व्याधोऽहं क्रूरकर्माहं सत्कर्माहं महाजनः । स्त्रीपुन्नपुंसकाकारोऽप्यहमेव न संशयः
I am the hunter, I am the cruel-doer, I am the virtuous, I am the great person; I am indeed of the forms of woman, man, and neuter, without doubt.
यच्च किञ्चित्क्वचिद्वस्तु दृश्यते श्रूयतेऽपि वा । अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्याहं सर्वदा स्थिता
Whatever thing is seen or heard anywhere, all that, within and without, I pervade and always exist in.
न तदस्ति मया त्यक्तं वस्तु किञ्चिच्चराचरम् । यद्यस्ति चेत्तच्छून्यं स्याद्वन्ध्यापुत्रोपमं हि तत्
There is not a single moving or unmoving thing abandoned by me; if there were, it would be void, like the son of a barren woman.
रज्जुर्यथा सर्पमालाभेदैरेका विभाति हि । तथैवेशादिरूपेण भाम्यहं नात्र संशयः
Just as a single rope appears as a snake or a garland due to differences in perception, so too do I shine forth as Īśa and others—of this there is no doubt.
अधिष्ठानातिरेकेण कल्पितं तन्न भासते । तस्मान्मत्सत्तयैवैतत्सत्तावान्नान्यथा भवेत्
What is imagined apart from the substratum does not shine forth; therefore, by my existence alone does this exist, not otherwise.
हिमालय उवाच यथा वदसि देवेशि समष्ट्याऽऽत्मवपुस्त्विदम् । तथैव द्रष्टुमिच्छामि यदि देवि कृपा मयि
Himalaya said: O Goddess of the gods, just as you say this universe is your collective form, so too I wish to see it, if you, O Goddess, show me your grace.
व्यास उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वे देवाः सविष्णवः । ननन्दुर्मुदितात्मानः पूजयन्तश्च तद्वचः
Vyāsa said: Hearing his words, all the gods, along with Viṣṇu, rejoiced with delighted hearts, honoring those words.
अथ देवमतं ज्ञात्वा भक्तकामदुघा शिवा । अदर्शयन्निजं रूपं भक्तकामप्रपूरिणी
Then, knowing the intention of the gods, the auspicious one, who fulfills the wishes of devotees, revealed her own form, fulfilling the desires of her devotees.
अपश्यंस्ते महादेव्या विराड्रूपं परात्परम् । द्यौर्मस्तकं भवेद्यस्य चन्द्रसूर्यौ च चक्षुषी
They beheld that Supreme Form of the Great Goddess, transcending all, whose head was the sky, and whose eyes were the sun and moon.
दिशः श्रोत्रे वचो देवाः प्राणो वायुः प्रकीर्तितः । विश्वं हृदयमित्याहुः पृथिवी जघनं स्मृतम्
The directions were her ears, the gods her speech, the wind is said to be her breath; the universe is called her heart, and the earth is remembered as her hips.
नभस्तलं नाभिसरो ज्योतिश्चक्रमुरःस्थलम् । महर्लोकस्तु ग्रीवा स्याज्जनोलोको मुखं स्मृतम्
The region of space is her navel, the circle of light her chest; the Maharloka is her neck, and the Janaloka is remembered as her mouth.
तपोलोको रराटिस्तु सत्यलोकादधः स्थितः । इन्द्रादयो बाहवः स्युः शब्दः श्रोत्रं महेशितुः
The Tapoloka is her throat, and the Satyaloka lies below; Indra and the other gods are her arms, and sound is the ear of the Great Ruler.
नासत्यदस्रौ नासे स्तो गन्धो घ्राणं स्मृतो बुधैः । मुखमग्निः समाख्यातो दिवारात्री च पक्ष्मणी
The Ashvins are her nostrils, and scent is known by the wise as her sense of smell; fire is declared to be her mouth, and day and night are her eyelashes.
ब्रह्मस्थानं भ्रूविजृम्भोऽप्यापस्तालुः प्र्कीर्तिताः । रसो जिह्वा समाख्याता यमो दंष्ट्राः प्रकीर्तिताः
The place of Brahma is her brow's arch, water is said to be her palate; taste is declared to be her tongue, and Yama is said to be her fangs.
दन्ताः स्नेहकला यस्य हासो माया प्रकीर्तिता । सर्गस्त्वपाङ्गमोक्षः स्याद् व्रीडोर्ध्वोष्ठो महेशितुः
Her teeth are the phases of affection, her laughter is called Māyā; creation is the glance of her eye, and modesty is the upper lip of the Great Ruler.
