कृष्णप्रिया त्वं भाण्डीरे चन्द्रा चन्दनकानने । विरजा चम्पकवने शतशृङ्गे च सुन्दरी
You are beloved of Kṛṣṇa in Bhāṇḍīra, Candra in the sandalwood forest, Virajā in the campaka grove, and the beautiful one on Śataśṛṅga.
पद्मावती पद्मवने मालती मालतीवने । कृन्ददन्ती कुन्दवने सुशीला केतकीवने
You are Padmāvatī in the lotus forest, Mālatī in the jasmine grove, Kṛndadantī in the jasmine forest, and the virtuous Ketakī in the ketakī grove.
कदम्बमाला त्वं देवी कदम्बकाननेऽपि च । राजलक्ष्मी राजगेहे गृहलक्ष्मीर्गृहे गृहे
You are Kadambamālā, O goddess, in the kadamba forest as well; you are royal Lakṣmī in the royal palace, and household Lakṣmī in every home.
इत्युक्तवा देवताः सर्वे मुनयो मनवस्तथा । रुरुदुर्नम्रवदनाः शुष्ककण्ठोष्ठतालुकाः
Having spoken thus, all the gods, sages, and Manus wept, their faces bowed, with dry throats, lips, and palates.
इति लक्ष्मीस्तवं पुण्यं सर्वदेवैः कृतं शुभम् । यः पठेत्प्रातरुत्थाय स वै सर्वं लभेद्ध्रुवम्
This sacred hymn to Lakṣmī, auspicious and composed by all the gods—whoever recites it upon rising in the morning surely obtains all things.
अभार्योलभते भार्यां विनीतां च सुतां सतीम् । सुशीलां सुनदरीं रम्यामतिसुप्रियवादिनीम्
A man without a wife obtains a virtuous wife, and sons who are chaste, virtuous, beautiful, charming, and extremely sweet-spoken.
पुत्रपौत्रवतीं शुद्धां कुलजां कोमलां वराम् । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं वैष्णवं चिरजीविनम्
A man without a son obtains a son who is a devotee of Vishnu and long-lived, just as one obtains a pure, noble-born, gentle, and excellent wife blessed with sons and grandsons.
परमैश्वर्ययुक्तं च विद्यावन्तं यशस्विनम् । भ्रष्टराज्यो लभेद्राज्यं भ्रष्टश्रीर्लभते श्रियम्
He attains a son endowed with supreme prosperity, knowledge, and fame; one who has lost his kingdom regains it, and one bereft of fortune regains prosperity.
हतबन्धुर्लभेद्बन्धुं धनभ्रष्टो धनं लभेत् । कीर्तिंहीनो लभेत्कीर्तिं प्रतिष्ठां च लभेद्ध्रुवम्
One who has lost relatives regains relatives, one deprived of wealth regains wealth; one without fame attains fame, and certainly attains firm reputation.
सर्वमङ्गलदं स्तोत्रं शोकसंतापनाशनम् । हर्षानन्दकरं शश्वद्धर्ममोक्षसुहृत्प्रदम्
This hymn bestows all auspiciousness, destroys sorrow and distress, brings lasting joy and happiness, and grants the favor of righteousness and liberation.
अथ सप्तपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः नारायण उवाच देवानां स्तवनं श्रुत्वा त्यक्तवा च रोदनं सती । उवाच सुप्रसन्ना तांस्तेषां स्तोत्रेण नारद
Then, in the fifty-seventh chapter, Narayana said: Hearing the praise of the gods, Sati abandoned her weeping and, being very pleased, spoke to them through that hymn, O Narada.
महालक्ष्मीरुवाच त्यजामि देहं न क्रोधान्न वैराग्योण सांप्रतम् । इदं हृदि समालोच्य देवास्तच्छ्ूयतामिति
Mahalakshmi said: I do not abandon the body out of anger, nor from detachment at this time; having considered this in my heart, O gods, listen to it.
यस्मिन्सदीशे महति सर्वसाम्यो च निर्गुणे । सर्वात्मनि सदानन्दे समता तृणशैलयोः
In that great, equal, and qualityless being, who is the Self of all and ever-blissful, there is equality between a blade of grass and a mountain.
भ्रूभङ्गलीलया लक्ष्मीर्लक्षं स्रष्टुमलं च यः । भृत्ये स्त्रियां यत्समता किं कार्य तस्च सेवया
Lakshmi, by a mere playful movement of her eyebrow, is able to create hundreds of thousands; what need is there for service from a servant or a woman, when there is such equality?
