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.'
किं मया बहु वक्तव्यं स्थाने संशयवर्जिते । सेवनीयं पदाम्भोजं भगवत्या निरन्तरम्
'Why should I say much more, where there is no room for doubt? The lotus feet of the Goddess are to be served without ceasing.'
नातः परतरं किञ्चिदधिकं जगतीतले । सेवनीया परा देवी निर्गुणा सगुणाथवा
'There is nothing higher or greater than this on earth; the supreme Goddess is to be served, whether without qualities or with qualities.'
श्रीनारायण उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजर्षेर्धार्मिकस्य च । प्रसन्नहृदयाः सर्वे गताः स्वस्वनिकेतनम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Hearing the words of that royal sage, righteous and virtuous, all departed to their own dwellings with gladdened hearts.
एवंप्रभावा सा देवी तत्पूजायाः फलं कियत् । अस्तीति केन प्रष्टव्यं वक्तव्यं वा न केनचित्
'Such is the power of that Goddess; who can ask or speak of the extent of the fruit of her worship?'
येषां तु जन्मसाफल्यं तेषां श्रद्धा तु जायते । येषां तु जन्मसाङ्कर्यं तेषां श्रद्धा न जायते
For those whose birth is truly fruitful, faith arises; but for those whose birth is confused, faith does not arise.
मध्याह्नसंध्यावर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच अथातः श्रूयतां ब्रह्मन् सन्ध्यां माध्याह्निकीं शुभाम् । यदनुष्ठानतोऽपूर्वं जायतेऽत्युत्तमं फलम्
The midday Sandhya is now described. Shri Narayana said: Now, O Brahman, listen to the auspicious midday Sandhya. By its observance, an unprecedented and most excellent result is obtained.
सावित्रीं युवतीं श्वेतवर्णां चैव त्रिलोचनाम् । वरदां चाक्षमालाढ्यां त्रिशूलाभयहस्तकाम्
One should meditate on Savitri as a youthful woman, white in color, with three eyes, bestowing boons, adorned with a rosary, holding a trident and the gesture of fearlessness.
वृषारूढां यजुर्वेदसंहितां रुद्रदेवताम् । तमोगुणयुतां चैव भुवर्लोकव्यवस्थिताम्
She is mounted on a bull, is the embodiment of the Yajurveda, is the deity of Rudra, endowed with the quality of darkness, and is established in the Bhuvarloka.
आदित्यमार्गसंचारकर्त्रीं मायां नमाम्यहम् । आदिदेवीमथ ध्यात्वाऽऽचमनादि च पूर्ववत्
I bow to Maya, who causes the movement along the path of the sun; having meditated on the primordial goddess, one should then perform achamana and other rites as before.
अथ चार्घ्यप्रकरणं पुष्पाणि चिनुयात्ततः । तदलाभे बिल्वपत्रं तोयेन मिश्रयेत्ततः
Then, for the offering of arghya, one should gather flowers; if these are unavailable, one should mix bilva leaves with water.