Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram
Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram
Devi Aparadha Kshamapana Stotram
devyaparAdha kShamApaNa stotram
na mantraM no yantraM tadapi cha na jAne stutimaho
na chAhvAnaM dhyAnaM tadapi cha na jAne stutikathAH |
na jAne mudrAste tadapi cha na jAne vilapanaM
paraM jAne mAtastvadanusaraNaM kleshaharaNam || 1 ||
vidheraj~nAnena draviNaviraheNAlasatayA
vidheyAshakyatvAttava charaNayoryA chyutirabhUt |
tadetat kShantavyaM janani sakaloddhAriNi shive
kuputro jAyeta kvachidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 2 ||
pRRithivyAM putrAste janani bahavaH santi saralAH
paraM teShAM madhye viralataralo.ahaM tava sutaH |
madIyo.ayaM tyAgaH samuchitamidaM no tava shive
kuputro jAyeta kvachidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 3 ||
jaganmAtarmAtastava charaNasevA na rachitA
na vA dattaM devi draviNamapi bhUyastava mayA |
tathApi tvaM snehaM mayi nirupamaM yatprakuruShe
kuputro jAyeta kvachidapi kumAtA na bhavati || 4 ||
parityaktA devAnvividhavidhisevAkulatayA
mayA pa~nchAshIteradhikamapanIte tu vayasi |
idAnIM chenmAtastava yadi kRRipA nApi bhavitA
nirAlambo lambodarajanani kaM yAmi sharaNam || 5 ||
shvapAko jalpAko bhavati madhupAkopamagirA
nirAtaNko raNko viharati chiraM koTikanakaiH |
tavAparNe karNe vishati manuvarNe phalamidaM
janaH ko jAnIte janani japanIyaM japavidhau || 6 ||
chitAbhasmAlepo garalamashanaM dikpaTadharo
jaTAdhArI kaNThe bhujagapatihArI pashupatiH |
kapAlI bhUtesho bhajati jagadIshaikapadavIM
bhavAnI tvatpANigrahaNaparipATI phalamidam || 7 ||
na mokShasyAkANkShA na cha vibhavavAnChApi cha na me
na vij~nAnApekShA shashimukhi sukhechChApi na punaH |
atastvAM saMyAche janani jananaM yAtu mama vai
mRRiDAnI rudrANI shiva shiva bhavAnIti japataH || 8 ||
nArAdhitAsi vidhinA vividhopachAraiH
kiM rUkShachintanaparairna kRRitaM vachobhiH |
shyAme tvameva yadi ki~nchana mayyanAthe
dhatse kRRipAmuchitamamba paraM tavaiva || 9 ||
Apatsu magnaH smaraNaM tvadIyaM
karomi durge karuNArNave shive |
naitachChaThatvaM mama bhAvayethAH
kShudhAtRRiShArtAH jananIM smaranti || 10 ||
jagadamba vichitramatra kiM
paripUrNA karuNAsti chenmayi |
aparAdhaparamparAvRRitaM
na hi mAtA samupekShate sutam || 11 ||
matsamaH pAtakI nAsti pApaghnI tvatsamA na hi |
evaM j~nAtvA mahAdevI yathA yogyaM tathA kuru || 12 ||
iti shrImachCha~NkarAchArya virachitaM devyaparAdhakShamApaNa 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.