अथ सप्तश्लोकी दुर्गा शिव उवाच- देवि त्वं भक्तसुलभे सर्वकार्यविधायिनी। कलौ हि कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थमुपायं ब्रूहि यत्नतः॥
śiva uvāca - dēvi tvaṁ bhakta-sulabhē sarva-kārya-vidhāyinī। kalau hi kārya-siddhy-artham upāyaṁ brūhi yatnataḥ॥
Translation
Shiva said: O Goddess, easily accessible to devotees, accomplisher of all tasks, indeed in the Kali Yuga, tell us with effort the means for accomplishing tasks.
Word by word
- śiva uvāca
- Shiva said
- dēvi
- O Goddess
- tvaṁ
- you
- bhakta-sulabhē
- easily accessible to devotees
- sarva-kārya
- all tasks
- vidhāyinī
- accomplisher
- kalau
- in Kali Yuga
- hi
- indeed
- kārya-siddhi
- task-accomplishment
- artham
- for the sake of
- upāyaṁ
- means/method
- brūhi
- tell
- yatnataḥ
- with effort
Meaning
In this opening verse of Saptashloki Durga, Shiva addresses Goddess Durga, praising her as bhakta-sulabhē (easily approachable by devotees) and sarva-kārya-vidhāyinī (the one who fulfills all endeavors). He requests her guidance (upāyaṁ brūhi) for achieving success (kārya-siddhi) in the Kali Yuga, a time of spiritual and moral decline, emphasizing the need for deliberate effort (yatnataḥ). In the Shakta tradition, this verse establishes Durga as the compassionate divine mother who grants success to her devotees, setting the tone for the hymn’s focus on her protective and empowering grace. The invocation by Shiva underscores her supreme authority and accessibility, aligning with the Durga Saptashati’s theme of divine intervention in times of need.