108 Names of Maa Durga (Durga Ashtottara Shatanamavali) with Meaning for Navratri 2026

Quick answer: The 108 names of Maa Durga, the Sri Durga Ashtottara Shatanamavali, begin with Om Satyai Namah, Om Sadhvyai Namah, Om Bhavapritayai Namah and end with Om Brahmavadinyai Namah. Sharad Navratri 2026 runs from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October 2026, with Vijayadashami on Tuesday 20 October. The full list with Devanagari, IAST transliteration and English meanings is below.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. The Sanskrit on this page is taken from texts published by sanskritdocuments.org and converted to Devanagari and IAST by software, not retyped by hand.

Chanting the names of the Goddess is one of the simplest ways to keep the nine nights of Navratri. A namavali (garland of names) turns each name into a short salutation, so it suits a busy home: you need a lamp, a quiet ten to fifteen minutes and, if you like, a little kumkum or a few flowers. For the dates and the nine forms of the Devi, see our Navaratri 2026 dates and nine Devi names guide.

About the Durga Ashtottara Shatanamavali

Ashtottara shata means 'one hundred and eight'. This list of names, beginning with Sati, Sadhvi and Bhavaprita, is the namavali form of the Durga Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram, which the sanskritdocuments.org text attributes to the Vishvasara Tantra. In the stotram, Lord Shiva (Ishvara) recites the names to Parvati. The namavali simply takes each name, puts it in the dative case ('to Sati') and frames it as Om ... Namah, 'Om, salutations to ...'.

The names move across many sides of the Goddess: her gentle forms (Sati, Sundari, Kumari), her presence as mind, intellect and consciousness (Buddhi, Chittarupa, Chiti), the seven Matrikas (Brahmi, Maheshvari, Aindri, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Chamunda), her victories in the Devi Mahatmya (Mahishasuramardini, Madhukaitabhahantri, Nishumbhashumbhahanani) and her fierce forms (Kalaratri, Bhadrakali, Karali).

All 108 names of Maa Durga with meaning

Each row shows the name as it is chanted in the namavali. The meaning column gives the base name and a short English gloss. Where the sense of a name is uncertain, the literal word meaning is given.

Name 25 and name 103 are both Ananta (the infinite one); the name appears twice in the source stotram as well. Names 27 and 28 differ by one vowel: Bhavya with a long a (worthy of contemplation) and Bhavya with a short a (auspicious).

How to chant the 108 names

There is no single fixed procedure, and families follow their own custom. A simple, widely used approach is:

1. Bathe, light a ghee or oil lamp before a picture or idol of Maa Durga, and sit facing it calmly.
2. Begin with a prayer to Lord Ganesha, as most Hindu worship does.
3. Chant each name in the Om ... Namah form, for example Om Satyai Namah, Om Sadhvyai Namah, Om Bhavapritayai Namah. Read slowly from the table; accuracy matters more than speed.
4. If you wish, do a kumkum archana: offer a small pinch of kumkum (or a flower, or akshata, rice mixed with turmeric) at the Devi's feet at every name.
5. Finish with an aarti or a short prayer, and offer naivedya (a simple sweet, fruit or the day's bhog).

Daily or during the nine nights: Many devotees chant the namavali every day of Navratri, from Ghatasthapana on Sunday 11 October to Navami on Monday 19 October 2026. Others keep it for Fridays, for Durga Ashtami, or as part of regular evening prayer through the year. One round of 108 names takes about ten minutes.

Kumkum archana: In many South Indian homes and temples, married and unmarried women alike offer kumkum at each name of the Devi during Navratri, and the kumkum is then shared as prasad. It is traditionally believed to be a way of honouring the Goddess as auspicious and protective. Follow what your family or local temple does.

If Sanskrit is new to you, chant from the IAST column, or simply listen to a recording and repeat. Sincerity is what the tradition stresses most.

Durga Gayatri mantra

The Durga Gayatri is one of the deity Gayatris in the Mahanarayana Upanishad (Taittiriya Aranyaka). Many devotees chant it before or after the 108 names.

कात्यायनाय विद्महे कन्याकुमारि धीमहि ।
तन्नो दुर्गिः प्रचोदयात् ॥

kātyāyanāya vidmahe kanyākumāri dhīmahi |
tanno durgiḥ pracodayāt ||

Meaning: May we know Katyayani; may we meditate on the Kanyakumari (the virgin Goddess); may Durga inspire and guide us.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu (Devi Mahatmya, chapter 5)

These verses come from the hymn the gods sing in chapter 5 of the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati). Each verse salutes the Goddess who dwells in all beings in a particular form, and the second line, 'namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namah', repeats the salutation three times. Three of the best-known verses are given here:

As power (shakti), Devi Mahatmya 5.32-34

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śaktirūpeṇa saṃsthitā |
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: To the Devi who dwells in all beings in the form of power, salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations to her, again and again.

