आमथ्य वेददुग्धाब्धिं प्राप्तं रत्नं मया नृप । पराशक्तिपदाम्भोजं कृतकृत्योऽस्म्यहं ततः
Having churned the ocean of Vedic milk, O king, I have obtained the jewel; thus, I am fulfilled by reaching the lotus feet of the Supreme Power.
पञ्चब्रह्मासनारूढा नास्त्यन्या कापि देवता । तत एव महादेव्या पञ्चब्रह्मासनं कृतम्
Seated upon the throne of five Brahmas, there is no other deity; therefore, the great goddess alone has established the seat of five Brahmas.
पञ्चभ्यस्त्वधिकं वस्तु वेदेऽव्यक्तमितीर्यते । यस्मिन्नोतं च प्रोतं च सैव श्रीभुवनेश्वरी
The Veda declares that the reality beyond the five is unmanifest; in whom all is woven and threaded—that is Śrī Bhuvaneśvarī herself.
तामविज्ञाय राजेन्द्र नैव मुक्तो भवेन्नरः । यदा चर्मवदाकाशं वेष्टयिष्यन्ति मानवाः
Without knowing her, O king, a man is never liberated; only when people wrap the sky as if it were leather will such liberation occur.
तदा शिवामविज्ञाय दुःखस्यान्तो भविष्यति । अत एव श्रुतौ प्राहुः श्वेताश्वतरशाखिनः
Only then, without knowing Śivā, will the end of suffering come; thus, the Śvetāśvatara branch of the scripture has declared.
ते ध्यानयोगानुगता अपश्य- न्देवात्मशक्तिं स्वगुणैर्निगूढाम्
Those who followed the path of meditation and yoga perceived the divine self-power, concealed by her own qualities.
तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन जन्मसाफल्यहेतवे । लज्जया वा भयेनापि भक्त्या वा प्रेमयुक्तया । सर्वसङ्गं परित्यज्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च
Therefore, with all effort, for the sake of fulfilling birth, whether out of shame, fear, devotion, or with loving intent, abandoning all attachments and restraining the mind in the heart—
तन्निष्ठस्तत्परो भूयादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । येन केन मिषेणापि स्वपंस्तिष्ठन्व्रजन्नपि
One should be steadfast and devoted to her; this is the proclamation of Vedānta: by whatever means, whether sleeping, standing, or walking—
कीर्तयेत्सततं देवीं स वै मुच्येत बन्धनात् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन भज राजन् महेश्वरीम्
One should always praise the goddess; such a person is freed from bondage. Therefore, O king, worship the great goddess with all effort.
विराड्रूपां सूत्ररूपां तथान्तर्यामिरूपिणीम् । सोपानक्रमतः पूर्वं ततः शुद्धे तु चेतसि
Worship her who is the cosmic form, the thread-form, and the indwelling presence; first by gradual steps, then with purified mind.
सच्चिदानन्दलक्ष्यार्थरूपां तां ब्रह्मरूपिणीम् । आराधय परां शक्तिं प्रपञ्चोल्लासवर्जिताम्
Worship that supreme power, the embodiment of Brahman, whose nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss, free from the display of the universe.
तस्यां चित्तलयो यः स तस्या आराधनं स्मृतम् । राजन् राज्ञां पराशक्तिभक्तानां चरितं मया
Absorption of the mind in her is considered her worship; O king, I have narrated the deeds of royal devotees of the Supreme Power.
धार्मिकाणां सूर्यसोमवंशजानां मनस्विनाम् । पावनं कीर्तिदं धर्मबुद्धिदं सद्गतिप्रदम्
Of the righteous, of the solar and lunar dynasties, of the wise—purifying, fame-giving, dharma-bestowing, and granting the highest path.
कथितं पुण्यदं पश्चात्किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि । जनमेजय उवाच - गौरीलक्ष्मीसरस्वत्यो दत्ताः पूर्वं पराम्बया
I have told this sacred, merit-giving story; what else do you wish to hear? Janamejaya said: Gaurī, Lakṣmī, and Sarasvatī were previously given by the Supreme Mother—
हराय हरये तद्वन्नाभिपद्मोद्भवाय च । तुषाराद्रेश्च दक्षस्य गौरी कन्येति विश्रुतम्
To Hara, to Hari, and likewise to the one born from the lotus of the navel; it is well known that Gaurī is the daughter of the snowy mountain and of Dakṣa.
