ॐ अस्य श्रीकीलकमन्त्रस्य शिवऋषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः,
श्रीमहासरस्वती देवता, श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीत्यर्थं
सप्तशतीपाठाङ्गत्वेन जपे विनियोगः ।
ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै ।
मार्कण्डेय उवाच ।
ॐ विशुद्धज्ञानदेहाय त्रिवेदीदिव्यचक्षुषे ।
श्रेयःप्राप्तिनिमित्ताय नमः सोमार्धधारिणे ॥ १॥
Meaning Viniyoga (ritual application): For this sacred Kīlaka mantra the seer (ṛṣi) is Śiva, the metre is Anuṣṭup, and the deity is Śrī Mahāsarasvatī; for the sake of pleasing Śrī Jagadambā (the World-Mother), its application in recitation is as a limb (aṅga) of the Saptaśatī recitation. 'Om, salutations to Caṇḍikā.' Mārkaṇḍeya said: 'Salutations to Him whose body is pure knowledge, for whom the three Vedas are His divine eyes, and who is the cause of attaining the highest good — to the bearer of the crescent moon (Śiva).'
सर्वमेतद्विजानीयान्मन्त्राणामपि कीलकम् ।
सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सततं जप्यतत्परः ॥ २॥
sarvametadvijānīyānmantrāṇāmapi kīlakam |
so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti satataṃ japyatatparaḥ || 2||
Meaning One should know all this (the Saptaśatī) to be the very kīlaka (the bolt, the key) even of the mantras. He too who is ever intent on its recitation obtains welfare (kṣema).
सिद्ध्यन्त्युच्चाटनादीनि कर्माणि सकलान्यपि ।
एतेन स्तुवतां देवीं स्तोत्रवृन्देन भक्तितः ॥ ३॥
siddhyantyuccāṭanādīni karmāṇi sakalānyapi |
etena stuvatāṃ devīṃ stotravṛndena bhaktitaḥ || 3||
Meaning For those who praise the Devī with devotion through this collection of hymns, all the (ritual) acts beginning with uccāṭana (driving away, subjugation) too are accomplished.
न मन्त्रो नौषधं तस्य न किञ्चिदपि विद्यते ।
विना जप्येन सिद्ध्येत्तु सर्वमुच्चाटनादिकम् ॥ ४॥
na mantro nauṣadhaṃ tasya na kiñcidapi vidyate |
vinā japyena siddhyettu sarvamuccāṭanādikam || 4||
Meaning For him there is no (need of any other) mantra, nor herb, nor anything else at all; merely through recitation (of the Saptaśatī) everything, from uccāṭana onward, would be accomplished.
समग्राण्यपि सेत्स्यन्ति लोकशङ्कामिमां हरः ।
कृत्वा निमन्त्रयामास सर्वमेवमिदं शुभम् ॥ ५॥
samagrāṇyapi setsyanti lokaśaṅkāmimāṃ haraḥ |
kṛtvā nimantrayāmāsa sarvamevamidaṃ śubham || 5||
Meaning All (the acts) too would be accomplished (merely by recitation). Foreseeing this misgiving that would arise among the people, Hara (Śiva) accordingly bound and consecrated (restrained) this whole auspicious hymn.
स्तोत्रं वै चण्डिकायास्तु तच्च गुह्यं चकार सः ।
समाप्नोति स पुण्येन तां यथावन्निमन्त्रणाम् ॥ ६॥
stotraṃ vai caṇḍikāyāstu tacca guhyaṃ cakāra saḥ |
samāpnoti sa puṇyena tāṃ yathāvannimantraṇām || 6||
Meaning And He (Śiva) made that hymn of Caṇḍikā secret (guhya). One who, through merit (puṇya), duly and fully obtains that invocation and consecration (nimantraṇā) as it ought to be —
सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सर्वमेव न संशयः ।
कृष्णायां वा चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां वा समाहितः ॥ ७॥
so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti sarvameva na saṃśayaḥ |
kṛṣṇāyāṃ vā caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā samāhitaḥ || 7||
Meaning — he too, without doubt, obtains everything and welfare (kṣema). On the fourteenth (caturdaśī) of the dark fortnight, or on the eighth (aṣṭamī), being composed and attentive —
ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति नान्यथैषा प्रसीदति ।
इत्थं रूपेण कीलेन महादेवेन कीलितम् ॥ ८॥
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti nānyathaiṣā prasīdati |
itthaṃ rūpeṇa kīlena mahādevena kīlitam || 8||
Meaning — one gives and receives (the hymn-mantra in proper guru-disciple transmission); otherwise She (the Devī) is not pleased. In just this form, with a bolt (kīla), it was pinned (kīlita) by Mahādeva.
