तत्र वेदाविरुद्धांशोऽप्युक्त एव क्वचित्क्वचित् । वैदिकैस्तद्ग्रहे देषो न भवत्येव कर्हिचित्
Therein, wherever there is a portion not opposed to the Veda, it is stated; and for those who follow the Veda, there is never any fault in accepting that.
सर्वथा वेदभिन्नार्थे नाधिकारी द्विजो भवेत् । वेदाधिकारहीनस्तु भवेत्तत्राधिकारवान्
In all cases, a twice-born is not qualified for matters contrary to the Veda; but one who lacks Vedic qualification is eligible there.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वैदिको वेदमाश्रयेत् । धर्मेण सहितं ज्ञानं परं ब्रह्म प्रकाशयेत्
Therefore, with all effort, a Vedic follower should rely on the Veda; with Dharma, knowledge reveals the supreme Brahman.
सर्वैषणाः परित्यज्य मामेव शरणं गताः । सर्वभूतदयावन्तो मानाहङ्कारवर्जिताः
Having abandoned all desires, taking refuge in me alone, showing compassion to all beings, free from pride and egoism—
मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा मत्स्थानकथने रताः । संन्यासिनो वनस्थाश्च गृहस्था ब्रह्मचारिणः
Those whose minds are absorbed in me, whose lives are devoted to me, who delight in speaking of my abode—whether renunciants, forest-dwellers, householders, or students—
उपासन्ते सदा भक्त्या योगमैश्वरसञ्ज्ञितम् । तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानामहमज्ञानजं तमः
They always worship with devotion, perceiving me as the embodiment of yoga and lordly power; for those who are ever engaged, I dispel the darkness born of ignorance.
ज्ञानसूर्यप्रकाशेन नाशयामि न संशयः । इत्थं वैदिकपूजायाः प्रथमाया नगाधिप
By the radiance of the sun of knowledge, I destroy it—there is no doubt. Thus, O King of the City, the essential nature of the first Vedic worship has been briefly stated.
स्वरूपमुक्तं संक्षेपाद् द्वितीयाया अथो ब्रुवे । मूर्तौ वा स्थण्डिले वापि तथा सूर्येन्दुमण्डले
Now I will speak of the second: whether in an image, on a pedestal, in the solar or lunar orb,
जलेऽथवा बाणलिङ्गे यन्त्रे वापि महापटे । तथा श्रीहृदयाम्भोजे ध्यात्वा देवीं परात्पराम्
In water, in the Bāṇa-liṅga, in a device, or on a great cloth, and likewise in the lotus of the heart, meditating on the supreme Goddess,
सगुणां करुणापूर्णां तरुणीमरुणारुणाम् । सौन्दर्यसारसीमां तां सर्वावयवसुन्दरीम्
As possessed of qualities, full of compassion, youthful and radiant red, the very limit of beauty, beautiful in every limb,
शृङ्गाररससम्पूर्णां सदा भक्तार्तिकातराम् । प्रसादसुमुखीमम्बां चन्द्रखण्डशिखण्डिनीम्
Filled with the essence of love, ever eager to relieve the distress of devotees, with a gracious face, Mother adorned with a crescent moon,
पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिधरामानन्दरूपिणीम् । पूजयेदुपचारैश्च यथावित्तानुसारतः
Holding the noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness, embodying bliss, one should worship her with offerings according to one's means.
यावदान्तरपूजायामधिकारो भवेन्न हि । तावद्बाह्यामिमां पूजां श्रयेज्जाते तु तां त्यजेत्
Until one attains the right for internal worship, one should resort to this external worship; when that is attained, one should abandon it.
आभ्यन्तरा तु या पूजा सा तु संविल्लयः स्मृतः । संविदेव परं रूपमुपाधिरहितं मम
The internal worship is called the union of consciousness; consciousness alone is my supreme form, free from all attributes.
अतः संविदि मद्रूपे चेतः स्थाप्यं निराश्रयम् । संविद्रूपातिरिक्तं तु मिथ्या मायामयं जगत्
Therefore, the mind should be established in my form as consciousness, without dependence; anything apart from the form of consciousness is false, the world made of illusion.
अतः संसारनाशाय साक्षिणीमात्मरूपिणीम् । भावयेन्निर्मनस्केन योगयुक्तेन चेतसा
Thus, for the destruction of worldly existence, one should contemplate the witness, the self-formed Goddess, with a mind free from distractions and united in yoga.
