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Lyrics with meaning
The complete Mahalakshmi Chalisa – two opening dohas, forty chaupais, and a closing doha. A short English meaning sits below every verse. Toggle the script to read in Devanagari, romanized, or both side-by-side.
जय जय श्री महालक्ष्मी, करूँ मात तव ध्यान। सिद्ध काज मम कीजिये, निज शिशु सेवक जान॥
Jai jai Shri Mahalakshmi, karun mat tav dhyan. Siddh kaaj mam kijiye, nij shishu sevak jan.
Hail, hail Shri Mahalakshmi – I meditate upon you, Mother. Accomplish my work; know me as your own child and servant.
नमो महा लक्ष्मी जय माता। तेरो नाम जगत विख्याता॥
Namo Maha Lakshmi jai mata. Tero naam jagat vikhyata.
Salutations, Mother Mahalakshmi, hail. Your name is renowned across the world.
आदि शक्ति हो मात भवानी। पूजत सब नर मुनि ज्ञानी॥
Adi shakti ho mat Bhavani. Pujat sab nar muni gyani.
You are the primordial Shakti, Mother Bhavani. All people, sages, and wise ones worship you.
जगत पालिनी सब सुख करनी। निज जनहित भण्डारण भरनी॥
Jagat palini sab sukh karani. Nij jan-hit bhandaran bharani.
Sustainer of the world, doer of every joy. Filler of treasuries for the welfare of your devotees.
श्वेत कमल दल पर तव आसन। मात सुशोभित है पद्मासन॥
Shvet kamal dal par tav asan. Mat sushobhit hai padmasan.
Your seat is upon the petals of a white lotus. Mother, your padmasana posture is lovely.
श्वेताम्बर अरु श्वेता भूषण। श्वेत ही श्वेत सुसज्जित पुष्पन॥
Shvet-ambar aru shveta bhushan. Shvet hi shvet susajjit pushpan.
White garments and white ornaments. Adorned with white-on-white flowers throughout.
शीश छत्र अति रूप विशाला। गल सोहे मुक्तन की माला॥
Shish chhatra ati roop vishala. Gal sohe muktan ki mala.
A grand parasol shines over your head. A pearl garland adorns your throat.
सुंदर सोहे कुंचित केशा। विमल नयन अरु अनुपम भेषा॥
Sundar sohe kunchit kesha. Vimal nayan aru anupam bhesha.
Beautiful curly locks shine. Pure eyes and incomparable adornment.
कमलनाल समभुज तव चारि। सुर नर मुनिजन हित सुखकारी॥
Kamalnal sam-bhuj tav chari. Sur nar munijan hit sukh-kari.
Your four arms are like lotus stalks. The joy-giver to gods, men, and sages.
अद्भुत छटा मात तव बानी। सकल विश्व कीन्हो सुखखानी॥
Adbhut chhata mat tav bani. Sakal vishva kinho sukh-khani.
Mother, your speech has wondrous radiance. You have made the entire world a treasury of joy.
शांति स्वभाव मृदुल तव भवानी। सकल विश्व की हो सुखखानी॥
Shanti svabhav mridul tav Bhavani. Sakal vishva ki ho sukh-khani.
Your nature is peaceful and gentle, Bhavani. You are the treasury of joy of the whole world.
महालक्ष्मी धन्य हो माई। पंच तत्व में सृष्टि रचाई॥
Mahalakshmi dhanya ho mai. Panch tatva mein srishti rachai.
Mahalakshmi, blessed are you, Mother. You created the universe out of the five elements.
जीव चराचर तुम उपजाए। पशु पक्षी नर नारी बनाए॥
Jiv charachar tum upjae. Pashu pakshi nar nari banae.
You generated all living and non-living beings. You made animals, birds, men, and women.
क्षितितल अगणित वृक्ष जमाए। अमित रंग फल फूल सुहाए॥
Kshiti-tal aganit vriksh jamae. Amit rang phal phool suhae.
On the earth's surface you placed countless trees. Innumerable colours of fruit and flower bloom beautifully.
छवि विलोक सुर मुनि नर नारी। करे सदा तव जय-जय कारी॥
Chhavi vilok sur muni nar nari. Kare sada tav jai-jai kari.
Beholding your radiance, gods, sages, men, and women. Always sing your hail and victory.
सुरपति औ नरपति सब ध्यावैं। तेरे सम्मुख शीश नवावैं॥
Surpati au narpati sab dhyavain. Tere sammukh shish navavain.
The lords of gods and the lords of men all meditate upon you. They bow their heads before you.
