विष्णुत्वं लभते मर्त्यो यत्सुरेष्वपि दुर्लभम् । विष्णुनैतद्व्रतं पूर्वं कृतं स्वपदलब्धये
A mortal attains the state of Vishnu, which is difficult even for the best of gods; formerly, Vishnu performed this vow to attain his own position.
शतकोटिभिरप्येवं सूत्रात्मत्वं व्रजेद्ध्रुवम् । व्रतमेतत्पुरा सम्यक्कृतं भक्त्या प्रयत्नतः
By worshipping with a hundred million, one certainly attains the state of Sutratman; this vow was formerly performed properly, with devotion and effort.
तेन व्रतप्रभावेण हिरण्योदरतां व्रजेत् । जपाकुसुमपुष्पस्य बन्धूककुसुमस्य च
By the power of that vow, one attains the state of Hiranyagarbha; regarding the hibiscus flower and the bandhuka flower,
दाडिमीकुसुमस्यापि विधिरेष उदीरितः । एवमन्यानि पुष्पाणि श्रीदेव्यै विधिनार्पयेत्
And also the pomegranate flower, this is the prescribed rule; likewise, other flowers should be offered to Shri Devi according to the injunction.
तस्य पुण्यफलस्यान्तं न जानातीश्वरोऽपि सः । तत्तदृतूद्भवैः पुष्पैर्नामसाहस्रसंख्यया
Even the Lord does not know the limit of the merit and fruit of that; with flowers produced in their respective seasons, in numbers equal to the thousand names,
समर्पयेन्महादेव्यै प्रतिवर्षमतन्द्रितः । य एवं कुरुते भक्त्या महापातकसंयुतः
One should offer them to Mahadevi each year without negligence; whoever does this with devotion, even if associated with great sins,
उपपातकयुक्तोऽपि मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः । देहान्ते श्रीपदाम्भोजं दुर्लभं देवसत्तमैः
Even if afflicted with minor sins, is freed from all sins; at the end of the body, he attains the lotus feet of Shri, which are difficult for even the best of gods.
प्राप्नोति साधकवरो मुने नास्त्यत्र संशयः । कृष्णागुरुं सकर्पूरं चन्दनेन समन्वितम्
He attains, O sage, the highest goal; of this there is no doubt. One should offer black aloe wood mixed with camphor and sandalwood.
सिल्हकं चाज्यसंयुक्तं गुग्गुलेन समन्वितम् । धूपं दद्यान्महादेव्यै येन स्याद्धूपितं गृहम्
One should offer incense to the great goddess, made of silhaka mixed with ghee and combined with guggulu, so that the house becomes suffused with its fragrance.
तेन प्रसन्ना देवेशी ददाति भुवनत्रयम् । दीपं कर्पूरखण्डैश्च दद्याद्देव्यै निरन्तरम्
Pleased by this, the goddess, ruler of the gods, grants the three worlds; one should continually offer lamps to the goddess, using pieces of camphor.
सूर्यलोकमवाप्नोति नात्र कार्या विचारणा । शतदीपांस्तथा दद्यात्सहस्रान्वा समाहितः
By this, one attains the world of the sun—there is no doubt about it; with concentration, one should offer a hundred lamps, or even thousands.
नैवेद्यं पुरतो देव्याः स्थापयेत्पर्वताकृतिम् । लेह्यैश्चोष्यैस्तथा पेयैः षड्रसैस्तु समाहितैः
One should place before the goddess an offering shaped like a mountain, made of foods to lick, chew, and drink, all prepared with the six tastes and with devotion.
नानाफलानि दिव्यानि स्वादूनि रसवन्ति च । स्वर्णपात्रस्थितान्नानि दद्याद्देव्यै निरन्तरम्
One should continually offer to the goddess various divine fruits, sweet and full of flavor, as well as foods placed in golden vessels.
तृप्तायां श्रीमहादेव्यां भवेत्तृप्तं जगत्त्रयम् । यतस्तदात्मकं सर्वं रज्जौ सर्पो यथा तथा
When the great goddess is satisfied, the three worlds become satisfied, for all is her own essence, just as a rope appears as a snake.
ततः पानीयकं दद्याच्छुभं गङ्गाजलं महत् । कर्पूरवालासंयुक्तं शीतलं कलशस्थितम्
Then one should offer auspicious water, great water from the Ganges, cool and kept in a pot, mixed with camphor and fragrant grass.
