Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram
Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram
devyaparAdha kSamApaNa stotram
na mantraM no yantraM tadapi ca na jAne stutimaho
na cAhvAnaM dhyAnaM tadapi ca na jAne stutikathAH |
na jAne mudrAste tadapi ca na jAne vilapanaM
paraM jAne mAtastvadanusaraNaM klezaharaNam || 1 ||
vidherajJAnena draviNaviraheNAlasatayA
vidheyAzakyatvAttava caraNayoryA cyutirabhUt |
tadetat kSantavyaM janani sakaloddhAriNi zive
kuputro jAyeta kvacidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 2 ||
pRthivyAM putrAste janani bahavaH santi saralAH
paraM teSAM madhye viralataralo'haM tava sutaH |
madIyo'yaM tyAgaH samucitamidaM no tava zive
kuputro jAyeta kvacidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 3 ||
jaganmAtarmAtastava caraNasevA na racitA
na vA dattaM devi draviNamapi bhUyastava mayA |
tathApi tvaM snehaM mayi nirupamaM yatprakuruSe
kuputro jAyeta kvacidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 4 ||
parityaktA devAnvividhavidhisevAkulatayA
mayA paJcAzIteradhikamapanIte tu vayasi |
idAnIM cenmAtastava yadi kRpA nApi bhavitA
nirAlambo lambodarajanani kaM yAmi zaraNam || 5 ||
zvapAko jalpAko bhavati madhupAkopamagirA
nirAtaGko raGko viharati ciraM koTikanakaiH |
tavAparNe karNe vizati manuvarNe phalamidaM
janaH ko jAnIte janani japanIyaM japavidhau || 6 ||
citAbhasmAlepo garalamazanaM dikpaTadharo
jaTAdhArI kaNThe bhujagapatihArI pazupatiH |
kapAlI bhUtezo bhajati jagadIzaikapadavIM
bhavAnI tvatpANigrahaNaparipATI phalamidam || 7 ||
na mokSasyAkAGkSA na ca vibhavavAJchApi ca na me
na vijJAnApekSA zazimukhi sukhecchApi na punaH |
atastvAM saMyAce janani jananaM yAtu mama vai
mRDAnI rudrANI ziva ziva bhavAnIti japataH || 8 ||
nArAdhitAsi vidhinA vividhopacAraiH
kiM rUkSacintanaparairna kRtaM vacobhiH |
zyAme tvameva yadi kiJcana mayyanAthe
dhatse kRpAmucitamamba paraM tavaiva || 9 ||
Apatsu magnaH smaraNaM tvadIyaM
karomi durge karuNArNave zive |
naitacchaThatvaM mama bhAvayethAH
kSudhAtRSArtAH jananIM smaranti || 10 ||
jagadamba vicitramatra kiM
paripUrNA karuNAsti cenmayi |
aparAdhaparamparAvRtaM
na hi mAtA samupekSate sutam || 11 ||
matsamaH pAtakI nAsti pApaghnI tvatsamA na hi |
evaM jJAtvA mahAdevI yathA yogyaM tathA kuru || 12 ||
iti zrImacchaGkarAcArya viracitaM devyaparAdhakSamApaNa stotram |
About This Stotram
Overview
The Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram is a 12-verse Sanskrit hymn in which the devotee seeks forgiveness from the Divine Mother (Devi) for offenses committed unknowingly — through ignorance of proper ritual, lack of devotion, or distraction. The text belongs to the Shakta tradition and expresses the theological position that sincere contrition matters more than ritual correctness.
What are the benefits of chanting Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram?
- The hymn provides a formal framework for acknowledging ritual shortcomings and seeking the goddess's pardon.
- Recitation is used to close a worship session when the devotee feels they may have made errors in procedure.
- The text cultivates humility and the attitude of surrender toward the Divine Mother.
- Chanting is associated with purification of sins committed through ignorance.
- The stotram reinforces the theological principle that Devi's compassion extends to sincere but imperfect devotees.
When is the best time to recite this?
This stotram is traditionally recited at the end of Devi puja or Navaratri observances to seek forgiveness for any inadvertent errors. Morning and evening worship sessions are also appropriate occasions. It can be recited at any time one feels the need to seek the goddess's pardon.
What is the historical and traditional background?
The Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram circulates widely in Shakta and Tantric devotional traditions, but its authorship is unknown and it is not traced to a single canonical scripture. Kshamapana (forgiveness-seeking) hymns form a recognized genre in Hindu devotional literature, addressed to various deities, and this text follows that format for goddess worship. The style suggests a composition from the post-Puranic period of devotional literature. The text is commonly attributed in oral tradition to Adi Shankaracharya, though this attribution is not uniformly accepted by scholars.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Soundarya Lahari — an extended Sanskrit hymn to Devi attributed to Shankaracharya, sharing the same goddess-centered devotional tradition.
- Lalita Sahasranama — the thousand-name hymn to Goddess Lalita Tripurasundari, commonly recited in the Shakta tradition.
- Mahishasura Mardini Stotram — a hymn celebrating Devi's victory over Mahishasura, often recited in the same Navaratri devotional context.