देवानां दैत्यग्रस्तानां पुरा सेना बभूव सा । जयं ददौ सा तेभ्यश्च देवसेना च तेन सा
Long ago, she was the army of the gods, when they were beset by demons; she granted them victory, and thus was called Devasenā.
श्रीदेवसेनोवाच ब्रह्मणो मानसी कन्या देवसेनाहमीश्वरी । सृष्ट्वा तां मनसा धाता ददौ स्कन्दाय भूमिप
Devaseṇā said: I am Devaseṇā, the sovereign, the mind-born daughter of Brahmā; having created me by his mind, the Creator gave me to Skanda, O king.
मातृकासु च विख्याता स्कन्दभार्या च सुव्रता । विश्वे षष्ठीति विख्याता षष्ठांशा प्रकृतेः परा
Among the Mothers I am renowned, and as Skanda's virtuous wife; among all I am known as Ṣaṣṭhī, the sixth portion, transcending nature.
अपुत्राय पुत्रदाहं प्रियादात्री प्रियाय च । धनदाहं दरिद्रेभ्यः कर्मिभ्यश्च स्वकर्मदा
To the childless I grant sons, to the beloved I give affection; to the poor I bestow wealth, and to each according to their deeds.
सुखं दुःखं भयं शोको हर्षो मङ्गलमेव च । सम्पत्तिश्च विपत्तिश्च सर्वं भवति कर्मणा
Happiness, sorrow, fear, grief, joy, auspiciousness, prosperity and adversity—all arise from action.
कर्मणा बहुपुत्रश्च वंशहीनः स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणा मृतपुत्रश्च कर्मणा चिरजीवनः
By action one has many sons, or loses one's lineage; by action a son dies, or one lives long.
कर्मणा गुणवांश्चैव कर्मणा चाङ्गहीनकः । कर्मणा बहुभार्यश्च भार्याहीनश्च कर्मणा
By deeds, one becomes virtuous; by deeds, one becomes lacking in limbs; by deeds, one has many wives; by deeds, one is without a wife.
कर्मणा रूपवान्धर्मी रोगी शश्वत्स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणा च भवेद्व्याधिः कर्मणाऽऽरोग्यमेव च
By deeds, one is handsome and righteous; by one's own deeds, one is afflicted with disease; by deeds, illness arises, and by deeds, health as well.
तस्मात्कर्म परं राजन् सर्वेभ्यश्च श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा देवी गृहीत्वा बालकं मुने
Therefore, O king, action is supreme, as is heard in all the scriptures; thus having spoken, the Goddess took the child, O sage.
महाज्ञानेन सा देवी जीवयामास लीलया । राजा ददर्श तं बालं सस्मितं कनकप्रभम्
With great wisdom, the Goddess revived the child by her play; the king saw the boy, smiling, radiant like gold.
देवसेना च पश्यन्तं नृपमापृच्छ्य सा तदा । गृहीत्वा बालकं देवी गगनं गन्तुमुद्यता
The Goddess, after bidding farewell to the king who was watching along with the divine army, took the child and prepared to ascend to the sky.
पुनस्तुष्टाव तां राजा शुष्ककण्ठोष्ठतालुकः । नृपस्तोत्रेण सा देवी परितुष्टा बभूव ह
Once more, the king praised her, his throat and lips dry; by the king's hymn, the Goddess became fully satisfied.
उवाच तं नृपं ब्रह्मन् वेदोक्तं कर्मनिर्मितम् । देव्युवाच त्रिषु लोकेषु त्वं राजा स्वायम्भुवमनोः सुतः
She spoke to the king, O Brahman, that what is prescribed in the Vedas is shaped by action; the Goddess said: In the three worlds, you are the king, son of Svāyambhuva Manu.
मम पूजां च सर्वत्र कारयित्वा स्वयं कुरु । तदा दास्यामि पुत्रं ते कुलपद्मं मनोहरम्
Arrange for my worship everywhere and perform it yourself; then I will give you a son, a delightful lotus of your lineage.
सुव्रतं नाम विख्यातं गुणवन्तं सुपण्डितम् । जातिस्मरं च योगीन्द्रं नारायणकलात्मकम्
He will be named Suvrata, renowned, virtuous, highly learned; remembering his past births, a master of yoga, and an embodiment of Nārāyaṇa's power.
