पार्वत्युवाच ध्यायते ध्याननिष्ठश्च हृत्पद्मे च दिवानिश्म् । ब्रह्मा महेशः मेषश्च भगवन्तं सनातनम्
Pārvatī said: Brahmā, Maheśa, and Meṣa, absorbed in meditation, contemplate day and night upon the eternal Lord in the lotus of the heart.
दिनेशश्च गणेशश्च योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरुः । ध्यायते परमात्मानं भगवन्तं सनातनम्
The sun, Gaṇeśa, and the guru of the yogis' gurus, all meditate upon the supreme self, the eternal Lord.
सनत्कुमारः कपिलो नरो नारायणस्तथा । ध्यायते हृदयाम्भोजे भगवन्तं सo
Sanatkumāra, Kapila, Nara, and Nārāyaṇa likewise meditate upon the Lord in the lotus of the heart.
मनवश्च मुनीन्द्राश्च सिद्धेन्द्रा योगिनां वराः । ध्यानासाध्यं च ध्यायन्ते भगवन्तं सo
The Manus, the foremost sages, the chief of the siddhas, and the best among yogis, all meditate upon the Lord, attainable through meditation.
सर्वादिं सर्वबीजं च सर्वेशं च परात्परम् । ध्यायन्ते ज्ञानिनः सर्वे भगवन्तं सo
All the wise contemplate the Lord, who is the origin of all, the seed of all, the Lord of all, and higher than the highest.
गणेश उवाच अभाग्यं च बलेश्चापि वैष्णवस्य महात्मनः । मूढोऽयमीदृशः पुत्रः प्रह्लादस्य च धीमतः
Gaṇeśa said: This is the misfortune of Bali and also of the great-souled Vaiṣṇava; this son, though foolish, is the son of the wise Prahlāda.
स्कन्द उवाच अये भ्रातर्न श्रुता च हिरण्यकशिपोः कथा । हिरण्याक्षस्य च मधोः कैटभस्य महात्मनः
Skanda said: O brother, have you not heard the story of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Hiraṇyākṣa, Madhu, and the great-souled Kaiṭabha?
पूर्वजास्तेऽपि ते दैत्या महाबलपराक्रमाः । क्रमेण विष्णुना नीता लीलया यमसादनम्
Those Daityas, your elders, mighty and valiant, were gradually sent to the abode of Yama by Viṣṇu in sport.
भगवान्यस्य संहर्ता स्वयं नारायणः प्रभुः । तस्य को रक्षिता भ्रातर्निवर्तस्व शुभायच
The Lord Nārāyaṇa himself is the destroyer of that one; O brother, who then can be his protector? Turn back for your own good.
तेषां च वचनं श्रुत्वा तानुवाचासुरेश्वरः । कोपरक्तास्यनयनो धनुष्पाणिर्यथाऽन्तकः
Hearing their words, the lord of the Asuras replied, his mouth and eyes reddened with anger, holding his bow like Death himself.
बाण उवाच शृणु मातः प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु तात महेश्वर । शृणु भ्रातर्गणपते शृणु भ्रातश्च कार्तिक
Bāṇa said: Listen, Mother, I will speak; listen, Father Maheśvara; listen, brother Gaṇapati; listen, brother Kārtikeya.
शुभशुभं प्राक्तनेन प्राणिनां कर्मिणां तथा । कृतकर्मातिरिक्तं च कार्य केषां च वर्तते
The good and bad that befall living beings arise from their past actions; apart from what has already been done, what remains to be done exists for some.
नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते विद्धः शरशतैरपि । तृणाग्रेणापि संस्पृष्टः प्राप्तकालो न जीवति
One does not die before the appointed time, even if pierced by hundreds of arrows; but when the time has come, one does not live, even if touched only by a blade of grass.
यस्माच्च यस्य निर्वाणं विधात्रा लिखितं पुरा । तदेव नित्यं सत्यं च निषेकः केन वार्यते
That liberation which has been written by the Creator for each person from the beginning—that alone is always true and eternal; who can prevent what is destined?
संग्रामे कातरो यो हि निष्फलं तस्य जीवनम् । जयी यशस्च लभते मृतः स्वर्गं च गच्छति
In battle, the coward's life is fruitless; the victor gains fame, and the one who dies attains heaven.
प्रविश्य कन्यां गृह्णाति नगरं शिवरक्षितम् । पार्वत्या च गणेशेन युद्धेन बलिना तथा
He enters, seizes the maiden, and the city protected by Śiva, as well as by Pārvatī, Gaṇeśa, and the mighty Kārtikeya, through battle.
