राजोपचारान्विविधान्दद्यादम्बाप्रतुष्टये । ततो जपेन्नवार्णं च मन्त्रं मन्त्रार्थपूर्वकम्
To please the Mother, one should offer various royal honors; then recite the nine-letter mantra, preceded by its meaning.
ततः सप्तशतीस्तोत्रं देव्या अग्रे तु सम्पठेत् । नानेन सदृशं स्तोत्रं विद्यते भुवनत्रये
Then, in front of the goddess, one should recite the Seven Hundred Hymn; there is no other hymn like this in the three worlds.
ततश्चानेन देवेशीं तोषयेत् प्रत्यहं नरः । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामालयं जायते नरः
Thus, by this, a man should daily please the goddess; he becomes the abode of righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation.
इति ते कथितं विप्र श्रीदुर्गाया विधानकम् । कृतार्थता येन भवेत्तदेतत्कथितं तव
Thus, O Brahmin, the procedure for Sri Durga has been told to you; by this, one attains fulfillment—this has been declared to you.
सर्वे देवा हरिब्रह्मप्रमुखा मनवस्तथा । मुनयो ज्ञाननिष्ठाश्च योगिनश्चाश्रमास्तथा
All the gods, headed by Hari and Brahma, the Manus, sages established in knowledge, and yogis in their hermitages—
लक्ष्म्यादयस्तथा देव्यः सर्वे ध्यायन्ति तां शिवाम् । तदैव जन्मसाफल्यं दुर्गास्मरणमस्ति चेत्
And the goddesses, beginning with Lakshmi, all meditate upon that auspicious one; indeed, birth attains its purpose if there is remembrance of Durga.
चतुर्दशापि मनवो ध्यात्वा चरणपङ्कजम् । मनुत्वं प्राप्तवन्तश्च देवाः स्वं स्वं पदं तथा
All fourteen Manus, having meditated on her lotus feet, attained the status of Manu, and the gods their respective positions.
तदेतत्सर्वमाख्यातं रहस्यातिरहस्यकम् । प्रकृतीनां पञ्चकस्य तदंशानां च वर्णनम्
All this, most secret among secrets, has been narrated; the description of the fivefold natures and their portions.
श्रुत्वैतन्मनुजो नित्यं पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् । लभते नात्र सन्देहः सत्यं सत्यं मयोदितम्
Hearing this daily, a man attains the four aims of life; there is no doubt in this—this is truth, truth, as I have spoken.
अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं विद्यार्थी प्राप्नुयाच्च ताम् । यं यं कामं स्मरेद्वापि तं तं श्रुत्वा समाप्नुयात्
A childless man obtains a son, a seeker of knowledge attains it; whatever desire one remembers, that, upon hearing, is fulfilled.
नवरात्रे पठेदेतद्देव्यग्रे तु समाहितः । परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री भवत्येव हि निश्चितम्
If, during Navaratri, one recites this in front of the goddess with concentration, the world-nourishing Mother is certainly pleased.
नित्यमेकैकमध्यायं पठेद्यः प्रत्यहं नरः । तस्य वश्या भवेद्देवी देवीप्रियकरो हि सः
If a man recites each chapter daily, the goddess becomes subject to him; indeed, he becomes dear to the goddess.
शकुनांश्च परीक्षेत नित्यमस्मिन्यथाविधि । कुमारीदिव्यहस्तेन यद्वा बटुकराम्बुजात्
One should examine omens daily in this, as prescribed; either with the divine hand of a maiden or from the lotus-hand of the boy deity.
मनोरथं तु सङ्कल्प्य पुस्तकं पूजयेत्ततः । देवीं च जगदीशानीं प्रणमेच्च पुनः पुनः
Having resolved one's wish, one should worship the book; then repeatedly bow to the goddess, the ruler of the universe.
सुस्नातां कन्यकां तत्रानीयाभ्यर्च्य यथाविधि । शलाकां रोपयेन्मध्ये तथा स्वर्णेन निर्मिताम्
There, a well-bathed maiden should be brought and worshipped according to the proper rite; a rod made of gold should be placed in the center.
