ਦੁਰ੍ਗਾ ਸੂਕ੍ਤਮ੍

ਦੁਰ੍ਗਾ ਸੂਕ੍ਤਮ੍ is a Vedic prayer to the divine power that carries the seeker across difficulty. It is recited in the Taittiriya/Mahanarayana Upanishadic tradition of the Krishna Yajurveda, while several of its mantras are also connected with older Vedic sources addressed to Agni. The received liturgical hymn joins Vedic Agni symbolism with the later and living devotion to ਦੁਰ੍ਗਾ ਦੇਵੀ.

The enduring power of this Vedic hymn comes from its honest naming of life: there are ਦੁਰ੍ਗਾਣਿ, hard crossings, dangers, obstructions, and inner knots that cannot be solved by wishful thinking. The prayer asks ਜਾਤਵੇਦਸ੍, the all-knowing Fire, to burn hostile forces and ferry the devotee across, just as a boat crosses the sea.

ਓਮ੍ ॥ ਜਾ॒ਤਵੇ॑ਦਸੇ ਸੁਨਵਾਮ॒ ਸੋਮ॑ ਮਰਾਤੀਯ॒ਤੋ ਨਿਦ॑ਹਾਤਿ॒ ਵੇਦਃ॑ ।
ਸ ਨਃ॑ ਪਰ੍-ਸ਼॒ਦਤਿ॑ ਦੁ॒ਰ੍ਗਾਣਿ॒ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਾ॑ ਨਾ॒ਵੇਵ॒ ਸਿਂਧੁਂ॑ ਦੁਰਿ॒ਤਾ਽ਤ੍ਯ॒ਗ੍ਨਿਃ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
We offer Soma to Agni, the knower of all births, who burns away hostile obstruction. May that Agni carry us across every difficulty, as a boat carries one across a river, and may he take us beyond all wrongdoing and suffering.

ਤਾਮ॒ਗ੍ਨਿਵ॑ਰ੍ਣਾਂ॒ ਤਪ॑ਸਾ ਜ੍ਵਲਂ॒ਤੀਂ-ਵੈਁ॑ਰੋਚ॒ਨੀਂ ਕ॑ਰ੍ਮਫ॒ਲੇਸ਼ੁ॒ ਜੁਸ਼੍ਟਾ᳚ਮ੍ ।
ਦੁ॒ਰ੍ਗਾਂ ਦੇ॒ਵੀਗ੍ਮ੍ ਸ਼ਰ॑ਣਮ॒ਹਂ ਪ੍ਰਪ॑ਦ੍ਯੇ ਸੁ॒ਤਰ॑ਸਿ ਤਰਸੇ॒ ਨਮਃ॑ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
I take refuge in Goddess Durga, radiant like fire, blazing with tapas, shining universally, and present in the moral law of action and its fruits. Salutations to that swift saving power that carries us safely across.

ਅਗ੍ਨੇ॒ ਤ੍ਵਂ ਪਾ॑ਰਯਾ॒ ਨਵ੍ਯੋ॑ ਅ॒ਸ੍ਮਾਂਥ੍ਸ੍ਵ॒ਸ੍ਤਿਭਿ॒ਰਤਿ॑ ਦੁ॒ਰ੍ਗਾਣਿ॒ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਾ᳚ ।
ਪੂਸ਼੍ਚ॑ ਪ੍ਰੁਰੁਇ॒ਥ੍ਵੀ ਬ॑ਹੁ॒ਲਾ ਨ॑ ਉ॒ਰ੍ਵੀ ਭਵਾ॑ ਤੋ॒ਕਾਯ॒ ਤਨ॑ਯਾਯ॒ ਸ਼ਂਯੋਁਃ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
O Agni, ever-renewing guide, carry us with auspicious protections across all difficulties. May our dwelling and earth be broad, abundant, and peaceful for us, for our children, and for future generations.

ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਾ॑ਨਿ ਨੋ ਦੁ॒ਰ੍ਗਹਾ॑ ਜਾਤਵੇਦਃ॒ ਸਿਂਧੁ॒ਨ੍ਨ ਨਾ॒ਵਾ ਦੁ॑ਰਿ॒ਤਾ਽ਤਿ॑ਪਰ੍-ਸ਼ਿ ।
ਅਗ੍ਨੇ॑ ਅਤ੍ਰਿ॒ਵਨ੍ਮਨ॑ਸਾ ਗ੍ਰੁਰੁਇਣਾ॒ਨੋ᳚਽ਸ੍ਮਾਕਂ॑ ਬੋਧ੍ਯਵਿ॒ਤਾ ਤ॒ਨੂਨਾ᳚ਮ੍ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
O Jatavedas, remover of difficulty, carry us beyond all misfortune like a boat across a river. Praised with a clear and devoted mind, be awake for us as the protector of our bodies and lives.