तत्पत्नीनां प्रधानाऽहं नीरस्ता द्वारिणाऽधुना । तद्भृत्यभृत्यभृत्येन परिपूर्णेन नेप्सिता
Among his wives, I am foremost, but now I have been rejected at the door; he does not desire even the most devoted of his servants’ servants.
त्यक्ष्यामि जीवनमहमसौभाग्या च स्वामिनि । वह्नौ च कामनां कृत्वा यथा भद्रं भवेत्पुरा
I will give up my life, being unfortunate with my lord; having made my wish in the fire, as was auspicious before.
या स्त्री भर्तुरसौभाग्या साऽसौभाग्या च सर्वतः । शयनेऽभोजने तस्या न सुखं जीवनं वृथा
A woman who is unfortunate with her husband is altogether inauspicious; whether in bed or at meals, for her there is no happiness—her life is in vain.
यस्या नास्ति प्रियप्रेम तस्या जन्म निरर्थकम् । तर्त्कि पुत्रे धने रुपे संपत्तौ यौवनेऽथवा
For a woman who lacks the love of her beloved, her birth is meaningless, even if she has sons, wealth, beauty, prosperity, or youth.
यद्भक्तिर्नास्ति कान्ते च सर्वप्रियतमे परे । साऽशुचिर्धर्महीना च सर्वकर्मविवर्जिता
She who has no devotion to her beloved, who is the dearest and supreme, is impure, devoid of righteousness, and bereft of all duties.
पतिर्बन्धुर्गतिर्भर्ता दैवतं गुरुरेव च । सर्वक्माच्च परः स्वामी न गुरुः स्वामिनः परः
The husband is a woman's relative, refuge, lord, deity, and teacher; above all, the master is supreme—no teacher is greater than the master.
पितामाता सुतो भ्राता क्लिष्टो दातुमिदं धनम् । सर्वस्वदाता स्वामी च मूढानं योषितां सुराः
Father, mother, son, and brother are reluctant to give wealth; but the master is the giver of all for women who are deluded, O gods.
काचिदेव हि जानाति महासाध्वी च स्वामिनम् । अतिसद्वंशजाता च सुशीला कुलपालिका
Only a rare and truly virtuous woman knows her master; one born in a noble lineage, of good conduct, and protector of her family.
आसद्वंशप्रसूता या दुःशीला धर्मवर्जिता । मुखदुष्टा योनिदुष्टा पतिं निन्दति कोपतः
A woman born in a noble family, but of bad conduct and devoid of righteousness, with a wicked mouth and impure womb, reviles her husband in anger.
या स्त्री सर्वपरं द्वेष्टि पतिं विष्णुसमं गुरुम् । कुम्भीपाके पचति सा यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश
A woman who hates everyone, and her husband who is like Vishnu and her teacher, is cooked in the hell called Kumbhipaka as long as the fourteen Indras exist.
व्रतं चानशनं दानं सत्यं पुष्यं तपश्चिरम् । पतिभक्तिविहीनाया भस्मीभूतं निरर्थकम्
Austerity, fasting, charity, truthfulness, purity, and long penance—without devotion to one's husband, all these are reduced to ashes and rendered meaningless for a woman.
अतः रिंचिन्न वक्ष्यामि निष्ठुरं पतिमीश्वरम् । भृत्यापराधैर्देवस्य प्राणांस्तयक्ष्यामि निश्चितम्
Therefore, I will not speak harshly of my husband, even if he is severe; I am resolved to give up my life for the offenses of his servants, rather than blame him.
पतिदोषे महासाध्वी पतिं न निष्ठुरं वदेत् । यदि सोढुमशक्ता च प्राणांस्त्यजति धर्मतः
A truly virtuous wife does not call her husband cruel because of his faults; if she is unable to endure, she righteously gives up her own life.
पतिसेवा व्रतं स्त्रीणां पतिसेवा परं तपः । पतिसेवा परो धर्मः पतिसेवा सुरार्चनम्
For women, service to the husband is the highest vow; service to the husband is the greatest penance; service to the husband is the supreme duty; service to the husband is worship of the gods.
पतिसेवा परं सत्यं दानतौर्थानुकीर्तनम् । सर्वदेवमयः स्वामी सर्वदेवमयः शुचिः
Service to the husband is the highest truth, greater than charity or reciting sacred pilgrimages; the husband embodies all the gods, the husband is pure as all the gods.
सर्वपुण्यस्वरुपश्च पतिरुपी जनार्दनः । या सतीभर्तुरुच्छिष्टं भुङ्क्तै पादोदकं सदा
The husband is the very form of all merit, and Janardana appears as the husband; the chaste wife who always eats her husband's leftovers and drinks his foot-water—