Aigiri Nandini: Meaning, Lyrics, and How to Sing It with Practice Studio

Quick Summary

What Is Aigiri Nandini?

Every Navratri, this song seems to be everywhere: in temples, on stages, in living rooms and in your social media feed. Aigiri Nandini is the popular name for the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram, a Sanskrit hymn of 21 verses dedicated to Goddess Durga.

The name comes from the first line of the hymn. Mahishasura Mardini means “the slayer of Mahishasura”, the buffalo demon in the well-known story of Durga’s victory. The hymn is sung during Navratri, Durga Puja and Vijayadashami, and many people also chant it on regular mornings for strength and calm.

What makes it special for singers? It has a fast, rhythmic flow, a catchy refrain that repeats after every verse, and rich Sanskrit words that are a joy to sing once you know them.

Who Wrote Aigiri Nandini?

The hymn is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, the 8th-century philosopher and teacher. Many devotional books and music renditions credit him.

The full picture is a little more nuanced. Some sources name Ramakrishna Kavi as the author, and he is sometimes identified with the poet Tenali Raman, a devotee of Durga. Others point out that there are no firm historical references to settle it.

The simple answer: most people credit Adi Shankaracharya, but the exact authorship is debated. If you are writing about it or sharing it, “traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya” is the safest way to say it.

What Is the Meaning of Aigiri Nandini?

Let’s break the name down in simple words.

• Ayi / Aigiri: an affectionate call, like “O!” or “Hail!”
• Giri Nandini: “daughter of the mountain”, a name for Goddess Parvati/Durga, daughter of the Himalayas.
• Mahishasura Mardini: “slayer of Mahishasura.”

So when you sing the opening words, you are addressing the Goddess warmly as the daughter of the mountain who delights the earth and the whole universe.

The refrain

After each verse, the hymn returns to a repeating line that begins with “Jaya jaya he Mahishasura Mardini.” It means “Victory to you, slayer of Mahishasura, you with the beautiful locks of hair, daughter of the mountain.” This is the part most listeners remember, so it is also the easiest place to start learning.

What the verses are about

Across its 21 verses, the hymn praises the Goddess in many forms. She is a nurturer of the three worlds, someone who pleases Lord Shiva, a fearless warrior who defeats demon armies, and a compassionate mother who protects those who take refuge in her.

The deeper message

The story is a symbol of good winning over evil, and of finding courage within yourself. That is why people connect with it during Navratri, and why it works so well as a practice song: it is energetic, uplifting and full of conviction.

Aigiri Nandini Lyrics (Hindi and English)

Many learners search for the lyrics in the script they read most comfortably, so here are both versions. The hymn is in Sanskrit, and the Hindi lyrics are in Devanagari. The English lyrics are a transliteration, which means the Sanskrit words written in English letters so you can read the sounds.

Aigiri Nandini Lyrics in Hindi (Devanagari)

“अयि गिरिनन्दिनि नन्दितमेदिनि विश्वविनोदिनि नन्दिनुते

गिरिवरविन्ध्यशिरोधिनिवासिनि विष्णुविलासिनि जिष्णुनुते ।

भगवति हे शितिकण्ठकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकृते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 1 ॥

सुरवरवर्षिणि दुर्धरधर्षिणि दुर्मुखमर्षिणि हर्षरते

त्रिभुवनपोषिणि शङ्करतोषिणि कल्मषमोषिणि घोररते । [किल्बिष-, घोष-]

दनुजनिरोषिणि दितिसुतरोषिणि दुर्मदशोषिणि सिन्धुसुते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 2 ॥

अयि जगदम्ब मदम्ब कदम्बवनप्रियवासिनि हासरते

शिखरि शिरोमणि तुङ्गहिमालय शृङ्गनिजालय मध्यगते ।

मधुमधुरे मधुकैटभगञ्जिनि कैटभभञ्जिनि रासरते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 3 ॥

अयि शतखण्ड विखण्डितरुण्ड वितुण्डितशुण्ड गजाधिपते

रिपुगजगण्ड विदारणचण्ड पराक्रमशुण्ड मृगाधिपते ।

निजभुजदण्ड निपातितखण्ड विपातितमुण्ड भटाधिपते [-चण्ड]

