ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं चामुण्डायै विच्चे ॥
Frequently asked questions about Navarna Mantra
Why is it called Navarna?
Nine syllables - nava arna. Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Vichche, where aim is the seed of Saraswati, hreem of Mahalakshmi and kleem of Kali, so the three great goddesses are held inside one mantra before Chamunda is named.
How is it used with the Durga Saptashati?
It is the mantra of the Saptashati - recited before beginning the path, between its chapters, and after it, and used as the japa mantra in a Chandi havan. Anyone reciting the Saptashati will meet it first.
When is it chanted?
Through the nine nights of Navratri, on Ashtami and Navami, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and daily by Devi upasakas. A mala of a hundred and eight is the ordinary count; larger counts are taken as a Navratri sankalpa.
Does it need initiation?
Beej mantras are traditionally taken from a guru, and Devi upasana with its nyasa and kavacha certainly is. The Navarna is nonetheless widely chanted with the Saptashati by householders - if you want to go beyond recitation into sadhana, seek a teacher.
What does vichche mean?
Commentators read it as a call to the Devi to cut through - to sever bondage and ignorance. It is the closing note of the mantra, and the reason the Navarna is treated as a mantra of liberation as much as of protection. This page is the japa formula; the forty-verse hymn is the Durga Chalisa, and you can count repetitions with the japa mala counter.
About the Navarna Mantra - Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Vichche
The Navarna Mantra - "Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Vichche", the nine-syllable (navakshari) seed mantra of the Goddess Chandi / Durga.
Meaning
The nine seed-syllables invoke the three great powers of the Goddess - Mahasaraswati (Aim), Mahalakshmi (Hreem) and Mahakali (Kleem) - united in Chamunda, the supreme Shakti.
Benefits
The principal mantra of the Durga Saptashati (Chandi Path); chanted for strength, protection, victory over negativity and the Mother's complete grace.
The Nine Syllables, One by One
The Navarna (also Navakshari, "nine-lettered") runs aim hreem kleem chamundayai vichche - nine syllables after the opening Om. Aim is the seed of Mahasaraswati: wisdom, speech and learning. Hreem is the seed of Mahalakshmi: sovereign power, prosperity and purity. Kleem is the seed of Mahakali: transforming force and the dissolution of what obstructs. Chamundayai calls the Goddess as Chamunda, the slayer of the demons Chanda and Munda in the Devi Mahatmya. Vichche is traditionally read as the cutting asunder of ignorance and bondage.
The mantra therefore contains the whole Devi Mahatmya in seed form: the three great Goddesses of its three episodes, united in one call. It is the initiation mantra of the Shakta tradition and the thread on which every recitation of the Durga Saptashati is strung.
How to Chant
Chant 108 repetitions on a mala in the morning or evening, after bathing, facing east or north before a lamp. The high seasons are the two Navratris - Chaitra in spring and Shardiya in autumn - when devotees keep a daily count through all nine nights; see this year's dates on the Shardiya Navratri calendar. During a full Chandi Path, the Navarna is chanted before and after the text as its enveloping (samputa) mantra.
Who Chants It, and When
The Navarna is chanted for protection in real adversity, for strength during long struggles, and as the daily mantra of those devoted to the Goddess. Because it is the core initiation mantra of Shakta practice, tradition prefers it be received from a guru for intensive sadhana; devotional repetition during Navratri and with the Saptashati, however, is a living household custom across India.
The Devi Mahatmya itself models the mantra's use: in its frame story, a dethroned king and a betrayed merchant - one who has lost power, one who has lost family - are taught the worship of the Goddess and recover, each, what he truly needed. The Navarna carries that whole narrative in nine syllables: wisdom for confusion, abundance for loss, force for what must be fought through. That is why the tradition calls it a complete mantra, sufficient for a lifetime.
The Navarna Mantra - Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundaye Vichche above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with - switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.
A mantra is a compact formula for japa, not a long hymn. Forty-verse hymns live under Chalisa; lamp-songs under Aarti; longer stotras under Stotram. Browse every formula on the Mantra index. Count repetitions with the online japa mala counter.