क्षीरोदधेश्च कन्येति महालक्ष्मीरिति स्मृतम् । मूलदेव्युद्भवानां च कथं कन्यात्वमन्ययोः
It is remembered that Mahālakṣmī is the daughter of the ocean of milk; but how did the daughters arise from the root goddess?
असम्भाव्यमिदं भाति संशयोऽत्र महामुने । छिन्धि ज्ञानासिना तं त्वं संशयच्छेदतत्परः
This seems impossible; there is doubt here, O great sage. Please cut it away with the sword of knowledge, being intent on dispelling doubt.
व्यास उवाच - शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि रहस्यं परमाद्भुतम् । देवीभक्तस्य ते किञ्चिदवाच्यं न हि विद्यते
Vyāsa said: Listen, O king, I will declare the most wondrous secret; for a devotee of the goddess, nothing is unspeakable.
देवीत्रयं यदा देवत्रयायादात्पराम्बिका । तदाप्रभृति ते देवाः सृष्टिकार्याणि चक्रिरे
When the Supreme Mother gave the three goddesses to the three gods, from that time onward, those gods undertook the work of creation.
कस्मिंश्चित्समये राजन् दैत्या हालाहलाभिधाः । महापराक्रमा जातास्त्रैलोक्यं तैर्जितं क्षणात्
At a certain time, O King, powerful demons known as Halahala arose; with their great might, they conquered the three worlds in an instant.
ब्रह्मणो वरदानेन दर्पिता रजताचलम् । रुरुधुर्निजसेनाभिस्तथा वैकुण्ठमेव च
Made arrogant by a boon from Brahma, they besieged Mount Kailasa with their own armies, and likewise even Vaikuntha.
कामारिः कैटभारिश्च युद्धोद्योगं च चक्रतुः । षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणामभूद्युद्धं महोत्कटम्
The enemy of desire and the slayer of Kaitabha prepared for battle; a fierce war ensued for six thousand years.
हाहाकारो महानासीद्देवदानवसेनयोः । महताथ प्रयत्नेन ताभ्यां ते दानवा हताः
A great tumult arose among the armies of gods and demons; with great effort, those two destroyed the demons.
स्वस्वस्थानेषु गत्वा तावभिमानं च चक्रतुः । स्वशक्त्योर्निकटे राजन् यद्वशादेव ते हताः
Having returned to their own abodes, they became proud, O King, not realizing that it was only by the power of their respective Shaktis that they had achieved victory.
अभिमानं तयोर्ज्ञात्वा छलहास्यं च चक्रतुः । महालक्ष्मीश्च गौरी च हास्यं दृष्ट्वा तयोस्तु तौ
Knowing their pride, the two goddesses made a display of trickery and laughter; seeing their laughter, Mahalakshmi and Gauri also laughed.
देवावतीव संकृद्धौ मोहितावादिमायया । दुरुत्तरं च ददतुरवमानपुरःसरम्
The gods became extremely angry and deluded by the goddess's maya; in their arrogance, they gave a harsh reply.
ततस्ते देवते तस्मिन्क्षणे त्यक्त्वा तु तौ पुनः । अन्तर्हिते चाभवतां हाहाकारस्तदा ह्यभूत्
Then, at that very moment, the goddesses left those two and disappeared; at that time, a great outcry arose.
निस्तेजस्कौ च निःशक्ती विक्षिप्तौ च विचेतनौ । अवमानात्तयोः शक्त्योर्जातौ हरिहरौ तदा
Deprived of energy and power, scattered and senseless, Hari and Hara were thus brought low by the withdrawal of their Shaktis.
ब्रह्मा चिन्तातुरो जातः किमेतत्समुपस्थितम् । प्रधानौ देवतामध्ये कथं कार्याक्षमावमू
Brahma became anxious, wondering, 'What is this that has happened? How have the chief gods among the deities become incapable of action?'
अकाण्डे किं निमित्तेन संकटं समुपस्थितम् । प्रलयो भविता किं वा जगतोऽस्य निरागसः
'Why has this calamity arisen without cause? Will there be a dissolution of this sinless world?'