शेषो वक्त्रसहस्रेण नहि यद्वक्तुमीश्वरः । मृत्युञ्जयो न क्षमश्च वक्तुं पञ्चमुखेन च
Even with a thousand mouths, Śeṣa is not able to speak it; nor is Mṛtyuñjaya able to tell it with his five mouths.
धाता चतुर्णां वेदानां विधाता जगतामपि । ब्रह्मा चतुर्मुखेनैव नालं विष्णुश्च सर्ववित्
The creator of the four Vedas, the arranger of the worlds, even Brahmā with four faces, and Viṣṇu, the all-knower, are not able to do so.
कार्तिकेयः षण्मुखेन नापि वक्तुमलं ध्रुवम् । न गणेशः समर्थश्च योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरुः
Kārtikeya, even with six faces, is certainly not able to speak it; nor is Gaṇeśa, the guru of the yogis, capable.
सारभूताश्च शास्त्राणां वेदाश्चत्वार एव च । कलामात्रं यद्गुणानां न विदन्ति बुधाश्च ये
Even the essence of the scriptures and the four Vedas, and the wise among men, do not know even a fraction of Her virtues.
सरस्वती जडीभूता नालं तद्गुणवर्णने । सनत्कुमारो धर्मश्च सनन्दनः सनातनः
Sarasvatī becomes mute, unable to describe those virtues; as do Sanatkumāra, Dharma, Sanandana, and Sanātana.
सनकः कपिलः सूर्यो येऽन्ये च ब्रह्मणः सुताः । विचक्षणा न यद्वक्तुं किञ्चान्ये जडबुद्धयः
Sanaka, Kapila, Sūrya, and the other sons of Brahmā, though discerning, are not able to speak them—how much less those of dull intellect.
न यद्वक्तुं क्षमाः सिद्धा मुनीन्द्रा योगिनस्तथा । के चान्ये च वयं के वा श्रीदेव्या गुणवर्णने
Neither the perfected beings, the greatest sages, nor the yogis are able to speak them; so who are we, or anyone else, to describe the virtues of Śrī Devī?
ध्यायन्ते यत्पदाम्भोजं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादयः । अतिसाध्यं स्वभक्तानां तदन्येषां सुदुर्लभम्
Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others meditate upon Her lotus feet; it is extremely attainable for Her devotees, but exceedingly rare for others.
कश्चित्किञ्चिद्विजानाति तद्गुणोत्कीर्तनं शुभम् । अतिरिक्तं विजानाति ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविशारदः
Some know a little of her auspicious praise and qualities; Brahma, the knower of Brahman, knows more than that.
ततोऽतिरिक्तं जानाति गणेशो ज्ञानिनां गुरुः । सर्वातिरिक्तं जानाति सर्वज्ञः शम्भुरेव सः
Beyond that, Ganesha, the guru of the wise, knows; but it is Shiva alone, the all-knowing, who knows everything beyond all.
तस्मै दत्तं पुरा ज्ञानं कृष्णेन परमात्मना । अतीव निर्जनेऽरण्ये गोलोके रासमण्डले
To him, in ancient times, knowledge was given by Krishna, the Supreme Self, in the exceedingly solitary forest, in Goloka, within the circle of the Rasa dance.
तत्रैव कथितं किञ्चित्तद्गुणोत्कीर्तनं शुभम् । धर्मं च कथयामास शिवलोके शिवः स्वयम्
There, only a little of her auspicious praise and qualities was spoken; and Shiva himself expounded the dharma in the realm of Shiva.
धर्मस्तु कथयामास भास्वते पृच्छते तथा । यामाराध्य मत्पितापि सम्प्राप तपसा सति
That dharma he recounted to Bhāsvat (the Sun), who had inquired, and by worshipping whom, even my own father attained through austerity.
पूर्वं स्वं विषयं चाहं न गृह्णामि प्रयत्नतः । वैराग्ययुक्तस्तपसे गन्तुमिच्छामि सुव्रते
Formerly, I did not willingly accept my own domain; endowed with detachment, I wished, O virtuous one, to go for austerity.
तदा मां कथयामास पिता तद्गुणकीर्तनम् । यथागमं तद्वदामि निबोधातीव दुर्गमम्
Then my father told me of her praise and qualities; as I heard it, so I now relate it—listen, for it is exceedingly difficult to comprehend.
