108 Names of the Divine Mother - Prayer

The Divine Mother has infinite faces, infinite forms, infinite ways of meeting you exactly where you are. She is Kali, the dark destroyer of illusions. She is Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance and grace. She is Saraswati, the river of wisdom and creativity. She is Durga, the fierce warrior who protects you from inner and outer demons. She is Parvati, the embodiment of devotion and love. She is Amma, the hugging saint who holds the whole world. She is Mary, the compassionate mother who intercedes for all beings. The 108 names of the Divine Mother are not just titles or attributes. They are 108 doorways through which you can access different aspects of the infinite feminine power that birthed all of creation. When you chant these names, you're not worshipping an external deity. You're invoking the Divine Feminine that lives within you, that IS you at the deepest level. Negativity-whether it's fear, anger, resentment, shame, or despair-is not your enemy. It's energy that has become distorted, stuck, or misdirected. The Divine Mother doesn't destroy negativity by annihilating it. She transmutes it. She takes the raw material of your pain and transforms it into wisdom, your rage into righteous power, your grief into compassion, your shame into self-acceptance. This is alchemy. what happens when you call on the Mother with sincerity and devotion. She doesn't judge your negativity. She doesn't tell you to be more positive or spiritual. She meets you in the depths of your darkness and says, "I see you. I've got you. Let me show you how to transform this." ### Why 108? In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, 108 is a sacred number that appears everywhere: 108 beads on a mala, 108 Upanishads, 108 sacred sites. But why? There are many explanations: - **Mathematical perfection**: 1 represents unity (God/Divine), 0 represents emptiness (the void from which all arises), 8 represents infinity (the eternal cycle) - **Astrological significance**: There are 12 zodiac signs and 9 planets in Vedic astrology; 12 x 9 = 108 - **Distance and diameter**: The distance from Earth to the Sun is approximately 108 times the Sun's diameter; same with Earth to the Moon - **Sanskrit alphabet**: There are 54 letters in Sanskrit, each with a masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) aspect; 54 x 2 = 108 - **Heart chakra**: It's said there are 108 energy lines (nadis) converging to form the heart chakra Whatever the explanation, 108 carries a frequency of completeness, of honoring the full spectrum of existence. When you chant 108 names, you're acknowledging that the Divine Mother contains everything-every quality, every energy, every possibility. ### The 108 Names of the Divine Mother **Aṣṭottara Śata Nāmāvali - अष्टोत्तर शत नामावली**

A set of mala beads turns any mantra practice into something tangible and grounding. *(paid link)*

