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.
वाणिज्यरूपा वणिजां पापिनां कलहाङ्कुरा । दयारूपा च कथिता वेदोक्ता सर्वसम्मता
She is the form of commerce among merchants, the root of quarrels among the wicked, and is said to be compassion, as declared in the Vedas and accepted by all.
सर्वपूज्या सर्ववन्द्या चान्यां मत्तो निशामय । वाग्बुद्धिविद्याज्ञानाधिष्ठात्री च परमात्मनः
Worthy of worship and veneration by all, now hear from me of another: she who presides over speech, intellect, knowledge, and wisdom for the Supreme Self.
सर्वविद्यास्वरूपा या सा च देवी सरस्वती । सा बुद्धिः कविता मेधा प्रतिभा स्मृतिदा नृणाम्
She who is the embodiment of all knowledge, that Goddess Sarasvati, is intellect, poetry, intelligence, inspiration, and the giver of memory to people.
नानाप्रकारसिद्धान्तभेदार्थकलना मता । व्याख्याबोधस्वरूपा च सर्वसन्देहभञ्जिनी
She is considered the power of discerning the various kinds of doctrines and their differences, the essence of explanation and understanding, and the destroyer of all doubts.
विचारकारिणी ग्रन्थकारिणी शक्तिरूपिणी । स्वरसङ्गीतसन्धानतालकारणरूपिणी
She is the cause of inquiry, the creator of texts, the embodiment of power, and the form of melody, music, composition, and rhythm.
विषयज्ञानवाग्रूपा प्रतिविश्वोपजीविनी । व्याख्यावादकरी शान्ता वीणापुस्तकधारिणी
She is the form of knowledge, speech, and understanding of objects, sustaining the entire world; she brings forth explanation and discourse, is serene, and holds the vina and book.
शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा च सुशीला श्रीहरिप्रिया । हिमचन्दनकुन्देन्दुकुमुदाम्भोजसन्निभा
She is of pure sattva nature, of good character, dear to Shri Hari, and resembles snow, sandalwood, jasmine, the moon, the water-lily, and the lotus.
यजन्ती परमात्मानं श्रीकृष्णं रत्नमालया । तपःस्वरूपा तपसां फलदात्री तपस्विनाम्
Worshipping the Supreme Self, Shri Krishna, adorned with jewels, she is the embodiment of austerity, the giver of the fruits of penance to ascetics.
सिद्धिविद्यास्वरूपा च सर्वसिद्धिप्रदा सदा । यया विना तु विप्रौघो मूको मृतसमः सदा
She is the embodiment of accomplished knowledge, always bestowing all perfections; without her, O Brahmins, one is mute, as if lifeless.
देवी तृतीया गदिता श्रुत्युक्ता जगदम्बिका । यथागमं यथाकिञ्चिदपरां त्वं निबोध मे
The third Goddess, as spoken of in the scriptures, is the Mother of the world; now, according to tradition and as far as I know, listen to me about another.