ब्रह्मा शंभुर्भगवती दुर्गा रक्षति मां सदा । येन शुक्लीकृता हंसाः शुकाश्च हरिताः कृताः
Brahma, Shiva, and the goddess Durga always protect me; by whom swans are made white and parrots are made green.
मयूराश्चित्रिता येन स मे रक्षां करिष्यति । अनाथबालवृद्धानां रक्षकाः सर्वदेवताः
He who adorned peacocks with colors will grant me protection; all the gods are guardians of the helpless, children, and the aged.
नारीबुद्व्या न मां धर्मस्त्यक्त्वा गच्छेद्धि सर्वदा । मां मातरं परित्यज्य गच्छ वत्स यथासुखम्
No woman or earth can ever abandon me, nor can Dharma depart from me; O child, leave me, your mother, and go as you please.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा देवी सा तस्थौ तत्र धरा यथा । आगच्छन्तं च संभोक्तुं मा यान्तं बोधनेन च
Having spoken thus, the goddess stood there like the earth; she waited for him to come, to enjoy, and to depart, and to awaken.
शशापेति च सा कोपाद्ब्रह्मपन्धो क्षयो भव । क्षयो भव दुराचार हे पापिष्ठ क्षयो भव
In anger, she cursed: 'O Brahmin, let there be destruction! Let there be destruction, O wicked one, let there be destruction!'
पुनः शप्तं स्वयं सूर्यो वारयामास यत्नतः । एतसिमन्नन्तरे तात तत्रव जगदीश्वराः
Again, as she cursed, the sun himself tried earnestly to restrain her; meanwhile, O dear one, the lords of the world were present there.
आजग्मुरतिसंत्रस्ता ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः । धर्म दृष्ट्वा कलारूपं रुरुदुस्त्रिदशेश्वराः
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and others arrived, greatly disturbed; seeing Dharma in the form of Kali, the lords of the gods wept.
कृत्वा क्रोडेऽतीव कृशं कुह्वा भीतं यथा विधुम् । निश्चेष्टं मलिनं दग्धं सतीकोपाग्निना व्रज
They took the extremely emaciated, terrified, and lifeless Dharma in their arms, dirty and scorched by Sati's fire of wrath.
श्रीभवानुवाच क्षमस्व वृन्दे मद्भक्ते जन्ममृत्युजराहरे । धर्म जीवय मद्भक्तं रक्ष धर्म पतिव्रते
Sri Bhagavan said: 'Forgive, O Vrinda, my devotee, who removes birth, death, and old age; revive Dharma, protect my devotee, O virtuous wife.'
ब्रह्मोवाच ध्वान्तपूर्ण जगत्सर्दं विना धर्म बभूव ह । कम्पितौ चन्द्रसूर्यौ च शेषश्चापि वसुंधरा
Brahma said: 'The world became filled with darkness, bereft of Dharma; the moon and sun trembled, and even the earth shook.'
महदेव उवाच प्रनष्टं च जगत्सर्वं विना धर्मेण सुन्दरि । धर्मं जीवय भद्रं ते स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु वरानने
Mahadeva said: 'All the world is lost without Dharma, O beautiful one; revive Dharma, may you be blessed, may you have auspiciousness, O lovely-faced.'
सूर्य उवाच वरं वृष्णीष्व भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वाञ्छितम् । धर्मं जीवय भद्रं ते रक्ष सृष्टिं पतिव्रते
Surya said: 'Choose a boon, may you be blessed, whatever you desire in your mind; revive Dharma, may you be blessed, protect creation, O virtuous wife.'
अनन्त उवाच धर्मं करोषि तपसा कथं धर्मं विहसि च । धर्मं जीवय भद्रं ते सर्वधर्मो भवेत्तव
Ananta said: 'You perform Dharma through austerity, how can you destroy Dharma? Revive Dharma, may you be blessed; let all Dharma reside in you.'
चन्द्र उवाच द्विजरूपधरो धर्मस्त्वां परीक्षितुमागतः । ब्रह्मणा प्रेरितश्चैव निर्दोषश्च विहिंसितः
Chandra said: 'Dharma, taking the form of a twice-born, came to test you, sent by Brahma, innocent yet harmed.'
महेन्द्र उवाच तपसोपान्जितो धर्मो धर्मेण च फलं नृपाम् । कथं फलं च तपसां यदि धर्मः क्षयं गतः
Mahendra said: 'Dharma is attained through austerity, and its fruit is by Dharma for kings; how can there be fruit of austerities if Dharma is destroyed?'