लोभः स्यादधरोष्ठोऽस्याधर्ममार्गस्तु पृष्ठभूः । प्रजापतिश्च मेढ्रं स्याद्यः स्रष्टा जगतीतले
Greed is her lower lip, the path of unrighteousness is her back; Prajāpati is her generative organ, he who creates on the earth.
कुक्षिः समुद्रा गिरयोऽस्थीनि देव्या महेशितुः । नद्यो नाड्यः समाख्याता वृक्षाः केशाः प्रकीर्तिताः
Her belly is the oceans, her bones are the mountains, O Great Goddess; her veins are called the rivers, and her hair is said to be the trees.
कौमारयौवनजरा वयोऽस्य गतिरुत्तमा । बलाहकास्तु केशाः स्युः सन्ध्ये ते वाससी विभो
Childhood, youth, and old age are her supreme movements; the clouds are her hair, and the twilights are her garments, O Lord.
राजञ्छ्रीजगदम्बायाश्चन्द्रमास्तु मनः स्मृतः । विज्ञानशक्तिस्तु हरी रुद्रोऽन्तःकरणं स्मृतम्
O King, the moon is remembered as the mind of the World-Mother; the power of knowledge is Vishnu, and Rudra is remembered as her inner faculty.
अश्वा हि जातयः सर्वाः श्रोणिदेशे स्थिता विभोः । अतलादिमहालोकाः कट्यधोभागतां गताः
All the races of horses are situated at her hips, O Lord; the great worlds beginning with Atala are located below her waist.
एतादृशं महारूपं ददृशुः सुरपुङ्गवाः । ज्वालामालासहस्राढ्यं लेलिहानं च जिह्वया
Such a vast form, adorned with thousands of garlands of flames, licking with her tongue, was seen by the foremost of the gods.
दंष्ट्राकटकटारावं वमन्तं वह्निमक्षिभिः । नानायुधधरं वीरं ब्रह्मक्षत्रौदनं च यत्
Emitting a clattering sound with her fangs, vomiting fire from her eyes, bearing various weapons, heroic, and consuming Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and others.
सहस्रशीर्षनयनं सहस्रचरणं तथा । कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं विद्युत्कोटिसमप्रभम्
With a thousand heads and eyes, and likewise a thousand feet, shining like ten million suns, and blazing like ten million lightning bolts.
भयङ्करं महाघोरं हृदक्ष्णोस्त्रासकारकम् । ददृशुस्ते सुराः सर्वे हाहाकारं च चक्रिरे
Terrifying, exceedingly dreadful, causing fear to the hearts and eyes, all the gods saw her and cried out in distress.
विकम्पमानहृदया मूर्च्छामापुर्दुरत्ययाम् । स्मरणं च गतं तेषां जगदम्बेयमित्यपि
Their hearts trembling, they fell into an unbearable swoon, and even the thought, 'She is the World-Mother,' left them.
अथ ते ये स्थिता वेदाश्चतुर्दिक्षु महाविभोः । बोधयामासुरत्युग्रं मूर्छातो मूर्च्छितान्सुरान्
Then those Vedas, stationed in all directions of the Great Lord, awakened the gods who had fainted from that intense swoon.
अथ ते धैर्यमालम्ब्य लब्ध्वा च श्रुतिमुत्तमाम् । प्रेमाश्रुपूर्णनयना रुद्धकण्ठास्तु निर्जराः
Then, gathering their courage and having received the highest revelation, the immortals, their eyes filled with tears of love and their throats choked with emotion,
बाष्पगद्गदया वाचा स्तोतुं समुपचक्रिरे । देवा ऊचुः अपराधं क्षमस्वाम्ब पाहि दीनांस्त्वदुद्भवान्
began to praise with voices broken by sobs. The gods said: Forgive our offenses, O Mother, protect us who are helpless and born from you.
कोपं संहर देवेशि सभया रूपदर्शनात् । का ते स्तुतिः प्रकर्तव्या पामरैर्निर्जरैरिह
Withdraw your anger, O Goddess of the gods, for we are fearful at the sight of your form. What praise can be offered here by us, mere immortals of little merit?
स्वस्याप्यज्ञेय एवासौ यावान्यश्च स्वविक्रमः । तदर्वाग्जायमानानां कथं स विषयो भवेत्
Even your own power is unknowable to yourself, and so to others as well; how can that be grasped by those born after you, limited in speech and understanding?