As the mother, Devi Mahatmya 5.71-73

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु मातृरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

yā devī sarvabhūteṣu mātṛrūpeṇa saṃsthitā |
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: To the Devi who dwells in all beings in the form of the mother, salutations to her, again and again.

As peace, Devi Mahatmya 5.47-49

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शान्तिरूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ॥

yā devī sarvabhūteṣu śāntirūpeṇa saṃsthitā |
namastasyai namastasyai namastasyai namo namaḥ ||

Meaning: To the Devi who dwells in all beings in the form of peace, salutations to her, again and again.

Navratri 2026: day-by-day guides

Each day of Navratri honours one of the nine forms of Durga. Our day guides give the naam mantra, colour, bhog and a simple puja vidhi:

• Day 1: Maa Shailaputri (Sunday 11 October)
• Day 2: Maa Brahmacharini (Monday 12 October)
• Day 3: Maa Chandraghanta (Tuesday 13 October)
• Day 4: Maa Kushmanda (Wednesday 14 October)
• Day 5: Maa Skandamata (Thursday 15 October)
• Day 6: Maa Katyayani (Friday 16 October)
• Day 7: Maa Kalaratri (Saturday 17 October)
• Day 8: Maa Mahagauri (Sunday 18 October)
• Day 9: Maa Siddhidatri (Monday 19 October)

More Navratri and Durga reading on HinduTone:

• Navaratri 2026 dates, nine Devi names and puja rituals (the main Navratri guide)
• How to pray to Goddess Durga: mantras, poojas and rituals
• Durga Chalisa with meaning
• Vijayadashami 2026: mantras, Aparajita and Shami puja vidhi (Tuesday 20 October)

Frequently asked questions

What are the 108 names of Durga called?

The 108 names of Durga are called the Durga Ashtottara Shatanamavali (ashtottara shata means 108, namavali means a garland of names). The widely chanted list that begins with Sati, Sadhvi and Bhavaprita comes from the Durga Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram of the Vishvasara Tantra.

How do I chant the 108 names of Durga?

Chant each name in the form Om ... Namah, for example Om Satyai Namah, Om Sadhvyai Namah. Many families chant the full list once a day in front of a lamp or picture of the Devi, and some offer a pinch of kumkum or a flower at every name (kumkum archana).

Can I chant the Durga Ashtottara every day of Navratri 2026?

Yes. Many devotees chant it on all nine days, from Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October 2026, often in the evening. Others chant it on Fridays, on Ashtami or whenever they wish. There is no single required rule; follow your family or temple custom.

Is the Durga Gayatri the same as the Gayatri Mantra?

No. The Gayatri Mantra is addressed to Savitr. The Durga Gayatri, 'Katyayanaya vidmahe, Kanyakumari dhimahi, tanno Durgih prachodayat', is one of the deity Gayatris found in the Mahanarayana Upanishad of the Taittiriya Aranyaka.

Where does 'Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu' come from?

It comes from the hymn of the gods in chapter 5 of the Devi Mahatmya (Durga Saptashati), part of the Markandeya Purana. Each verse salutes the Devi as present in all beings in a particular form, such as power (shakti), mother or peace.

Do I need to be initiated to chant the 108 names?

A namavali is traditionally treated as an open devotional practice that anyone can chant with respect. For longer rituals, homa or specific vows, families usually follow the guidance of their priest or guru.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

The 108 names are from Sri Durga Ashtottarashatanamavali (durgA108nAmAvali) on sanskritdocuments.org, cross-checked against the Durga Ashtottara Shatanama Stotram (Vishvasara Tantra) on the same site. Two lines were corrected against the stotram: name 16 reads 'manarupayai' in the namavali file and is given as Manorupayai, from the stotram's 'mano' (mind); name 34 carries an editor's query in the file and is given as Ratnapriyayai, as in the stotram verse 'chinta ratnapriya sada'. The Ya Devi verses are from the sanskritdocuments.org Devi Mahatmya / Durga Saptashati text, and the Durga Gayatri from its Mahanarayana Upanishad text. Meanings are standard short glosses; Sanskrit names carry layers of meaning, and your family's or teacher's reading may differ. If you spot an error, please let us know.