ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान् हंसारूढश्चतुर्मुखः । ययौ तस्मै वरं दातुं प्रसन्नमुखपङ्कजः
Then the blessed four-faced Lord, mounted on a swan, became pleased and went to grant him a boon, his lotus face beaming with favor.
समाधिस्थं मीलिताक्षं स्फुटमाह चतुर्मुखः । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्तते
Seeing him absorbed in meditation with closed eyes, the four-faced one spoke clearly: 'Choose a boon, good fortune to you, whatever abides in your mind.'
तवाद्य तपसा तुष्टो वरदेशोऽहमागतः । श्रुत्वा ब्रह्ममुखाद्वाणीं व्युत्थितः स समाधितः
'Today I am pleased by your austerity and have come to grant you a boon.' Hearing these words from Brahmā’s mouth, he arose from his meditation.
पूजयित्वा वरं वव्रे वेदान्देहि सुरेश्वर । त्रिषु लोकेषु ये मन्त्रा ब्राह्मणेषु सुरेष्वपि
After worshipping him, he asked for a boon: 'O Lord of the gods, give me the Vedas, and all the mantras that exist in the three worlds, among Brahmins and gods.'
विद्यन्ते ते तु सान्निध्ये मम सन्तु महेश्वर । बलं च देहि येन स्याद्देवानां च पराजयः
'Let all those be present with me, O great Lord, and grant me the power by which the gods may be defeated.'
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तथास्त्विति वचो वदन् । जगाम सत्यलोकं तु चतुर्वेदेश्वरः परः
Hearing his words, the supreme Lord of the four Vedas replied, 'So be it,' and departed to the world of truth.
ततः प्रभृति विप्रैस्तु विस्मृता वेदराशयः । स्नानसन्ध्यानित्यहोमश्राद्धयज्ञजपादयः
From that time, the collections of the Vedas were forgotten by the Brahmins; daily bathing, twilight rituals, constant offerings, ancestral rites, sacrifices, and recitations disappeared.
विलुप्ता धरणीपृष्ठे हाहाकारो महानभूत् । किमिदं किमिदं चेति विप्रा ऊचुः परस्परम्
They vanished from the surface of the earth, and a great outcry arose: 'What is this? What is this?' the Brahmins said to one another.
वेदाभावात्तदस्माभिः कर्तव्यं किमतः परम् । इति भूमौ महानर्थे जाते परमदारुणे
With the absence of the Vedas, what else should we do now? Thus, when this great and exceedingly dreadful calamity arose on earth—
निर्जराः सजरा जाता हविर्भागाद्यभावतः । रुरोध स तदा दैत्यो नगरीममरावतीम्
Because the offerings were no longer made, the immortals became mortal; then that Daitya besieged the city of Amaravati.
अशक्तास्तेन ते योद्धुं वज्रदेहासुरेण च । पलायनं तदा कृत्वा निर्गता निर्जराः क्वचित्
Unable to fight against that demon with a body hard as a thunderbolt, the immortals fled and escaped to various places.
निलयं गिरिदुर्गेषु रत्नसानुगुहासु च । संस्थिताः परमां शक्तिं ध्यायन्तस्ते पराम्बिकाम्
They took refuge in mountain fortresses and in caves adorned with jewels, meditating with utmost concentration on the supreme Mother.
अग्नौ होमाद्यभावात्तु वृष्ट्यभावोऽप्यभून्नृप । वृष्टेरभावे संशुष्कं निर्जलं चापि भूतलम्
Because there were no fire offerings, O King, there was also no rain; and in the absence of rain, the earth became parched and waterless.
कूपवापीतडागाश्च सरितः शुष्कतां गताः । अनावृष्टिरियं राजन्नभूच्च शतवार्षिकी
Wells, ponds, tanks, and rivers all dried up; O King, this drought lasted for a hundred years.
मृताः प्रजाश्च बहुधा गोमहिष्यादयस्तथा । गृहे गृहे मनुष्याणामभवच्छवसंग्रहः
Many living beings died, including cows, buffaloes, and others; in every house, there were heaps of corpses among humans.
