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.
नैवेद्यैर्विविधैश्चापि फलेन शोभनेन च । ॐ ह्रीं षष्ठीदेव्यै स्वाहेति विधिपूर्वकम्
With various kinds of food offerings and beautiful fruits, and with the mantra 'Om hrim to Goddess Shashthi, svaha,' according to the proper method—
अष्टाक्षरं महामन्त्रं यथाशक्ति जपेन्नरः । ततः स्तुत्वा च प्रणमेद्भक्तियुक्तः समाहितः
A person should recite the eight-syllabled great mantra as much as he is able; then, having praised her, he should bow with devotion and concentration.
स्तोत्रं च सामवेदोक्तं वरं पुत्रफलप्रदम् । अष्टाक्षरं महामन्त्रं लक्षधा यो जपेत्ततः
The hymn spoken in the Sama Veda grants the excellent fruit of sons; whoever recites the eight-syllabled great mantra a hundred thousand times—
सुपुत्रं स लभेन्नूनमित्याह कमलोद्भवः । स्तोत्रं शृणु मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वकामशुभावहम्
He certainly obtains a good son—so says the lotus-born one. Listen, O best of sages, to the hymn that brings all desired auspiciousness.
वाञ्छाप्रदं च सर्वेषां गूढं वेदेषु नारद । नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै सिद्ध्यै शान्त्यै नमो नमः
It grants all desires to everyone, O Narada, and is hidden in the Vedas: Salutations to the Goddess, the great Goddess, to Siddhi, to Peace—salutations again and again.
शुभायै देवसेनायै षष्ठ्यै देव्यै नमो नमः । वरदायै पुत्रदायै धनदायै नमो नमः
Salutations to the auspicious one, to the leader of the divine hosts, to Goddess Shashthi; salutations to the granter of boons, the giver of sons, the giver of wealth.
सुखदायै मोक्षदायै षष्ठ्यै देव्यै नमो नमः । सृष्ट्यै षष्ठांशरूपायै सिद्धायै च नमो नमः
Salutations to the giver of happiness, the giver of liberation, to Goddess Shashthi; to creation, to the form of the sixth part, to Siddhi—salutations again and again.
मायायै सिद्धयोगिन्यै षष्ठीदेव्यै नमो नमः । सारायै शारदायै च परादेव्यै नमो नमः
Salutations to Maya, to the accomplished yogini, to Goddess Shashthi; to the essence, to Sharada, to the supreme goddess—salutations.
बालाधिष्ठातृदेव्यै च षष्ठीदेव्यै नमो नमः । कल्याणदायै कल्याण्यै फलदायै च कर्मणाम्
Salutations to the goddess who presides over children, to Goddess Shashthi; to the giver of auspiciousness, to the auspicious one, to the giver of the fruits of actions.
प्रत्यक्षायै स्वभक्तानां षष्ठ्यै देव्यै नमो नमः । पूज्यायै स्कन्दकान्तायै सर्वेषां सर्वकर्मसु
Salutations to the one who is directly perceived by her devotees, to Goddess Shashthi; to the worshipful one, beloved of Skanda, in all actions of all.