Agni Purana

त्वं सिद्धिस्त्वं स्वधा स्वाहा सुधा त्वं लोकपावनि । सन्ध्या रात्रिः प्रभा भूतिर्म्मेधा श्रद्धा सरस्वती ।। २३७.

You are success, you are the sacrificial oblations, you are the sacred exclamation, you are nectar, purifier of the worlds; you are twilight, night, radiance, prosperity, intelligence, faith, and Sarasvatī.

यज्ञविद्या महाविद्या गुह्यविद्या च शोभने । आत्मविद्या च देवि त्वं विमुक्तिफलदायिनी ।। २३७.

O beautiful one, you are the knowledge of sacrifice, the supreme knowledge, the secret knowledge, and the knowledge of the self, O goddess, bestower of the fruit of liberation.

आन्वीक्षिकी त्रयी वार्त्ता दण्डनीतिस्त्वमेव च । सौम्या सौम्यैर्जगद्रूपैस्त्वयैतद्देवि पूरितं ।। २३७.

You alone are inquiry, the threefold Veda, commerce, and governance; O gentle goddess, with your gentle forms you fill this entire world.

का त्वन्या त्वामृते देवि सर्वयज्ञमयं वपुः । अध्यास्ते देव देवस्य योगिचिन्त्यं गदाभृतः ।। २३७.

O goddess, who else but you possesses the form composed of all sacrifices, which is contemplated by yogis and is the body of the mace-bearing Lord of gods?

त्वया देवि परित्यक्तं सकलं भुवनत्रयं । विनष्टप्रायमभवत् त्वयेदानीं समेधितं ।। २३७.

O goddess, when you abandoned it, the entire three worlds nearly perished; now, by your presence, they are flourishing again.

दाराः पुत्रास्तथागारं सुहृद्धान्यघनादिकं । भवत्येतन्महाभागो नित्यं त्वद्वीक्षणान् नृणां ।। २३७.

Wives, sons, houses, friends, grain, wealth, and the like—these blessings come always to people of great fortune through your glance, O goddess.

शरीरारोग्यमैश्वर्यमरिपक्षक्षयः सुखं । देवि त्वद्‌दृष्टिदृष्टानां पुरुषाणां न दुर्ल्लभं ।। २३७.

Health of body, prosperity, destruction of enemies, and happiness—none of these are difficult to obtain for those men who are seen by your gaze, O goddess.

त्वमम्बा सर्वभूतानां देवदेवो हरिः पिता । त्वयैतद्विष्णुना चाम्ब जगद्व्याप्तं चराचरं ।। २३७.

You are the mother of all beings, and Hari, the god of gods, is their father; O mother, with Vishnu, you pervade this entire world, both moving and unmoving.

मानं कोषं तथा कोष्ठं मा गृहं मा परिच्छदं । मा शरीरं कलत्रञ्च त्यजेथाः सर्व्वपावनि ।। २३७.

Do not abandon honor, wealth, storehouses, house, possessions, body, or spouse, O purifier of all.

मा पुत्रान्मासुहृद्वर्गान्मा पशून्मा विभूषणं । मम देवस्य विष्णोर्वक्षःस्थलालये ।। २३७.

Do not abandon sons, friends, cattle, or ornaments, for you dwell upon the chest of my lord Vishnu, O goddess.

सत्त्वेन सत्यशौचाभ्यां तथा शीलादिभिर्गुणैः । त्यज्यन्ते ते नरा सद्यः सन्त्यक्ता ये त्वयामले ।। २३७.

Those men who are abandoned by you, O pure one, are immediately forsaken by virtue, truth, purity, and qualities such as good conduct.

त्वयावलोकिताः सद्यः शीलाद्यैरखिलैर्गुणेः । कुलैश्वर्य्यैश्च युज्यन्ते पुरुषा निर्गणा अपि ।। २३७.

Those men upon whom you cast your glance, O goddess, are endowed at once with all virtues such as good conduct, and with family prosperity, even if they are devoid of qualities.

सश्लाघ्यः स गुणी धन्यः स कुलीनः स बुद्धिमान् । स शूरः स च विक्रान्तो यस्त्वया देवि वीक्षितः ।। २३७.

He is praiseworthy, virtuous, fortunate, noble, wise, heroic, and valiant—he whom you, O goddess, have looked upon.

सद्यो वैगुण्यमायान्ति शीलाद्याः सकला गुणाः । परामुङ्‌मुखी जगद्धात्री यस्य त्वं विष्णुवल्लभे ।। २३७.

All virtues such as good conduct quickly depart from him, O sustainer of the world, O beloved of Vishnu, from whom you turn away.

न ते वर्णयितुं शक्ता गुणान् जिह्वापि वेधसः । प्रसीद देवि पद्माक्षि नास्मांस्त्याक्षईः कदाचन ।। २३७.