ताम्बूलं च ततो देव्यै कर्पूरशकलान्वितम् । एलालवङ्गसंयुक्तं मुखसौगन्ध्यदायकम्
After that, one should offer to the goddess betel leaves mixed with pieces of camphor, along with cardamom and clove, which give fragrance to the mouth.
दद्याद्देव्यै महाभक्त्या येन देवी प्रसीदति । मृदङ्गवीणामुरजढक्कादुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः
With great devotion, one should offer these to the goddess, by which she is pleased; and with the sounds of mṛdaṅga, vīṇā, muraja, ḍhakkā, and dundubhi drums.
तोषयेज्जगतां धात्रीं गायनैरतिमोहनैः । वेदपारायणैः स्तोत्रैः पुराणादिभिरप्युत
One should delight the mother of the worlds with enchanting songs, recitations of the Vedas, hymns, and also with Purāṇas and similar texts.
छत्रं च चामरे द्वे च दद्याद्देव्यै समाहितः । राजोपचारान् श्रीदेव्यै नित्यमेव समर्पयेत्
With concentration, one should offer to the goddess an umbrella and two fly-whisks, and always present royal honors to the revered goddess.
प्रदक्षिणां नमस्कारं कुर्याद्देव्या अनेकधा । क्षमापयेज्जगद्धात्रीं जगदम्बां मुहुर्मुहुः
One should perform circumambulation and repeated prostrations to the goddess, and again and again beg forgiveness from the mother and sustainer of the world.
सकृत्स्मरणमात्रेण यत्र देवी प्रसीदति । एतादृशोपचारैश्च प्रसीदेदत्र कः स्मयः
By merely remembering her once, the goddess is pleased; so with such offerings, who would doubt that she is propitiated?
स्वभावतो भवेन्माता पुत्रेऽतिकरुणावती । तेन भक्तौ कृतायां तु वक्तव्यं किं ततः परम्
By her very nature, the mother is exceedingly compassionate to her child; so, when devotion is performed, what more needs to be said?
अत्र ते कथयिष्यामि पुरावृत्तं सनातनम् । बृहद्रथस्य राजर्षेः प्रियं भक्तिप्रदायकम्
Here I shall tell you the ancient story, dear to the royal sage Bṛhadratha, which bestows devotion.
चक्रवाकोऽभवत्पक्षी क्वचिद्देशे हिमालये । भ्रमन्नानाविधान्देशान्ययौ काशीपुरं प्रति
Once, in some region of the Himalayas, there was a bird called a cakravāka; wandering through various lands, it went towards the city of Kāśī.
अन्नपूर्णामहास्थाने प्रारब्धवशतो द्विजः । जगाम लीलया तत्र कणलोभादनाथवत्
In the great shrine of Annapūrṇā, a twice-born man, by force of destiny, went there playfully, like one destitute, out of greed for grain.
कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणामेकां जगाम स विहायसा । देशान्तरं विहायैव पुरीं मुक्तिप्रदायिनीम्
After making one circumambulation, he departed through the sky, leaving that land for the city that grants liberation.
कालान्तरे ममारासौ गतः स्वर्गपुरीं प्रति । बुभुजे विषयान्सर्वान् दिव्यरूपधरो युवा
In the course of time, that man died and went to the city of heaven; assuming a divine form, youthful, he enjoyed all pleasures.
कल्पद्वयं तथा भुक्त्वा पुनः प्राप भुवं प्रति । क्षत्रियाणां कुले जन्म प्राप सर्वोत्तमोत्तमम्
Having enjoyed thus for two aeons, he again attained birth on earth, taking birth in the most excellent lineage of kṣatriyas.
बृहद्रथेति नाम्नाभूत्प्रसिद्धः क्षितिमण्डले । महायज्वा धार्मिकश्च सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रियः
He became renowned on earth by the name Bṛhadratha, a great performer of sacrifices, righteous, truthful, and self-controlled.
त्रिकालज्ञः सार्वभौमो यमी परपुरञ्जयः । पूर्वजन्मस्मृतिस्तस्य वर्तते दुर्लभा भुवि
He was knower of the three times, sovereign of the earth, victorious over enemy cities, and possessed the rare memory of his past birth.