Keelakam
कीलकम्
Origin & Story
Markandeya Purana, Devi Mahatmyam (Durga Saptashati) · Sage Markandeya (traditional) · c. 5th–6th century CE
The Keelaka Stotram is the third of the three angas — with the Devi Kavach and the Argala Stotram — recited before the thirteen chapters of the Durga Saptashati. The keelaka is the 'pin' with which Shiva fastened the Saptashati's power; reciting this hymn unfastens it so the recitation bears full fruit.
Complete Text with Meaning
ॐ अस्य श्रीकीलकमन्त्रस्य शिवऋषिः, अनुष्टुप् छन्दः, श्रीमहासरस्वती देवता, श्रीजगदम्बाप्रीत्यर्थं सप्तशतीपाठाङ्गत्वेन जपे विनियोगः ।
oṃ asya śrīkīlakamantrasya śivaṛṣiḥ, anuṣṭup chandaḥ, śrīmahāsarasvatī devatā, śrījagadambāprītyarthaṃ saptaśatīpāṭhāṅgatvena jape viniyogaḥ
Meaning:The Keelaka Stotram ("the pin/key hymn") is the third of the three angas recited before the Durga Saptashati, spoken by the sage Markandeya with Shiva as its seer and Mahasaraswati as its presiding deity. It opens with a salutation to Shiva, of pure knowledge-body and the eye of the three Vedas, who bears the half-moon. It then reveals the secret of the 'keelaka' — the pin with which Shiva once fastened (locked) the power of the Saptashati so that it would not be misused. One who, knowing this, recites the Chandi after 'unfastening' the pin gains every accomplishment, fears nothing, suffers no untimely death, and attains liberation at the last. The hymn promises sovereignty, good fortune, health, the ruin of enemies and supreme release to the devotee who recites the Saptashati with faith and patience.
ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै ।
oṃ namaścaṇḍikāyai
मार्कण्डेय उवाच । ॐ विशुद्धज्ञानदेहाय त्रिवेदीदिव्यचक्षुषे । श्रेयःप्राप्तिनिमित्ताय नमः सोमार्धधारिणे ॥ १॥ सर्वमेतद्विजानीयान्मन्त्राणामपि कीलकम् । सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सततं जप्यतत्परः ॥ २॥ सिद्ध्यन्त्युच्चाटनादीनि कर्माणि सकलान्यपि । एतेन स्तुवतां देवीं स्तोत्रवृन्देन भक्तितः ॥ ३॥ न मन्त्रो नौषधं तस्य न किञ्चिदपि विद्यते । विना जप्येन सिद्ध्येत्तु सर्वमुच्चाटनादिकम् ॥ ४॥ समग्राण्यपि सेत्स्यन्ति लोकशङ्कामिमां हरः । कृत्वा निमन्त्रयामास सर्वमेवमिदं शुभम् ॥ ५॥ स्तोत्रं वै चण्डिकायास्तु तच्च गुह्यं चकार सः । समाप्नोति स पुण्येन तां यथावन्निमन्त्रणाम् ॥ ६॥ सोऽपि क्षेममवाप्नोति सर्वमेव न संशयः । कृष्णायां वा चतुर्दश्यामष्टम्यां वा समाहितः ॥ ७॥ ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति नान्यथैषा प्रसीदति । इत्थं रूपेण कीलेन महादेवेन कीलितम् ॥ ८॥ यो निष्कीलां विधायैनां चण्डीं जपति नित्यशः । स सिद्धः स गणः सोऽथ गन्धर्वो जायते ध्रुवम् ॥ ९॥ न चैवापाटवं तस्य भयं क्वापि न जायते । नापमृत्युवशं याति मृते च मोक्षमाप्नुयात् ॥ १०॥ ज्ञात्वा प्रारभ्य कुर्वीत ह्यकुर्वाणो विनश्यति । ततो ज्ञात्वैव सम्पूर्णमिदं प्रारभ्यते बुधैः ॥ ११॥ सौभाग्यादि च यत्किञ्चिद् दृश्यते ललनाजने । तत्सर्वं तत्प्रसादेन तेन जप्यमिदं शुभम् ॥ १२॥ शनैस्तु जप्यमानेऽस्मिन् स्तोत्रे सम्पत्तिरुच्चकैः । भवत्येव समग्रापि ततः प्रारभ्यमेव तत् ॥ १३॥ ऐश्वर्यं तत्प्रसादेन सौभाग्यारोग्यमेव च । शत्रुहानिः परो मोक्षः स्तूयते सा न किं जनैः ॥ १४॥ चण्डिकां हृदयेनापि यः स्मरेत् सततं नरः । हृद्यं काममवाप्नोति हृदि देवी सदा वसेत् ॥ १५॥ अग्रतोऽमुं महादेवकृतं कीलकवारणम् । निष्कीलञ्च तथा कृत्वा पठितव्यं समाहितैः ॥ १६॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca oṃ viśuddhajñānadehāya trivedīdivyacakṣuṣe śreyaḥprāptinimittāya namaḥ somārdhadhāriṇe 1 sarvametadvijānīyānmantrāṇāmapi kīlakam so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti satataṃ japyatatparaḥ 2 siddhyantyuccāṭanādīni karmāṇi sakalānyapi etena stuvatāṃ devīṃ stotravṛndena bhaktitaḥ 3 na mantro nauṣadhaṃ tasya na kiñcidapi vidyate vinā japyena siddhyettu sarvamuccāṭanādikam 4 samagrāṇyapi setsyanti lokaśaṅkāmimāṃ haraḥ kṛtvā nimantrayāmāsa sarvamevamidaṃ śubham 5 stotraṃ vai caṇḍikāyāstu tacca guhyaṃ cakāra saḥ samāpnoti sa puṇyena tāṃ yathāvannimantraṇām 6 so'pi kṣemamavāpnoti sarvameva na saṃśayaḥ kṛṣṇāyāṃ vā caturdaśyāmaṣṭamyāṃ vā samāhitaḥ 7 dadāti pratigṛhṇāti nānyathaiṣā prasīdati itthaṃ rūpeṇa kīlena mahādevena kīlitam 8 yo niṣkīlāṃ vidhāyaināṃ caṇḍīṃ japati nityaśaḥ sa siddhaḥ sa gaṇaḥ so'tha gandharvo jāyate dhruvam 9 na caivāpāṭavaṃ tasya bhayaṃ kvāpi na jāyate nāpamṛtyuvaśaṃ yāti mṛte ca mokṣamāpnuyāt 10 jñātvā prārabhya kurvīta hyakurvāṇo vinaśyati tato jñātvaiva sampūrṇamidaṃ prārabhyate budhaiḥ 11 saubhāgyādi ca yatkiñcid dṛśyate lalanājane tatsarvaṃ tatprasādena tena japyamidaṃ śubham 12 śanaistu japyamāne'smin stotre sampattiruccakaiḥ bhavatyeva samagrāpi tataḥ prārabhyameva tat 13 aiśvaryaṃ tatprasādena saubhāgyārogyameva ca śatruhāniḥ paro mokṣaḥ stūyate sā na kiṃ janaiḥ 14 caṇḍikāṃ hṛdayenāpi yaḥ smaret satataṃ naraḥ hṛdyaṃ kāmamavāpnoti hṛdi devī sadā vaset 15 agrato'muṃ mahādevakṛtaṃ kīlakavāraṇam niṣkīlañca tathā kṛtvā paṭhitavyaṃ samāhitaiḥ 16
॥ इति श्रीभगवत्याः कीलकस्तोत्रं समाप्तम् ॥
iti śrībhagavatyāḥ kīlakastotraṃ samāptam
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Keelakam
The third of the three angas (Kavach, Argala, Keelaka) recited before the Durga Saptashati
Reveals the 'keelaka' (key) that unlocks the full power of the Saptashati recitation
Promised to grant every accomplishment (siddhi), sovereignty, good fortune and health
Said to free the devotee from fear and untimely death and to grant final liberation (moksha)
Recited especially during Navratri and on Ashtami and the dark-fortnight Chaturdashi
How to Chant Keelakam
Sit facing east or north before an image of Durga. In the traditional order, recite the Devi Kavach, then the Argala Stotram, then this Keelakam, and only then the thirteen chapters of the Saptashati. The Keelakam 'unlocks' the recitation so that it bears its full fruit.
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