यो निष्कीलां विधायैनां चण्डीं जपति नित्यशः ।
स सिद्धः स गणः सोऽथ गन्धर्वो जायते ध्रुवम् ॥ ९॥
yo niṣkīlāṃ vidhāyaināṃ caṇḍīṃ japati nityaśaḥ |
sa siddhaḥ sa gaṇaḥ so'tha gandharvo jāyate dhruvam || 9||
Meaning He who, having made this Caṇḍī (Saptaśatī) niṣkīla (freed of the bolt), recites it daily, certainly becomes a siddha, a gaṇa (attendant of Śiva), or a gandharva.
न चैवापाटवं तस्य भयं क्वापि न जायते ।
नापमृत्युवशं याति मृते च मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ॥ १०॥
na caivāpāṭavaṃ tasya bhayaṃ kvāpi na jāyate |
nāpamṛtyuvaśaṃ yāti mṛte ca mokṣamāpnuyāt || 10||
Meaning He suffers no infirmity (weakness or disease), and no fear ever arises for him anywhere; he does not fall under the sway of untimely death (apamṛtyu), and upon death he attains liberation (mokṣa).
ज्ञात्वा प्रारभ्य कुर्वीत ह्यकुर्वाणो विनश्यति ।
ततो ज्ञात्वैव सम्पूर्णमिदं प्रारभ्यते बुधैः ॥ ११॥
jñātvā prārabhya kurvīta hyakurvāṇo vinaśyati |
tato jñātvaiva sampūrṇamidaṃ prārabhyate budhaiḥ || 11||
Meaning One should begin and perform (this) only after knowing (the secret of unpinning); for one who acts without doing so perishes. Therefore the wise begin this fully only after (properly) knowing it.
सौभाग्यादि च यत्किञ्चिद् दृश्यते ललनाजने ।
तत्सर्वं तत्प्रसादेन तेन जप्यमिदं शुभम् ॥ १२॥
saubhāgyādi ca yatkiñcid dṛśyate lalanājane |
tatsarvaṃ tatprasādena tena japyamidaṃ śubham || 12||
Meaning Whatever good fortune (saubhāgya) and the like is seen among womenfolk — all that is by Her grace; therefore this auspicious hymn is worthy of recitation.
शनैस्तु जप्यमानेऽस्मिन् स्तोत्रे सम्पत्तिरुच्चकैः ।
भवत्येव समग्रापि ततः प्रारभ्यमेव तत् ॥ १३॥
śanaistu japyamāne'smin stotre sampattiruccakaiḥ |
bhavatyeva samagrāpi tataḥ prārabhyameva tat || 13||
Meaning When this hymn is recited slowly (in a soft tone), complete prosperity too certainly arises in abundance; therefore it should indeed be undertaken.
ऐश्वर्यं तत्प्रसादेन सौभाग्यारोग्यमेव च ।
शत्रुहानिः परो मोक्षः स्तूयते सा न किं जनैः ॥ १४॥
aiśvaryaṃ tatprasādena saubhāgyārogyameva ca |
śatruhāniḥ paro mokṣaḥ stūyate sā na kiṃ janaiḥ || 14||
Meaning By Her grace come lordship (aiśvarya), good fortune and health, destruction of enemies, and supreme liberation — why, then, would She not be praised by people?
चण्डिकां हृदयेनापि यः स्मरेत् सततं नरः ।
हृद्यं काममवाप्नोति हृदि देवी सदा वसेत् ॥ १५॥
caṇḍikāṃ hṛdayenāpi yaḥ smaret satataṃ naraḥ |
hṛdyaṃ kāmamavāpnoti hṛdi devī sadā vaset || 15||
Meaning The man who ceaselessly remembers Caṇḍikā even (merely) with his heart obtains his heart's cherished desire, and the Devī ever dwells in his heart.
अग्रतोऽमुं महादेवकृतं कीलकवारणम् ।
निष्कीलञ्च तथा कृत्वा पठितव्यं समाहितैः ॥ १६॥
agrato'muṃ mahādevakṛtaṃ kīlakavāraṇam |
niṣkīlañca tathā kṛtvā paṭhitavyaṃ samāhitaiḥ || 16||
Meaning Having first recited this kīlaka-removal (kīlaka-vāraṇa) composed by Mahādeva, and thus making (the Saptaśatī) niṣkīla (freed of the bolt), the composed and attentive reciters should read it.