O thou the giver of all blessings,
O thou the doer of all good,
O thou the fulfiller of all desires,
O thou the giver of refuge –
Our salutations to thee, O Mother Divine.
O thou Eternal Mother,
Thou hast the power to create, to preserve, and to dissolve.
Thou the dwelling-place and embodiment of the three gunas –
Our salutations to thee, O Mother Divine.
O thou the savior of all who take refuge in thee,
The lowly and the distressed –
O Mother Divine, we salute thee,
Who takest away the sufferings of all.
This hymn is from the Chandi or Devi Mahatmya, a Sanskrit scripture. In the Hindu tradition the creative power of the Godhead is worshiped under many names and forms as the Divine Mother. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthology, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow.” The audio recording is by Eknath Easwaran.