सर्वं समाचरेद्यस्तु पूजनं मधुकाह्वयम् । न तस्य रोगबाधादिभयमुद्भवतेऽनघ
Whoever performs the complete worship called Madhuka, O sinless one, for him there arises no fear from disease, affliction, or the like.
अथान्यदपि वक्ष्यामि प्रकृतेः पञ्चकं परम् । नाम्ना रूपेण चोत्पत्त्या जगदानन्ददायकम्
Now I will tell you further about the supreme fivefold form of Prakriti, by name, by form, and by origin, which bestows joy upon the world.
साख्यानं च समाहात्म्यं प्रकृतेः पञ्चकं मुने । कुतूहलकर चैव शृणु मुक्तिविधायकम्
Hear, O sage, the account and the greatness of the fivefold Prakriti, which arouses curiosity and bestows liberation.
प्रकृतिचरित्रवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच गणेशजननी दुर्गा राधा लक्ष्मीः सरस्वती । सावित्री च सृष्टिविधौ प्रकृतिः पञ्चधा स्मृता
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Ganesha's mother, Durgā, Rādhā, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, and Sāvitrī—these are remembered as the fivefold forms of Prakriti in creation.
नारद उवाच आविर्बभूव सा केन का वा सा ज्ञानिनांवर । किं वा तल्लक्षणं साधो बभूव पञ्चधा कथम्
Nārada said: By whom did she appear, who is she, O best of the wise? What are her characteristics, and how did she become fivefold?
सर्वासां चरितं पूजाविधानं गुण ईप्सितः । अवतारः कुत्र कस्यास्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Please explain to me the deeds, the method of worship, the qualities, the desired incarnations, and where each of them appeared.
श्रीनारायण उवाच प्रकृतेर्लक्षणं वत्स को वा वक्तुं क्षमो भवेत् । किञ्चित्तथापि वक्ष्यामि यच्छ्रुतं धर्मवक्त्रतः
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: My child, who indeed is capable of describing the nature of Prakṛti? Still, I will speak a little of what I have heard from the mouth of Dharma.
प्रकृष्टवाचकः प्रश्न कृतिश्च सृष्टिवाचकः । सृष्टौ प्रकृष्टा या देवी प्रकृतिः सा प्रकीर्तिता
The word 'prakṛṣṭa' indicates excellence, and 'kṛti' signifies creation; thus, the Goddess who is foremost in creation is called Prakṛti.
गुणे सत्त्वे प्रकृष्टे च प्रशब्दो वर्तते श्रुतः । मध्यमे रजसि कृश्च तिशब्दस्तमसि स्मृतः
When the quality of sattva is predominant, the syllable 'pra' is used, as heard in scripture; when rajas is moderate, the syllable 'kṛ' is used, and in tamas, the syllable 'ti' is remembered.
त्रिगुणात्मस्वरूपा या सा च शक्तिसमन्विता । प्रधाना सृष्टिकरणे प्रकृतिस्तेन कथ्यते
She whose essential nature is of the three guṇas, and who is endowed with power, is called Pradhāna in the act of creation, and thus is known as Prakṛti.
प्रथमे वर्तते प्रश्न कृतिश्च सृष्टिवाचकः । सृष्टेरादौ च या देवी प्रकृतिः सा प्रकीर्तिता
At first, the syllable 'pra' is present, and 'kṛti' signifies creation; the Goddess who is at the beginning of creation is called Prakṛti.
योगेनात्मा सृष्टिविधौ द्विधारूपो बभूव सः । पुमांश्च दक्षिणार्धाङ्गो वामार्धा प्रकृतिः स्मृता
By union, the Self became twofold in the process of creation: the male with the right half of the body, and the left half is remembered as Prakṛti.
सा च ब्रह्मस्वरूपा च नित्या सा च सनातनी । यथाऽऽत्मा च तथा शक्तिर्यथाग्नौ दाहिका स्थिता
She is of the nature of Brahman, eternal and everlasting; just as the Self exists, so does power, as the capacity to burn exists in fire.
अत एव हि योगीन्द्रैः स्त्रीपुम्भेदो न मन्यते । सर्वं ब्रह्ममयं ब्रह्मञ्छश्वत्सदपि नारद
Therefore, O Nārada, the great yogis do not consider any distinction between woman and man; all is pervaded by Brahman, and Brahman alone is eternal.
स्वेच्छामयस्येच्छया च श्रीकृष्णस्य सिसृक्षया । साऽऽविर्बभूव सहसा मूलप्रकृतिरीश्वरी
By the will of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who acts according to his own desire, the primal Prakṛti, the sovereign Goddess, suddenly manifested.
