तदा स समरे राजा सुरथः शत्रुभिर्जितः । अमात्यैर्मन्त्रिभिश्चैव तस्य कोशगतं धनम्
Then, in battle, King Suratha was defeated by his enemies; his ministers and counselors took all the wealth from his treasury.
हृतं सर्वमशेषेण तदातप्यत भूमिपः । निष्कासितश्च नगरात्स राजा परमद्युतिः
All his riches were completely seized, and the king, radiant in splendor, was expelled from his city.
जगामाश्वमथारुह्य मृगयामिषतो वनम् । एकाकी विजनेऽरण्ये बभ्रामोद्भ्रान्तमानसः
Mounting his horse, he went into the forest, seeking game; alone in the desolate wilderness, he wandered, his mind disturbed.
मुनेः कस्यचिदागत्य स्वाश्रमं शान्तमानसः । प्रशान्तजन्तुसंयुक्तं मुनिशिष्यगणैर्युतम्
Coming to the peaceful hermitage of a certain sage, filled with tranquil creatures and surrounded by groups of the sage’s disciples, he arrived.
उवास कञ्चित्कालं स राजा परमशोभने । आश्रमे मुनिवर्यस्य दीर्घदृष्टेः सुमेधसः
That king of great splendor stayed for some time in the hermitage of the eminent sage Sumedhas, who possessed far-reaching vision.
एकदा स महीपालो मुनिं पूजावसानके । काले गत्वा प्रणम्याशु पप्रच्छ विनयान्वितः
One day, the king approached the sage at the end of his worship, bowed quickly, and respectfully asked him a question.
मुने मम मनोदुःखं बाधते चाधिसम्भवम् । ज्ञाततत्त्वस्य भूदेव निष्प्रज्ञस्य च सन्ततम्
O sage, sorrow arising in my mind troubles me constantly, even though I know the truth and have no heirs, O lord of the earth.
शत्रुभिर्निर्जितस्यापि हृतराज्यस्य सर्वशः । तथापि तेषु मनसि ममत्वं जायते स्फुटम्
Even though I have been conquered by enemies and my entire kingdom has been taken, still, attachment to them arises clearly in my mind.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कथं शर्म लभे मुने । त्वदनुग्रहमाशासे वद वेदविदां वर
What should I do? Where should I go? How can I find peace, O sage? I seek your grace—tell me, best of those who know the Vedas.
मुनिरुवाच आकर्णय महीपाल महाश्चर्यकरं परम् । देवीमाहात्म्यमतुलं सर्वकामप्रदं परम्
The sage said: Listen, O king, to the supreme and wondrous account, the incomparable greatness of the Goddess, who grants all desires.
जगन्मयी महामाया विष्णुब्रह्महरोद्भवा । सा बलादपहृत्यैव जन्तूनां मानसानि हि
The Great Goddess, who pervades the universe, arose from Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva; she forcibly seizes the minds of beings.
मोहाय प्रतिसंयच्छेदिति जानीहि भूमिप । सा सृजत्यखिलं विश्वं सा पालयति सर्वदा
Know, O king, that she restrains the minds of beings for the sake of delusion; she creates the entire universe and always sustains it.
संहारे हररूपेण संहरत्येव भूमिप । कामदात्री महामाया कालरात्रिर्दुरत्यया
At the time of dissolution, she withdraws everything in the form of Shiva; the Great Goddess, giver of desires, is the dark night of time, difficult to overcome.
विश्वसंहारिणी काली कमला कमलालया । तस्यां सर्वं जगज्जातं तस्यां विश्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्
She is Kāli, destroyer of the universe; Kamalā, the abode of lotuses; in her, all the world is born, and in her, the universe is established.
लयमेष्यति तस्यां च तस्मात्सैव परात्परा । तस्या देव्याः प्रसादश्च यस्योपरि भवेन्नृप । स एव मोहमत्येति नान्यथा धरणीपते
Into her, all will dissolve; therefore, she is the Supreme beyond the supreme. O king, whoever receives the grace of that Goddess alone overcomes delusion—never otherwise, O lord of the earth.
