वसिष्ठो ज्ञातवृत्तांतो गत्वा कैलासपर्वतम् । संपूज्य शंभुं तुष्टाव भक्त्या परमया युतः
Vasistha, knowing her story, went to Mount Kailasa, worshipped Shambhu, and praised him with utmost devotion.
वसिष्ठ उवाच। नमो नमः शिवायास्तु शंकराय कपर्दिने । गिरिजार्द्धाङ्गदेहाय नमस्ते चंद्रमौलये
Vasistha said: 'Salutations, salutations to Shiva, to Shankara, the matted-haired one; to him whose body is half united with Girija, to the moon-crested one, I bow.'
मृडाय सुखदात्रे ते नमः कैलासवासिने । नीलकण्ठाय भक्तानां भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिने
Salutations to you, the giver of happiness, the gracious one who dwells on Kailāsa, the blue-throated one who grants enjoyment and liberation to devotees.
शिवाय शिवरूपाय प्रपन्नभयहारिणे । नमो वृषभवाहाय शरण्याय परात्मने
Salutations to Śiva, of auspicious form, remover of fear for those who take refuge; to the bull-rider, the shelter of all, the supreme self.
ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशरूपाय सर्गस्थितिलयेषु च । नमो देवाधिदेवाय वरदाय पुरारये
Salutations to the one who is the forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Īśa, in creation, preservation, and dissolution; to the god of gods, the bestower of boons, the enemy of Tripura.
यज्ञरूपाय यजतां फलदात्रे नमो नमः । गंगाधराय सूर्येन्दुशिखिनेत्राय ते नमः
Repeated salutations to the one who is the form of sacrifice, the giver of fruits to those who perform sacrifices; to the bearer of Gaṅgā, to you whose hair, sun, moon, and fire are your eyes.
एवं स्तुतः स भगवान्प्रादुरासीज्जगत्पतिः । वृषारूढोऽम्बिकोपेतः कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभः
Thus praised, the blessed Lord, master of the universe, appeared, mounted on a bull, accompanied by Ambikā, shining with the brilliance of millions of suns.
रजताचलसंकाशस्त्रिनेत्रश्चंद्रशेखरः। प्रणतं परितुष्टात्मा प्रोवाच मुनिसत्तमम्
He resembled a silver mountain, three-eyed, adorned with the crescent moon; his heart content, he spoke to the foremost sage who had bowed before him.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। वरं वरय विप्रर्षे यत्ते मनसि वर्तते । इत्युक्तस्तं प्रणम्येला पुँस्त्वमभ्यर्थयन्मुनिः
The Blessed Lord said: 'Choose a boon, O best of sages, whatever is in your mind.' Thus addressed, the sage bowed and requested manhood.
अथ प्रसन्नो भगवानुवाच मुनिसत्तमम् । मासं पुमान्स भविता मासं नारी भविष्यति
Then the gracious Lord spoke to the foremost sage: 'For one month you will be a man, for one month a woman.'
इति प्राप्य वरं शंभोर्महर्षिर्जगदम्बिकाम् । वरदानोन्मुखीं देवीं प्रणनाम महेश्वरीम्
Having thus obtained the boon from Śambhu, the great sage bowed to Jagadambikā, to the goddess Maheśvarī, who was ready to grant boons.
कोटिचंद्रकलाकान्तिं सुस्मितां परिपूज्य च । तुष्टाव भक्त्या सततमिलायाः पुंस्त्वकाम्यया
He worshipped her, radiant as millions of moonbeams, smiling beautifully, and praised her always with devotion, desiring manhood from Ilā.
जय देवि महादेवि भक्तानुग्रहकारिणि । जय सर्वसुराराध्ये जयानंतगुणालये
Victory to you, O goddess, great goddess, bestower of grace to devotees! Victory to you, worshipped by all the gods, abode of endless virtues!
नमो नमस्ते देवेशि शरणागतवत्सले । जय दुर्गे दु:खहंत्रि दुष्टदैत्यनिषूदिनि
Salutations again and again to you, O queen of the gods, who is affectionate to those who seek refuge. Victory to you, Durgā, remover of suffering, destroyer of wicked demons!
भक्तिगम्ये महामाये नमस्ते जगदम्बिके । संसारसागरोत्तारपोतीभूतपदाम्बुजे
Accessible through devotion, great Māyā, salutations to you, O mother of the universe, whose lotus feet are the boat that carries beings across the ocean of worldly existence.
