Devi Argala Strotam – Sri Durga Saptashati

Argala Strotam is the most famous prayer of Goddess Shakti written by Markandeya Rishi. It has a twenty-six Verse. Before commencing the Durga Saptashati (Devi Mahatmayam) chanting and after Devi Kavacham, Goddess’s devotees generally chant this, Strotam. The chanting of Argala strotam clear the impediment, obstruction, bolt, latch etc.
 
Mantra seeking Dharma, Artha & Kama - Chanter of this strotum can defeat all the stubborn obstacles with the power and blessing of Mother Durga. After chanting this verse, the chanter is also blessed with all the happiness with fame, success, and development. Chanter salutes to Devi Durga, who slayed the ferocious demons to grant dharma (path of righteousness), kama (fulfilment of desires) and artha (prosperity) to her devotees.
 
The strotam is the prayer to the Goddess Durga to bless the worldly desires and the ability to deal the problems and obstructions. The verse-wise prayer is explained hereunder. However, the strotam in Sanskrit is given at the end for benefits of all.
 

1. In the first verse, seeker does salutations to nine aspects of mother. It is the mantra of victory and to get winning attitude.
   1. Jayanti - who is ever-victorious,
   2. Mangala - who is the bestower of auspiciousness,
   3. Kali - who is beyond kala or time,
   4. Bhadrakali - who is the controller of life and death,
   5. Kapalini - who wear a garland of skulls,
   6. Durga -who is Durgati-nashini,
   7. Shiva - who is ever-auspicious and one with Shiva as his consort,
   8. kshama - who is an embodiment of forbearance,
   9. Dhatri - who is the supporter of all beings,
   10. Swaha - who is the final receiver of the sacrificial oblations to gods, and
   11. Swadha - who is the final receiver of the sacrificial oblations to manes.  
2. The seeker prays to Devi Chamundi who removes the worldly afflictions and sorrows and grants victory. The mind of the chanter also gets enlightened with this mantra. This verse also removes the evil eye, black magic, and spirit possession.
3. Chanter salutes to Devi Durga, the destroyer of the demons madhu and kaitabha, who grants beauty, victory, glory and to destroy his (inner) enemies.

 
Note: Seeker seeks blessings from Ma Chamuda to grant him beauty, victory, glory and to destroy his (inner) enemies in all the following verses also (except last two).
 

1. Chanter salutes to Devi Durga who destroyed the demon Mahishasura and gives great joy to her devotees. 
2. Seeker salutes Devi Durga the slayer of the demon Raktabija and destroyed the demons Chanda and Munda, who gives protection of its chanter from blame, scandal, dishonor, shame, criticism, and deprecation.
3. Seeker salutes Devi Durga, the destroyer of the demons Nishumbha and Shumbha, who bestows auspiciousness in the three worlds.
4. Chanter salutes Devi Durga whose pair of feet is praised by all, and who is the bestower of all welfare and good fortune.
5. Chanter salutes Devi Durga whose form and acts are beyond comprehension, and who is the destroyer of all enemies.
6. Chanter salutes Devi Aparna (another name of devi Durga) to whom the devotees always bow with devotion and who keeps away the devotees from sins.
7. Chanter salutes Devi Chandika, who bestows full devotion and destroy their diseases and ailments.
8. Chanter seeks welfare of those who prays with great devotion and bhakti.
9. Chanter seeks good fortune and abundant prosperity.
10. Chanter seeks to destroy my enemies and to give great strength.
11. Chanter seeks his welfare and to bestow excellent wealth. 
12. Chanter salutes Devi Ambika, to whose feet the devas rub (i.e., touch) their heads adorned with jewels out of devotion, and to whose feet the heads of the mighty asuras adorned with jewels get subdued.
13. Chanter seeks to make him full of knowledge, full of glory and full of the attributes of Lakshmi (beauty and prosperity).
14. Chanter salutes Devi Durga, who destroys the mighty pride of the excessively violent and powerful demons.
15. Chanter salutes Devi Chandika, who is the destroyer of the terrible demons with mighty pride.
16. Chanter salutes the supreme Devi Ambika, who is always praised by lord Krishna with a continuous flow of devotion. And we all know his qualities of loving, caring, diplomacy, knowledge, wisdom, and cleverness, so one who chants this mantra with full devotion can have the qualities of Lord Krishna and get the name, fame, and overall growth.
17. Chanter salutes the supreme goddess Durga, who is praised by the lord of the daughter of the Himachal Mountain (i.e., by lord Shiva).
18. Chanter salutes the supreme goddess Durga, who is worshipped with true devotion by the consort of Indrani (i.e., by Indra deva).
19. Chanter salutes Devi Ambika, who destroyed arrogance of the demons
20. Chanter salutes Devi Chandika who gives rise to an upsurge of unbounded joy in the hearts of the devotees.
21. Chanter salutes Devi, to grant him a beautiful wife matching my mental disposition. Such life partner would have been borne in higher caste who enables him to cross over this challenging world.
22. chanter of this strotam obtains great fruits of the verses and is also blessed with huge wealth. He finds the true way of spirituality and a true master who leads him towards eternal truth.

