Keelakam

ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै

Original Text

1. मार्कण्डेय उवाचmārkaṇḍeya uvāca(Markandeya said)

   ॐ विशुद्धज्ञानदेहाय त्रिवेदीदिव्यचक्षुषे।श्रेयःप्राप्तिनिमित्ताय नमः सोमार्धधारिणे॥ 1 ॥

   oṃ viśuddhajñānadehāya trivedīdivyacakṣuṣe|śreyaḥprāptinimittāya namaḥ somārdhadhāriṇe

   Salutations to Shiva, whose body is pure knowledge, whose divine eyes are the three Vedas, who is the cause of all that is good, and who wears the half-moon.

2. सर्वमेतद्विजानीयान्मन्त्राणामभिकीलकम्।सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सततं जाप्यतत्परः॥ 2 ॥

   sarvametadvijānīyānmantrāṇāmabhikīlakam|so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti satataṃ jāpyatatparaḥ

   One who fully understands this Keelakam, the 'lock' upon the mantras, and keeps steadily to its recitation, also attains well-being.

3. सिद्ध्यन्त्युच्चाटनादीनि वस्तूनि सकलान्यपि।एतेन स्तुवतां देवी स्तोत्रमात्रेण सिद्ध्यति॥ 3 ॥

   siddhyantyuccāṭanādīni vastūni sakalānyapi|etena stuvatāṃ devī stotramātreṇa siddhyati

   All their undertakings, such as uchchatana, succeed. The Devi grants her favour to those who praise her with this hymn alone.

4. न मन्त्रो नौषधं तत्र न किञ्चिदपि विद्यते।विना जाप्येन सिद्ध्येत सर्वमुच्चाटनादिकम्॥ 4 ॥

   na mantro nauṣadhaṃ tatra na kiñcidapi vidyate|vinā jāpyena siddhyeta sarvamuccāṭanādikam

   For them no other mantra, no herb and nothing else is needed. Without separate recitation, every such undertaking succeeds.

5. समग्राण्यपि सिद्ध्यन्ति लोकशङ्कामिमां हरः।कृत्वा निमन्त्रयामास सर्वमेवमिदं शुभम्॥ 5 ॥

   samagrāṇyapi siddhyanti lokaśaṅkāmimāṃ haraḥ|kṛtvā nimantrayāmāsa sarvamevamidaṃ śubham

   Do all practices bring success alike? Keeping this doubt of the people in mind, Shiva declared to all that this whole hymn is the auspicious one.

6. स्तोत्रं वै चण्डिकायास्तु तच्च गुप्तं चकार सः।समाप्तिर्न च पुण्यस्य तां यथावन्नियन्त्रणाम्॥ 6 ॥

   stotraṃ vai caṇḍikāyāstu tacca guptaṃ cakāra saḥ|samāptirna ca puṇyasya tāṃ yathāvanniyantraṇām

   Then he kept this hymn of Chandika hidden. Its merit has no end. One who understands this restraint upon it and recites accordingly

7. सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सर्वमेवं न संशयः।कृष्णायां वा चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां वा समाहितः॥ 7 ॥

   so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti sarvamevaṃ na saṃśayaḥ|kṛṣṇāyāṃ vā caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā samāhitaḥ

   without doubt attains well-being in every way. One who, with a collected mind, on the fourteenth or eighth day of the dark fortnight,

8. ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति नान्यथैषा प्रसीदति।इत्थंरूपेण कीलेन महादेवेन कीलितम्॥ 8 ॥

   dadāti pratigṛhṇāti nānyathaiṣā prasīdati|itthaṃrūpeṇa kīlena mahādevena kīlitam

   offers everything to the Devi and receives it back as her grace, on that person alone is she pleased, not otherwise. In this way Mahadeva has locked this hymn.

9. यो निष्कीलां विधायैनां नित्यं जपति संस्फुटम्।स सिद्धः स गणः सोऽपि गन्धर्वो जायते नरः॥ 9 ॥

   yo niṣkīlāṃ vidhāyaināṃ nityaṃ japati saṃsphuṭam|sa siddhaḥ sa gaṇaḥ so'pi gandharvo jāyate naraḥ

   One who releases it from its lock and recites it clearly every day becomes a siddha, one of the Devi's attendants, and attains the state of a gandharva.

10. न चैवाप्यटतस्तस्य भयं क्वापीह जायते।नापमृत्युवशं याति मृतो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्॥ 10 ॥

    na caivāpyaṭatastasya bhayaṃ kvāpīha jāyate|nāpamṛtyuvaśaṃ yāti mṛto mokṣamavāpnuyāt

    Wherever they wander, no fear arises for them anywhere in this world. They do not fall to an untimely death, and after death they attain liberation.

11. ज्ञात्वा प्रारभ्य कुर्वीत न कुर्वाणो विनश्यति।ततो ज्ञात्वैव सम्पन्नमिदं प्रारभ्यते बुधैः॥ 11 ॥

    jñātvā prārabhya kurvīta na kurvāṇo vinaśyati|tato jñātvaiva sampannamidaṃ prārabhyate budhaiḥ

    So one should begin only after knowing this; one who does so comes to no harm. That is why the wise begin the path only after understanding it fully.

12. सौभाग्यादि च यत्किञ्चिद् दृश्यते ललनाजने।तत्सर्वं तत्प्रसादेन तेन जाप्यमिदं शुभम्॥ 12 ॥

    saubhāgyādi ca yatkiñcid dṛśyate lalanājane|tatsarvaṃ tatprasādena tena jāpyamidaṃ śubham

    Whatever good fortune and grace is seen in women comes entirely from the Devi's blessing. Therefore this auspicious hymn should be recited.

13. शनैस्तु जप्यमानेऽस्मिन् स्तोत्रे सम्पत्तिरुच्चकैः।भवत्येव समग्रापि ततः प्रारभ्यमेव तत्॥ 13 ॥

    śanaistu japyamāne'smin stotre sampattiruccakaiḥ|bhavatyeva samagrāpi tataḥ prārabhyameva tat

    Even when this hymn is recited softly and slowly, great and complete prosperity comes. So it should certainly be taken up.

14. ऐश्वर्यं यत्प्रसादेन सौभाग्यारोग्यसम्पदः।शत्रुहानिः परो मोक्षः स्तूयते सा न किं जनैः॥ॐ॥ 14 ॥

    aiśvaryaṃ yatprasādena saubhāgyārogyasampadaḥ|śatruhāniḥ paro mokṣaḥ stūyate sā na kiṃ janaiḥ||oṃ

    She by whose grace come power, good fortune, health, wealth, the end of enemies and the highest liberation: why would people not praise her?

इति देव्याः कीलकस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम्।