त्रैलोक्यनाशनोद्युक्तो वीरभद्रो यदाभवत् । ब्रह्मादयस्तदा देवां शङ्करं शरणं ययुः
When Vīrabhadra became intent on destroying the three worlds, then Brahmā and the other gods sought refuge in Śaṅkara.
जाते सर्वस्वनाशेऽपि करुणानिधिरीश्वरः । अभयं दत्तवांस्तेभ्यो बस्तवक्रेण तं मनुम्
Even when all was being destroyed, the Lord, ocean of compassion, granted them fearlessness; he revived Manu, who was bent like a bamboo.
अजीवयन्महात्मासौ ततः खिन्नो महेश्वरः । यज्ञवाटमुपागम्य रुरोद भृशदुःखितः
That great soul was restored to life; then, deeply afflicted, Maheśvara went to the sacrificial ground and wept in intense sorrow.
अपश्यत्तां सतीं वह्नौ दह्यमानां तु चित्कलाम् । स्कन्धेऽप्यारोपयामास हा सतीति वदन्मुहुः
He saw Satī being burned in the fire, her subtle body; again and again, crying 'Alas, Satī!', he lifted her onto his shoulder.
बभ्राम भ्रान्तचित्तः सन्नानादेशेषु शङ्करः । तदा ब्रह्मादयो देवाश्चिन्तामापुरनुत्तमाम्
His mind bewildered, Śaṅkara wandered through various places; then Brahmā and the other gods fell into great anxiety.
विष्णुस्तु त्वरया तत्र धनुरुद्यम्य मार्गणैः । चिच्छेदावयवान्सत्यास्तत्तत्स्थानेषु तेऽपतन्
Viṣṇu, in haste, took up his bow and arrows and cut Satī’s limbs, which fell in various places.
तत्तत्स्थानेषु तत्रासीन्नानामूर्तिधरो हरः । उवाच च ततो देवान्स्थानेष्वेतेषु ये शिवाम्
In those places, Hara took on various forms; then he said to the gods, 'In these places, whoever worships Śivā with supreme devotion—'
भजन्ति परया भक्त्या तेषां किञ्चिन्न दुर्लभम् । नित्यं सन्निहिता यत्र निजाङ्गेषु पराम्बिका
'For them, nothing is difficult to obtain; the supreme Mother is always present there in her own limbs.'
स्थानेष्वेतेषु ये मर्त्याः पुरश्चरणकर्मिणः । तेषां मन्त्राः प्रसिद्ध्यन्ति मायाबीजं विशेषतः
'In these places, those mortals who perform special rites—their mantras succeed, especially the seed-mantra of Māyā.'
इत्युक्त्वा शङ्करस्तेषु स्थानेषु विरहातुरः । कालं निन्ये नृपश्रेष्ठ जपध्यानसमाधिभिः
Having spoken thus, Śaṅkara, tormented by separation, spent his time in those places, O best of kings, absorbed in recitation, meditation, and samādhi.
जनमेजय उवाच - कानि स्थानानि तानि स्युः सिद्धपीठानि चानघ । कति संख्यानि नामानि कानि तेषां च मे वद
Janamejaya said: O sinless one, what are those places that are called Siddha Pithas? How many are there, what are their names, and which are they? Please tell me.
तत्र स्थितानां देवीनां नामानि च कृपाकर । कृतार्थोऽहं भवे येन तद्वदाशु महामुने
O compassionate one, tell me also the names of the goddesses who reside in those places, so that I may become fulfilled by knowing them, O great sage.
व्यास उवाच - शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवेपीठानि साम्प्ततम् । येषां श्रवणमात्रेण पापहीनो भवेन्नरः
Vyasa said: Listen, O king, I will declare to you the goddess Pithas in detail; by merely hearing their names, a person becomes free from sin.
येषु येषु च पीठेषूपास्येयं सिद्धिकाङ्क्षिभिः । भूतिकामैरभिध्येया तानि वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः
In each of these Pithas, those who seek accomplishment worship the goddess; those desiring prosperity meditate upon her. I will tell you their true nature.
वाराणस्यां विशालाक्षी गौरीमुखनिवासिनी । क्षेत्रे वै नैमिषारण्ये प्रोक्ता सा लिङ्गधारिणी
In Varanasi, Vishalakshi dwells, residing at the face of Gauri; in the sacred region of Naimisharanya, she is called Lingadharini.
प्रयागे ललिता प्रोक्ता कामुकी गन्धमादने । मानसे कुमुदा प्रोक्ता दक्षिणे चोत्तरे तथा
In Prayaga, she is known as Lalita; in Gandhamadana, as Kamuki; in Manasa, she is called Kumuda, both in the south and the north.
