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?'
निमित्तं नैव जानेऽहं कथं कार्या प्रतिक्रिया । इति चिन्तातुरोऽत्यर्थं दध्यौ मीलितलोचनः
'I do not know the reason, nor how to remedy the situation.' Thus, deeply troubled, he meditated with closed eyes.
पराशक्तिप्रकोपात्तु जातमेतदिति स्म ह । जानंस्तदा सावधानः पद्मजोऽभून्नृपोत्तम
Then, realizing that this had arisen from the wrath of the Supreme Shakti, the lotus-born Brahma became alert, O best of kings.
ततस्तयोश्च यत्कार्यं स्वयमेवाऽकरोत्तदा । स्वशक्तेश्च प्रभावेण कियत्कालं तपोनिधिः
Then, for some time, he himself performed the necessary tasks of those two, by the power of his own Shakti, O treasure of austerity.
ततस्तयोस्तु स्वस्त्यर्थं मन्वादीन्स्वसुतानथ । आह्वयामास धर्मात्मा सनकादींश्च सत्वरः
Afterwards, for their welfare, the righteous one quickly summoned his sons, beginning with Manu, and also Sanaka and the others.
उवाच वचनं तेभ्यः सन्नतेभ्यस्तपोनिधिः । कार्यासक्तोऽहमधुना तपः कर्तुं न च क्षमः
The ascetic, bowing to them, spoke these words: 'I am now engaged in work and unable to perform austerities.'
पराशक्तेस्तु तोषार्थं जगद्भारयुतोऽस्म्यहम् । शिवविष्णू च विक्षिप्तौ पराशक्तिप्रकोपतः
'For the satisfaction of the Supreme Shakti, I am burdened with the weight of the world; Shiva and Vishnu have been cast down by the wrath of the Supreme Shakti.'
तस्मात्तां परमां शक्तिं यूयं सन्तोषयन्त्वथ । अत्यद्भुतं तपः कृत्वा भक्त्या परमया युताः
Therefore, you should all propitiate that supreme Power, performing the most extraordinary austerity, endowed with utmost devotion.
यथा तौ पूर्ववृत्तौ च स्यात शक्तियुतावपि ां। तथा कुरुत मत्पुत्रा यशोवृद्धिर्भवेद्धि वः
So that those two, as in former times, may be endowed with power, do thus, my sons, and your fame will surely increase.
कुले यस्य भवेज्जन्म तयोः शक्त्योस्तु तत्कुलम् । पावयेज्जगतीं सर्वां कृतकृत्यं स्वयं भवेत्
In the family where the birth of those two powers takes place, that lineage sanctifies the entire world and itself attains fulfillment.
व्यास उवाच - पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा गताः सर्वे वनान्तरे । रिराधयिषवः सर्वे दक्षाद्या विमलान्तराः
Vyāsa said: Hearing the words of the Grandfather, all the pure-hearted ones, beginning with Dakṣa, went into the forest, intent on worship.
देवीपीठवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच - ततस्ते तु वनोद्देशे हिमाचलतटाश्रयाः । मायाबीजजपासक्तास्तपश्चेरुः समाहिताः
Vyāsa said: Then, in a region of the forest, dwelling on the slopes of the Himalayas, absorbed in reciting the seed-mantra of Māyā, they performed austerities with concentrated minds.
ध्यायतां परमां शक्तिं लक्षवर्षाण्यभून्नृप । ततः प्रसन्ना देवी सा प्रत्यक्ष्यं दर्शनं ददौ
As they meditated on the supreme Power, a hundred thousand years passed, O King; then the Goddess, pleased, granted them a direct vision.
पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिचतुर्बाहुस्त्रिलोचना । करुणारससम्पूर्णा सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी
She appeared with four arms holding noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness, three-eyed, filled with the essence of compassion, embodying existence, consciousness, and bliss.
दृष्ट्वा तां सर्वजननीं तुष्टुवुर्मुनयोऽमलाः । नमस्ते विश्वरूपायै वैश्वानरसुमूर्तये
Beholding her, the Mother of all, the pure sages praised her: 'Salutations to you, of universal form, the embodiment of cosmic fire.'
नमस्तेजसरूपायै सुत्रात्मवपुषे नमः । यस्मिन्सर्वे लिङ्गदेहा ओतप्रोता व्यवस्थिताः
Salutations to you, whose form is radiance, whose body is the thread of existence; in whom all embodied beings are woven and established.
नमः प्राज्ञस्वरूपायै नमोऽव्याकृतमूर्तये । नमः प्रत्यक्स्वरूपायै नमस्ते ब्रह्ममूर्तये
Salutations to you, whose form is wisdom; salutations to you, whose form is unmanifest; salutations to you, whose form is direct perception; salutations to you, whose form is Brahman.
नमस्ते सर्वरूपायै सर्व लक्ष्यात्ममूर्तये । इति स्तुत्वा जगद्धात्रीं भक्तिगद्गदया गिरा
Salutations to you, of all forms, whose essence is the goal of all; thus, with voices choked with devotion, they praised the Mother of the universe.
प्रणेमुश्चरणांभोजं दक्षाद्या मुनयोऽमलाः । ततः प्रसन्ना सा देवी प्रोवाच पिकभाषिणी
The pure sages, beginning with Dakṣa, bowed to her lotus feet; then, pleased, the Goddess spoke, her voice sweet as a cuckoo's.
वरं ब्रूत महाभागा वरदाहं सदा मता । तस्यास्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा हरविष्ण्वोस्तनोः शमम्
Ask for a boon, O greatly fortunate ones; I am always known as the granter of boons. Hearing her words, they sought peace for the bodies of Hari and Viṣṇu.
तयोस्तच्छक्तिलाभं च वव्रिरे नृपसत्तम । दक्षोऽथ पुनरप्याह जन्म देवि कुले मम
And the best of kings, they requested the attainment of power for those two; then Dakṣa again said, 'May you, O Goddess, be born in my lineage.'