Even the tongue of Brahmā is not able to describe your qualities; be gracious, O lotus-eyed goddess, never forsake us.

पुष्कर उवाच । एवं स्तुता ददौ श्रीश्च वरमिन्द्राय चेप्सितं । सुस्थिरत्वं चराज्यस्य सङ्‌ग्रामविजयादिकं ।। २३७.

Puṣkara said: Thus praised, Śrī granted Indra the desired boon—stability of his kingdom, victory in battle, and the like.

स्वस्तोत्रपाठश्रवणकर्तॄणां भुक्तिमुक्तिदं । श्रीस्तोत्रं तस्मात् पठेच्च श्रृणुयान्नरः ।। २३७.

Therefore, one should recite or listen to this hymn to Śrī, which grants enjoyment and liberation to those who recite or hear it.

अग्निरुवाच नीतिस्ते पुष्करोक्ता तु रामोक्ता लक्ष्मणाय या । जयाय तां प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रृणु धर्म्मादिवर्द्धनीं ।। २३८.

Agni said: The policy spoken by Puṣkara, and that which Rāma spoke to Lakṣmaṇa for victory—I shall now declare it, which increases righteousness and the like; listen.

राम उवाच न्यायेनार्ज्जनमर्थस्य वर्द्धनं रक्षणं चरेत् । सत्पात्रप्रतिपत्तिश्च राजवृत्तं चतुर्विधं ।। २३८.

Rāma said: One should acquire wealth by just means, increase and protect it, bestow it upon worthy recipients—these are the four duties of a king.

नयस्य विनयो मूलं विनयः शास्त्रनिश्चयात् । विनयो हीन्द्रियजयस्तैर्युक्तः पालयेन्महीं ।। २३८.

Discipline is the root of good governance; discipline arises from certainty in the scriptures. Discipline is truly mastery over the senses; endowed with these, one should rule the earth.

ग्रभावः शुचिता मैत्री त्यागः सत्यं कृतज्ञता । कुलं शीलं दमश्चेति गुणाः सम्पत्तिहेतवः ।। २३८.

Nobility of birth, purity, friendship, generosity, truthfulness, gratitude, family, character, and self-restraint—these virtues are the causes of prosperity.

प्रकीर्णविषयारण्ये धावन्तं विप्रमाथिनं । ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन कुर्व्वीत वश्यमिन्द्रियदन्तिनं ।। २३८.

In the forest of scattered sense-objects, the mind runs wild and is destructive; with the goad of knowledge, one should bring the elephant of the senses under control.

कामः क्रोधस्तथा लोभो हर्षो मानो मदस्तथा । षड्‌वर्गमुतसृजेदेनमस्मिंस्त्यक्ते सुखी नृपः ।। २३८.

Desire, anger, greed, delight, pride, and arrogance—these six should be abandoned; the king who gives them up is happy.

आन्वीक्षिकीं त्रयीं वार्त्तां दण्डनीतिं च पार्थिवः । तद्विद्यैस्तत्‌क्रियोपैतैश्चिन्तयेद्विनयान्वितः ।। २३८.

A king should reflect, with discipline, upon inquiry, the three Vedas, commerce, and the science of governance, using the knowledge and practices associated with each.

आन्वीक्षिक्यार्थविज्ञानं धर्म्माधर्मौ त्रयीस्थितौ । अर्थानर्थौ तु वार्त्तायां दण्डनीत्यां नयानयौ ।। २३८.

Inquiry leads to understanding of meaning; righteousness and unrighteousness are found in the three Vedas; gain and loss are in commerce; right and wrong policy are in the science of governance.

अहिंसा सूनृता वाणी सत्यं शौचं दया क्षमा । वणिनां लिङ्गिनां चैव सामान्यो धर्म्म उच्यते ।। २३८.

Nonviolence, gentle speech, truthfulness, purity, compassion, and forgiveness—these are said to be the common duties for both householders and renunciants.

प्रजाः समनुगृह्णीयात् कुर्य्यादाचारसंस्थितिं । वाक्‌ सूनृता दया दानं हिनोपगतरक्षणं ।। २३८.

He should care for his people, establish proper conduct, speak kindly, show compassion, give gifts, and protect those who are oppressed.

इति वृत्तं सतां साधुहितं सत्पुरुषव्रतं । आधिव्याधिपरीताय अद्य श्वो वा विनाशिने ।। २३८.

Such conduct is the vow of the virtuous, beneficial to the good; for those afflicted by sorrow and disease, whether today or tomorrow, it is their support.

को हि राजा शरीराय धर्म्मापेतं समाचरेत् । न हि स्वसुखमन्विच्छन् पीडयेत् कृपणं जनं ।। २३८.

What king would act unrighteously for the sake of his own body? Seeking his own happiness, he should not oppress the unfortunate.