देवीमाहात्म्ये मधुकैटभवधवर्णनम् राजोवाच का सा देवी त्वया प्रोक्ता ब्रूहि कालविदां वर । का मोहयति सत्त्वानि कारणं किं भवेद् द्विज
Description of the slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha in the greatness of the Goddess. The king said: Who is that Goddess you spoke of? Tell me, best of those who know time. Who deludes beings, and what is the cause, O twice-born one?
कस्मादुत्पद्यते देवी किंरूपा सा किमात्मिका । सर्वमाख्याहि भूदेव कृपया मम सर्वतः
From what does the Goddess arise? What is her form? What is her nature? Tell me everything, O lord of the earth, kindly and completely.
मुनिरुवाच राजन् देव्याः स्वरूपं ते वर्णयामि निशामय । यथा चोत्पतिता देवी येन वा सा जगन्मयी
The sage said: O king, I will describe to you the true nature of the Goddess—listen as I recount how the Goddess arose and by whom, she who pervades the universe.
यदा नारायणो देवो विश्वं संहृत्य योगराट् । आस्तीर्य शेषं भगवान् समुद्रे निद्रितोऽभवत्
When the god Nārāyaṇa, lord of yoga, had withdrawn the universe, the Blessed One lay asleep upon the serpent Śeṣa, spread out on the ocean.
तदा प्रस्वापवशगो देवदेवो जनार्दनः । तत्कर्णमलसञ्जातौ दानवौ मधुकैटभौ
Then, overcome by deep sleep, the god of gods Janārdana, from the dirt of whose ears arose the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha,
ब्रह्माणं हन्तुमुद्युक्तौ दानवौ घोररूपिणौ । तदा कमलजो देवो दृष्ट्वा तौ मधुकैटभौ
Those two demons, terrifying in form, set out to kill Brahmā; seeing Madhu and Kaiṭabha, the lotus-born god,
निद्रितं देवदेवेशं चिन्तामाप दुरत्ययाम् । निद्रितो भगवानीशो दानवौ च दुरासदौ
The lord of the gods, master of the gods, lay asleep, and the two fierce and unapproachable demons were present; then the lotus-born was seized by overwhelming anxiety.
किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कथं शर्म लभे ह्यहम् । एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य पद्ययोनेर्महात्मनः
"What shall I do? Where shall I go? How can I find safety?"—thus the great-souled one, born from the lotus, pondered.
बुद्धिः प्रादूरभूत्तात तदा कार्यप्रसाधिनी । यस्या वशं गतो देवो निद्रितो भगवान् हरिः
Then, O dear one, a thought arose in him, effective for his purpose—she by whose power the Blessed Lord Hari was held in sleep.
तां देवीं शरणं यामि निद्रां सर्वप्रसूतिकाम् । ब्रह्मोवाच देवि देवि जगद्धात्रि भक्ताभीष्टफलप्रदे
I take refuge in that Goddess, Sleep, the source of all creation. Brahmā said: O Goddess, O Goddess, sustainer of the world, granter of devotees’ wishes,
जगन्माये महामाये समुद्रशयने शिवे । त्वदाज्ञावशगाः सर्वे स्वस्वकार्यविधायिनः
O cosmic Māyā, great Māyā, auspicious one who lies upon the ocean, all are subject to your command, each fulfilling their own tasks.
कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मोहरात्रिर्मदोत्कटा । व्यापिनी वशगा मान्या महानन्दैकशेवधिः
You are Kālarātri, Mahārātri, Moharātri, fierce with intoxication; all-pervading, sovereign, worthy of honor, the sole treasure of supreme bliss.
महनीया महाराध्या माया मधुमती मही । परापराणां सर्वेषां परमा त्वं प्रकीर्तिता
Worthy of reverence, greatly worshipped, Māyā, sweet as honey, earth herself; you are proclaimed the supreme among all that is higher and lower.
लज्जा पुष्टिः क्षमा कीर्तिः कान्तिः कारुण्यविग्रहा । कमनीया जगद्वन्द्या जाग्रदादिस्वरूपिणी
Modesty, nourishment, forbearance, fame, beauty, the embodiment of compassion; charming, worshipped by the world, you are the form of waking and the other states.
परमा परमेशानी परानन्दपरायणा । एकाप्येकस्वरूपा च सद्वितीया द्वयात्मिका
Supreme, supreme mistress, devoted to supreme bliss; though one, you are of a single form, yet also twofold, possessing dual nature.