तदाज्ञया पञ्चविधा सृष्टिकर्मविभेदिका । अथ भक्तानुरोधाद्वा भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहा
By her command, the fivefold acts of creation were differentiated; and, out of compassion for devotees, she assumed forms to bestow grace upon them.
गणेशमाता दुर्गा या शिवरूपा शिवप्रिया । नारायणी विष्णुमाया पूर्णब्रह्मस्वरूपिणी
She is Durgā, the mother of Gaṇeśa, of the form of Śiva and beloved of Śiva; she is Nārāyaṇī, the Māyā of Viṣṇu, and the embodiment of the Supreme Brahman.
ब्रह्मादिदेवैर्मुनिभिर्मनुभिः पूजिता स्तुता । सर्वाधिष्ठातृदेवी सा शर्वरूपा सनातनी
Worshipped and praised by Brahmā and the other gods, sages, and Manus, she is the presiding Goddess of all, of the form of night, eternal.
धर्मसत्यपुण्यकीर्तिर्यशोमङ्गलदायिनी । सुखमोक्षहर्षदात्री शोकार्तिदुःखनाशिनी
She bestows righteousness, truth, merit, fame, and auspiciousness; she grants happiness, liberation, and joy, and destroys the sorrow and suffering of the afflicted.
शरणागतदीनार्तपरित्राणपरायणा । तेजःस्वरूपा परमा तदधिष्ठातृदेवता
She is devoted to rescuing those who are distressed, helpless, and who seek refuge; her form is radiance, supreme, and she is the presiding deity over all.
सर्वशक्तिस्वरूपा च शक्तिरीशस्य सन्ततम् । सिद्धेश्वरी सिद्धिरूपा सिद्धिदा सिद्धिरीश्वरी
She is the embodiment of all powers, the constant power of the Lord; she is Siddheśvarī, of the form of accomplishment, the giver of success, and the sovereign of siddhis.
बुद्धिर्निद्रा क्षुत्पिपासा छाया तन्द्रा दया स्मृतिः । जातिः क्षान्तिश्च भ्रान्तिश्च शान्तिः कान्तिश्च चेतना
She is intelligence, sleep, hunger, thirst, shadow, drowsiness, compassion, memory, birth, forbearance, delusion, peace, beauty, and consciousness.
तुष्टिः पुष्टिस्तथा लक्ष्मीर्धृतिर्माया तथैव च । सर्वशक्तिस्वरूपा सा कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः
She is contentment, nourishment, prosperity, steadfastness, and Māyā as well; she is the embodiment of all powers of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Self.
उक्तः श्रुतौ श्रुतगुणश्चातिस्वल्पो यथागमम् । गुणोऽस्त्यनन्तोऽनन्ताया अपरां च निशामय
What has been said in the scriptures about her qualities is very little, according to tradition; her qualities are infinite, O Nārada, now listen to another.
शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा या पद्मा सा परमात्मनः । सर्वसम्पत्स्वरूपा सा तदधिष्ठातृदेवता
She who is of pure sattva nature, that Padma, is of the Supreme Self; she is the embodiment of all prosperity and the presiding deity over it.
कान्तातिदान्ता शान्ता च सुशीला सर्वमङ्गला । लोभमोहकामरोषमदाहङ्कारवर्जिता
She is beautiful, extremely self-controlled, peaceful, of good character, auspicious in all ways, and free from greed, delusion, desire, anger, pride, and ego.
भक्तानुरक्ता पत्युश्च सर्वाभ्यश्च पतिव्रता । प्राणतुल्या भगवतः प्रेमपात्रं प्रियंवदा
Devoted to her devotees and to her husband, she is faithful to him above all, as dear as life to the Lord, a vessel of love, and speaks sweetly.
सर्वसस्यात्मिका देवी जीवनोपायरूपिणी । महालक्ष्मीश्च वैकुण्ठे पतिसेवारता सती
The Goddess is the soul of all crops, the source of livelihood, and in Vaikuntha she is Mahalakshmi, ever devoted to serving her husband, chaste and true.
स्वर्गे च स्वर्गलक्ष्मीश्च राजलक्ष्मीश्च राजसु । गृहेषु गृहलक्ष्मीश्च मर्त्यानां गृहिणां तथा
In heaven she is the fortune of the gods, among kings she is royal prosperity, and in households she is the household fortune, the lady of the home among mortals.
सर्वप्राणिषु द्रव्येषु शोभारूपा मनोहरा । कीर्तिरूपा पुण्यवतां प्रभारूपा नृपेषु च
In all beings and in all things she is the form of beauty, enchanting to behold; she is fame among the virtuous and radiance among kings.