वरुण उवाच धर्मं जीवय धर्मिष्ठे धर्मं रक्ष सनातनम् । निष्फलं कर्मिणां कर्म विना धर्मेणा धार्मिके
Varuna said: 'Revive Dharma, O righteous one, protect the eternal Dharma; the actions of the doers are fruitless without Dharma, O virtuous one.'
पवन उवाच जगत्पूतं कुरु शुभे धर्मं जौवय सांप्रतम् । धर्मे प्रनष्टे तपसां तवापूर्वं विनङ्क्ष्यति
The Wind said: O auspicious one, purify the world and now restore righteousness; if righteousness is lost, your unparalleled austerities will also be destroyed.
वह्निरुवाच स्वधर्मोपार्जनं कर्तुमागताऽसि च भारतम् । विहंसि धर्ममज्ञात्वा पुनर्जीवय सुन्दरि
Agni said: You have come to the land of Bharata to uphold your own righteous duty; do not harm righteousness out of ignorance—revive it again, O beautiful one.
यम उवाच वेदोक्तकर्मकर्तणासहं विश्वे वरानने । धर्मानुसारात्फलदो धर्म जीवय सत्वरम्
Yama said: O most excellent lady, I am the giver of results according to righteousness, to those who perform actions prescribed by the Vedas; quickly revive righteousness.
देवानां वचनं क्षुत्वा समुत्थाय पतिव्रता । नमस्कृत्य सुरेशांश्चतानुवाच तपस्विनी
Hearing the words of the gods, the devoted wife rose up, bowed to the lords of the gods, and then the ascetic woman spoke to them.
वृन्दोवाच अहं देवा न जानामि धर्मं ब्राह्मणरूपिणम् । कृतः क्षयो मया कोपान्मां परीङितुमागतः
Vṛndā said: O gods, I do not know righteousness in the form of a Brāhmaṇa; I destroyed him out of anger, and now he has come to curse me.
जीवयामि ध्रुवं धर्मं युष्माकं च प्रसादतः । इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा वृन्दा चेत्युवाच व्पजेश्वर
Certainly, by your grace, I will revive righteousness; having said this, Vṛndā then spoke to the lord of ascetics.
तपः सत्यं यदि मम सत्यं च विष्णुपूजनम् । तेन पुण्येन सद्योऽत्र द्विजो भवतु विज्वरः
If my austerity is true, and my worship of Viṣṇu is sincere, then by that merit, may this Brāhmaṇa here and now become free from suffering.
यदि मे च भवेत्सत्यं व्रतं सत्यं तपःशुचि । तेन पुण्येन सत्येन द्विजो भo
If my vow is true, if my austerity is pure and sincere, then by that true merit, may the Brāhmaṇa live.
यदि नारायणः सत्यः सर्वात्मा नित्यविग्रहः । ज्ञानात्मकः शिवः सत्यो द्विजो भo
If Nārāyaṇa is true, the eternal embodiment of all, the essence of knowledge and auspiciousness, then may the Brāhmaṇa live.
ब्रह्म सत्यं च ते देवाः प्रकृतिः परमा यदि । यज्ञः सत्यस्तपः सत्यं द्विजो भo
If Brahman is truth, if your gods and the supreme nature are real, if sacrifice and austerity are true, then may the Brāhmaṇa live.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा वृन्दा धर्म क्रोडे चकार च । तं दृष्ट्वा च कलारूपं रुरोद कृपयासती
Having spoken thus, Vṛndā took Dharma onto her lap; seeing him in a diminished form, the chaste woman wept out of compassion.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे मूर्तिर्धर्मभार्या शुचाऽऽकुला । निपत्य विष्णुपादे य शिरसा चेत्युवाच सा
At that moment, Dharma's wife, distressed with grief, fell at Viṣṇu's feet and spoke with her head bowed.
मूर्तिरुवाच हे नाथ करुणासिन्धो दीनबन्धो कृपां कुरु । तूर्णं जीवय कान्तं मे जगन्नाथ कृपामय
Mūrti said: O Lord, ocean of compassion, friend of the afflicted, show your mercy; quickly revive my beloved, O Lord of the universe, full of grace.
पतिहीना च या नारी पापिनी सा भवार्णवे । यथाऽऽस्यं चक्षुर्विरतं प्राणहीना यथा तनूः
A woman without a husband becomes sinful and is lost in the ocean of worldly existence, just as an eye without sight or a body without life.