Dashain Tika Mantra 2083: Male & Female Mantra in Nepali + Meaning
Dashain Tika Mantra 2083: Male & Female Mantra in Nepali, Meaning & Tika Rules
By Wilson Shrestha, Kathmandu · Updated 6 October 2026 (Asoj 20, 2083)
Quick answer: The Dashain tika mantra is the Sanskrit blessing elders recite while putting red tika on your forehead on Vijaya Dashami. Males receive “Ayurdronasute shriyo dasharathe…”, which wishes you eleven virtues of epic heroes. Females receive “Jayanti Mangala Kali…”, a salutation to eleven forms of Goddess Durga.
In 2083, Vijaya Dashami falls on Wednesday, 21 October 2026 (Kartik 4), and tika can be received until Kojagrat Purnima on 25 October. The official 2083 tika sait had not been announced when this page was updated.
Every Dashain, millions of Nepalis kneel in front of an elder, feel the cool rice-and-yogurt tika pressed on the forehead, and hear a verse most of us have never actually read. We know the rhythm. We rarely know the words, and even fewer of us know what they mean.
This guide gives you both Dashain tika mantras in correct Devanagari, an easy Roman version for reading aloud, a line-by-line meaning, and the things most pages leave out: why the male mantra has two different third lines, why a Kaurava prince is part of a blessing, the most common mispronunciations, and which direction to face this year.
Dashain Tika Mantras at a Glance
| Detail | For males | For females |
|---|---|---|
| Opens with | आयुर्द्रोणसुते (Ayurdronasute) | जयन्ती मङ्गला काली (Jayanti Mangala Kali) |
| Type | Blessing (ashirbad) – “may these be yours” | Salutation – “I bow to you, Goddess” |
| Source | Traditional blessing verse drawing on the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas | Opening verse of the Argala Stotram, recited with the Durga Saptashati (Chandi Path) |
| Invokes | 11 heroes and deities, one virtue each | 11 names of Goddess Durga |
| Length | 4 lines (one full shloka) | 2 lines; many families add 2–4 more |
Dashain Tika Mantra for Male (पुरुषलाई टीका लगाउँदा भनिने मन्त्र)
Elders recite this verse for sons, grandsons, brothers, nephews and other younger males. It is one complete four-line shloka.
ऐश्वर्यं नहुषे गतिश्च पवने मानञ्च दुर्योधने ॥
शौर्यं शान्तनवे बलं हलधरे सत्यञ्च कुन्तीसुते ।
विज्ञानं विदुरे भवन्तु भवतां कीर्तिश्च नारायणे ॥
Roman (for reading aloud)
Ayurdronasute shriyo dasharathe, shatrukshayam raghave,
Aishwaryam nahushe, gatishcha pavane, manancha duryodhane,
Shauryam shantanave, balam haladhare, satyancha kuntisute,
Vigyanam vidure, bhavantu bhavatam, kirtishcha narayane.
Meaning in one sentence: May you have the long life of Ashwatthama, the prosperity of Dasharatha, Rama’s power over enemies, the wealth of Nahusha, the speed of the wind, the self-respect of Duryodhana, the valour of Bhishma, the strength of Balarama, the truthfulness of Yudhishthira, the wisdom of Vidura and the fame of Narayana – may all these be yours.
Line-by-line meaning of the male mantra
The trick to understanding this verse is its pattern: each phrase pairs one virtue with one person famous for it. Read it as a list of eleven wishes.
| # | Phrase | Who it refers to | The blessing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | आयुर् द्रोणसुते Ayur dronasute | Ashwatthama, son of Drona (Mahabharata), one of the seven chiranjeevi (immortals) | Long life |
| 2 | श्रियो दशरथे Shriyo dasharathe | King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, Rama’s father (Ramayana) | Prosperity and dignity |
| 3 | शत्रुक्षयं राघवे Shatrukshayam raghave | Rama, the descendant of Raghu (Ramayana) | Victory over enemies |
| 4 | ऐश्वर्यं नहुषे Aishwaryam nahushe | King Nahusha, who rose to the throne of Indra (Mahabharata, Puranas) | Wealth and power |
| 5 | गतिश्च पवने Gatishcha pavane | Pavana (Vayu), the wind god | Speed and progress |
| 6 | मानञ्च दुर्योधने Manancha duryodhane | Duryodhana, eldest Kaurava prince (Mahabharata) | Self-respect and honour |
| 7 | शौर्यं शान्तनवे Shauryam shantanave | Bhishma, son of King Shantanu (Mahabharata) | Valour |
| 8 | बलं हलधरे Balam haladhare | Balarama, “the plough-bearer”, Krishna’s elder brother | Strength |
| 9 | सत्यञ्च कुन्तीसुते Satyancha kuntisute | Yudhishthira, eldest son of Kunti (Mahabharata) | Truthfulness |
| 10 | विज्ञानं विदुरे Vigyanam vidure | Vidura, the wise counsellor of Hastinapur (Mahabharata) | Wisdom and judgement |
| 11 | कीर्तिश्च नारायणे Kirtishcha narayane | Narayana (Vishnu), the preserver | Lasting fame |
The phrase भवन्तु भवतां (bhavantu bhavatam) in the last line is the glue that turns the list into a blessing: it means “may these be yours”.
