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.
इति श्रुत्वा किंवदन्तीं मुनयः समुपागताः । कृतातिथ्या नृपेन्द्रेण विष्टरेषूषुरेव ते
Hearing this rumor, the sages gathered; honored as guests by the king, they remained there in that assembly.
पप्रच्छुर्मुनयः सर्वे संशयोऽस्ति महान्नृप । केन पुण्यप्रभावेण पूर्वजन्मस्मृतिस्तव
All the sages asked, 'O great king, we have a great doubt: by what power of merit do you possess memory of your past birth?'
त्रिकालज्ञानमेवापि केन पुण्यप्रभावतः । ज्ञानं तवेति तज्ज्ञातुमागताः स्म तवान्तिकम्
'By what power of merit do you have knowledge of the three times? We have come to you to learn the cause of your knowledge.'
वद निर्व्याजया वृत्त्या तदस्माकं यथातथम् । श्रीनारायण उवाच इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा राजा परमधार्मिकः
'Tell us plainly and truthfully, as it is.' Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Hearing their words, the supremely righteous king—
उवाच सकलं ब्रह्मन् त्रिकालज्ञानकारणम् । श्रूयतां मुनयः सर्वे मम ज्ञानस्य कारणम्
—spoke everything, O brāhmaṇa, about the cause of his knowledge of the three times: 'Hear, O sages, the reason for my knowledge.'
चक्रवाकः स्थितः पूर्वं नीचयोनिगतोऽपि वा । अज्ञानतोऽपि कृतवानन्नपूर्णाप्रदक्षिणाम्
'Formerly, though born in a low species as a cakravāka bird, even in ignorance I performed an incomplete circumambulation.'
तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण स्वर्गे कल्पद्वयस्थितिः । त्रिकालज्ञानताप्यस्मिन्नभूज्जन्मनि सुव्रताः
'By the power of that merit, I dwelt in heaven for two aeons, and in this birth, O virtuous ones, I have attained knowledge of the three times.'
को वेद जगदम्बायाः पदस्मृतिफलं कियत् । स्मृत्वा तन्महिमानं तु पतन्त्यश्रूणि मेऽनिशम्
'Who can know the extent of the fruit of remembering the feet of the Mother of the Universe? Remembering her greatness, tears fall from me unceasingly.'
धिगस्तु जन्म तेषां वै कृतघ्नानां तु पापिनाम् । ये सर्वमातरं देवीं स्वोपास्यां न भजन्ति हि
'Fie upon the birth of those ungrateful sinners who do not worship the Goddess, the Mother of all, worthy of their devotion.'
न शिवोपासना नित्या न विष्णूपासना तथा । नित्योपास्तिः परा देव्या नित्या श्रुत्यैव चोदिता
'Neither constant worship of Śiva nor of Viṣṇu is enjoined; but the supreme, constant worship of the Goddess is eternally prescribed by the Veda.'