1. **Om Śrī Mātreṇa Namaḥ** - Salutations to She who is the Mother 2. **Om Kāmākṣīyai Namaḥ** - To She whose eyes radiate desire for liberation 3. **Om Kalyāṇīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is auspicious and brings welfare 4. **Om Karuṇāmayīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is filled with compassion 5. **Om Saccidānandarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose form is truth-consciousness-bliss 6. **Om Brahmavidyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the knowledge of Brahman 7. **Om Brahmajñānasvarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose essence is the knowledge of the Absolute 8. **Om Paramānandamayīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is supreme bliss 9. **Om Prakāśarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose form is pure light 10. **Om Brahmamayīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is Brahman itself 11. **Om Śāntarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose form is peace 12. **Om Cidghanāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is pure consciousness condensed 13. **Om Jñānasvarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose nature is wisdom 14. **Om Jñānaśaktidāyinyai Namaḥ** - To She who grants the power of knowledge 15. **Om Ādiśaktaye Namaḥ** - To She who is the primal power 16. **Om Parāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is supreme 17. **Om Lokamātreṇa Namaḥ** - To She who is the mother of all worlds 18. **Om Jagatdhātryai Namaḥ** - To She who sustains the universe 19. **Om Viśvadhāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who supports the cosmos 20. **Om Mahāmāyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the great illusion 21. **Om Mahādevyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the great Goddess 22. **Om Mahākālyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the great Kali 23. **Om Mahālakṣmyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the great Lakshmi 24. **Om Mahāsarasvatyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the great Saraswati 25. **Om Durgāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the fortress (Durga) 26. **Om Bhairavyai Namaḥ** - To She who is terrifying to illusion 27. **Om Bhadrakālyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the auspicious dark one 28. **Om Rakṣoghnyai Namaḥ** - To She who destroys demons 29. **Om Śarāmbhāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the source of all arrows (power) 30. **Om Caṇḍikāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is fierce and wrathful 31. **Om Triṇetrāyai Namaḥ** - To She who has three eyes 32. **Om Pañcavaktrāyai Namaḥ** - To She who has five faces 33. **Om Daśabhujāyai Namaḥ** - To She who has ten arms 34. **Om Aṣṭādaśabhujāyai Namaḥ** - To She who has eighteen arms 35. **Om Sarvāyudhabhūṣitāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is adorned with all weapons 36. **Om Sarvālaṅkāraṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who wears all ornaments 37. **Om Sarvābharaṇadhāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who bears all jewels 38. **Om Dhūmrākṣyai Namaḥ** - To She with smoky eyes 39. **Om Dhūmravarṇāyai Namaḥ** - To She with smoky complexion 40. **Om Mahārūpāyai Namaḥ** - To She of magnificent form 41. **Om Mahābalāyai Namaḥ** - To She of great strength 42. **Om Mahātejase Namaḥ** - To She of immense radiance 43. **Om Mahāśaktaye Namaḥ** - To She of supreme power 44. **Om Sattvasthāyai Namaḥ** - To She established in pure being 45. **Om Sattvavahāyai Namaḥ** - To She who carries truth 46. **Om Sattvadāyai Namaḥ** - To She who grants purity 47. **Om Bhaktimatparipālikāyai Namaḥ** - To She who protects devotees 48. **Om Śivapriyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is beloved of Shiva 49. **Om Śivārādhyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is worshipped by Shiva 50. **Om Śivamūrtaye Namaḥ** - To She whose form is Shiva 51. **Om Śivānandakarāyai Namaḥ** - To She who creates the bliss of Shiva 52. **Om Tārāyai Namaḥ** - To She who ferries across (Tara) 53. **Om Tāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who liberates 54. **Om Mahāvidyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is supreme wisdom 55. **Om Yoganidrāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is yogic sleep 56. **Om Mahānidrāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is great sleep 57. **Om Ekānekasvārupāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is one and many 58. **Om Cidānandīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is consciousness-bliss 59. **Om Parāśaktaye Namaḥ** - To She who is supreme power 60. **Om Kālarūpiṇyai Namaḥ** - To She whose form is time 61. **Om Kālaśaktaye Namaḥ** - To She who is the power of time 62. **Om Kālavahāyai Namaḥ** - To She who carries time 63. **Om Kālātītāyai Namaḥ** - To She who transcends time 64. **Om Ajarāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is ageless 65. **Om Amarāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is immortal 66. **Om Viśvarūpāyai Namaḥ** - To She whose form is the universe 67. **Om Viśvamātreṇa Namaḥ** - To She who is the mother of the universe 68. **Om Viśvacakṣuṣe Namaḥ** - To She who is the eye of the universe 69. **Om Viśvamūrtaye Namaḥ** - To She whose form is the universe 