Why the third line has two versions
If your family’s mantra sounds slightly different, you are not imagining it. The third line circulates in two forms, and both are widely used in Nepal:
Version A (used above)
शौर्यं शान्तनवे बलं हलधरे सत्यञ्च कुन्तीसुते
Valour of Bhishma, strength of Balarama, truth of Yudhishthira.
Version B
दानं सूर्यसुते बलं हलधरे सत्यञ्च कुन्तीसुते
Generosity of Karna (son of the Sun), strength of Balarama, truth of Yudhishthira.
Both lines fit the verse’s Shardula Vikridita metre syllable for syllable, which is most likely why both have survived in oral tradition side by side. Neither is “wrong”. Use the one your family’s priest or elders use; if you are learning it fresh, either is fine.
Why is Duryodhana in a Dashain blessing?
This is the question children ask most, and it is a good one – Duryodhana is the villain of the Mahabharata. But the verse never asks for his character. It asks only for his मान (maan): pride in the sense of self-respect. Duryodhana refused to bow to anyone, even in defeat. The blessing takes that single trait – the refusal to be humiliated – and leaves the rest behind. It is a quietly sophisticated idea: you can learn one good quality even from a flawed person.
The 11 Virtues of the Male Mantra (Visual Guide)
Colour shows where each figure comes from. Notice that the Mahabharata supplies most of the verse.
Ashwatthama
Dasharatha
Rama
Nahusha
Pavana (Vayu)
Duryodhana
Bhishma
Balarama
Yudhishthira
Vidura
Narayana
Dashain Tika Mantra for Female (महिलालाई टीका लगाउँदा भनिने मन्त्र)
For daughters, granddaughters, sisters, nieces and daughters-in-law, elders recite a completely different verse. It is the opening of the Argala Stotram, a hymn traditionally recited together with the Durga Saptashati (Chandi Path) – the same text read in many homes during the nine nights of Navaratri.
दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Roman (for reading aloud)
Jayanti mangala kali, bhadrakali kapalini,
Durga kshama shiva dhatri, swaha swadha namostu te.
Meaning: “O Goddess – you who are Jayanti, Mangala, Kali, Bhadrakali, Kapalini, Durga, Kshama, Shiva, Dhatri, Swaha and Swadha – I bow to you.”
The 11 names of the goddess and what they mean
Blessing or salutation? The difference most pages miss
Read the two mantras side by side and you notice something. The male verse wishes qualities onto the receiver: “may these be yours”. The female verse does not wish anything – it bows. “Namo’stu te” means “salutations to you”.
In the ritual, the girl or woman receiving tika is honoured as a form of the goddess herself, the same Shakti worshipped for the previous nine days. That is why the verse sounds like prayer rather than advice. Scholars interviewed by the Kathmandu Post describe it in exactly these terms: women are blessed as embodiments of the goddess’s strength, compassion and protective power.
The longer version some families use
Many priests and elders continue with the next verses. The second verse of the Argala Stotram is the most common addition, and some families close with the well-known “Sarva mangala” verse from the Devi Mahatmya:
जय सर्वगते देवि कालरात्रि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके ।
शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Victory to you, Goddess Chamunda, remover of every being’s suffering; victory to you, all-pervading Goddess; salutations to you, Kalaratri. O auspiciousness of all that is auspicious, fulfiller of every purpose, refuge of all, three-eyed Gauri, Narayani – salutations to you.
How to Give Tika with the Mantra: Step by Step
The mantra is only one part of the tika ritual. If you are the elder this year for the first time, this is the usual order in Nepali homes:
Devi visarjan
The goddess installed on Ghatasthapana is bid farewell in the Dashain ghar.
