Maa Kali dressed with lights, flowers, and the scythe of the shrine.

Sacred Learning

Yā devī sarvabhūteṣu

Devī Māhātmya 5.16ff refrain (Śakti-rūpeṇa saṃsthitā and sister lines).

Devī Māhātmya 5.16ff refrain (Śakti-rūpeṇa saṃsthitā and sister lines).

Canonical source text

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता । नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

IAST transliteration

yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śaktirūpeṇa saṃsthitā | namas tasyai namas tasyai namas tasyai namo namaḥ ||

Close translation

The Goddess who stands in all beings as Śakti — salutation to her, salutation to her, salutation to her, again and again.

Reader-friendly meaning

A refrain of the Caṇḍī: the Goddess is not far; she is the power already standing in every being.

Meenananda editorial explanation

When the Ashram sings this, it is singing the world as Śakti’s place. Sister refrains (buddhi, nidrā, kṣudhā) belong to the same chapter; this card prints the Śakti line as a public doorway.

Practice context

Sung in Durgā worship. The full chapter is a longer pāṭha.

Word meanings

  • शक्तिरूपेण — in the form of power

Devī Māhātmya public-domain refrain; Foundation translation original. Sanskrit: public domain. Foundation translations: CC BY-SA 4.0.