Bhavani Ashtakam

The last 9 days of Navaratri, we sung with Swami Vishwananda every night this sweet prayer to the Divine Mother:

A Prayer to Mother Divine, composed by Adi Shankaracharya in a high state of devotion and Divine bliss to uplift the devotees. Swamiji told us, that Adi Shankaracharya sung it to the Divine Mother und she started to cry. In this material world, neither father, nor mother, neither relatives nor helpers, neither son nor daughter, neither husband nor wife, neither scriptural wisdom norprofessional knowledge - are mine. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal Refuge !! Having been fallen into the limitless ocean of birth anddeath, ever tied myself by greed, pride, delusion and desire, I am very fearful of this sorrowful existence. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal Refuge !! O Mother, I have made no charity; I have done no meditation; I have observed no rituals; nor have I uttered any prayer or holy Name. I have performed no worship; nor have I purified myself through proper invocations. Therefore, O Thou Mother of the universe, Thou art my only Refuge; Thou art my only Shelter. I do not know either the righteous deeds nor Your sacred abode norhow to achieve freedom from material bondage by dissolving my ego. I am unable to achieve Divine Love, not even inclined to followany spiritual descipline to attain it. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal refuge !! I am continuously engaged in worthless thoughtsand improper actions. My dull Intellect has beenenslaved by bad habits. I am always unable to conduct myself admirablyand my character is utterly shameful to the societyalong with my critical views and unruly speech. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal refuge !! I do not know Lords Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Surya and Chandra, or any other Divine personalities. So I have taken my full surrender forever in You. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal Refuge !! O compassionate Mother, kindly protect mewherever I am, from all kinds of injuries eitheron water or fire, or on mountains or in jungles, orin disputes with enemies, or in distress of abandonment. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal Refuge !! O caring Mother, I am a true orphan on this earth, without any virtue, rendered powerless, smitten by pains of disease and aging, deluded by ignorance and laziness, fallen and forlorn,continuously entering into calamities. Therefore, O Mother of the universe! O Divine Consort of Lord Shiva! You alone are my eternal Refuge !!