चारहु वेदन तव यश गाया। महिमा अगम पार नहिं पाये॥
Charahu vedan tav yash gaya. Mahima agam paar nahin paye.
All four Vedas have sung your fame. They cannot find the limit of your unfathomable glory.
जापर करहु मातु तुम दाया। सोइ जग में धन्य कहाया॥
Japar karahu matu tum daya. Soi jag mein dhanya kahaya.
Whomever you, Mother, show grace upon. That one is called blessed in the world.
पल में राजा हि रंक बनाओ। रंक राव कर बिमल न लाओ॥
Pal mein raja hi rank banao. Rank rav kar vimal na lao.
In a moment you turn a king into a pauper. And turn the pauper into a king without effort.
जिन घर करहु मात तुम बासा। उनका यश हो विश्व प्रकाशा॥
Jin ghar karahu mat tum basa. Unka yash ho vishva prakasha.
In whichever home you, Mother, take residence. Their fame illuminates the entire world.
जो ध्यावै से बहु सुख पावै। विमुख रहे हो दुख उठावै॥
Jo dhyavai se bahu sukh pavai. Vimukh rahe ho dukh uthavai.
Whoever meditates upon you receives much joy. Whoever turns away bears suffering.
महालक्ष्मी जन सुख दाई। ध्याऊं तुमको शीश नवाई॥
Mahalakshmi jan sukh dai. Dhyaun tumko shish navai.
Mahalakshmi, giver of joy to your devotees. I meditate upon you, bowing my head.
निज जन जानी मोहिं अपनाओ। सुख सम्पति दे दुख नसाओ॥
Nij jan jani mohin apnao. Sukh sampati de dukh nasao.
Knowing me as your own, accept me. Give me happiness and prosperity, destroy sorrow.
ॐ श्री-श्री जय सुख की खानी। रिद्धि सिद्धि देउ मात जन जानी॥
Om Shri-Shri jai sukh ki khani. Riddhi siddhi deu mat jan jani.
Om Shri-Shri, hail to the treasury of joy. Mother, knowing your devotee, grant riddhi and siddhi. (The bija-mantra Shrim is the seed of Lakshmi.)
ॐ ह्रीं-ॐ ह्रीं सब व्याधि हटाओ। जन उन विमल दृष्टि दर्शाओ॥
Om Hreem-Om Hreem sab vyadhi hatao. Jan un vimal drishti darshao.
Om Hreem-Om Hreem, remove every disease. Show your devotee a pure glance. (Hreem is the bija of the Devi, the Bhuvaneshvari mantra.)
ॐ क्लीं-ॐ क्लीं शत्रुन क्षय कीजै। जन हित मात अभय वर दीजै॥
Om Klim-Om Klim shatrun kshay kije. Jan hit mat abhay var dije.
Om Klim-Om Klim, destroy enemies. Mother, for the welfare of the devotee, grant the boon of fearlessness. (Klim is the bija of attraction and grace.)
ॐ जय जयति जय जननी। सकल काज भक्तन के सरनी॥
Om jai jayati jai janani. Sakal kaaj bhaktan ke sarani.
Om, hail, hail, hail Mother. Accomplisher of all the devotee's work.
ॐ नमो-नमो भव निधि तारनी। तरणी भंवर से पार उतारनी॥
Om namo-namo bhav-nidhi tarani. Tarani bhanwar se paar utarani.
Om, salutations, salutations, ferry across the worldly ocean. The boat that lifts one beyond the whirlpool.
सुनहु मात यह विनय हमारी। पुरवहु आशन करहु अबारी॥
Sunahu mat yah vinay hamari. Puravahu ashan karahu abari.
Hear, Mother, this prayer of ours. Fulfil our hope, do not delay.
ऋणी दुखी जो तुमको ध्यावै। सो प्राणी सुख सम्पत्ति पावै॥
Rini dukhi jo tumko dhyavai. So prani sukh sampatti pavai.
Whoever is in debt or suffering meditates upon you. That being receives happiness and prosperity.
रोग ग्रसित जो ध्यावै कोई। ताकी निर्मल काया होई॥
Rog grasit jo dhyavai koi. Taki nirmal kaya hoi.
Whoever is afflicted with disease meditates upon you. Their body becomes pure. (A verse of devotional faith, not a replacement for medical care.)
विष्णु प्रिया जय-जय महारानी। महिमा अमित न जाय बखानी॥
Vishnu priya jai-jai maharani. Mahima amit na jay bakhani.
Vishnu's beloved, hail, hail, great queen. Your infinite glory cannot be described.