को वा गृह्णाति कन्यां च कस्य वा जीवितस्य च । सगर्भा तव कन्येति सभायां रक्षको वदेत्
Who can seize the maiden, or whose is life itself? If your daughter is pregnant, let the protector declare it in the assembly.
इति मे वज्रतुल्यं च श्रुतिकौटं परं वचः । अतोऽनिरुद्वं हत्वा च घातयिष्यामि कन्यकाम् अन्यथा ज्वलदग्नौ च त्यक्ष्यामि च कलेवरम्
Thus, my words are as firm as thunder and difficult to disregard; therefore, after killing Aniruddha, I will slay the maiden, or else I will cast my body into blazing fire.
कोटर्युवाच शृणु वत्स प्रवक्ष्यामि माताऽहं तेऽपि धर्मतः । तुरन्तेनापि पृत्रेण पित्रोर्दुःर्ख पदे पदे
Koṭarī said: Listen, my child, I will tell you—by righteousness, I am also your mother. Even with haste, a father brings suffering to parents at every step.
कन्या परगृहीता साऽप्यन्यस्मै दातुमक्षमा । श्रीकृष्णस्यापि पौत्राय प्रद्युम्नस्य सुताय च
A maiden who has been accepted by another cannot be given to someone else; even to the grandson of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or to the son of Pradyumna.
अनिरुद्धाय महते स्वेच्छया देहि कन्यकाम् । पूतोऽसि भारते वर्षे सप्तभिः पितृभिः सह
Give the maiden willingly to Aniruddha the great, as you wish; you will be purified in the land of Bhārata along with seven generations of ancestors.
यौतुकं देहि सर्वस्वं यशसे महसे भुवि । अन्यथा रणमध्ये च त्वां हनिष्यति माधवः
Give the full dowry for glory and greatness on earth; otherwise, Mādhava will slay you in the midst of battle.
सुदशंनेन चकेण को वा त्वां रक्षितुं क्षमः । कोटरीवचनं श्रुत्वा चुकोप दैत्यपुंगवः
With Sudarśana’s discus, who indeed is able to protect you? Hearing Koṭarī’s words, the chief of the Daityas became enraged.
प्रययौ रथमारुह्य यत्र पौत्रो हरेर्मुने । स्कन्दः सेनापतिर्भूत्वा प्रययौ शंकराज्ञया
He mounted his chariot and went to where the grandson of Hari was, O sage. Skanda, becoming commander of the army, departed by the order of Śaṅkara.
बाणः स्वस्त्ययनं चक्रे गणेशश्च शिवः स्वयम् । बाणं शुभाशिषं चक्रे पार्वती कोटरी तथा
Bāṇa performed auspicious rites, and Gaṇeśa and Śiva themselves blessed him. Pārvatī and Koṭarī likewise gave Bāṇa their good wishes.
अष्टौ च भैरवाश्चैव रुद्राश्चैकादशैव ते । सर्वे युद्धाय हन्तारो बभूवुः शस्त्रपाणयः
There were eight Bhairavas and eleven Rudras; all, weapons in hand, became ready to fight and to slay.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे दूतोऽप्यनिरुद्धमुवाच ह । पार्वत्या प्रेरितश्चैव बाणपत्न्या च सत्वरम्
Meanwhile, a messenger also spoke to Aniruddha, sent quickly by Pārvatī and by Bāṇa’s wife.
दूत उवाच अनिरुद्धोत्तिष्ठ भद्रं पार्वतीवचनं शृणु । भव सांनाहिको वत्स कुरु युद्धं बहिर्भव
The messenger said: Arise, Aniruddha, may all be well—hear the words of Pārvatī. Arm yourself, child, and go forth to battle.
भीतोषा रुदती त्रस्ता सस्मार पार्वतीं सतीम् । रक्ष रक्ष महामाये मत्प्रणेश्वरमीप्सितम्
Terrified, Uṣā wept in fear and remembered the virtuous Pārvatī: ‘Protect, protect, O great goddess, the lord of my heart whom I desire!’
अभेयेऽप्यभयं देहि संग्रामे घोरदारुणे । त्वमेव जगतां माता स्नेहस्ते सर्वतः समः
Grant safety even in the midst of danger, in the fierce and dreadful battle. You alone are the mother of the worlds; your affection is equal for all.