अतः परं बाह्यपूजाविस्तारः कथ्यते मया । सावधानेन मनसा शृणु पर्वतसत्तम
Now I will describe in detail the external worship; listen attentively, O best of mountains.
देवीगीतायां बाह्यपूजाविधिवर्णनम् श्री देव्युवाच प्रातरुत्थाय शिरसि संस्मरेत्पद्ममुज्ज्वलम् । कर्पूराभं स्मरेत्तत्र श्रीगुरुं निजरूपिणम्
In the Song of the Goddess, the description of the method of external worship. The Blessed Goddess spoke: Rising in the morning, one should recall the radiant lotus at the crown of the head, and there remember the revered Guru, shining like camphor, in his true form.
सुप्रसन्नं लसद्भूषाभूषितं शक्तिसंयुतम् । नमस्कृत्य ततो देवीं कुण्डलीं संस्मरेद्बुधः
One should remember him as serene, adorned with splendid ornaments, united with power; after bowing, the wise should then recall the coiled Goddess.
प्रकाशमानां प्रथमे प्रयाणे प्रतिप्रयाणेऽप्यमृतायमानाम् । अन्तः पदव्यामनुसञ्चरन्ती- मानन्दरूपामबलां प्रपद्ये
Shining forth at the first movement, and even at the return, flowing with nectar, traversing the inner path, I take refuge in the blissful, youthful form.
ध्यात्वैवं तच्छिखामध्ये सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । मां ध्यायेदथ शौचादिक्रियाः सर्वाः समापयेत्
Thus meditating, in the midst of her crown, as the embodiment of existence, consciousness, and bliss, one should then meditate on me, and complete all acts of purification and the like.
अग्निहोत्रं ततो हूत्वा मत्प्रीत्यर्थं द्विजोत्तमः । होमान्ते स्वासने स्थित्वा पूजासङ्कल्पमाचरेत्
Then, having performed the fire offering for my pleasure, the best of twice-born, at the end of the offering, seated in one's own place, should undertake the resolve for worship.
भूतशुद्धिं पुरा कृत्वा मातृकान्यासमेव च । हृल्लेखामातृकान्यासं नित्यमेव समाचरेत्
Having first performed the purification of the elements and the installation of the syllabary, one should always perform the installation of the Hrillekha syllabary as well.
मूलाधारे हकारं च हृदये च रकारकम् । भ्रूमध्ये तद्वदीकारं ह्रीङ्कारं मस्तके न्यसेत्
One should place the syllable 'ha' at the root center, 'ra' at the heart, 'i' likewise at the space between the eyebrows, and the syllable 'hrīṃ' at the crown of the head.
तत्तन्मन्त्रोदितानन्यान्न्यासान्सर्वान्समाचरेत् । कल्पयेत्स्वात्मनो देहे पीठं धर्मादिभिः पुनः
One should perform all other installations as taught by the respective mantras, and then, in one's own body, establish the seat with the deities of Dharma and so on.
ततो ध्यायेन्महादेवीं प्राणायामैर्विजृम्भिते । हृदम्भोजे मम स्थाने पञ्चप्रेतासने बुधः
Then, with the breath expanded through prāṇāyāma, the wise one should meditate on the Great Goddess, seated in my place upon the lotus of the heart, on a throne of five corpses.
ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च ईश्वरश्च सदाशिवः । एते पञ्च महाप्रेताः पादमूले मम स्थिताः
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Īśvara, and Sadāśiva—these five great corpses are stationed at my feet.
पञ्चभूतात्मका ह्येते पञ्चावस्थात्मका अपि । अहं त्वव्यक्तचिद्रूपा तदतीतास्ति सर्वथा
These are composed of the five elements and also embody the five states; but I am of the nature of unmanifest consciousness, always transcending them.
ततो विष्टरतां याताः शक्तितन्त्रेषु सर्वदा । ध्यात्वैवं मानसैर्भोगैः पूजयेन्मां जपेदपि
Thus, having attained vastness in the Śakti Tantras, one should meditate in this way and worship me with mental offerings, and also recite my mantra.
जपं समर्प्य श्रीदेव्यै ततोऽर्घ्यस्थापनं चरेत् । पात्रासादनकं कृत्वा पूजाद्रव्याणि शोधयेत्
Having offered the recitation to Śrī Devī, one should then arrange the arghya; after preparing the vessel, one should purify the articles of worship.