विश्वकामा भगवती विश्वकामप्रपूरणी । गोमन्ते गोमती देवी मन्दरे कामचारिणी
The goddess Vishvakama fulfills all desires; in Gomanta, she is Gomati Devi; in Mandara, she is Kamacharini.
मदोत्कटा चैत्ररथे जयन्ती हस्तिनापुरे । गौरी प्रोक्ता कान्यकुब्जे रम्भा तु मलयाचले
In Chaitraratha, she is Madotkata; in Hastinapura, Jayanti; in Kanyakubja, she is Gauri; in Malayachala, Rambha.
एकाम्रपीठे सम्प्रोक्ता देवी सा कीर्तिमत्यपि । विश्वे विश्वेश्वरीं प्राहुः पुरुहूतां च पुष्करे
At Ekamra Pitha, she is called Kirti; in Vishva, she is Vishveshvari; in Pushkara, she is Puruhuta.
केदारपीठे सम्प्रोक्ता देवी सन्मार्गदायिनी । मन्दा हिमवतः पृष्ठे गोकर्णे भद्रकर्णिका
At Kedara Pitha, she is Sanmargadayini; on the slopes of the Himalayas, she is Manda; at Gokarna, she is Bhadrakarnika.
स्थानेश्वरे भवानी तु बिल्वले बिल्वपत्रिका । श्रीशैले माधवी प्रोक्ता भद्रा भद्रेश्वरे तथा
At Sthanesvara, she is Bhavani; at Bilva, Bilvapatrika; at Srisaila, she is Madhavi; at Bhadreshvara, she is Bhadra.
वराहशैले तु जया कमला कमलालये । रुद्राणी रुद्रकोट्यां तु काली कालञ्जरे तथा
At Varaha Shaila, she is Jaya; at Kamalalaya, Kamala; at Rudrakoṭi, she is Rudrani; at Kalanjara, Kali.
शालग्रामे महादेवी शिवलिङ्गे जलप्रिया । महालिङ्गे तु कपिला माकोटे मुकुटेश्वरी
At Shalagrama, she is Mahadevi; at the Shiva Linga, Jalapriya; at Mahalinga, she is Kapila; at Makota, she is Mukuteshvari.
मायापुर्यां कुमारी स्यात्सन्ताने ललिताम्बिका । गंयायां मङ्गला प्रोक्ता विमला पुरुषोत्तमे
In Mayapur, she is Kumari; at Santan, Lalitambika; at Gamya, she is Mangala; at Purushottama, she is Vimala.
उत्पलाषी सहस्राक्षे हिरण्याक्षे महोत्पला । विपाशायाममोघाक्षी पाडला पुण्ड्रवर्धने
At Utpalashi, she is Sahasrakshi; at Hiranyaksha, Mahotpala; at Vipasha, she is Amoghakshi; at Padala, she is Pundravardhini.
नारायणी सुपार्श्वे तु त्रिकुटे रुद्रसुन्दरी । विपुले विपुला देवी कल्याणी मलयाचले
At Narayani, she is Supashva; at Trikuta, Rudrasundari; at Vipula, she is Vipula Devi; at Malayachala, Kalyani.
सह्याद्रावकवीरा तु हरिश्चन्द्रे तु चन्द्रिका । रमणा रामतीर्थे तु यमुनायां मृगावती
At Sahyadri, she is Avakaveera; at Harischandra, Chandrika; at Ramana, she is Ramatirtha; at Yamuna, Mrigavati.
कोटवी कोटतीर्थे तु सुगन्धा माधवे वने । गोदावर्यां त्रिसन्ध्या तु गङ्गाद्वारे रतिप्रिया
At Kotavi, she is Kotatirtha; in Madhava forest, Sugandha; at Godavari, she is Trisandhya; at Gangadvara, Ratipriya.
शिवकुण्डे शुभानन्दा नन्दिनी देविकातटे । रुक्मिणी द्वारवयां तु राधा वृन्दावने वने
At Śiva's pond, she is Śubhānandā; at Devikā's bank, Nandinī; in Dvārakā, she is Rukmiṇī; in Vṛndāvana forest, she is Rādhā.
देवकी मथुरायां तु पाताले परमेश्वरी । चित्रकूटे तथा सीता विन्ध्ये विन्ध्याधिवासिनी
In Mathurā, she is Devakī; in the netherworld, Parameśvarī; at Citrakūṭa, she is Sītā; in the Vindhya mountains, she is Vindhyādhivāsinī.