शुभं वाप्यशुभं तत्र यदायाति च तद्भवेत् । उदासीनेऽप्युदासीनं कार्यं भवति निश्चितम्
Whatever auspicious or inauspicious sign appears there, that will come to pass; even if nothing appears, that very absence is to be regarded as certain.
मनुकृतं देवीस्तवनम् नारद उवाच भगवन् भूतभव्येश नारायण सनातन । आख्यातं परमाश्चर्यं देवीचारित्रमुत्तमम्
The Hymn to the Goddess composed by Manu. Nārada said: O Lord, Master of past and future, eternal Nārāyaṇa, you have described the supreme and wondrous deeds of the Goddess.
प्रादुर्भावः परो मातुः कार्यार्थमसुरद्रुहाम् । अधिकाराप्तिरुक्तात्र देवीपूर्णकृपावशात्
The highest manifestation of the Mother for the purpose of subduing the demons has been told here; her attainment of authority is due to the Goddess's full compassion.
अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि येन प्रीणाति सर्वदा । स्वभक्तान्परिपुष्णाति तमाचारं वद प्रभो
Now I wish to hear, O Lord, the conduct by which she is always pleased and by which she nourishes her devotees—please speak of that practice.
श्रीनारायण उवाच शृणु नारद तत्त्वज्ञ सदाचारविधिक्रमम् । यदनुष्ठानमात्रेण देवी प्रीणाति सर्वदा
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Listen, O Nārada, knower of truth, to the proper sequence of right conduct; by merely performing this, the Goddess is always pleased.
प्रातरुत्थाय कर्तव्यं यद् द्विजेन दिने दिने । तदहं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि द्विजानामुपकारकम्
I shall now explain what a twice-born should do each day upon rising in the morning, for it is beneficial to the twice-born.
उदयास्तमयं यावद् द्विजः सत्कर्मकृद्भवेत् । नित्यनैमित्तिकैर्युक्तः काम्यैश्चान्यैरगर्हितैः
From sunrise to sunset, a twice-born should engage in virtuous acts, performing both regular and occasional duties, as well as other blameless, desired acts.
आत्मनश्च सहायार्थं पिता माता न तिष्ठति । न पुत्रदारा न ज्ञातिर्धर्मस्तिष्ठति केवलम्
For one's own sake, neither father nor mother remains, nor sons, wives, or relatives; only dharma remains as a companion.
तस्माद्धर्मं सहायार्थं नित्यं सञ्चिनु साधनैः । धर्मेणैव सहायात्तु तमस्तरति दुस्तरम्
Therefore, always accumulate dharma as your companion through proper means; with dharma alone as companion, one crosses the difficult darkness.
आचारः प्रथमो धर्मः श्रुत्युक्तः स्मार्त एव च । तस्मादस्मिन्समायुक्तो नित्यं स्यादात्मनो द्विजः
Conduct is the foremost dharma, declared in both the revealed and traditional texts; therefore, a twice-born should always be devoted to this.
आचाराल्लभते चायुराचाराल्लभते प्रजाः । आचारादन्नमक्षय्यमाचारो हन्ति पातकम्
From conduct one obtains long life, from conduct one obtains offspring; from conduct, food becomes inexhaustible, and conduct destroys sin.
आचारः परमो धर्मो नृणां कल्याणकारकः । इह लोके सुखी भूत्वा परत्र लभते सुखम्
Conduct is the highest dharma, bringing welfare to people; by it, one is happy in this world and attains happiness in the next.
अज्ञानान्धजनानां तु मोहितैर्भ्रामितात्मनाम् । धर्मरूपो महादीपो मुक्तिमार्गप्रदर्शकः
For those blinded by ignorance, whose minds are deluded and confused, dharma in the form of conduct is a great lamp showing the path to liberation.
आचारात्प्राप्यते श्रैष्ठ्यमाचारात्कर्म लभ्यते । कर्मणो जायते ज्ञानमिति वाक्यं मनोः स्मृतम्
By conduct one attains excellence, by conduct one achieves action; from action arises knowledge—so it is stated in the tradition of Manu.
सर्वधर्मवरिष्ठोऽयमाचारः परमं तपः । तदेव ज्ञानमुद्दिष्टं तेन सर्वं प्रसाध्यते
Among all dharmas, this conduct is supreme, the highest austerity; it alone is called knowledge, and by it everything is accomplished.