ब्रह्मादयोऽपि विबुधास्त्वत्पादांबुजसेवया । विश्वसर्गस्थितिलयप्रभुत्वं समवाप्नुयुः
Even Brahmā and the other gods, by serving your lotus feet, attain lordship over creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe.
प्रसन्ना भव देवेशि चतुर्वर्गप्रदायिनि । कस्त्वां स्तोतुं क्षमो देवि केवलं प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम्
Be gracious, O queen of the gods, giver of the four aims of life; who is able to praise you, O goddess? I am only one who bows before you.
एवं स्तुता भगवती दुर्गा नारायणी परा । भक्त्या वसिष्ठमुनिना प्रसन्ना तत्क्षणादभूत्
Thus praised by the sage Vasiṣṭha with devotion, the supreme goddess Durgā Nārāyaṇī was immediately pleased.
तदोवाच महादेवी प्रणतार्तिहरी मुनिम् । सुद्युम्नभवनं गत्वा कुरु भक्त्या मदर्चनम्
Then the great goddess, remover of the distress of those who bow to her, spoke to the sage: 'Go to the house of Sudyumna and worship me with devotion.'
सुद्युम्नं श्रावय प्रीत्या पुराणं मत्प्रियंकरम् । देवीभागवतं नाम नवाहोभिर्द्विजोत्तम
'Recite to Sudyumna with affection the Purāṇa dear to me, called the Devī Bhāgavata, over nine days, O best of twice-born.'
श्रवणादेव सततं पुंस्त्वमस्य भविष्यति । इत्युक्त्वा च तिरोधानं गच्छतःस्म शिवेश्वरौ
Simply by hearing, he will regain manhood always—so spoke Śiva and Pārvatī, and then they vanished from sight.
वसिष्ठस्तां दिशं नत्वा समागत्याश्रमं निजम् । समाहूय च सुद्युम्नं देव्याराधनमादिशत्
Vasiṣṭha, bowing in that direction, returned to his own hermitage, and, summoning Sudyumna, instructed him to worship the Goddess.
आश्विनस्य सिते पक्षे संपूज्य जगदंबिकाम् । नवरात्रविधानेन श्रावयामास भूपतिम्
In the bright fortnight of Āśvina, he worshipped the Mother of the Universe according to the rite of Navarātra, and had the king listen to it.
श्रुत्वा भक्त्यापि सुद्युम्नः श्रीमद्भागवतामृतम् । प्रणम्याभ्यर्च्य च गुरुं लेभे पुंस्त्वं निरंतरम्
Sudyumna, hearing the divine nectar of the Bhāgavata with devotion, bowed and worshipped his guru, and obtained uninterrupted manhood.
राज्यासनेऽभिषिक्तस्तु वसिष्ठेन महर्षिणा । भुवं शशास धर्मेण प्रजाश्चैवानुरंजयन्
Consecrated on the royal throne by the great sage Vasiṣṭha, he ruled the earth righteously, delighting his subjects.
ईजे च विविधैर्यज्ञैः संपूर्णवरदक्षिणैः । पुत्रेषु राज्यं संदिश्य प्राप देव्याः सलोकताम्
He performed various sacrifices with abundant gifts, entrusted the kingdom to his sons, and attained the same world as the Goddess.
इति कथितमशेषं सेतिहासं च विप्रा यदि पठति सुभक्त्या मानवो वा शृणोति । स इह सकलकामान्प्राप्य देव्याः प्रसादात्परममृतमथान्ते याति देव्याः सलोकम्
Thus, O brāhmaṇas, whoever reads or hears this entire story with devotion, attains all desires here by the grace of the Goddess, and at the end reaches her world and the supreme nectar.
अथ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः सूत उवाच। इति श्रुत्वा कथां दिव्यां विचित्रां कुंभसंभवः । शुश्रूषुः पुनराहेदं विशाखं विनयान्वितः
Sūta said: Having heard this wondrous and divine tale, Kumbhasaṃbhava, eager to listen further, humbly addressed Viśākha again.
अगस्त्य उवाच। देवसेनापते . देव विचित्रेयं श्रुता कथा । पुनरन्यच्च माहात्म्यं वद भागवतस्य मे
Agastya said: O commander of the gods, I have heard this marvelous story; now tell me further about the greatness of the Bhāgavata.
स्कन्द उवाच। मित्रावरुणसंभूत मुने शृणु कथामिमाम् । यत्रैकदेश महिमा प्रोक्ता भागवतस्य तु
Skanda said: O sage, listen to this story, born from Mitra and Varuṇa, in which a portion of the glory of the Bhāgavata is told.