तद्गुणं सा न जानाति तदन्यस्य च का कथा । यथाकाशो न जानाति स्वान्तमेव वरानने
She herself does not know her own qualities—what then of another? Just as space does not know its own interior, O beautiful-faced one.
सर्वात्मा सर्वभगवान् सर्वकारणकारणः । सर्वेश्वरश्च सर्वाद्यः सर्ववित्परिपालकः । २५ नित्यरूपी नित्यदेही नित्यानन्दो निराकृतिः । निरङ्कुशो निराशङ्को निर्गुणश्च निरामयः
He is the Self of all, the Lord of all, the cause of all causes, the ruler of all, the origin of all, the knower and protector of all; eternal in form, eternal in body, eternal bliss, formless, unrestrained, free from doubt, without qualities, and free from affliction.
निर्लिप्तः सर्वसाक्षी च सर्वाधारः परात्परः । मायाविशिष्टः प्रकृतिस्तद्विकाराश्च प्राकृताः
Unattached, the witness of all, the support of all, supreme beyond the supreme; distinguished by Māyā, and the primordial nature and its modifications are natural to him.
स्वयं पुमांश्च प्रकृतिस्तावभिन्नौ परस्परम् । यथा वह्नेस्तस्य शक्तिर्न भिन्नास्त्येव कुत्रचित्
He himself is the Purusha, and Prakriti is not different from him; just as the power of fire is never separate from it anywhere.
सेयं शक्तिर्महामाया सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी । रूपं बिभर्त्यरूपा च भक्तानुग्रहहेतवे
This power is Mahāmāyā, whose nature is existence, consciousness, and bliss; she possesses form and is also formless, for the sake of blessing her devotees.
गोपालसुन्दरीरूपं प्रथमं सा ससर्ज ह । अतीव कमनीयं च सुन्दरं सुमनोहरम्
She first created the form of Gopālasundarī, exceedingly charming, beautiful, and captivating to the mind.
नवीननीरदश्यामं किशोरं गोपवेषकम् । कन्दर्पकोटिलावण्यं लीलाधाममनोहरम्
Dark as a fresh raincloud, youthful, dressed as a cowherd, possessing the beauty of ten million Cupids, the abode of play, enchanting.
शरन्मध्याह्नपद्मानां शोभामोचनलोचनम् । शरत्पार्वणकोटीन्दुशोभाप्रच्छादनाननम्
With eyes that outshine the beauty of autumn midday lotuses, and a face that surpasses the radiance of millions of full autumn moons.
अमूल्यरत्ननिर्माणनानाभूषणभूषितम् । सस्मितं शोभितं शश्वदमूल्यपीतवाससा
Adorned with various ornaments made of priceless jewels, ever smiling, resplendent in priceless yellow garments.
परब्रह्मस्वरूपं च ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा । सुखदृश्यं च शान्तं च राधाकान्तमनन्तकम्
The very form of the Supreme Brahman, blazing with the radiance of Brahman, delightful to behold, peaceful, the endless beloved of Rādhā.
गोपीभिर्वीक्ष्यमाणं च सस्मिताभिश्च सन्ततम् । रासमण्डलमध्यस्थं रत्नसिंहासनस्थितम्
Constantly gazed upon by the gopīs, who smile upon him, seated at the center of the circle of the Rasa dance, upon a throne of jewels.
वंशीं क्वणन्तं द्विभुजं वनमालाविभूषितम् । कौस्तुभेन्द्रमणीन्द्रेण शश्वद्वक्षःस्थलोज्ज्वलम्
Playing the flute, two-armed, adorned with a garland of forest flowers, his chest ever radiant with the Kaustubha and Indra's gem.
कुङ्कुमागुरुकस्तुरीचन्दनार्चितविग्रहम् । चारुचम्पकमालाक्तं मालतीमाल्यमण्डितम्
His form is worshipped with saffron, aloe, musk, and sandalwood; he is decorated with a beautiful garland of campaka flowers and strung with jasmine.
चारुचन्द्रकशोभाढ्यं चूडावङ्क्रिमराजितम् । एवंभूतं च ध्यायन्ति भक्ता भक्तिपरिप्लुताः
He is resplendent with a lovely crescent moon, his crown adorned with a peacock feather; thus do devotees, immersed in devotion, meditate upon him.
यद्भयाज्जगता धाता विधत्ते सृष्टिमेव च । कर्मानुसाराल्लिखितं करोति सर्वकर्मणाम्
Out of fear of whom, the Creator of the world brings forth creation, and, according to karma, inscribes and performs all actions.