Śri Rājarājēśvaryaṣṭakaṁ – A hymn composed by the great Adī Śaṅkarācārya (788 CE – 820 CE) for beloved Mahātripurasundarī Lalitāmbikā Prakāśavimarśamaya Parābhaṭṭarikā Mahādevatā… The hymn praises the supreme goddess as Queen of all creation.
“prakāśa vimarśa sāmarasyātmaka parabrahmasvarūpiṇī” (Sublime extract from Navavarana Puja Mantras of Śrī Vidyā).
The rough translation would be “the source of splendour and the splendour herself, the light and the reflection, self-sustainable soul of all existence, original form of Brahman”.
In the video with the ashtakam, some pictures assisting to grasp the essence of Devi worship in Śrī Vidyā.
Singer – Lalitha Sagari.
Śri Rājarājēśvaryaṣṭakaṁ
ambā śāmbhavi candramaulirabalā:parṇā umā pārvatīkālī haimavatī śivā trinayanī kātyāyanī bhairavīsāvitrī navayauvanā śubhakarī sāmrājyalakṣmīpradācidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 1 ||
ambā mōhini dēvatā tribhuvanī ānandasandāyinīvāṇī pallavapāṇi vēṇumuralīgānapriyā lōlinīkalyāṇī uḍurājabimbavadanā dhūmrākṣasaṁhāriṇīcidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 2 ||
ambā nūpuraratnakaṅkaṇadharī kēyūrahārāvalījātīcampakavaijayantilaharī graivēyakairājitāvīṇāvēṇuvinōdamaṇḍitakarā vīrāsanēsaṁsthitācidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 3 ||
ambā raudriṇi bhadrakālī bagalā jvālāmukhī vaiṣṇavībrahmāṇī tripurāntakī suranutā dēdīpyamānōjjvalācāmuṇḍā śritarakṣapōṣajananī dākṣāyaṇī pallavīcidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 4 ||
ambā śūla dhanuḥ kuśāṅkuśadharī ardhēndubimbādharīvārāhī madhukaiṭabhapraśamanī vāṇīramāsēvitāmalladyāsuramūkadaityamathanī māhēśvarī ambikācidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 5 ||
ambā sr̥ṣṭavināśapālanakarī āryā visaṁśōbhitāgāyatrī praṇavākṣarāmr̥tarasaḥ pūrṇānusandhīkr̥tāōṅkārī vinutāsutārcitapadā uddaṇḍadaityāpahācidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 6 ||
ambā śāśvata āgamādivinutā āryā mahādēvatāyā brahmādipipīlikāntajananī yā vai jaganmōhinīyā pañcapraṇavādirēphajananī yā citkalāmālinīcidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 7 ||
ambāpālita bhaktarājadaniśaṁ ambāṣṭakaṁ yaḥ paṭhētambālōkakaṭākṣavīkṣa lalitaṁ caiśvaryamavyāhatamambā pāvanamantrarājapaṭhanādantē ca mōkṣapradācidrūpī paradēvatā bhagavatī śrīrājarājēśvarī || 8 ||
Translation
O Shambhavi! Mother Amba, You are adorned with a crescent moon on forehead, You do not eat even leaves as food in fasting, You are known as Parvati, Kali, Haimavati and Siva, You have three eyes, You are known as Katyayani, Bhairavi and Savitri, You are forever young, You bestow auspicion, You bestow kingdom and wealth, You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||1||
O Mohini! Mother Amba, You reside in the three worlds and grant eternal bliss. You are the speech (Vani), You like the music and song played by the flute of Krishna (One with flower in hand), You are auspicious, Your face is like the reflection of the Moon, You killed Dhumraksha (a demon), You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||2||
Mother Amba, You possess gems, stones and bracelet, You have a garland made of Keyura, Your neck is adorned with a wavy garland made of jasmine, perfumes and pearls, Your hands are adorned by veena (lute) and flute for merriment, You are seated in the Virasana Yoga posture, You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||3||