70. **Om Viśvātmikāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the soul of the universe 71. **Om Prājñāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is supreme intelligence 72. **Om Pradhānāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the primary substance 73. **Om Prakṛtaye Namaḥ** - To She who is nature 74. **Om Parāvarāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is beyond and within 75. **Om Pūrṇāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is complete 76. **Om Pūjyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is worthy of worship 77. **Om Pavitrāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is pure 78. **Om Puṇyadāyai Namaḥ** - To She who grants merit 79. **Om Puṇyaphalāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is the fruit of merit 80. **Om Puṇyalakṣmyai Namaḥ** - To She who is auspicious fortune 81. **Om Sarvajñāyai Namaḥ** - To She who knows all 82. **Om Sarvadāyai Namaḥ** - To She who gives all 83. **Om Sarvaśaktimayīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is all power 84. **Om Sarvasaukhyadāyinyai Namaḥ** - To She who grants all happiness 85. **Om Sarvamangalāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is all auspiciousness 86. **Om Sarvapāpanāśinyai Namaḥ** - To She who destroys all sin 87. **Om Sarvarodhavināśinyai Namaḥ** - To She who removes all obstacles 88. **Om Sarvaśokavināśinyai Namaḥ** - To She who dispels all sorrow 89. **Om Sarvavyādhinivāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who wards off all disease 90. **Om Sarvaduḥkhanivāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who removes all suffering 91. **Om Sarvarogaharayai Namaḥ** - To She who takes away all illness 92. **Om Sarvamṛtyunivāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who prevents all death (fear) 93. **Om Sarvavighnanivāriṇyai Namaḥ** - To She who removes all obstacles 94. **Om Sarvabandhavimokṣinyai Namaḥ** - To She who liberates from all bondage 95. **Om Anantāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is infinite 96. **Om Vijayāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is victorious 97. **Om Aprameyyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is immeasurable 98. **Om Anirvācyāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is ineffable 99. **Om Nityāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is eternal 100. **Om Nirañjanāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is unstained 101. **Om Niṣkalāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is without parts 102. **Om Nirguṇāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is beyond qualities 103. **Om Nirvikalpāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is beyond thought 104. **Om Nirākārāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is formless 105. **Om Nirīhāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is desireless 106. **Om Svaprakāśāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is self-luminous 107. **Om Svarūpāyai Namaḥ** - To She who is true nature itself 108. **Om Sarvānandamayīyai Namaḥ** - To She who is made of all bliss Years ago, I sat with a client shattered by grief and anger, her nervous system a tight knot. As we moved through breath and shaking, I felt the fierce presence of the Divine Mother arise inside me—not some distant goddess but raw energy pulsing through my hands, my voice. Those 108 names weren’t just words then. They were gateways lighting the path out of her dark. There was a period in my life when ego deaths and dark nights felt endless, choking. Sitting in Amma’s darshan, tears streaming, the chanting of those names cracked open something stubborn inside. I could feel the tension in my chest soften, the breath deepen, and for a moment, the relentless mind stilled. That’s when the Divine Mother stopped being an idea. She became a living pulse, right here, right now. ### How Chanting the Names Transmutes Negativity When you chant the 108 names, you're not just reciting a list. You're systematically invoking every aspect of the Divine Feminine into your consciousness. Each name is a key that unlocks a different chamber of your psyche. **Negativity is not the opposite of positivity.** It's energy that's become contracted, stuck in a pattern of defense or fear. The Divine Mother doesn't fight your negativity. She embraces it, holds it, and transforms it through the power of unconditional love. Here's how it works: **When you feel fear**, you chant **Om Śarāmbhāyai Namaḥ** (She who is the source of all power). You're calling on the aspect of the Mother who reminds you that you have everything you need within you to face what frightens you. **When you feel unworthy**, you chant **Om Pūjyāyai Namaḥ** (She who is worthy of worship). You're remembering that if the Divine Mother herself is worthy of worship, and you are made in her image, then you too are naturally worthy. **When you feel trapped**, you chant **Om Sarvabandhavimokṣinyai Namaḥ** (She who liberates from all bondage). You're invoking the liberating force that can free you from the mental and emotional chains you've placed on yourself. **When you feel grief**, you chant **Om Sarvaśokavināśinyai Namaḥ** (She who dispels all sorrow). You're not denying the grief. You're asking the Mother to hold it with you, to transmute it into wisdom and compassion.