Abhishek
Water from the kalash is sprinkled on family members as a blessing.
Face the right way
Receiver usually faces East, elder faces West (see below).
Tika + mantra
The elder presses tika on the forehead while reciting the male or female mantra.
Jamara
The yellow barley shoots grown since Ghatasthapana are placed on the head or behind the ear.
Prasad & dakshina
The elder gives prasad and dakshina; the younger person bows in respect.
Traditionally the family priest or the most senior member gives tika first, and only then does the family go out to receive tika from other relatives. If your child needs to write about the festival for school, our easy essay on Dashain for students explains the festival in simple English.
Which direction to face when receiving tika
→
face East
←
faces West
You face each other: receiver looks East, elder looks West. Avoid facing South.
According to Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti, the long-standing custom is East–West: the person receiving tika faces East and the elder giving it faces West. South is avoided because it is the direction reserved for rites for the dead.
One caveat almost nobody mentions: the Samiti sometimes decides direction by the Moon’s position for that year. In 2079 (2022), for example, it advised the opposite – receivers facing West – because the Moon was in Capricorn. So East is the safe default, but check the Samiti’s notice when the 2083 sait is published.
Dashain Tika Date and Sait 2083
The dates below come from the 2083 calendar released by the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti.
| Day | Nepali date (BS) | English date |
|---|---|---|
| Ghatasthapana | Asoj 25, 2083 | Sunday, 11 October 2026 |
| Fulpati | Asoj 31, 2083 | Saturday, 17 October 2026 |
| Maha Ashtami | Kartik 1, 2083 | Sunday, 18 October 2026 |
| Maha Navami | Kartik 3, 2083 | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 |
| Vijaya Dashami (Tika) | Kartik 4, 2083 | Wednesday, 21 October 2026 |
| Kojagrat Purnima (last tika day) | Kartik 8, 2083 | Sunday, 25 October 2026 |
Your 5-day tika window
Wed · Main day
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun · Purnima
If you cannot reach an elder on Vijaya Dashami, you have not missed Dashain. Tika is received from elders and relatives from Dashami right up to Kojagrat Purnima.
Is the 2083 tika sait 11:53 AM? No – that was last year
Several websites already list “11:53 AM” as the 2083 tika sait. That time was announced for Vijaya Dashami 2082 (2 October 2025). The sait is calculated fresh every year, and it moves a lot:
Official Vijaya Dashami tika sait by year (longer bar = later time)
The Samiti normally announces the sait a couple of weeks before Dashain. This page will be updated with the official 2083 time once it is published.
Do you actually need to wait for the sait? Not really. The Samiti itself has said the whole of Vijaya Dashami is auspicious, so ordinary families do not need to wait for a particular minute. The exact sait matters mainly for heads of state and others who, by tradition, receive tika at the calculated moment.
Common Mistakes When Reciting the Dashain Tika Mantra
Because most of us learned these verses by ear, a few errors have spread widely – even into printed cards and viral videos. Watch out for these:
| Often heard / written | Correct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| राधवे (Radhave) | राघवे (Raghave) | Raghava = Rama. “Radhave” has no meaning here. |
| आयु द्रोण सुते (split words) | आयुर्द्रोणसुते | “Ayuh” joins “dronasute” – say it as one flowing phrase. |
| शान्त नवे (split) | शान्तनवे | One word: “in the son of Shantanu” (Bhishma). |
| नमस्तुते (Namastute) | नमोऽस्तु ते (Namostu te) | Namah + astu + te = “salutation be to you”. |
| Male mantra for daughters | Jayanti mantra for females | Tradition keeps the two verses separate by the receiver. |
If You Don’t Know the Sanskrit: Simple Nepali Blessings
Plenty of loving grandparents never learned the Sanskrit verse, and a tika given with heartfelt words in plain Nepali is still a tika. These everyday blessings are commonly spoken in Nepali homes:
- आयु बढोस्, सुख शान्ति मिलोस्। – May your life be long and full of peace.
- पढाइमा सधैँ सफल होऊ। – May you always succeed in your studies. (for students)
- जागिर र काममा उन्नति होस्। – May you progress in your job and work.
- घरमा लक्ष्मी भित्रियोस्, परिवार सुखी रहोस्। – May prosperity enter your home and your family stay happy.
