Śrī Vārāhī Dvādaśanāmastotram  (श्रीवाराहीद्वादशनामस्तोत्रम् )

Prologue - This stotraṃ was recited by Lord Hayagrīva, who is an avatar of the Preserver Lord Viṣṇu, praised and worshipped as the knowledge bestower. He is said to be the composer of many hymns associated with Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī, including the famous Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotraṃ consisting of Her thousand attributes. The setting for this present stotraṃ, is in the theatre of war between the forces of the Divine, led by Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī and the war mongering evil and demonic Bhaṇḍāsurā and his vast army. The Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī, joins the Divine Mother Śrī Śyāmalā and Śrī Lalitā Devis, in the battle against Bhaṇḍāsurā. Śrī Vārāhī is dark in complexion, boar faced, and terrifying in Her looks. She is the commander of all armed forces of the Divine Mother Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī. Her arrival in the battle is marked by a very loud and tumultuous war cry (yuddha-ghoṣa). She rides Her Kiri Cakra (Hog wheel represented as Śrī Vārāhī Yantra) pulled by a thousand hog like warriors. The Kiri Cakra is always aligned with the Geya Cakra and Śrī Cakra of Śrī Śyāmalā and Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī. She gets down from Her chariot and mounts a huge lion called Vajra-ghoṣa. This terrific lion possessed invincible diamond teeth that could tear into any being or object and nails that could reach the nether worlds and other dimensions. Its roar could disrupt the harmony of all beings in the world. Trembling with fear and deeply concerned that the Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī Devi in Her rage, could split the Earth with Her mace ‘Musala’ and/or plough the oceans with Her ‘hala’ weapon, the celestials began singing Her twelve praises to appease the Divine Mother and ensure that mass destruction does not happen. One of the enemy commanders and a brother of Bhaṇḍāsurā, by name Viśukra, possessed with great magical powers, flings his magical obstacle causing Vighna yantra at the opposing forces and freezes them. However, this has no impact on Śrī Bālā, Vārāhī and Śyāmalā devis, due to the grace of the Divine Mother Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī, who in turn manifests Lord Mahāgaṇapati, to spring forth and destroy the vighna yantra and reanimate the army of the Divine forces.  Viśukra finally meets his fate in the hands of Śrī Śyāmalā. Viṣaṅga, another brother of Bhaṇḍāsurā and Viśukra, who is also the enemy commander-in-chief, hurls his thirst inducing tarṣāstra at the opposing forces and it gets absorbed by the Sudhā-sindhu (flood of nectar) emerging from Śrī Vārāhī’s Kiri enclosure. Finally, as per Śrī Lalitopākhyāna, Śrī Vārāhī Devi draws out Viṣaṅga with Her Hala plough and pounds him with the Musala mace, dealing a fatal blow to the enemy forces. [As per the more widely accepted Lalita Sahasranāma, Viśukra and Viṣaṅga are slayed respectively by Śrī Vārāhī and Śrī Śyāmalā devis].

Bhaṇḍāsurā represents the negative karma, rigidity, ignorance and other such tamasic qualities in us. The asuras Viśukra (reproductive fluid) and Viṣaṅga (venomous and uncontrolled senses), brothers of Bhaṇḍāsurā are born of the ashes of Manmatha (amorous love), who gets burnt by the third-eye (ājñā cakra signifying realization and deep understanding) of Lord Śiva (pure consciousness). Lust and control of senses, subtle and gross, are indicated in the defeat of these asuras. To ascend spiritually, the Divine Mother who represents the super-consciousness, devolves into an array of deities who can help with the ascension of our consciousness. One must realize that the very bodily existence and the world around us, is nothing but a virtual smoke screen manifested by the Divine Mother Mahāmāyā, who is described as the cosmic virtual reality. When the knowledge of our true existence and our very origin and self is recognized as nothing but pure consciousness, the spiritual journey begins. In the realm of Śrī Vidyā, it begins with Śrī Bālā who helps us gain the child like innocence that must set in, for us to inquire further in our journey to discover the Truth. Lord Mahāgaṇapati removes all the obstacles in our path and paves the path to higher learning and experience. Proceeding further, one gains the realization of the triads that encompass us and the various ways and means to ascend through them. The Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī gives us the courage, drive and all the weapons to destroy our ignorance, obsessions and attachments. The Divine Mother Śrī Śyāmalā, aids us through knowledge, expression and creativity to overcome all our karmic influences. The Kiri cakra is associated with the piṅgala nāḍi (right spiritual channel) and the Geya cakra with the ida nāḍi (left spiritual channel) and the Śrī Cakra with the central Suṣumnā nāḍi representing the spinal cord. The alignment of the Kiri and Geya Cakras with the Śrī Cakra, can activate the Kuṇḍalini and fully energize the cakras at the same time, with the Kuṇḍalini rising from the Mulādhārā cakra to the Sahasrārā. Together with the blessings of all these deities and their subsidiary deities manifested in their respective Kiri, Geya and Śrī Cakras, we merge into the super-consciousness, which is none other than Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī. The war that is waged, is our own internal struggle and endeavor to realize the Truth and merge into the super-consciousness by becoming self-realized and finally attaining liberation.