शतक्रतुकरं श्रेष्ठं क्षत्रियाणां च वन्दितम् । मत्तमातङ्गलक्षाणां धृतवन्तं बलं शुभम्
He will be the best among those who perform a hundred sacrifices, honored by the Kṣatriyas; possessing the strength of a hundred intoxicated elephants, and bearing auspicious power.
धनिनं गुणिनं शुद्धं विदुषां प्रियमेव च । योगिनां ज्ञानिनां चैव सिद्धिरूपं तपस्विनाम्
He will be wealthy, virtuous, pure, beloved among the learned; among yogis and the wise, he will be the very form of accomplishment for ascetics.
यशस्विनं च लोकेषु दातारं सर्वसम्पदाम् । इत्येवमुक्त्वा सा देवी तस्मै तद्बालकं ददौ
He will be renowned in the worlds, a giver of all riches; thus having spoken, the Goddess gave the child to him.
राजा चकार स्वीकारं पूजार्थं च प्रियव्रतः । जगाम देवी स्वर्गं च दत्त्वा तस्मै शुभं वरम्
The king accepted, with devotion, for the purpose of worship; the Goddess went to heaven, having granted him the auspicious boon.
आजगाम सहामात्यः स्वगृहं हृष्टमानसः । आगत्य कथयामास वृत्तान्तं पुत्रहेतुकम्
He returned home with his ministers, his mind joyful; upon arriving, he narrated the events concerning his son.
श्रुत्वा बभूवुः सन्तुष्टा नरा नार्यश्च नारद । मङ्गलं कारयामास सर्वत्र पुत्रहेतुकम्
Hearing this, men and women became satisfied, O Nārada; everywhere, auspicious rites were performed for the sake of the son.
देवीं च पूजयामास ब्राह्मणेभ्यो धनं ददौ । राजा च प्रतिमासेषु शुक्लषष्ठ्यां महोत्सवम्
He worshipped the Goddess and gave wealth to the Brāhmaṇas; the king held a great festival on every bright sixth day.
षष्ट्या देव्याश्च यत्नेन कारयामास सर्वतः । बालानां सूतिकागारे षष्ठाहे यत्नपूर्वकम्
With effort, he arranged the festival of the Goddess on the sixth day everywhere; in the birthing rooms of children, on the sixth day, with great care.
तत्पूजां कारयामास चैकविंशतिवासरे । बालानां शुभकार्ये च शुभान्नप्राशने तथा
He arranged her worship on the twenty-first day as well; for the auspicious rites of children and their first feeding of wholesome food.
सर्वत्र वर्धयामास स्वयमेव चकार ह । ध्यानं पूजाविधानं च स्तोत्रं मत्तो निशामय
She herself caused it to flourish everywhere and established the practice; now listen from me to the meditation, the method of worship, and the hymn.
यच्छ्रुतं धर्मवक्त्रेण कौथुमोक्तं च सुव्रत । शालग्रामे घटे वाथ वटमूलेऽथवा मुने
O virtuous one, whatever has been heard from the mouth of Dharma or spoken by Kauthuma, whether at Shalagrama, in a pot, or at the root of a banyan tree, O sage—
भित्त्यां पुत्तलिकां कृत्वा पूजयेद्वा विचक्षणः । षष्ठांशां प्रकृतेः शुद्धां प्रतिष्ठाप्य च सुप्रभाम्
An intelligent person may make a clay image on a wall and worship it, or establish the pure, radiant sixth part of Prakriti.
सुपुत्रदां च शुभदा दयारूपां जगत्प्रसूम् । श्वेतचम्पकवर्णाभां रत्नभूषणभूषिताम्
She who grants good children, brings auspiciousness, is the embodiment of compassion, mother of the world, shining with the color of white champaka flowers, adorned with jeweled ornaments—
पवित्ररूपां परमां देवसेनां परां भजे । इति ध्यात्वा स्वशिरसि पुष्पं दत्त्वा विचक्षणः
I worship the supreme, pure form of the goddess, the leader of the divine hosts; thus meditating, the wise one should place a flower on his own head.
पुनर्ध्यात्वा च मूलेन पूजयेत्सुव्रतां सतीम् । पाद्यार्घ्याचमनीयैश्च गन्धपुष्पप्रदीपकैः
Then, meditating again from the root, he should worship the virtuous and chaste goddess with water for washing the feet, offerings, water for sipping, fragrances, flowers, and lamps.