- जहाँ गए पनि दुर्गा माताले रक्षा गरून्। – Wherever you go, may Mother Durga protect you. (for family abroad)
Want to send these as a message instead? See our 150+ Happy Dashain wishes in Nepali language 2083, sorted by who you are sending to.
Copy the Dashain Tika Mantra in Nepali Unicode
Select the text below to copy it into a WhatsApp message, a Facebook caption or a printed card. It is in standard Unicode, so it displays correctly on any modern phone.
पुरुषका लागि:
आयुर्द्रोणसुते श्रियो दशरथे शत्रुक्षयं राघवे । ऐश्वर्यं नहुषे गतिश्च पवने मानञ्च दुर्योधने ॥ शौर्यं शान्तनवे बलं हलधरे सत्यञ्च कुन्तीसुते । विज्ञानं विदुरे भवन्तु भवतां कीर्तिश्च नारायणे ॥
महिलाका लागि:
जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी । दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते ॥
Printing a mantra card for the family? Install the free Kalimati Nepali Unicode font so the conjunct letters like द्र and क्ष render cleanly, or type your own blessing with the English to Nepali Unicode converter. For a ready-made design, grab a free Dashain greeting card for 2083.
Dashain Tika Mantra: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dashain tika mantra for male?
It is “Ayurdronasute shriyo dasharathe shatrukshayam raghave, aishwaryam nahushe gatishcha pavane manancha duryodhane, shauryam shantanave balam haladhare satyancha kuntisute, vigyanam vidure bhavantu bhavatam kirtishcha narayane.” It wishes the receiver eleven virtues, from Ashwatthama’s long life to Narayana’s fame.
What is the Dashain tika mantra for female?
It is “Jayanti mangala kali bhadrakali kapalini, durga kshama shiva dhatri swaha swadha namostu te,” the opening verse of the Argala Stotram. It salutes eleven names of Goddess Durga and honours the woman receiving tika as a form of the goddess.
What does “Ayurdronasute” mean?
“Ayuh” means life span and “dronasute” means “in the son of Drona”, that is, Ashwatthama. Together they mean “may you have a life as long as Ashwatthama’s”, since he is counted among the immortals.
Why is Duryodhana mentioned in the tika mantra?
Only for one quality: maan, meaning self-respect and honour. Duryodhana never bowed to anyone, even in defeat. The blessing asks for that single trait, not his character.
What is the Dashain tika sait for 2083?
As of 6 October 2026, the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti had not announced the 2083 sait. The widely shared 11:53 AM was the 2082 (2025) time. Vijaya Dashami 2083 is on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
Which direction should you face when receiving Dashain tika?
By long-standing custom, the person receiving tika faces East and the elder giving it faces West. The Samiti occasionally advises a different direction based on the Moon’s position, so check its notice for the year.
Until when can you receive Dashain tika in 2083?
From Vijaya Dashami on 21 October 2026 until Kojagrat Purnima on 25 October 2026 (Kartik 4 to Kartik 8, 2083).
Is it okay to give tika without reciting the Sanskrit mantra?
Yes. Many elders give tika with simple blessings in Nepali, such as “aayu badhos, sukha shanti milos”. The Sanskrit verse is traditional, but the blessing and the elder’s intention are what the ritual is about.
A Blessing Worth Understanding
The Dashain tika mantra takes about fifteen seconds to recite. In that time, an elder wishes you the best trait of eleven legendary figures – or, if you are a daughter, bows to the goddess in you. Knowing the words changes the moment. This Vijaya Dashami, try reading the verse along with the elder giving you tika, or ask them which version of the third line your family uses. It is a small way to keep a very old blessing alive.
More for Dashain 2083:
150+ Nepali messages for WhatsApp, Viber and SMS. Dashain Greeting Cards 2083
Free HD cards and print sizes. Essay on Dashain for Students
Long essay, short essay and 10 lines in easy English. Typeshala Ramayana Game
Practise Nepali typing with the story of Rama – a fun Dashain holiday activity.
Sources
- The Kathmandu Post – We’ve all heard Dashain mantras, but do we know what they mean?
- Himal Press – Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti’s 2083 festival dates
- Nagarik – 2079 tika direction based on the Moon’s position
- Nepal Artha – Which direction to face for Dashain tika (Prof. Dr. Devmani Bhattarai)
- Onlinekhabar – Do you need to wait for the tika sait?
- Radio Nepal – 11:53 AM tika sait announced for 2082
- Nepali Patro – Dashain 2081 sait list
- Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti (official)
