The Shitala Mata Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Maa Shitala (Sheetla), the cooling goddess who protects from heat-borne disease, recited for health and protection.
जय जय माता शीतला, तुम्हें धरौं मैं ध्यान।
रोग शोक सब हरहु माँ, करहु भक्त कल्याण॥
जय जय श्री शीतला भवानी। रोग हरण तुम जग में जानी॥
गर्दभ वाहन तुम पर साजे। कलश सूप कर मार्जन राजे॥
श्वेत वरण तन शोभा भारी। नीम पत्र तुम्हें अति प्यारी॥
ज्वर शीतल कर रोग नशावो। दाह ताप सब दूर भगावो॥
चेचक फोड़ा रोग जो आवे। शीतल माता नाम जो ध्यावे॥
ता पर कृपा तुरत तुम कीजे। आरोग्य का वरदान सो दीजे॥
बासौड़ा पर्व बड़ा सुहावन। शीतल भोग तुम्हें मन भावन॥
राँध छठ को भोजन कीजे। बासी भोग तुम्हें अर्पीजे॥
जो जन तुमको शीश नवावे। रोग शोक सब दूर सिधावे॥
बालक की तुम रक्षा करती। माता रूप सदा सुख भरती॥
शीतला अष्टमी पूजन कीजे। मन इच्छित वरदान सो लीजे॥
धूप दीप नैवेद्य चढ़ावे। श्रद्धा से जो शीश नवावे॥
माँ शीतला की कृपा सो पावे। रोग ताप सब दूर हो जावे॥
तुम बिन रोग न कोऊ हारे। शीतल माता शरण निहारे॥
तुम्हरी महिमा अति है भारी। पूजत नर नारी सब प्यारी॥
श्रद्धा से जो ध्यान लगावे। सो नर निरोग काया पावे॥
घर में सुख सम्पति नित आवे। रोग शोक सब दूर सिधावे॥
माता तुम्हरी कृपा अपारा। दीन दुखी का करहु उद्धारा॥
जो यह पाठ करे चालीसा। पूरण आस करे जगदीशा॥
शीतला माँ की कृपा जो पावे। सो नर सकल मंगल पावे॥
शीतला माँ चालीसा, पढ़े सुने जो कोय।
रोग शोक सब दूर हों, निरोग काया होय॥
Jai jai maata Sheetala, tumhe dharau main dhyaan.
Rog shok sab harahu maa, karahu bhakt kalyaan.
Jai jai Shri Sheetala Bhavaani. Rog haran tum jag me jaani.
Gardabh vaahan tum par saaje. Kalash soop kar maarjan raaje.
Shwet varan tan shobha bhaari. Neem patra tumhe ati pyaari.
Jwar sheetal kar rog nashaavo. Daah taap sab door bhagaavo.
Chechak phoda rog jo aave. Sheetal maata naam jo dhyaave.
Ta par kripa turat tum keeje. Aarogya ka vardaan so deeje.
Baasauda parv bada suhaavan. Sheetal bhog tumhe man bhaavan.
Raandh chhath ko bhojan keeje. Baasi bhog tumhe arpeeje.
Jo jan tumko sheesh navaave. Rog shok sab door sidhaave.
Baalak ki tum raksha karti. Maata roop sada sukh bharti.
Sheetala ashtami poojan keeje. Man ichchhit vardaan so leeje.
Dhoop deep naivedya chadhaave. Shraddha se jo sheesh navaave.
Maa Sheetala ki kripa so paave. Rog taap sab door ho jaave.
Tum bin rog na kou haare. Sheetal maata sharan nihaare.
Tumhri mahima ati hai bhaari. Poojat nar naari sab pyaari.
Shraddha se jo dhyaan lagaave. So nar nirog kaaya paave.
Ghar me sukh sampati nit aave. Rog shok sab door sidhaave.
Maata tumhri kripa apaara. Deen dukhi ka karahu uddhaara.
Jo yah paath kare Chalisa. Pooran aas kare jagdeesha.
Sheetala maa ki kripa jo paave. So nar sakal mangal paave.
Sheetala maa Chalisa, padhe sune jo koy.
Rog shok sab door ho, nirog kaaya hoy.
Frequently asked questions about Shitala Mata Chalisa
Who is Maa Shitala?
The cooling goddess who guards against heat-borne illness - worshipped, as the Chalisa describes her, in white, riding a donkey, with a water pot, winnowing fan and broom in her hands, and with neem leaves dear to her.
When is she worshipped?
At Sheetla Ashtami, the Ashtami after Holi in Chaitra, also called Basoda; through the hot months; and in many regions on Mondays through Chaitra. Her worship belongs to the change of season.
Why is cold food offered?
Because the goddess is Shitala, the cool one, so nothing hot is put before her. Basoda food is cooked the day before and served cold, and in strict households no fire is lit at all on the Ashtami - the practical logic of the season is unmistakable.
What are the neem leaves for?
Neem is her leaf, tied at the door and used on the sickbed in her tradition, both as an offering and for its own cooling and antiseptic use. It is the clearest example of a household remedy carried inside a devotional practice.
Is her worship a substitute for treatment?
No, and the tradition never framed it as one - the neem, the cold food and the cleanliness her worship insists on are protective measures alongside the prayer. For an illness, see a doctor and keep the observance as devotion. This page is the forty-verse Chalisa; lamp-songs are on the Aarti index, and compact japa formulas under Mantra.
About the Shitala Mata Chalisa
The Shitala Mata Chalisa - the forty-verse hymn to Maa Shitala (Sheetla), the cooling goddess who protects from heat-borne disease, recited for health and protection.
A chalisa is a devotional hymn of forty (chalis) verses (chaupais), framed by opening and closing dohas (couplets). The Shitala Mata Chalisa above is given in both Hindi (Devanagari) and English (Hinglish, Roman script) so you can read it in whichever script you are most comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above. It is traditionally recited with devotion, often after a bath and before the deity, especially on the day associated with the deity.
A chalisa is forty verses. It is not the short lamp-song (that is an aarti) and not a longer Sanskrit stotram. Other forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index. For japa of a compact formula use a mantra. If you are keeping a fast, the story is under Vrat Katha.
