The radiantly fair one, clad in white

Maa Mahagauri

Maa Mahagauri is the eighth of the nine forms of Durga (Navdurga), worshipped on day 8 of Navratri, the Shukla Ashtami tithi. The Devi Kavach names her eighth in its list of the nine forms.

Maa Mahagauri Mahatmya

According to the Puranic tradition, at sixteen the Goddess was exceptionally beautiful and fair, and that radiant fairness gave her the name Mahagauri. Her complexion is likened to the conch, the moon and the white kunda flower.

Like Shailputri she rides a bull. Of her four hands, the right hold a trishul and show the gesture of fearlessness, the left hold a damaru and show the gesture of blessing. She wears only white, and so is called Shwetambaradhara, as her prayer also says.

Worship of Maa Mahagauri is believed to bless the devotee with happiness, prosperity and fulfilled wishes, and to ease troubles linked to Rahu. Her customary bhog is coconut.

Maa Mahagauri: Mantra, Prayer and Stuti

Mantra

ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नमः॥

oṃ devī mahāgauryai namaḥ||

Prarthana (Dhyana)

श्वेते वृषेसमारूढा श्वेताम्बरधरा शुचिः।महागौरी शुभं दद्यान्महादेव प्रमोददा॥

śvete vṛṣesamārūḍhā śvetāmbaradharā śuciḥ|mahāgaurī śubhaṃ dadyānmahādeva pramodadā||

Stuti

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ महागौरी रूपेण संस्थिता।नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥

yā devī sarvabhūteṣu mām̐ mahāgaurī rūpeṇa saṃsthitā|namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ||

Navdurga in the Devi Kavach (verses 3-5) →

प्रथमं शैलपुत्री च द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी।तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम्॥पञ्चमं स्कन्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनीति च।सप्तमं कालरात्रीति महागौरीति चाष्टमम्॥नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गाः प्रकीर्तिताः।

prathamaṃ śailaputrī ca dvitīyaṃ brahmacāriṇī|tṛtīyaṃ candraghaṇṭeti kūṣmāṇḍeti caturthakam||pañcamaṃ skandamāteti ṣaṣṭhaṃ kātyāyanīti ca|saptamaṃ kālarātrīti mahāgaurīti cāṣṭamam||navamaṃ siddhidātrī ca navadurgāḥ prakīrtitāḥ|

Readings Related to Maa Mahagauri

About Maa Mahagauri

On day 8 of Navratri, after the morning bath, meditate on Maa Mahagauri before the kalash with the prayer above, chant her mantra and offer the bhog. The Durga Saptashati's seven-day reading order is completed on Saptami, so no chapter is assigned to this day.