पुत्रहीन जो ध्यान लगावै। पाये सुत अति हि हुलसावै॥
Putra-hin jo dhyan lagavai. Paye sut ati hi hulsavai.
Whoever is without children meditates upon you. They receive a son and rejoice greatly. (A verse of devotional faith, not a replacement for medical care or professional advice.)
त्राहि त्राहि शरणागत तेरी। करहु मात अब नेक न देरी॥
Trahi trahi sharanagat teri. Karahu mat ab nek na deri.
Save us, save us, taking shelter at your feet. Mother, do not now make the slightest delay.
आवहु मात विलम्ब न कीजै। हृदय निवास भक्त बर दीजै॥
Avahu mat vilamb na kije. Hriday nivas bhakt var dije.
Come, Mother, do not delay. Grant the devotee the boon of dwelling in the heart.
जानूं जप तप का नहिं भेवा। पार करो भव निध वन खेवा॥
Janun jap tap ka nahin bheva. Paar karo bhav-nidh van kheva.
I do not know the secrets of japa or tapasya. Take me across the forest-ocean of worldly existence.
बिनवों बार-बार कर जोरी। पूरण आशा करहु अब मोरी॥
Binvon baar-baar kar jori. Puran asha karahu ab mori.
Again and again I plead with folded hands. Now fulfil my hope.
जानि दास मम संकट टारौ। सकल व्याधि से मोहिं उबारौ॥
Jani das mam sankat taro. Sakal vyadhi se mohin ubaro.
Knowing me as your servant, lift away my trouble. Save me from every affliction.
जो तव सुरति रहै लव लाई। सो जग पावै सुयश बड़ाई॥
Jo tav surati rahai lav lai. So jag pavai suyash badai.
Whoever keeps your remembrance with love. Receives auspicious fame and greatness in the world.
छायो यश तेरा संसारा। पावत शेष शम्भु नहिं पारा॥
Chhayo yash tera sansara. Pavat Shesh Shambhu nahin para.
Your fame has spread across creation. Even Sheshnaag and Shambhu cannot find your limit.
गोविंद निशदिन शरण तिहारी। करहु पूरण अभिलाष हमारी॥
Govind nishdin sharan tihari. Karahu puran abhilash hamari.
Govind, day and night, takes shelter at your feet. Fulfil our heart's wishes. (The composer's signature line.)
महालक्ष्मी चालीसा, पढ़ै सुनै चित लाय। सुख सम्पत्ति घर में रहे, बिन हिले रहै ठहराय॥
Mahalakshmi Chalisa, padhai sunai chit laay. Sukh sampatti ghar mein rahe, bin hile rahai thaharay.
The Mahalakshmi Chalisa, recited or heard with focused heart. Joy and prosperity remain in the home, immovably steady.
Why this chalisa
What the Mahalakshmi Chalisa is recited for, and what people turn to it for.
Anchor for Sharad Purnima night-vigil
Sharad Purnima on Ashwin Purnima (October) is the supreme Mahalakshmi night – when Mahalakshmi is said to descend personally and ask "Ko jaagriti?" – 'Who is awake?' – choosing those who answer for her grace. Many homes recite the Chalisa eleven or twenty-one times through the night, often pairing with the kheer-rice prasad set out under the Sharad moon for amrit-soaking.
For the Margashirsha Guruvar vrat (Maharashtra tradition)
The four Thursdays of Margashirsha (December) – the Margashirsha Guruvar – are the central Mahalakshmi vrat in Maharashtra. Many households fast through the four Thursdays, recite the Chalisa each Thursday morning, and conclude with a special vrat-katha and bhandara on the fifth Thursday. The Varalakshmi Vrat in Shravan (August) is the south Indian counterpart.
Daily anchor with the bija-mantra sequence
Verses 23-25 of the Chalisa carry an unusual feature: the embedded Om Shri Shri, Om Hreem Hreem, Om Klim Klim bija-mantra sequence – the three foundational Devi bijas placed within the Chalisa's verses themselves. Many devotees pause on these three chaupais and use them as a brief meditation, recalling the Devi-tantra teaching that Shrim, Hreem, Klim are the seed-syllables of attraction, energy, and grace.
Help during financial difficulty and debt
Verse 29 directly names the debt-anushthan: "rini dukhi jo tumko dhyavai, so prani sukh sampatti pavai" – 'whoever is in debt or suffering and meditates on you, that being receives happiness and prosperity.' Many households recite the Chalisa daily during financial difficulty, paired with the Lakshmi Chalisa on Fridays and the Kuber Chalisa for the inflow-preservation balance.