O Bhadrakali! Mother Amba, You are frightening Raudrini, You are Bagala, Javalamukhi, Vaisnavi and Brahmani, You vanquish the three worlds, You are worshipped by the Devas, You are resplendent with light, You are Camunda, You are the mother who adorns, protects and nutures, You are Sati or Daksayani, You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||4||
Mother Amba, You are wielding a mono-dent, a goad and a bow, You have a crescent moon on the forehead, You are Varahi, You destroyed the demons Madhu and Kaitabh, You are honored by Sarasvati and Lakshmi, You vanquished Malla and Mooka demons, You are Mahesvari and Ambika (divine mother), You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||5||
Mother Amba, You create, destroy and nurture the world, You are Arya and Gayatri, You are devoid of adornment, You are full of the nectar of the pranavakshara. OM, You have separated the heaven and the earth, You are Omkari, Your feet has been adorned by the son if Vinata (Garuda), You destroy the imbecile demons, You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||6||
Mother Amba, You are revered (bowed) by treatises, You are Arya, and You are the natural forces. That Who gives birth to everyone from Brahma and others to the smallest ants, that Who entices the world that Who gives birth to the five types of Pranava syllables (like OM), that Who is the art of intellect, You are that One, Who is adorned with a garland. You are eternal bliss, You are above all, You are the Goddess, and You rule the Lords as Rajarajeshvari! ||7||
Those who read these eight-cantos on Amba (Mother), Which is staying continuously with the devotees of Amba, Which is a result of the [bestowing] glance of the eyes of the Mother and Which has all the wealth absorbed in it, receive Moksha from the Mother, Who is eternal bliss, Who is above all, Who is the Goddess and Who rules the Lords as Rajarajeshwari, by the means of reading this best among chants! ||8||
Sanskrit – श्रीराजराजेश्वर्यष्टकम्
अम्बा शाम्भवि चन्द्रमौलिरबलाऽपर्णा उमा पार्वती काली हैमवती शिवा त्रिनयनी कात्यायनी भैरवी .सावित्री नवयौवना शुभकरी साम्राज्यलक्ष्मीप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. १..
अम्बा मोहिनि देवता त्रिभुवनी आनन्दसंदायिनी वाणी पल्लवपाणिवेणुमुरलीगानप्रिया लोलिनी .कल्याणी उडुराजबिम्ब वदना धूम्राक्षसंहारिणी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. २..
अम्बा नूपुररत्नकङ्कणधरी केयूरहारावली जातीचम्पकवैजयंतिलहरी ग्रैवेयकैराजिता .वीणावेणु विनोदमण्डितकरा वीरासने संस्थिता चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ३..
अम्बा रौद्रिणि भद्रकालि बगला ज्वालामुखी वैष्णवी ब्रह्माणी त्रिपुरान्तकी सुरनुता देदीप्यमानोज्वला .चामुण्डा श्रितरक्षपोषजननी दाक्षायणी वल्लवी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ४..
अम्बा शूलधनुः कशाङ्कुशधरी अर्धेन्दुबिम्बाधरी वाराहीमधुकैटभप्रशमनी वाणी रमासेविता .मल्लद्यासुरमूकदैत्यमथनी माहेश्वरी चाम्बिका चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ५..
अम्बा सृष्टविनाशपालनकरी आर्या विसंशोभिता गायत्री प्रणवाक्षरामृतरसः पूर्णानुसंधी कृता .ओङ्कारी विनतासुतार्चितपदा उद्दण्ड दैत्यापहा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ६..
अम्बा शाश्वत आगमादिविनुता आर्या महादेवता या ब्रह्मादिपिपीलिकान्तजननी या वै जगन्मोहिनी .या पञ्चप्रणवादिरेफजननी या चित्कला मालिनी चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ७..
अम्बापालितभक्तराजदनिशं अम्बाष्टकं यः पठेत् अम्बालोलकटाक्षवीक्ष ललितं चैश्वर्यमव्याहतम् .अम्बा पावनमन्त्रराजपठनादन्ते च मोक्षप्रदा चिद्रूपी परदेवता भगवती श्रीराजराजेश्वरी .. ८..
.. इति श्रीराजराजेश्वर्यष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्