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 4 ॥

अयि रणदुर्मद शत्रुवधोदित दुर्धरनिर्जर शक्तिभृते

चतुरविचारधुरीण महाशिव दूतकृत प्रमथाधिपते ।

दुरितदुरीह दुराशय दुर्मति दानवदूत कृतान्तमते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 5 ॥

अयि शरणागत वैरिवधूवर वीरवराभयदायकरे

त्रिभुवन मस्तक शूलविरोधि शिरोधिकृतामल शूलकरे ।

दुमिदुमितामर दुन्दुभिनाद महो मुखरीकृत तिग्मकरे

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 6 ॥

अयि निजहुङ्कृतिमात्र निराकृत धूम्रविलोचन धूम्रशते

समरविशोषित शोणितबीज समुद्भवशोणित बीजलते ।

शिव शिव शुम्भ निशुम्भ महाहव तर्पित भूत पिशाचरते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 7 ॥

धनुरनुसङ्ग रणक्षणसङ्ग परिस्फुरदङ्ग नटत्कटके

कनक पिशङ्ग पृषत्कनिषङ्गरसद्भट शृङ्ग हतावटुके ।

कृतचतुरङ्ग बलक्षितिरङ्ग घटद्बहुरङ्ग रटद्बटुके

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 8 ॥

सुरललना ततथेयि तथेयि कृताभिनयोदर नृत्यरते

कृत कुकुथः कुकुथो गडदादिकताल कुतूहल गानरते ।

धुधुकुट धुक्कुट धिन्धिमित ध्वनि धीर मृदङ्ग निनादरते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 9 ॥

जय जय जप्य जये जय शब्दपरस्तुति तत्पर विश्वनुते

भण भण भिञ्जिमि भिङ्कृतनूपुर सिञ्जितमोहित भूतपते । [झ-, झिं-]

नटितनटार्ध नटीनटनायक नाटितनाट्य सुगानरते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 10 ॥

अयि सुमनः सुमनः सुमनः सुमनः सुमनोहर कान्तियुते

श्रित रजनी रजनी रजनी रजनी रजनीकर वक्त्रवृते ।

सुनयन विभ्रमर भ्रमर भ्रमर भ्रमर भ्रमराधिपते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 11 ॥

सहित महाहव मल्लम तल्लिक मल्लित रल्लक मल्लरते

विरचित वल्लिक पल्लिक मल्लिक भिल्लिक भिल्लिक वर्ग वृते । [झिल्लिक भिल्लिक]

सितकृत फुल्लसमुल्लसितारुण तल्लज पल्लव सल्ललिते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 12 ॥

अविरलगण्डगलन्मदमेदुर मत्तमतङ्गज राजपते

त्रिभुवनभूषण भूतकलानिधि रूपपयोनिधि राजसुते ।

अयि सुदतीजन लालसमानस मोहनमन्मथ राजसुते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 13 ॥

कमलदलामल कोमलकान्ति कलाकलितामल भाललते

सकलविलास कलानिलय क्रमकेलिचलत्कलहंसकुले ।

अलिकुल सङ्कुल कुवलय मण्डल मौलिमिलद्बकुलालि कुले

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 14 ॥

करमुरलीरव वीजित कूजित लज्जितकोकिल मञ्जुमते

मिलित पुलिन्द मनोहर गुञ्जित रञ्जितशैल निकुञ्जगते ।

निजगुणभूत महाशबरीगण सद्गुणसम्भृत केलितले

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 15 ॥

कटितटपीत दुकूलविचित्र मयूखतिरस्कृत चन्द्ररुचे

प्रणतसुरासुर मौलिमणिस्फुर दंशुलसन्नख चन्द्ररुचे ।

जितकनकाचल मौलिपदोर्जित निर्भरकुञ्जर कुम्भकुचे

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 16 ॥

विजित सहस्रकरैक सहस्रकरैक सहस्रकरैकनुते

कृत सुरतारक सङ्गरतारक सङ्गरतारक सूनुसुते ।

सुरथसमाधि समानसमाधि समाधि समाधि सुजातरते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 17 ॥

