देवीगीतायां श्रीदेव्याः पूजाविधिवर्णनम् हिमालय उवाच देवदेवि महेशानि करुणासागरेऽम्बिके । ब्रूहि पूजाविधिं सम्यग्यथावदधुना निजम्
Description of the method of worship of Śrī Devī in the Devī Gītā. Himalaya said: O Goddess of gods, great Lady, ocean of compassion, O Ambikā, please now properly tell me Your own method of worship.
श्रीदेव्युवाच वक्ष्ये पूजाविधिं राजन्नम्बिकाया यथा प्रियम् । अत्यन्तश्रद्धया सार्धं शृणु पर्वतपुङ्गव
Śrī Devī said: O King, I shall explain the method of worship of Ambikā as is dear to Me; listen with utmost faith, O best of mountains.
द्विविधा मम पूजा स्याद् बाह्या चाभ्यन्तरापि च । बाह्यापि द्विविधा प्रोक्ता वैदिकी तान्त्रिकी तथा
My worship is of two kinds: external and internal; and the external is also said to be of two types: Vedic and Tantric.
वैदिक्यर्चापि द्विविधा मूर्तिभेदेन भूधर । वैदिकी वैदिकैः कार्या वेददीक्षासमन्वितैः
Even the Vedic worship is of two kinds, depending on the form, O mountain; Vedic worship should be performed by those initiated in the Vedas.
तन्त्रोक्तदीक्षावद्भिस्तु तान्त्रिकी संश्रिता भवेत् । इत्थं पूजारहस्यं च न ज्ञात्वा विपरीतकम्
Tantric worship is to be undertaken by those who have received initiation as prescribed in the Tantras; thus, without knowing this secret of worship, if one acts otherwise—
करोति यो नरो मूढः स पतत्येव सर्वथा । तत्र या वैदिकी प्रोक्ता प्रथमा तां वदाम्यहम्
—the foolish person certainly falls. Now, of these, I shall first describe the Vedic worship.
यन्मे साक्षात्परं रूपं दृष्ट्वानसि भूधर । अनन्तशीर्षनयनमनन्तचरणं महत्
That supreme form of Mine which you have directly seen, O mountain—endless in heads and eyes, endless in feet, vast—
सर्वशक्तिसमायुक्तं प्रेरकं यत्परात्परम् । तदेव पूजयेन्नित्यं नमेद् ध्यायेत्स्मरेदपि
—endowed with all powers, the supreme of the supreme, the impeller—one should worship that alone always, bow to it, meditate on it, and remember it.
इत्येतत्प्रथमार्चायाः स्वरूपं कथितं नग । शान्तः समाहितमना दम्भाहङ्कारवर्जितः
Thus, the nature of the first worship has been described, O mountain; be peaceful, with mind collected, free from hypocrisy and pride.
तत्परो भव तद्याजी तदेव शरणं व्रज । तदेव चेतसा पश्य जप ध्यायस्व सर्वदा
Be devoted to That, be a worshipper of That, take refuge in That alone; see That with your mind, recite, and always meditate on That.
अनन्यया प्रेमयुक्तभक्त्या मद्भावमाश्रितः । यज्ञैर्यज तपोदानैर्मामेव परितोषय
With exclusive, loving devotion, taking refuge in My state, worship Me with sacrifices, austerity, and gifts—thus please Me alone.
इत्थं ममानुग्रहतो मोक्ष्यसे भवबन्धनात् । मत्परा ये मदासक्तचित्ता भक्तवरा मताः
Thus, by My grace, you will be freed from the bondage of worldly existence; those who are devoted to Me, whose minds are attached to Me, are considered the best devotees.
प्रतिजाने भवादस्मादुद्धराम्यचिरेण तु । ध्यानेन कर्मयुक्तेन भक्तिज्ञानेन वा पुनः
I promise: from this worldly existence I will quickly deliver them—whether by meditation joined with action, or again by devotion and knowledge.
प्राप्याहं सर्वथा राजन्न तु केवलकर्मभिः । धर्मात्सञ्जायते भक्तिर्भक्त्या सञ्जायते परम्
I am attained in every way, O King, but not by mere actions alone; from righteousness arises devotion, and from devotion arises the supreme.
श्रुतिस्मृतिभ्यामुदितं यत्स धर्मः प्रकीर्तितः । अन्यशास्त्रेण यः प्रोक्तो धर्माभासः स उच्यते
That which is declared in the Śruti and Smṛti is called dharma; what is stated in other texts is said to be only an appearance of dharma.
