Durga Panjara Stotram: The Cage of Durga, the Protection Hymn from the Rudrayamala, with Meaning
A panjara is a cage, and the Durga Panjara Stotram is a short hymn that locks a cage of the Goddess's protection around the person who recites it. Each of its ten verses names a place or a danger, on the road, in the temple, in forest, on mountain or water, in a bad dream, in bondage, before tiger, serpent or boar, at the gate of the gods or the gate of the king, and ends with the same plea: Durge raksha namostute, "O Durga, protect; salutation to you".
Its colophon places it in the Rudrayamala within the Devi Mahatmya tradition, and it is printed in many Saptashati editions among the smaller texts read with the paath. It is shorter and simpler than the Devi Kavach, which is why it is the protection hymn many people learn first and say before a journey. The viniyoga, dhyana and all verses are given below with their meaning, as part of the complete Durga Saptashati path.
संक्षेप में: दुर्गा पञ्जर स्तोत्र रुद्रयामल का छोटा रक्षा-स्तोत्र है जो पाठ करने वाले के चारों ओर देवी की रक्षा का पिंजरा बनाता है: मार्ग, मन्दिर, वन, पर्वत, जल, बुरे स्वप्न, बन्धन, राजद्वार और नदी तट, हर श्लोक 'दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते' पर समाप्त होता है। यहाँ विनियोग, ध्यान और सभी श्लोक संस्कृत में हिंदी अर्थ सहित हैं। परम्परा में इसे यात्रा से पहले, न्यायालय जाने से पहले और बुरे स्वप्न के बाद पढ़ा जाता है। लेख में देवी कवच से इसका अन्तर भी बताया गया है। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
At a glance
- Text: Durga Panjara Stotram, ten verses with a prefatory verse, from the Rudrayamala as given in the Devi Mahatmya tradition
- Viniyoga: Surya the seer, Trishtup the metre, Chhaya the deity
- Refrain: Durge raksha namostute, "O Durga, protect; salutation to you"
- Purpose: Protection in every place and situation: travel, forest, water, bad dreams, imprisonment, the king's court
- Traditional fruit: Verse 9: by its recitation Durga carries one across; "here there is no doubt"
Durga Panjara Stotram: Sanskrit text with meaning
Viniyoga
ॐ अस्य श्रीदुर्गा पञ्जरस्तोत्रस्य सूर्य ऋषिः, त्रिष्टुप्छन्दः,
छाया देवता, श्रीदुर्गा पञ्जरस्तोत्र पाठे विनियोगः ।
Meaning: Of this Durga Panjara Stotra, Surya is the seer, Trishtup the metre and Chhaya the deity; its use is in the recitation of the Durga Panjara Stotra.
Dhyanam
ॐ हेम प्रख्यामिन्दु खण्डात्तमौलिं शङ्खाभीष्टा भीति हस्तां त्रिनेत्राम् ।
हेमाब्जस्थां पीन वस्त्रां प्रसन्नां देवीं दुर्गां दिव्यरूपां नमामि ।
Meaning: Om. I bow to the Goddess Durga of divine form, bright as gold, her crest set with a sliver of the moon, holding the conch and showing the gestures of boon and fearlessness in her hands, three-eyed, seated on a golden lotus, in fine garments, gracious.
The verses
अपराध शतं कृत्वा जगदम्बेति चोच्चरेत् ।
यां गतिं समवाप्नोति नतां ब्रह्मादयः सुराः ।
सापराधोऽस्मि शरणं प्राप्तस्त्वां जगदम्बिके ॥ १॥
Meaning: One who, having committed a hundred offences, utters "Jagadamba" attains a state that not even the gods led by Brahma attain. I am an offender and have come to you for refuge, O Mother of the world.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच -
दुर्गे दुर्गप्रदेशेषु दुर्वाररिपुमर्दिनी ।
मर्दयित्री रिपुश्रीणां रक्षां कुरु नमोऽस्तुते ॥ १॥
Meaning: Markandeya said: O Durga, in impassable places you are the crusher of irresistible enemies; crusher of the fortunes of foes, grant protection; salutation to you.
पथि देवालये दुर्गे अरण्ये पर्वते जले ।
सर्वत्रोऽपगते दुर्गे दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ २॥
Meaning: On the road, in the temple, O Durga, in the forest, on the mountain, in the water, everywhere and in every going, O Durga, Durga, protect; salutation to you.
दुःस्वप्ने दर्शने घोरे घोरे निष्पन्न बन्धने ।
महोत्पाते च नरके दुर्गेरक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ३॥
Meaning: In a bad dream, in a terrible sight, in dreadful bondage that has come about, in great calamity and in hell, Durga, protect; salutation to you.