पदकमलं करुणानिलये वरिवस्यति योऽनुदिनं स शिवे

अयि कमले कमलानिलये कमलानिलयः स कथं न भवेत् ।

तव पदमेव परम्पदमित्यनुशीलयतो मम किं न शिवे

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 18 ॥

कनकलसत्कल सिन्धुजलैरनुसिञ्चिनुते गुणरङ्गभुवं

भजति स किं न शचीकुचकुम्भ तटीपरिरम्भ सुखानुभवम् ।

तव चरणं शरणं करवाणि नतामरवाणि निवासि शिवं

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 19 ॥

तव विमलेन्दुकुलं वदनेन्दुमलं सकलं ननु कूलयते

किमु पुरुहूत पुरीन्दुमुखी सुमुखीभिरसौ विमुखीक्रियते ।

मम तु मतं शिवनामधने भवती कृपया किमुत क्रियते

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 20 ॥

अयि मयि दीनदयालुतया कृपयैव त्वया भवितव्यमुमे

अयि जगतो जननी कृपयासि यथासि तथाऽनुमितासिरते ।

यदुचितमत्र भवत्युररी कुरुतादुरुतापमपाकुरु ते [मे]

जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ 21 ॥

इति श्री महिषासुरमर्दिनि स्तोत्रम् ॥”

Aigiri Nandini Lyrics in English (Transliteration)

ayi girinandini nanditamēdini viśvavinōdini nandinutē

girivaravindhyaśirōdhinivāsini viṣṇuvilāsini jiṣṇunutē ।

bhagavati hē śitikaṇṭhakuṭumbini bhūrikuṭumbini bhūrikṛtē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 1 ॥

suravaravarṣiṇi durdharadharṣiṇi durmukhamarṣiṇi harṣaratē

tribhuvanapōṣiṇi śaṅkaratōṣiṇi kalmaṣamōṣiṇi ghōraratē । [kilbiṣa-, ghōṣa-]

danujanirōṣiṇi ditisutarōṣiṇi durmadaśōṣiṇi sindhusutē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 2 ॥

ayi jagadamba madamba kadambavanapriyavāsini hāsaratē

śikhari śirōmaṇi tuṅgahimālaya śṛṅganijālaya madhyagatē ।

madhumadhurē madhukaiṭabhagañjini kaiṭabhabhañjini rāsaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 3 ॥

ayi śatakhaṇḍa vikhaṇḍitaruṇḍa vituṇḍitaśuṇḍa gajādhipatē

ripugajagaṇḍa vidāraṇachaṇḍa parākramaśuṇḍa mṛgādhipatē ।

nijabhujadaṇḍa nipātitakhaṇḍa vipātitamuṇḍa bhaṭādhipatē [-chaṇḍa]

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 4 ॥

ayi raṇadurmada śatruvadhōdita durdharanirjara śaktibhṛtē

chaturavichāradhurīṇa mahāśiva dūtakṛta pramathādhipatē ।

duritadurīha durāśaya durmati dānavadūta kṛtāntamatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 5 ॥

ayi śaraṇāgata vairivadhūvara vīravarābhayadāyakarē

tribhuvana mastaka śūlavirōdhi śirōdhikṛtāmala śūlakarē ।

dumidumitāmara dundubhināda mahō mukharīkṛta tigmakarē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 6 ॥

ayi nijahuṅkṛtimātra nirākṛta dhūmravilōchana dhūmraśatē

samaraviśōṣita śōṇitabīja samudbhavaśōṇita bījalatē ।

śiva śiva śumbha niśumbha mahāhava tarpita bhūta piśācharatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 7 ॥

dhanuranusaṅga raṇakṣaṇasaṅga parisphuradaṅga naṭatkaṭakē

kanaka piśaṅga pṛṣatkaniṣaṅgarasadbhaṭa śṛṅga hatāvaṭukē ।

kṛtachaturaṅga balakṣitiraṅga ghaṭadbahuraṅga raṭadbaṭukē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 8 ॥