सर्वज्ञात्सर्वशक्तेश्च मत्तो वेदः समुत्थितः । अज्ञानस्य ममाभावादप्रमाणा न च श्रुतिः
From Me, who am all-knowing and all-powerful, the Veda has arisen; since ignorance does not exist in Me, the Śruti is never invalid.
स्मृतयश्च श्रुतेरर्थं गृहीत्वैव च निर्गताः । मन्वादीनां श्रुतीनां च ततः प्रामाण्यमिष्यते
The Smṛtis have arisen only by taking the meaning from the Śruti; therefore, the authority of the Śrutis of Manu and others is accepted.
क्वचित्कदाचित्तन्त्रार्थकटाक्षेण परोदितम् । धर्मं वदन्ति सोंऽशस्तु नैव ग्राह्योऽस्ति वैदिकैः
Sometimes, in some places, a portion of Dharma is declared with a glance at the meaning of the Tantras; but that part is not to be accepted by those who follow the Vedas.
अन्येषां शास्त्रकर्तॄणामज्ञानप्रभवत्वतः । अज्ञानदोषदुष्टत्वात्तदुक्तेर्न प्रमाणता
Because the authors of other scriptures are subject to ignorance, and their statements are tainted by the fault of ignorance, their words are not authoritative.
तस्मान्मुमुक्षुर्धर्मार्थं सर्वथा वेदमाश्रयेत् । राजाज्ञा च यथा लोके हन्यते न कदाचन
Therefore, one who seeks liberation should always rely on the Veda for Dharma; just as in the world, the king’s command is never to be violated.
सर्वेशान्या ममाज्ञा सा श्रुतिस्त्याज्या कथं नृभिः । मदाज्ञारक्षणार्थं तु ब्रह्मक्षत्रियजातयः
Among all commands, mine alone is the command; how can the Śruti, which is my command, ever be abandoned by men? For the protection of my command, the Brahmin and Kṣatriya castes were created by me.
मया सृष्टास्ततो ज्ञेयं रहस्यं मे श्रुतेर्वचः । यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भूधर
Therefore, know this as my secret: the word of the Śruti is mine. Whenever there is a decline of Dharma, O mountain, and unrighteousness arises,
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदा वेषान्बिभर्म्यहम् । देवदैत्यविभागश्चाप्यत एवाभवन्नृप
Then I assume various forms; and thus, O king, the division between gods and demons has arisen.
ये न कुर्वन्ति तद्धर्मं तच्छिक्षार्थं मया सदा । सम्पादितास्तु नरकास्त्रासो यच्छ्रवणाद्भवेत्
Those who do not practice that Dharma, for their instruction I have always created hells, the mere hearing of which brings fear.
यो वेदधर्ममुज्झित्य धर्ममन्यं समाश्रयेत् । राजा प्रवासयेद्देशान्निजादेतानधर्मिणः
Whoever, abandoning Vedic Dharma, takes refuge in another Dharma, the king should banish such unrighteous persons from his own land.
ब्राह्मणैर्न च सम्भाष्याः पङ्क्तिग्राह्या न च द्विजैः । अन्यानि यानि शास्त्राणि लोकेऽस्मिन्विविधानि च
They should not be spoken to by Brahmins, nor accepted in the line at meals by twice-born; and whatever other various scriptures exist in this world,
श्रुतिस्मृतिविरुद्धानि तामसान्येव सर्वशः । वामं कापालकं चैव कौलकं भैरवागमः
Those that are opposed to Śruti and Smṛti are entirely of the nature of darkness—such as the Vāma, Kāpālika, Kaula, and Bhairava Āgamas.
शिवेन मोहनार्थाय प्रणीतो नान्यहेतुकः । दक्षशापाद् भृगोः शापाद्दधीचस्य च शापतः
These were composed by Śiva for the purpose of delusion, not for any other reason; due to the curse of Dakṣa, the curse of Bhṛgu, and the curse of Dadhīci,
दग्धा ये ब्राह्मणवरा वेदमार्गबहिष्कृताः । तेषामुद्धरणार्थाय सोपानक्रमतः सदा
Those best of Brahmins who were burned and cast out from the Vedic path—for their upliftment, a gradual path was always established.
शैवाश्च वैष्णवाश्श्चैव सौराः शाक्तास्तथैव च । गाणपत्या आगमाश्च प्रणीताः शङ्करेण तु
Thus, the Śaiva, Vaiṣṇava, Saura, Śākta, and Gāṇapatya Āgamas were composed by Śaṅkara.