Companion to Vishnu and Vaishnava worship
Verse 31 explicitly names Mahalakshmi as "Vishnu priya" – Vishnu's beloved. The Mahalakshmi-Narayan pair is the central deity of the Shri-Vaishnava sampradaya (Ramanuja's tradition). Pair with the Vishnu Chalisa on Thursdays. The Mahalakshmi temple at Kolhapur in Maharashtra is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and pairs naturally with the Durga Chalisa during Navratri.
For boons in fertility, marriage, and family welfare
Verses 32-33 name the childless: "putra-hin jo dhyan lagavai, paye sut ati hi hulsavai". Many couples undertake the four-Margashirsha-Thursdays vrat for fertility matters. (This is a verse of devotional faith, not a replacement for medical care or professional advice.)
Origin
The Mahalakshmi Chalisa is signed in the closing chaupai by Govind – the saint-poet whose name appears in verse 40: "Govind nishdin sharan tihari." Beyond this signature, very little is known about Govind with certainty. The name was a common saint-poet name in north India between the 18th and 20th centuries (the Maharashtra saint Samartha Govinddas, the Bhakti poets Govindswami and Govindas Sahay, several lesser-known Vaishnava poets), and the colophon cannot be tied to any one of them with confidence.
The text does not record a date of composition. By language and content (the chaupais 23-25 sequence with embedded bija-mantras suggests a Tantric-Vaishnava synthesis tradition), the Chalisa is generally placed in the late 19th-20th century CE. The Maharashtra Mahalakshmi tradition – centered on the Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas – and the south Indian Shri-Vaishnava tradition (which honours Mahalakshmi as the supreme Vaishnavi consort) are the two streams that this Chalisa addresses.
Mahalakshmi herself is the supreme cosmic form of Lakshmi. Iconographically she is depicted four-armed (verse 8: "kamalnal sam-bhuj tav chari"), white-bodied and white-clothed (verses 4-6 – the deliberately Shanti-svarupa form, distinct from the standard red-and-gold Lakshmi), seated on a white lotus (verse 4), with curly locks (verse 7), pure eyes, a parasol overhead (verse 6), and a pearl garland (verse 6). The four hands hold lotus stalks (verse 8) – the signature Mahalakshmi posture, distinct from the Gaja-Lakshmi form. The Kolhapur Mahalakshmi temple murti is famously made of black stone and stands four-armed with the same iconography.
The Chalisa's wider companions are the Lakshmi Chalisa (the daily household form), the Vishnu Chalisa (her consort), the Saraswati Chalisa and Durga Chalisa (the wider Tridevi triad), and the Kuber Chalisa (paired for wealth-inflow and preservation).
How to recite
A simple, sustainable approach. Nothing here is a hard rule – devotion shapes the form, not the other way around.
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Preparation
Bathe and wear clean clothes – traditionally white or pale yellow, the colours of Mahalakshmi (note: this is different from the standard Lakshmi practice of red-and-gold). Sit facing east or north, before the home Mahalakshmi murti or photograph (the four-armed white-bodied form, distinct from Gaja-Lakshmi). Traditional offerings: white flowers (lotus, jasmine, tuberose), a small ghee diya, kheer or any milk-based sweet, a piece of kheer-rice for Sharad Purnima, and a coconut.
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Posture and start
Sit cross-legged with your spine straight. Bow once. Take a moment of silence. If reciting on Sharad Purnima, on Margashirsha Guruvar, on Diwali, or for a specific intention, offer a brief sankalp. Begin with the opening doha (Jai jai Shri Mahalakshmi...) slowly.
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Recitation
Move through the forty chaupais without rushing. Verses 4-8 describe the four-armed white iconography. Verses 11-14 narrate the cosmic creator-role. Verses 23-25 are the bija-mantra trio (Shrim, Hreem, Klim) – many devotees pause on these three particularly. Verses 28-37 are the practitioner-facing prayer verses. End with the closing doha.
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After
Sit quietly with eyes closed. Many people end with the bija mantra Om Shrim Mahalakshmiyai Namah recited 11, 21, or 108 times on a kamal-gatta or rudraksha mala. Offer the bhog and take a small portion as prasad.
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Daily practice and special days
One paath a day – morning – is enough for steady daily practice. Fridays are auspicious. The major periods: Sharad Purnima (Ashwin Purnima, October) for the night-vigil; Margashirsha Guruvar (the four Thursdays of Margashirsha, December) for the Maharashtra vrat; Diwali week with Dhanteras and Lakshmi Puja for the pan-Indian recitation; Varalakshmi Vrat in Shravan (south Indian tradition); Akshaya Tritiya in Vaisakh.