Having read this stotra (i.e., the argala stotra), one should then read Durga Keelkam and the great stotra (i.e., the core Durga saptashati), this stotra (i.e., argala stotra) is equally revered like the saptashati; by reading this with devotion, one obtains difficult to obtain boons.
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॥ अथ अर्गलास्तोत्रम् ॥
ॐ अस्य श्रीअर्गलास्तोत्रमन्त्रस्य विष्णुरृषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, श्रीमहालक्ष्मीर्देवता, श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीतये सप्तशतिपाठाङ्गत्वेन जपे विनियोगः । ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै ।
मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।
ॐ जय त्वं देवि चामुण्डे जय भूतापहारिणि । जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ १॥
जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी । दुर्गा शिवा क्षमा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ २॥
मधुकैटभविध्वंसि विधातृवरदे नमः । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ३॥
महिषासुरनिर्नाशि भक्तानां सुखदे नमः । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ४॥
धूम्रनेत्रवधे देवि धर्मकामार्थदायिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ५॥
रक्तबीजवधे देवि चण्डमुण्डविनाशिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ६॥
निशुम्भशुम्भनिर्नाशि त्रैलोक्यशुभदे नमः । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ७॥
वन्दिताङ्घ्रियुगे देवि सर्वसौभाग्यदायिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ८॥
अचिन्त्यरूपचरिते सर्वशत्रुविनाशिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ९॥
नतेभ्यः सर्वदा भक्त्या चापर्णे दुरितापहे । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १०॥
स्तुवद्भ्यो भक्तिपूर्वं त्वां चण्डिके व्याधिनाशिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ ११॥
चण्डिके सततं युद्धे जयन्ति पापनाशिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १२॥
देहि सौभाग्यमारोग्यं देहि देवि परं सुखम् । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १३॥
विधेहि देवि कल्याणं विधेहि विपुलां श्रियम् । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १४॥
विधेहि द्विषतां नाशं विधेहि बलमुच्चकैः । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १५॥
सुरासुरशिरोरत्ननिघृष्टचरणेऽम्बिके । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १६॥
विद्यावन्तं यशस्वन्तं लक्ष्मीवन्तञ्च मां कुरु । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १७॥
देवि प्रचण्डदोर्दण्डदैत्यदर्पनिषूदिनि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १८॥
प्रचण्डदैत्यदर्पघ्ने चण्डिके प्रणताय मे । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ १९॥
चतुर्भुजे चतुर्वक्त्रसंस्तुते परमेश्वरि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २०॥
कृष्णेन संस्तुते देवि शश्वद्भक्त्या सदाम्बिके । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २१॥
हिमाचलसुतानाथसंस्तुते परमेश्वरि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २२॥
इन्द्राणीपतिसद्भावपूजिते परमेश्वरि । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २३॥
देवि भक्तजनोद्दामदत्तानन्दोदयेऽम्बिके । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २४॥
भार्यां मनोरमां देहि मनोवृत्तानुसारिणीम् । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २५॥
तारिणि दुर्गसंसारसागरस्याचलोद्भवे । रूपं देहि जयं देहि यशो देहि द्विषो जहि ॥ २६॥
इदं स्तोत्रं पठित्वा तु महास्तोत्रं पठेन्नरः । सप्तशतीं समाराध्य वरमाप्नोति दुर्लभम् ॥ २७॥
॥ इति श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे अर्गलास्तोत्रं समाप्तम् ॥
जय त्वं देवि चामुण्डे जय भूतापहारिणि ।
जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥१॥