This stotram is derived from the Śrī Lalitopākhyānam scripture. One who gains the grace of the Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī through this stotram, will gain protection against any obstacles and get rescued from all types of calamities, if at all they manifest.

Viniyogaḥ (विनियोगः) -

Asya śrīvārāhī dvādaśanāma stotrasya ।

Aśvānana ṛṣiḥ ।

Anuṣṭup chandaḥ ।

Śrī Vārāhī devatā ।

Śrī Vārāhī prasāda sidhhyarthaṃ sarva sankaṭaharaṇa jape viniyogaḥ ॥

अस्य श्रीवाराही द्वादशनाम स्तोत्रस्य ।

अश्वानन ऋषिः ।

अनुष्टुप् छन्दः ।

श्री वाराही देवता ।

श्री वाराही प्रसाद सिध्ह्यर्थं सर्व सन्कटहरण जपे विनियोगः ॥

Meaning:- This prayer/mantra japa is to invoke Śrī Vārāhī and perform Her mantra japa to obtain Her complete grace in all aspects, to dispel all the negativity and calamities impacting us. The sage (ṛṣiḥ) is the Knowledge giver Lord Aśvānana (Hayagrīva), the meter (chandas) for the mantra is Anuṣṭup and the deity is the grantor of all types of protection and annihilator of all enemies - Śrī Vārāhī.

Ṛṣyādi nyāsa ( ऋष्यादि न्यास ) :-

Stotramārambham (स्तोत्रमारम्भम्) -

pañcamī daṇḍanāthā ca saṅketā samayeśvarī ।

tathā samaya-saṅketā vārāhī potriṇī śivā ॥ 1 ॥

पञ्चमी दण्डनाथा च सङ्केता समयेश्वरी ।

तथा समयसङ्केता वाराही पोत्रिणी शिवा ॥ १ ॥

The twelve names associated with the Divine Mother are –

1. Pañcamī (पञ्चमी) – She represents all the manifested pentads in the entire Creation. These include the aspect of Creation, Preservation, Destruction, Annihilation and Resurrection – wakeful state, dreaming state, deep sleep, the 4^th state (turiya) representing consciousness and the 5^th state of super-consciousness. She is also the constituent of the five natural elements such as air, water, ether, fire and earth. She is the fifth mātṛikā amongst the eight aṣṭa mātṛikās (or the seven sapta mātṛikās). She is the consort of the fifth brahma – Sadāśiva, amongst the five pañcabrahmas. She also represents the 5^th lunar day called pañcamī.
2.  Daṇḍanāthā (दण्डनाथा) – She is the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī. She represents all the actions that are needed to uproot our karma and no matter how deep rooted they maybe, She will dig deep enough to uproot and annihilate them. The word daṇḍa, literally means a stick. She enforces a strict regimen and control and helps drive away all the enemies and disruptive forces that impact us.
3. Saṅketā (सङ्केता) – She is always prepared and ready to fight. She will provide all the codes, signals, clues etc. that are needed for us to help eradicate the karmas. She is the cause for all our corrective actions.
4. Samayeśvarī (समयेश्वरी) – Samaya denotes time, pacts and agreements as well as a path towards reaching the set goals. She is the Lord and Governess of Samaya. She assists in all our actions and helps us reach our goals. Her primary action is always the eradication of our bad karma.