suralalanā tatathēyi tathēyi kṛtābhinayōdara nṛtyaratē

kṛta kukuthaḥ kukuthō gaḍadādikatāla kutūhala gānaratē ।

dhudhukuṭa dhukkuṭa dhindhimita dhvani dhīra mṛdaṅga ninādaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 9 ॥

jaya jaya japya jayē jaya śabdaparastuti tatpara viśvanutē

bhaṇa bhaṇa bhiñjimi bhiṅkṛtanūpura siñjitamōhita bhūtapatē । [jha-, jhiṃ-]

naṭitanaṭārdha naṭīnaṭanāyaka nāṭitanāṭya sugānaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 10 ॥

ayi sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanaḥ sumanōhara kāntiyutē

śrita rajanī rajanī rajanī rajanī rajanīkara vaktravṛtē ।

sunayana vibhramara bhramara bhramara bhramara bhramarādhipatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 11 ॥

sahita mahāhava mallama tallika mallita rallaka mallaratē

virachita vallika pallika mallika bhillika bhillika varga vṛtē । [jhillika bhillika]

sitakṛta phullasamullasitāruṇa tallaja pallava sallalitē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 12 ॥

aviralagaṇḍagalanmadamēdura mattamataṅgaja rājapatē

tribhuvanabhūṣaṇa bhūtakalānidhi rūpapayōnidhi rājasutē ।

ayi sudatījana lālasamānasa mōhanamanmatha rājasutē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 13 ॥

kamaladalāmala kōmalakānti kalākalitāmala bhālalatē

sakalavilāsa kaḻānilaya kramakēlichalatkalahaṃsakulē ।

alikula saṅkula kuvalaya maṇḍala maulimiladbakulāli kulē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 14 ॥

karamuraḻīrava vījita kūjita lajjitakōkila mañjumatē

milita pulinda manōhara guñjita rañjitaśaila nikuñjagatē ।

nijaguṇabhūta mahāśabarīgaṇa sadguṇasambhṛta kēḻitalē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 15 ॥

kaṭitaṭapīta dukūlavichitra mayūkhatiraskṛta chandraruchē

praṇatasurāsura mauḻimaṇisphura daṃśulasannakha chandraruchē ।

jitakanakāchala mauḻipadōrjita nirbharakuñjara kumbhakuchē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 16 ॥

vijita sahasrakaraika sahasrakaraika sahasrakaraikanutē

kṛta suratāraka saṅgaratāraka saṅgaratāraka sūnusutē ।

surathasamādhi samānasamādhi samādhi samādhi sujātaratē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 17 ॥

padakamalaṃ karuṇānilayē varivasyati yō’nudinaṃ sa śivē

ayi kamalē kamalānilayē kamalānilayaḥ sa kathaṃ na bhavēt ।

tava padamēva parampadamityanuśīlayatō mama kiṃ na śivē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 18 ॥

kanakalasatkala sindhujalairanusiñchinutē guṇaraṅgabhuvaṃ

bhajati sa kiṃ na śachīkuchakumbha taṭīparirambha sukhānubhavam ।

tava charaṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ karavāṇi natāmaravāṇi nivāsi śivaṃ

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 19 ॥

tava vimalēndukulaṃ vadanēndumalaṃ sakalaṃ nanu kūlayatē

kimu puruhūta purīndumukhī sumukhībhirasau vimukhīkriyatē ।

mama tu mataṃ śivanāmadhanē bhavatī kṛpayā kimuta kriyatē

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 20 ॥

ayi mayi dīnadayālutayā kṛpayaiva tvayā bhavitavyamumē

ayi jagatō jananī kṛpayāsi yathāsi tathā’numitāsiratē ।

yaduchitamatra bhavatyurarī kurutādurutāpamapākuru tē [mē]

jaya jaya hē mahiṣāsuramardini ramyakapardini śailasutē ॥ 21 ॥

iti śrī mahiṣāsuramardini stōtram ॥”

Pronunciation tips before you start:

• Words like vindhya, shirodhi and jishnunute look long. Sing them in small chunks: vin-dhya, shi-ro-dhi.
• Give the “h” sounds (as in dh, bh) a soft puff of air, but don’t stress them.
• Keep your vowels open and clear. “Ayi” sounds like “uh-yi.”

