दैत्यानां या दितिर्माता तामाहुर्मुखमण्डिकाम्। अत्यर्थं शिशुमांसेन संप्रहृष्टा दुरासदा
The one who is called Diti, mother of the Daityas, is known as Mukhamanḍikā; she is exceedingly delighted by the flesh of infants and is difficult to approach.
कुमाराश्च कुमार्यश् ये प्रोक्ताः स्कन्दसंभवाः। तेऽपि गर्भभुजः सर्वे कौरव्यसुमहाग्रहाः
The boys and girls said to be born from Skanda are also all devourers of embryos, O Kauravya, and are great and powerful spirits.
तासामेव तु पत्नीनां पतयस्ते प्रकीर्तिताः। आजायमानान्गृह्णन्ति बालकान्रौद्रकर्मणः
The husbands of these very wives are also mentioned; they seize newborn children and perform fierce deeds.
गवां माता तु या प्राज्ञैः कथ्यते सुरभिर्नृप। शकुनिस्तामथारुह्यसह भुङ्क्ते शिशून्भुवि
The one who is called Surabhi by the wise, the mother of cows, O King, is mounted by a bird and together they devour calves on earth.
सरमा नाम या माता शुनां देवी जनाधिप। साऽपिगर्भान्समादत्ते मानुषीणां सदैव हि
Saramā, the goddess who is known as the mother of dogs, O lord of men, also always takes the embryos of human women.
पादपानां च या माता करञ्जनिलया हि सा। वरदा सा हि सौम्या च नित्यं भूतानुकम्पिनी
The mother of trees, who dwells in the karañja tree, is a bestower of boons, gentle, and always compassionate to beings.
करञ्जे तां नमस्यन्ति तस्मात्पुत्रार्थिनो नराः। इमे त्वष्टादशान्ये वै ग्रहा मांसमधुप्रियाः
Therefore, those who desire sons worship her in the karañja tree; these are the eighteen other spirits who delight in flesh and honey.
द्विपञ्चरात्रं तिष्ठन्ति सततं सूतिकागृहे। कद्रूः सूक्ष्मवपुर्भूत्वा गर्भिणीं प्रविशत्यथ
They remain constantly in the birthing chamber for two or five nights; Kadrū, taking a subtle form, then enters a pregnant woman.
भुङ्क्ते सा तत्र तं गर्भं सा तु नागं प्रसूयते। गन्धर्वाणां तु या माता सा गर्भं गृह्य गच्छति
There she devours the embryo and then gives birth to a serpent; the mother of the Gandharvas, taking the embryo, departs.
ततो विलीनगर्भा सा मानुषी भुवि दृश्यते। या जनित्री त्वप्सरसां गर्भमास्ते प्रगृह्य सा
Then, with the embryo dissolved, she appears as a human woman on earth; the mother of the Apsarases, having seized the embryo, keeps it.
उपविष्टं ततो गर्भं कथयनति मनीषिणः। लोहितस्योदधेः कन्या धात्री स्कन्दस्य सा स्मृता
The wise say that she then sits with the embryo; the daughter of the red ocean is remembered as Skanda's nurse.
लोहितायनिरित्येवं कदम्बे सा हि पूज्यते। पुरुषे तु यथा रुद्रस्तथाऽऽर्या प्रमदास्वपि
She is called Lohitāyanī and is worshipped in the kadamba tree; among women, Āryā is as Rudra is among men.
आर्या माता कुमारस्य पृथक्कामार्थमिज्यते। एवमेते कुमाराणां मया प्रोक्ता महाग्रहाः
Āryā is the mother of Kumāra and is worshipped separately for the sake of desire; thus I have described these great spirits of Kumāra.
यावत्षोडश वर्षाणि शिशूनां ह्यशिवास्ततः। ये च मातृगणाः प्रोक्ताः पुरुषाश्चैवये ग्रहाः
For sixteen years, these are inauspicious for children; and the groups of mothers and the male spirits mentioned.
सर्वे स्कन्दग्रहा नाम ज्ञेया नित्यं शरीरिभिः। तेषां प्रशमनं कार्यं स्नानं धूपमथाञ्जनम्। बलिकार्गेपहाराश् स्कन्दस्येज्या विशेषतः
All these are to be known as Skanda-spirits by embodied beings; their pacification should be performed with bathing, incense, and ointment, with offerings and special worship for Skanda.