The path called Samayācāra associated with Śrī Vidyā and other Daśamahāvidyā sādhanās, is laden with various rules and regulations that allow a sādhaka (devotee) to grow from the initial ārambha state to the fully grown self-realization state of prauḍha, causing great excitement and fulfillment (ullāsa) during its cycle. The Divine Mother as samayeśvarī, governs the path in all its stages.

5. Samaya-saṅketā (समयसङ्केता) – She initiates the process, administers the codes and regulations to help us accomplish Her sādhana, that will clear our karmas and accomplish our cherished goals and desires.
6. Vārāhī (वाराही) – The boar faced one, who is also the śakti of the Divine Lord Varāha, an avatar of Lord Viṣṇu, who upholds the Earth from submerging in the oceans. He is the One who has helped the land emerge from the oceans, so the land-dwelling creatures, birds and plants can survive alongside the water dwelling fish and other sea creatures. He is the support upon which the entire world survives and She represents His power. She holds the entire Earth by Her tusks to also help the planet maintain its course in its revolution around the sun and its own rotation around its axis.
7. Potriṇī (पोत्रिणी) – She is the boar faced one. Boars are deft swimmers and earth diggers and they can survive on anything being omnivorous. The Divine Mother represents staying afloat and surviving against all odds. She grants us the ability to fight and become victorious in our efforts.
8. Śivā (शिवा) – She is the crystal clear, pure and auspicious Lord Śivā. She is Śakti, who is none other than Śiva. She is simply the ocean of pure consciousness.

vārtālī ca mahāsenā''jñācakreśvarī tathā ।

arighnī ceti samproktaṃ nāma dvādaśakaṃ mune ॥ 2 ॥

वार्ताली च महासेनाऽऽज्ञाचक्रेश्वरी तथा ।

अरिघ्नी चेति सम्प्रोक्तं नाम द्वादशकं मुने ॥ २ ॥

9. Vārtālī (वार्ताली) – She is the Divine Mother, who delivers ultimate Truth to the seeker, making the person self-realized. She delivers the knowledge of the sacred scriptures that shall ultimately set us free, once all our queries are answered and the Truth is also experienced. She uplifts us with Her tusks in this manner.
10. Mahāsenā (महासेना) – She is the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of Śrī Lalita Mahā Tripura Sundarī. She has all the resources at Her disposal to ensure the defeat and subjugation of all negative forces that impact us. She ensures our well-being in all aspects - physical, material and spiritual.
11. Ājñā-cakreśvarī (आज्ञाचक्रेश्वरी) – She is the ruler of the third-eye pineal gland Ājñā cakra, which is the sixth and final among the six cakras (ṣaḍcakras) and is the one that illumines us with the knowledge of the self. This cakra alone can also activate all the below cakras and ensure the proper progress of the Kuṇḍalini. As the overlord of this cakra, She alone can guide and take us to the Sahasrārā to ensure the rise of the Kuṇḍalini to its pinnacle (Śiva-Śakti-aikya).
12. Arighnī (अरिघ्नी) – She is the dispeller of all negative forces and enemies. The enemies can be external or internal or both. She dispels all the negative karma and removes enmity in all its forms, with whatever means at Her discretion. She will help us rise above material concerns and take us to the timeless and limitless spiritual realms.

nāma dvādaśadh-ābhijña vajra-pañjara-madhyagaḥ ।

saṅkaṭe duḥkham-āpnoti na kadācana mānavaḥ ॥ 3 ॥

नाम द्वादशधाभिज्ञ वज्रपञ्जरमध्यगः ।

सङ्कटे दुःखमाप्नोति न कदाचन मानवः ॥ ३ ॥

One who knows the twelve attributes of the Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī, will become ensconced in a protective environ resembling an invincible diamond cage. Rest assured, there will NEVER be any major issues or times of discomfort, calamities etc. at any point of time. Blessed is such a devotee who recites and contemplates upon these attributes on a regular basis.

iti śrī vārāhī dvādaśanāmastotram sampūrṇam ॥

इति श्री वाराही द्वादशनामस्तोत्रम् सम्पूर्णम् ॥

[ Thus ends the śrī vārāhī dvādaśanāmastotram hymn, listing the twelve attributes of the Divine Mother Śrī Vārāhī ].