व्याघ्रोरग वराहानि निर्हादिजन सङ्कटे ।
ब्रह्मा विष्णु स्तुते दुर्गे दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ४॥
Meaning: In danger from tiger, serpent and boar, and from the roaring of hostile crowds, O Durga praised by Brahma and Vishnu, Durga, protect; salutation to you.
खेचरा मातरः सर्वं भूचराश्चा तिरोहिताः ।
ये त्वां समाश्रिता स्तांस्त्वं दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ५॥
Meaning: The Mothers who move in the sky, and all those on earth who are hidden, and those who have taken refuge in you: them, O Durga, protect; salutation to you.
कंसासुर पुरे घोरे कृष्ण रक्षणकारिणी ।
रक्ष रक्ष सदा दुर्गे दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ६॥
Meaning: In the terrible city of Kamsasura you were the protector of Krishna; protect, protect always, O Durga; Durga, protect; salutation to you.
अनिरुद्धस्य रुद्धस्य दुर्गे बाणपुरे पुरा ।
वरदे त्वं महाघोरे दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ७॥
Meaning: Of old, when Aniruddha lay imprisoned in Banapura, you were the giver of boons, O most terrible Durga; Durga, protect; salutation to you.
देव द्वारे नदी तीरे राजद्वारे च सङ्कटे ।
पर्वता रोहणे दुर्गे दुर्गे रक्ष नमोऽस्तुते ॥ ८॥
Meaning: At the gate of the gods, on the river bank, at the king's gate and in distress, in climbing a mountain, O Durga, Durga, protect; salutation to you.
दुर्गा पञ्जर मेतत्तु दुर्गा सार समाहितम् ।
पठनस्तारयेद् दुर्गा नात्र कार्या विचारण ॥ ९॥
Meaning: This cage of Durga is the gathered essence of Durga; by its recitation Durga carries one across. Here no doubt need be entertained.
रुद्रबाला महादेवी क्षमा च परमेश्वरी ।
अनन्ता विजया नित्या मातस्त्वमपराजिता ॥ १०॥
Meaning: Daughter of Rudra, the great Goddess, Forbearance and the supreme sovereign, Ananta, Vijaya, Nitya: Mother, you are Aparajita, the unconquered.
Significance and benefits
The stotra belongs to the family of kavacha and panjara texts that surround the reciter with the deity: where the Devi Kavach goes limb by limb, the Panjara goes place by place, so that wherever one is, the right verse applies. Verses 7 and 8 name two of Durga's classical interventions, the protection of the infant Krishna in Kamsa's Mathura and the release of Aniruddha from Bana's prison, as proof that she has done this before.
Tradition reads it before a journey, before entering a court or an official's office (verse 9, "at the king's gate"), after a bad dream (verse 4) and whenever one is in a wild or lonely place. Verse 10 is its own phalashruti: the Panjara is "the gathered essence of Durga", and its recitation carries one across.
How to recite (vidhi)
Read the viniyoga and dhyana once, then the verses; it takes two or three minutes and may be said anywhere, even silently, which is its point. In the paath it sits among the smaller texts after the Kunjika. Sit facing east or north on a clean asana, light a lamp, and read from the printed text with clear pronunciation. The order of the full paath is on the complete Durga Saptashati path page.
Astrological relevance
As a travel and protection hymn it is prescribed during Rahu and Ketu periods and for charts with an afflicted ninth or twelfth house, the houses of journeys and foreign places. Nothing here replaces reading your own chart; it is the devotional side of the same picture. To see which dasha is running, start with a free kundli or talk to an astrologer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Durga Panjara Stotram?
A short protection hymn of ten verses, with a viniyoga and dhyana, from the Rudrayamala in the Devi Mahatmya tradition. Each verse names a place or danger and ends with the refrain "Durge raksha namostute", "O Durga, protect; salutation to you".
What does panjara mean?
A cage or enclosure. The stotra "cages" the reciter inside the Goddess's protection, place by place: road, temple, forest, mountain, water, dreams, bondage, the king's gate and the river bank. Verse 10 calls it "the gathered essence of Durga".
When is the Durga Panjara Stotram read?
Before a journey, before a court or official appearance, after a bad dream, in a wild or lonely place, and generally whenever protection is sought. It is also printed among the smaller texts read with the Durga Saptashati.
How is it different from the Devi Kavach?
The Devi Kavach, the first anga of the Saptashati, protects the body limb by limb in over fifty verses. The Panjara protects by place and situation in ten, which makes it the shorter hymn for daily use and travel; the two are often read together.