अनर्थे त्वेवमुद्भूते ब्राह्मणाः शान्तचेतसः । गत्वा हिमवतः पार्श्वे रिराधयिषवः शिवम्
When this disaster arose, the Brahmins, with peaceful minds, went to the slopes of the Himalayas, desiring to worship Shiva.
समाधिध्यानपूजाभिर्देवीं तुष्टुवुरन्वहम् । निराहारास्तदासक्तास्तामेव शरणं ययुः
Through meditation, contemplation, and worship, they praised the Goddess daily; fasting and absorbed in her, they sought refuge in her alone.
दयां कुरु महेशानि पामरेषु जनेषु हि । सर्वापराधयुक्तेषु नैतच्छ्लाघ्यं तवाम्बिके
Show compassion, O Great Goddess, to these humble people; O Mother, it is not fitting for you to be praised for this, when all are bound by faults.
कोपं संहर देवेशि सर्वान्तर्यामिरूपिणि । त्वया यथा प्रेर्यतेऽयं करोति स तथा जनः
Withdraw your anger, O Goddess of the gods, who dwell within all; as you direct, so do people act.
नान्या गतिर्जनस्यास्य किं पश्यसि पुनः पुनः । यथेच्छसि तथा कर्तुं समर्थासि महेश्वरि
There is no other refuge for these people; why do you keep observing again and again? O Great Goddess, you are able to act as you wish.
समुद्धर महेशानि संकटात्परमोत्थितात् । जीवनेन विनास्माकं कथं स्यात्स्थितिरम्बिके
O Great Goddess, rescue us from this supreme calamity; O Mother, without life, how can we continue to exist?
प्रसीद त्वं महेशानि प्रसीद जगदम्बिके । अनन्तकोटिब्रह्माण्डनायिके ते नमो नमः
Be gracious, O Great Goddess, be gracious, O Mother of the universe; O ruler of countless millions of universes, we bow to you again and again.
नमः कूटस्थरूपायै चिद्रूपायै नमो नमः । नमो वेदान्तवेद्यायै भुवनेश्यै नमो नमः
Salutations to her whose form is changeless, salutations to her whose nature is consciousness; salutations to her who is known through the Vedanta, salutations to the Lady of the worlds.
नेति नेतीति वाक्यैर्या बोध्यते सकलागमैः । तां सर्वकारणां देवीं सर्वभावेन सन्नताः
She who is realized by all the scriptures through the words 'not this, not this,' to that Goddess, the cause of all, we bow with all our being.
इति सम्प्रार्थिता देवी भुवनेशी महेश्वरी । अनन्ताक्षिमयं रूपं दर्शयामास पार्वती
Thus entreated, the Goddess, the Lady of the worlds, the Great Goddess, Parvati, revealed a form composed of countless eyes.
नीलाञ्जनसमप्रख्यं नीलपद्मायतेक्षणम् । सुकर्कशसमोत्तुङ्गवृत्तपीनघनस्तनम्
Her complexion was like dark collyrium, her eyes resembled blue lotuses, her breasts were full, round, firm, and high, surpassing even the best of elephants.
बाणमुष्टिं च कमलं पुष्पपल्लवमूलकान् । शाकादीन्फलसंयुक्ताननन्तरससंयुतान्
She held a fistful of arrows, a lotus, tender shoots and roots, and vegetables mixed with fruits, all accompanied by various flavors.
क्षुत्तृड्जरापहान् हस्तैर्बिभ्रती च महाधनुः । सर्वसौन्दर्यसारं तद्रूपं लावण्यशोभितम्
Holding the great bow in her hands, which dispelled hunger, thirst, and disease, her form was the very essence of all beauty, radiant with grace.
कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं करुणारससागरम् । दर्शयित्वा जगद्धात्री सानन्तनयनोद्भवा
Her appearance shone like millions of suns, an ocean of compassion; the Mother of the world, born from countless eyes, revealed herself.
मोचयामास लोकेषु वारिधारां सहस्रशः । नवरात्रं महावृष्टिरभून्नेत्रोद्भवैर्जलैः
She released torrents of water upon the worlds in thousands of streams; for nine nights, a great rain fell from the waters arising from her eyes.