Kali Durge Namo Namah

Ka-li Dur-ge Na-mo Na-mah

"Again and again I bow to Kali and Durga, the fierce Divine Mother"

Word by Word

Kali: the dark goddess of time and transformation, who devours illusion and fear
Durge: O Durga — the invincible protectress, "she who is difficult to conquer"
Namo Namah: I bow again and again — repeated salutation and surrender

Full Translation

This chant is a salutation to the Divine Mother in her two fierce forms: Kali, the dark goddess of time who liberates by dissolving everything false and binding, and Durga, the invincible protectress who rides the lion and overcomes what no one else can. Namo namah — "I bow again and again" — makes the chant an act of repeated, deepening surrender to the Mother's fierce grace.

Pronunciation Tips

KAH-lee DOOR-gay NAH-moh NAH-mah

Traditional, public-domain text prepared by Kirtans.com — free to print for personal and group practice.

kirtans.com/mantras/kali-durge-namo-namah