एवमभ्यर्चिताः सर्वे प्रयच्छन्ति शुभं नृणाम्। आयुर्दीर्घं च राजेनद्रसम्यक्पूजानमस्कृताः
Thus, when all are duly worshipped, they bestow good fortune on people and long life, O King, when properly honored and revered.
ऊर्ध्वं तु षोडशाद्वर्षाद्ये भवन्ति ग्रहा नृणाम्। तानहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि नमस्कृत्य महेश्वरम्
Now, after the sixteenth year, certain influences arise among men; I shall explain these, having first bowed to the great Lord.
यः पश्यति नरो देवाञ्जाग्रद्वा शयितोपि वा। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं तं तु देवग्रहं विदुः
If a man sees the gods, whether awake or asleep, he quickly becomes deranged; this is known as possession by a divine spirit.
आसीनश्च शयानश्च यः पश्यति नरः पितॄन्। उन्माद्यतिस तु क्षिप्रं स ज्ञेयस्तु पितृग्रहः
If a man, sitting or lying down, sees the ancestors, he quickly becomes deranged; this should be understood as possession by an ancestral spirit.
अवमन्यति यः सिद्धान्क्रुद्धाश्चापि शपन्ति यम्। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं ज्ञेयः सिद्धग्रहस्तु सः
If someone disrespects the Siddhas and is cursed by them in anger, he quickly becomes deranged; this is known as possession by a Siddha.
उपाघ्राति च यो गन्धान्रसांश्चापि पृथग्विधान्। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं स ज्ञेयो राक्षसो ग्रहः
If a man perceives various scents and tastes, he quickly becomes deranged; this should be known as possession by a Rakshasa.
गन्धर्वाश्चापि यं दिव्याः संविशन्ति नरं भुवि। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं ग्रहो गान्धर्व एव सः
If the celestial Gandharvas enter a man on earth, he quickly becomes deranged; this is indeed known as Gandharva possession.
अधिरोहन्ति यं नित्यं पिशाचाः पुरुषं प्रति। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं ग्रहः पैशाच एव सः
If Pisacas constantly mount a man, he quickly becomes deranged; this is known as Pisaca possession.
आविशन्ति च यं यक्षाः पुरुषं कालपर्यये। उनमाद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं ज्ञेयो यक्षग्रहस्तु सः
If Yakshas enter a man at certain times, he quickly becomes deranged; this should be known as Yaksha possession.
यस् दोषैः प्रकुपितं चित्तं मुह्यति देहिनः। उनमाद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं साधनं तस्य शास्त्रतः
If a man's mind is disturbed by faults and becomes confused, he quickly becomes deranged; the remedy for this is prescribed in the scriptures.
वैक्लव्याच्च भयाच्चैव घोराणां चापि दर्शनात्। उन्माद्यति स तु क्षिप्रं सान्त्वं तस्य तु साधनम्
If, due to weakness or fear, or from seeing terrifying things, a man quickly becomes deranged, then soothing is the remedy for him.
कश्चित्क्रीडितुकामो वै भोक्तुकामस्तथाऽपरः। अभिकामस्तथैवान्य इत्येष त्रिविधो ग्रहः
One is eager to play, another to eat, and yet another to possess; thus, there are three types of possession.
यावत्सप्ततिवर्षाणि भवन्त्येते ग्रहा नृणाम्। अतः परं देहिनां तु ग्रहतुल्या भवेञ्जरा
These influences affect men up to seventy years; after that, old age itself becomes like a possession for embodied beings.
अप्रकीर्णेन्द्रियं दान्तं शुचिं नित्यमतन्द्रितम्। आस्तिकं श्रद्दधानं च वर्जयन्ति तदा ग्रहाः
Those whose senses are not scattered, who are self-controlled, pure, ever-vigilant, faithful, and devoted, are then avoided by these influences.
इत्येष ते ग्रहोद्देशो मानुषाणां प्रकीर्तितः। न स्पृशन्ति ग्रहा भक्तान्नरान्देवं महेश्वरम्
Thus, the account of possessions among men has been described to you; those who are devoted to the great Lord Maheshvara are not touched by these influences.