Muni's PlayNairātmāṣṭakastotram
Hymn of Eight Verses to Nairātmyā
Verse 1
Sanskrit
निरालम्ब-निराकार-निर्विकल्पस्वरूपिणी।
नैरात्मा वरदा देवी नित्यमेव नमोऽस्तु ते॥ १॥
Word-by-Word
निरालम्ब (supportless/independent) | निराकार (formless) | निर्विकल्प-स्वरूपिणी (she whose nature is beyond conceptualization) | नैरात्मा (Nairātmyā) | वरदा (boon-granting) | देवी (Goddess) | नित्यम्-एव (always indeed) | नमः-अस्तु-ते (salutations be to you).
Translation
Salutations to You always, O Goddess Nairātmyā, the giver of boons. Your true nature is supportless, formless, and free from all conceptual constructions.
Verse 2
Sanskrit
एकवक्त्रां त्रिनेत्रां च ऊर्ध्वपिङ्गलमूर्धजाम्।
करे कर्तिकपालां च नमामि विश्वमातरीम्॥ २॥
Word-by-Word
एक-वक्त्राम् (one-faced) | त्रि-नेत्राम् (three-eyed) | च (and) | ऊर्ध्व-पिङ्गल-मूर्धजाम् (with yellow/tawny hair flowing upward) | करे (in the hand) | कर्ति-कपालान् (knife and skull-cup) | च (and) | नमामि (I bow) | विश्व-मातरीम् (to the Mother of the Universe).
Translation
I bow to the Mother of the Universe, who has one face and three eyes, whose tawny hair flows upward, and who holds a ritual knife (kartika) and a skull-cup (kapala) in her hands.
Verse 3
Sanskrit
नवनृत्यभूषितां च सहस्रमुखरूपिणीम्।
योगेश्वरीं योगगम्यां नमामि ज्ञानरूपिणीम्॥ ३॥
Word-by-Word
नव-नृत्य-भूषितां (adorned with the nine dramatic sentiments/dances) | च (and) | सहस्र-मुख-रूपिणीम् (who has the form of a thousand faces) | योगेश्वरीं (Mistress of Yoga) | योग-गम्यां (attainable through Yoga) | नमामि (I bow) | ज्ञान-रूपिणीम् (to her whose form is knowledge).
Translation
I bow to Her whose form is pure knowledge, the Mistress of Yoga who is reached through Yoga. She is adorned with the nine dance-moods and manifests in the form of a thousand faces.
Verse 4
Sanskrit
शवारूढां महातेजां सर्वदुष्टनिकृन्तनीम्।
सर्वपापहरां देवीं नमामि जगदीश्वरीम्॥ ४॥
Word-by-Word
शव-आरूढां (mounted upon a corpse) | महा-तेजां (of great brilliance) | सर्व-दुष्ट-निकृन्तनीम् (destroyer of all evils) | सर्व-पाप-हरां (remover of all sins) | देवीं (Goddess) | नमामि (I bow) | जगदीश्वरीम् (to the Sovereign of the World).
Translation
I bow to the Sovereign of the World, the Goddess who removes all sins. She is of great brilliance, stands upon a corpse (symbolizing the death of ego), and is the destroyer of all that is evil.
Verse 5
Sanskrit
गौरीं चौरीं च वेतालीं घस्मरीं पुक्कसीं तथा।
शबरीं चाण्डालीं डोम्बीं नमामि चाष्टयोगिनीम्॥ ५॥
Word-by-Word
गौरीं (Gaurī) | चौरीं (Caurī) | च (and) | वेतालीं (Vetālī) | घस्मरीं (Ghasmarī) | पुक्कसीं (Pukkasī) | तथा (as well as) | शबरीं (Śabarī) | चाण्डालीं (Cāṇḍālī) | डोम्बीं (Ḍombī) | नमामि (I bow) | च-अष्ट-योगिनीम् (and to the eight Yoginis).
Translation
I bow to the eight Yoginis—Gaurī, Caurī, Vetālī, Ghasmarī, Pukkasī, Śabarī, Cāṇḍālī, and Ḍombī (who are the retinue and manifestations of Nairātmyā).
Verse 6
Sanskrit
ब्रह्माविष्णुशिवशक्रचतुर्मारविनाशिनीम्।
त्रैलोक्यमोहिनीं देवीं नमामि सुरसुन्दरीम्॥ ६॥
Word-by-Word
ब्रह्मा-विष्णु-शिव-शक्र (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra) | चतुः-मार-विनाशिनीम् (destroyer of the four Maras/demons) | त्रैलोक्य-मोहिनीं (enchantress of the three worlds) | देवीं (Goddess) | नमामि (I bow) | सुर-सुन्दरीम् (to the beautiful one among the gods).
Translation
I bow to the beautiful Goddess who captivates the three worlds and destroys the four Maras (the demons of aggregates, afflictions, death, and divine pride), surpassing even Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and Indra.
Verse 7
Sanskrit
अक्षमालविभूषाङ्गीम् अकारबीजसम्भवाम्।
नित्यं ध्यानरतां देवीं नमामि विश्वमातरीम्॥ ७॥
Word-by-Word
अक्ष-माल-विभूष-अङ्गीम् (whose limbs are adorned with a rosary) | अकार-बीज-सम्भवाम् (born from the seed-syllable ‘A’) | नित्यं (always) | ध्यान-रतां (absorbed in meditation) | देवीं (Goddess) | नमामि (I bow) | विश्व-मातरीम् (to the Mother of the Universe).
Translation
I bow to the Mother of the Universe, who is born from the seed-syllable ‘A’ (the unproduced). Her limbs are adorned with a rosary, and she is eternally absorbed in meditation.
Verse 8
Sanskrit
सर्वभूतप्रियां देवीं सर्वमन्त्रप्रबोधिनीम्।
सर्वमन्त्रमयीं मातर्नैरात्मां त्वां नमाम्यहम्॥ ८॥
Word-by-Word
सर्व-भूत-प्रियां (beloved of all beings) | देवीं (Goddess) | सर्व-मन्त्र-प्रबोधिनीम् (the awakener of all mantras) | सर्व-मन्त्र-मयीं (composed of all mantras) | मातः-नैरात्मा (O Mother Nairātmyā) | त्वां (to you) | नमामि-अहम् (I bow).
Translation
I bow to You, Mother Nairātmyā. You are beloved by all beings, the awakener of all mantras, and the very essence of all mantras yourself.
Sanskrit
नैरात्माष्टकस्तोत्रं समाप्तम्।
Translation
Thus ends the Hymn of Eight Verses to Nairātmyā.
Reference: Buddhism