ਪ੍ਰੁਰੁਇ॒ਤ॒ਨਾ॒ ਜਿਤ॒ਗ੍ਮ੍॒ ਸਹ॑ਮਾਨਮੁ॒ਗ੍ਰਮ॒ਗ੍ਨਿਗ੍ਮ੍ ਹੁ॑ਵੇਮ ਪਰ॒ਮਾਥ੍ਸ॒ਧਸ੍ਥਾ᳚ਤ੍ ।
ਸ ਨਃ॑ ਪਰ੍-ਸ਼॒ਦਤਿ॑ ਦੁ॒ਰ੍ਗਾਣਿ॒ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵਾ॒ ਕ੍ਸ਼ਾਮ॑ਦ੍ਦੇ॒ਵੋ ਅਤਿ॑ ਦੁਰਿ॒ਤਾ਽ਤ੍ਯ॒ਗ੍ਨਿਃ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
We invoke mighty Agni, conqueror of hostile forces, from the highest seat. May that divine Agni carry us across all dangers and beyond every misfortune.

ਪ੍ਰ॒ਤ੍ਨੋਸ਼ਿ॑ ਕ॒ਮੀਡ੍ਯੋ॑ ਅਧ੍ਵ॒ਰੇਸ਼ੁ॑ ਸ॒ਨਾਚ੍ਚ॒ ਹੋਤਾ॒ ਨਵ੍ਯ॑ਸ਼੍ਚ॒ ਸਤ੍ਸਿ॑ ।
ਸ੍ਵਾਂਚਾ᳚਽ਗ੍ਨੇ ਤ॒ਨੁਵਂ॑ ਪਿ॒ਪ੍ਰਯ॑ਸ੍ਵਾ॒ਸ੍ਮਭ੍ਯਂ॑ ਚ॒ ਸੌਭ॑ਗ॒ਮਾਯ॑ਜਸ੍ਵ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
O Agni, ancient and ever worthy of praise, you are the priest in sacred acts from the beginning and yet are ever new. Nourish your own form and bring auspicious well-being for us.

ਗੋਭਿ॒ਰ੍ਜੁਸ਼੍ਟ॑ਮਯੁਜੋ॒ ਨਿਸ਼ਿ॑ਕ੍ਤਂ॒ ਤਵੇਂ᳚ਦ੍ਰ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਣੋ॒ਰਨੁ॒ਸਂਚ॑ਰੇਮ ।
ਨਾਕ॑ਸ੍ਯ ਪ੍ਰੁਰੁਇ॒ਸ਼੍ਠਮ॒ਭਿ ਸਂ॒ਵਁਸਾ॑ਨੋ॒ ਵੈਸ਼੍ਣ॑ਵੀਂ-ਲੋਁ॒ਕ ਇ॒ਹ ਮਾ॑ਦਯਂਤਾਮ੍ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
May we move in the luminous path of Indra and Vishnu, blessed and anointed by divine light. Dwelling toward the high heavenly summit, may the Vishnu realm gladden us even here.

ਓਂ ਕਾ॒ਤ੍ਯਾ॒ਯ॒ਨਾਯ॑ ਵਿ॒ਦ੍ਮਹੇ॑ ਕਨ੍ਯਕੁ॒ਮਾਰਿ॑ ਧੀਮਹਿ । ਤਨ੍ਨੋ॑ ਦੁਰ੍ਗਿਃ ਪ੍ਰਚੋ॒ਦਯਾ᳚ਤ੍ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
May we know the Goddess associated with Katyayana; we meditate on the ever-pure Kanyakumari. May Durga inspire and guide our understanding.

ਓਂ ਸ਼ਾਂਤਿਃ॒ ਸ਼ਾਂਤਿਃ॒ ਸ਼ਾਂਤਿਃ॑ ॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
May peace settle at every level: in divine forces, in the outer world, and within the mind, so that the crossing over difficulty becomes complete.

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