There is something about a sandalwood mala that carries the energy of thousands of years of devotion. *(paid link)*

### A Daily Practice for Transmutation **Basic Practice (15-20 minutes):** 1. **Sit comfortably** with your spine straight. Light a candle or incense if you wish. setting sacred intention. 2. **Hold a mala** (prayer beads with 108 beads) in your right hand. Rest it on your heart or lap. 3. **Set your intention**: "Divine Mother, I call upon you to transmute all negativity within me-all fear, all anger, all shame, all that keeps me from knowing my true nature. May these names awaken your presence within me." 4. **Chant each name** while moving one bead through your fingers. You can chant aloud or silently. Let the rhythm carry you. Don't rush. Let each name vibrate in your body. 5. **Notice what arises**. Some names may bring tears. Some may bring anger. Some may bring unexpected joy. Whatever arises, let it. The Mother is doing her work. 6. **After completing all 108 names**, sit in silence for a few minutes. Rest in the space that's been created. **Intensive Practice for Deep Transmutation (40 days):**

Rose quartz is the stone of unconditional love, keep one close when you are doing heart work. Seriously, this isn't some crystal shop bullshit. There's something about holding that smooth pink stone while you're cracked open and vulnerable that grounds you back into your body. Your nervous system needs that anchor when you're swimming in devotional waters this deep. Think about it... the Divine Mother work isn't just mental gymnastics. It's heart surgery without anesthesia. Rose quartz won't fix your daddy issues, but it'll remind your chest to stay soft when everything in you wants to armor up. *(paid link)*

When you're going through a particularly dark period-depression, grief, crisis, transformation-commit to chanting all 108 names every single day for 40 days. What we're looking at is called a *sadhana* (spiritual practice). It creates a container powerful enough to hold and transform even the deepest wounds. - **Same time each day** if possible (ideally early morning before the mind gets busy) - **Same space** (creating a small altar or sacred corner) - **Journal afterward** - Write whatever comes up. Don't censor. Let the Mother speak through you. ### Advanced Practice: Embodying Each Name Once you've chanted the names daily for some time, you can deepen the practice by spending an entire day with one name. Choose a name that feels particularly resonant or challenging, and let it become your mantra for that day. For example, spend a day with **Om Karuṇāmayīyai Namaḥ** (She who is filled with compassion). Every time you interact with someone, ask: "How would the Mother of Compassion respond here?" When you're harsh with yourself, ask: "What would the Mother of Compassion say to me right now?" This transforms the names from abstract concepts into lived experience. You become the Divine Mother in action. ### The Mother's Promise The tradition teaches that the Divine Mother has made a vow: Any being who calls upon her with sincerity will be answered. Not necessarily in the way you expect. Not on your timeline. But you WILL be answered. The answer might come as: - A sudden shift in perspective that liberates you from an old story - A dream that gives you exactly the insight you needed - A person who shows up at the perfect time with the perfect words - An inexplicable sense of peace in the middle of chaos - The courage to finally say no to what's been harming you - The willingness to say yes to what you've been avoiding

Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart is the book I give to anyone going through a dark night. *(paid link)*

The Mother works through everything. She is the web that connects all beings. When you call on her, she reaches you through a thousand hands. ### You Are the Divine Mother Here's the ultimate secret: You are not separate from the Divine Mother. These 108 names are not describing some external deity. They're describing the deepest truth of your own being. You are the one who is filled with compassion (**Karuṇāmayī**). You are the one who is supreme bliss (**Paramānandamayī**). You are the one who destroys demons (**Rakṣoghnī**). You are the one who liberates from all bondage (**Sarvabandhavimokṣinī**). When you chant these names, you're not asking someone else to save you. You're awakening to the infinite power that has always been within you. You're remembering that you are not a victim of life-you are the very force that creates, sustains, and transforms life. Let these names be your portal to that remembering. Let them transmute every ounce of negativity into fuel for your awakening. Let them crack you open so wide that there's no separation left between you and the Divine. **Om Śrī Mātreṇa Namaḥ** **Salutations to the Great Mother** **Who lives as me, who breathes as me, who loves as me** **May I recognize Her in every moment** **May I be Her hands in this world** You are held, beloved. You are the Mother holding herself. Let that truth set you free.