Shailputri Mata Mantra, Katha, Aarti and Bhog: Navratri Day 1 Puja Vidhi

Who is Maa Shailputri? (Shailputri Devi Meaning & Form)

"Shailputri" means Daughter of the Mountain: shail is mountain, putri is daughter. She is the first of the nine forms of Durga worshipped through Navratri, and the form in which the festival itself begins.

She is shown seated on Nandi, the white bull, holding a trishul (trident) in her right hand and a lotus in her left, with a crescent moon on her forehead. Each element carries meaning: the trident for strength, the lotus for purity, and Nandi for steady, unwavering devotion.

Prathamam Shailputri Cha: Navdurga Shloka Meaning

प्रथमं शैलपुत्री च द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी। तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति चतुर्थकम्॥

Pratham Shailputri Cha, Dwitiyam Brahmacharini, Tritiyam Chandraghanteti, Kushmandeti Chaturthakam

This is the opening verse of the Navdurga shloka, a Sanskrit couplet that names all nine forms of Durga in order. It translates simply as: "First is Shailputri, second is Brahmacharini, third is Chandraghanta, fourth is Kushmanda," and the following verse continues through Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri.

Pratham Shailputri, literally "Shailputri the first," is why her worship opens Navratri. The nine-day sequence follows this shloka's order exactly, which is also how each day's devi and colour are decided.

Maa Shailputri Mantra & Beej Mantra (with Meaning)

Shailputri mata mantra:

ॐ देवी शैलपुत्र्यै नमः॥

Om Devi Shailputryai Namah

"Salutations to Goddess Shailputri."

This is her most commonly chanted mantra, suitable for daily puja.

Beej (seed) mantra, used in havan:

ॐ ह्रीं शिवायै नमः स्वाहा॥

Om Hreem Shivayai Namah Swaha

This beej mantra invokes Shailputri in her form connected to Shiva, and is the one offered with each ahuti during a Day 1 havan.

Dhyana mantra, describing her form:

वन्दे वाञ्छितलाभाय चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्। वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्रीं यशस्विनीम्॥

Vande Vanchhit Labhaya Chandrardhakrita Shekharam, Vrisharudham Shuladharam Shailaputrim Yashasvinim

"I bow to the glorious Shailputri, who grants all wishes, wears the crescent moon on her head, rides the bull, and holds the trident."

Shailputri Mata ki Katha

In her earlier birth, the Devi was Sati, daughter of King Daksha Prajapati and the devoted wife of Lord Shiva. Daksha disapproved of Shiva and once held a grand yagna, deliberately leaving the couple uninvited. Sati went anyway, unable to stay away from her father's house, but there she had to witness Daksha insult Shiva in front of everyone gathered.

Unable to bear the humiliation of her husband, Sati gave up her body in the sacred fire of that very yagna. Shiva, devastated by the loss, withdrew from the world in grief.

Sati was then reborn as Parvati, daughter of Himavan, the king of the Himalayas, and came to be known as Shailputri, the mountain's daughter. Through deep tapasya (penance), she won back Shiva as her husband once again.

This is why Shailputri is worshipped first in Navratri: her story is one of devotion that survives loss and begins again, exactly the spirit the nine days are meant to invoke.

Maa Shailputri Puja Vidhi on Navratri Day 1

1. Begin with Ghatasthapana. Day 1 opens with the kalash installation before anything else; this marks the formal start of Navratri.
2. Place her image or idol. Set Maa Shailputri's photo or murti on the altar beside the kalash.
3. Offer the dhyana mantra. Recite "Vande Vanchhit Labhaya..." while visualising her seated on Nandi.
4. Chant her mantra. Say "Om Devi Shailputryai Namah" with flowers, akshat and a lit diya.
5. Offer ghee. Ghee is her bhog; a small offering alongside the puja is traditional on Day 1.
6. Close with the aarti. End the puja with the Devi aarti, given below.

Those who'd like this worship performed as a temple ritual, rather than only at home, can have the Maa Shailputri Beej Mantra Havan at Maya Devi Shakti Peeth, Haridwar performed by temple Pandits, with 11,001 chants of her beej mantra.

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Maa Shailputri Bhog & Colour

Desi ghee is offered to Maa Shailputri on Day 1, for good health and a strong start to the Navratri fast. The colour associated with her day is orange, chosen for the energy and fresh beginning the festival opens with.

Both the bhog and colour shift with each devi through the nine days, following the same order as the Navdurga shloka above.

Shailputri Mata ki Aarti

There isn't a separate aarti written just for Shailputri. The aarti recited for her, and for every devi through all nine days, is the well-known Durga aarti, Jai Ambe Gauri:

जय अम्बे गौरी, मैया जय श्यामा गौरी। तुमको निशिदिन ध्यावत, हरि ब्रह्मा शिवरी॥ मांग सिंदूर विराजत, टीको मृगमद को। उज्ज्वल से दोउ नैना, चन्द्रबदन नीको॥

Jai Ambe Gauri, Maiya Jai Shyama Gauri, Tumko Nishidin Dhyavat, Hari Brahma Shivari. Maang Sindoor Virajat, Tiko Mrigamad Ko, Ujjwal Se Dou Naina, Chandrabadan Niko.

"Victory to Mother Gauri, who is meditated upon day and night by Hari, Brahma and Shiva. Her forehead adorned with sindoor and a tilak, her eyes bright, her face as serene as the moon."

The full aarti has several more verses and is sung after the evening puja each day of Navratri.

Benefits of Worshipping Shailputri Devi

• Strength and stability. As the foundation of the Navdurga, she's worshipped for grounding and a steady start to any new effort.
• Governs the root chakra. In yogic tradition, Shailputri is linked to the Muladhara (root) chakra, associated with stability and security.
• Blessings for family life. As Parvati, consort of Shiva, she's also prayed to for harmony at home.
• A fresh beginning. Her story, of loss followed by rebirth and renewed devotion, is why many devotees treat Day 1 as a moment to set intentions for the rest of Navratri.

Navratri 2026 · 11 – 19 October

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