतस्तस्य भयं क्वापीह जायते। नापमृत्युवशं याति मृतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्॥

na caivāpyaṭatastasya bhayaṃ kvāpīha jāyate | nāpamṛtyuvaśaṃ yāti mṛto mokṣamavāpnuyāt ||

Wherever he wanders, no fear comes to him in this world. He does not fall to an untimely death, and when he dies he attains liberation.

ज्ञात्वा प्रारभ्य कुर्वीत न कुर्वाणो विनश्यति। ततो ज्ञात्वैव सम्पन्नमिदं प्रारभ्यते बुधैः॥

jñātvā prārabhya kurvīta na kurvāṇo vinaśyati | tato jñātvaiva sampannamidaṃ prārabhyate budhaiḥ ||

Begin the reading only after understanding this; one who does so does not come to harm. That is why the wise first understand this complete hymn and then begin it.

सौभाग्यादि च यत्किञ्चिद् दृश्यते ललनाजने। तत्सर्वं तत्प्रसादेन तेन जाप्यमिदं शुभम्॥

saubhāgyādi ca yatkiñcid dṛśyate lalanājane | tatsarvaṃ tatprasādena tena jāpyamidaṃ śubham ||

Whatever good fortune and the like is seen in women, all of it comes by her favour. So this auspicious hymn should be recited.

शनैस्तु जप्यमानेऽस्मिन् स्तोत्रे सम्पत्तिरुच्चकैः। भवत्येव समग्रापि ततः प्रारभ्यमेव तत्॥

śanaistu japyamāne'smin stotre sampattiruccakaiḥ | bhavatyeva samagrāpi tataḥ prārabhyameva tat ||

When this hymn is recited slowly, abundance comes in full measure. So it should certainly be taken up.

ऐश्वर्यं यत्प्रसादेन सौभाग्यारोग्यसम्पदः। शत्रुहानिः परो मोक्षः स्तूयते सा न किं जनैः॥ ॐ॥

aiśvaryaṃ yatprasādena saubhāgyārogyasampadaḥ | śatruhāniḥ paro mokṣaḥ stūyate sā na kiṃ janaiḥ || oṃ ||

By her grace come sovereignty, good fortune, health and wealth, the defeat of enemies and the highest liberation. Why would people not praise her? Om.

इति देव्याः कीलकस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्।

iti devyāḥ kīlakastotraṃ sampūrṇam |

Here ends the Kilakam of the Devi.