How to Sing Aigiri Nandini, Step by Step

Aigiri Nandini sounds fast, but it becomes easy once you take it in small steps. Here is a simple plan.

Step 1: Warm up your voice

Don’t jump straight into the song. Spend five minutes on a gentle warm-up:

• Lip rolls to relax your breath and lips.
• Tongue rolls to loosen your tongue for quick Sanskrit words.
• A simple sa – pa – Sa exercise to settle your pitch.

Step 2: Listen first

Play the song through once or twice without singing. Notice where each line rises and falls, and where you naturally take a breath.

Step 3: Learn the refrain first

Since the “Jaya jaya he Mahishasura Mardini” line returns after every verse, it is your anchor. Once you can sing it confidently, you already know a big part of the song.

Step 4: Practise one phrase at a time

Take one short phrase, sing it slowly, then repeat it five or six times before joining it to the next one. Slow practice is what builds clarity at high speed.

Step 5: Keep the beat steady

The song moves at a lively pace, so use a steady beat to stay on track. A common mistake is rushing the easy parts and getting stuck on the hard ones.

Step 6: Speed up gradually

Once a phrase feels comfortable, increase your tempo a little. Avoid pushing too hard, because a clear, relaxed voice sounds much better than a rushed, strained one.

Practise Aigiri Nandini in Artium Academy’s Practice Studio

Learning from a recording alone can be tricky, because you can’t tell whether your pitch matches the original. That’s exactly why we’ve added a Navratri Special, Aigiri Nandini practice to the new Practice Studio in the Artium Academy app.

It is free, available on Android and iOS, and covers the full stotra.

How to start

1. Open the Artium Academy app and go to the Practice tab.

2. Scroll down to More Resources and tap Aigiri Nandini under Navratri Special.

3. You’ll see a Guided Practice screen with the song’s key and tempo (B, 170 BPM) and a short description.

4. Choose how you’d like to practise: Listen or Start Practice.

Option 1: Listen (sing along)

Tap Listen to hear the song and sing along at the same time. This is the best way to get a feel for the melody.

Option 2: Start Practice (listen first, then sing)

Tap Start Practice and the studio first plays the phrase (the Listen phase, shown in pink), then lets you sing it back. This works well when you want to hear a line before attempting it.

What you’ll see on screen

• Pitch bars: the notes scroll across the screen. Orange bars are notes you’ve already passed, and cream bars are the notes coming up.
• A white line: this traces your live pitch as you sing, so you can see how close you are to each note.
• Lyrics, syllable by syllable: the word you should be singing is highlighted, so you never lose your place.
• Loop: repeat a tricky section until it feels natural.
• Song overview strip: shows the whole song at the bottom so you can jump to the part you want.

Why this helps beginners

You don’t need to read notation or understand music theory. You simply follow the bars, watch the line, and slowly bring your pitch closer to the notes. Over a few practice sessions, you’ll start to feel which phrases need extra work. 

You can also tap Set Reminder in the Practice tab to build a daily practice habit. And while you’re there, explore the other free music tools in the app, such as the guitar tuner and the taalam tool.

Beyond Aigiri Nandini: Keep Learning Devotional Music

If this song has made you curious, there is much more to explore. Many learners who start here go on to learn Hindi devotional music online, along with bhajans, stotras and Carnatic compositions. 

It also helps to get to know the traditional Indian musical instruments that accompany devotional music, such as the tanpura, mridangam, veena and harmonium. Hearing how they support the voice makes your listening (and singing) much richer.

If you’d like guidance beyond self-practice, Artium Academy’s music courses are taught by certified teachers in 1:1 live classes, built on a GRMP-recognised curriculum, with masterclasses by renowned artists. Our free music tools and Practice Studio are there to support you between classes.

Quick Practice Tips for Navratri

Ready to Sing Aigiri Nandini with Confidence?

You don’t need to be a trained singer to enjoy this hymn. With a little warm-up, steady practice and the right tools, you can sing it beautifully this Navratri and beyond.

Ready to start? Book your free 1:1 trial class with Artium Academy and learn from certified teachers at your own pace.