Durga Chandrakala Stuti

Durga chandrakala stuti is a hymn composed by Appayya deekshita the great shaiva and scholar of Vedas Puranas and mantra shastras who lived in Tamil nadu in the fifteenth century (1520-1593 CE)In this hymn various glories of the mother goddess durgā from Vedas and various puranas are summarized. The hymn comprises of eighteen shloka, the first shloka being the mangalacharana (invocation of the goddess) and the last shloka the phala shruti (description of benefits which are attained by the recitation of this hymn.)So the main hymn is of sixteen shlokas and hence the name durgā chandrakalā stuti (hymn to durga like the sixteen states of moon) is given to it by the composer. This hymn is considered very powerful by the practitioners of Shakta and Shaiva tradition - the worship of the mother goddess (the embodiment of all power) because this hymn is the summary of the great and powerful text Devi māhāthmyam of Mārkandeya purāna which is of 700 shlokas and hence also known as durgā saptashatī (seven hundred verses praising durgā) In addition to that Appayya Deekshita also summarizes various glorious incidents about goddess durgā and her manifold forms from various purānas. Hence reciting this hymn daily is equal to remembering all the important glorious deeds of the goddess mentioned in the puranas. The Devi mahatmya and the other anecdotes about the devi given in Varahapurana, Harivamsa, Bhagavata etc., are given in condensed form in this work to be precise.Reciting this hymn with devotion bestows the devotee with protection, wealth, wisdom, courage good fortune and liberation.