बालशीतांशमुकुटां वस्त्रान्तर्व्यञ्जितस्तनीम् । चतुर्भिर्वरहस्तैस्तु वरपाशाङ्कुशाभयान्
She wore a crown adorned with the crescent moon, her breasts hinted beneath her garments, and with her four hands she held the boons, noose, goad, and gesture of fearlessness.
दधानां रमणीयाङ्गीं कोमलाङ्गलतां शिवाम् । भक्तकल्पद्रुमामम्बां नानाभूषणभूषिताम्
Her form was beautiful and graceful, with delicate limbs, auspicious, the Mother who is the wish-fulfilling tree for devotees, adorned with various ornaments.
त्रिनेत्रां मल्लिकामालाकबरीजूटशोभिताम् । चतुर्दिक्षु चतुर्वेदैर्मूर्तिमद्भिरभिष्टुताम्
She had three eyes, her hair was decorated with a garland of jasmine and a cluster of buds, and in all four directions she was praised by the embodied forms of the four Vedas.
दन्तच्छटाभिरभितः पद्मरागीकृतक्षमाम् । प्रसन्तस्मेरवदनां कोटिकन्दर्पसुन्दराम्
Her teeth shone all around, making the earth appear as if studded with rubies; her face was serene and smiling, surpassing millions of Cupids in beauty.
रक्ताम्बरपरीधानां रक्तचन्दनचर्चिताम् । उमाभिधानां पुरतो देवीं हैमवतीं शिवाम्
She was clad in red garments, anointed with red sandal paste, known as Uma, the shining daughter of the Himalayas, standing before him as the auspicious Goddess.
निर्व्याजकरुणामूर्तिं सर्वकारणकारणाम् । ददर्श वासवस्तत्र प्रेमगद्गदितान्तरः
She was the embodiment of unfeigned compassion, the cause of all causes; there, Vasava beheld her, his heart choked with love.
प्रेमाश्रुपूर्णनयनो रोमाञ्चिततनुस्ततः । दण्डवत्प्रणनामाथ पादयोर्जगदीशितुः
His eyes filled with tears of love, his body thrilled with joy, then he bowed down in full prostration at the feet of the Ruler of the universe.
तुष्टाव विविधैः स्तोत्रैर्भक्तिसन्नतकन्धरः । उवाच परमप्रीतः किमिदं यक्षमित्यपि
With his head bowed in devotion, he praised her with various hymns, and, supremely delighted, he asked, 'What is this wonder?'
प्रादुर्भूतं च कस्मात्तद्वद सर्वं सुशोभने । इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच करुणार्णवा
'How and why has this manifestation appeared? Tell me everything, O beautiful one.' Hearing his words, the ocean of compassion spoke.
रूपं मदीयं ब्रह्मैतत्सर्वकारणकारणम् । मायाधिष्ठानभूतं तु सर्वसाक्षि निरामयम्
'This form of mine is Brahman, the cause of all causes; it is the foundation of Māyā, the witness of all, free from affliction.'
सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्ति तपांसि सर्वाणि च यद्वदन्ति । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण ब्रवीमि
'That state which all the Vedas proclaim, which all austerities declare, desiring which people practice celibacy—that state I shall briefly tell you.'
ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म तदेवाहुश्च ह्रींमयम् । द्वे बीजे मम मन्त्रौ स्तो मुख्यत्वेन सुरोत्तम
'The single syllable Om is Brahman; it is also said to be composed of Hrīṃ. These two seed syllables are principal in my mantra, O best of gods.'
भागद्वयवती यस्मात्सृजामि सकलं जगत् । तत्रैकभागः सम्प्रोक्तः सच्चिदानन्दनामकः
'Because I possess two aspects, I create the entire universe. Of these, one aspect is called Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.'
मायाप्रकृतिसंज्ञस्तु द्वितीयो भाग ईरितः । सा च माया परा शक्तिः शक्तिमत्यहमीश्वरी
'The second aspect is known as Māyā, or Prakṛti. That Māyā is my supreme power; I, the Goddess, am the possessor of that power.'
चन्द्रस्य चन्द्रिकेवेयं ममाभिन्नत्वमागता । साम्यावस्थात्मिका चैषा माया मम सुरोत्तम
'Just as the moon and its light are inseparable, so too is this Māyā non-different from me. This Māyā, O best of gods, is my state of equilibrium.'
प्रलये सर्वजगतो मदभिन्नैव तिष्ठति । प्राणिकर्मपरीपाकवशतः पुनरेव हि
'At the dissolution of all worlds, she remains non-different from me; then, according to the ripening of beings' actions, she manifests again.'
रूपं तदेवमव्यक्तं व्यक्तीभावमुपैति च । अन्तर्मुखा तु यावस्था सा मायेत्यभिधीयते
That form, thus unmanifest, attains manifestation; the inward state is called Māyā.
बहिर्मुखा तु या माया तमःशब्देन सोच्यते । बहिर्मुखात्तमोरूपाज्जायते सत्त्वसम्भवः
But when Māyā turns outward, it is called darkness; from this outward darkness arises the existence of sattva.
रजोगुणस्तदैव स्यात्सर्गादौ सुरसत्तम । गुणत्रयात्मकाः प्रोक्ता ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
At that very moment, O best of gods, the quality of rajas arises at the beginning of creation; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are said to be composed of the three qualities.
रजोगुणाधिको ब्रह्मा विष्णुः सत्त्वाधिको भवेत् । तमोगुणाधिको रुद्रः सर्वकारणरूपधृक्
Brahmā is predominant in rajas, Viṣṇu is predominant in sattva, Rudra is predominant in tamas, bearing the form of the cause of all.
स्थूलदेहो भवेद्ब्रह्मा लिङ्गदेहो हरिः स्मृतः । रुद्रस्तु कारणो देहस्तुरीया त्वहमेव हि
Brahmā is said to have a gross body, Hari (Viṣṇu) a subtle body, and Rudra a causal body; but I alone am the fourth.
साम्यावस्था तु या प्रोक्ता सर्वान्तर्यामिरूपिणी । अत ऊर्ध्वं परं ब्रह्म मद्रूपं रूपवर्जितम्
The state of equilibrium is described as the form of the indweller of all; beyond this is the supreme Brahman, my form, which is without form.
निर्गुणं सगुणं चेति द्विधा मद्रूपमुच्यते । निर्गुणं मायया हीनं सगुणं मायया युतम्
My form is said to be twofold: with qualities and without qualities; the formless is free from Māyā, the one with qualities is united with Māyā.
साहं सर्वं जगत्सृष्ट्वा तदन्तः सम्प्रविश्य च । प्रेरयाम्यनिशं जीवं यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतम्
I, having created this entire world and having entered into it, continually impel the living being according to their actions and knowledge.
सृष्टिस्थितितिरोधाने प्रेरयाम्यहमेव हि । ब्रह्माणं च तथा विष्णुं रुद्रं वै कारणात्मकम्
I alone impel creation, preservation, and dissolution, as well as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra, who are of the nature of cause.
मद्भयाद्वाति पवनो भीत्या सूर्यश्च गच्छति । इन्द्राग्निमृत्यवस्तद्वत्साहं सर्वोत्तमा स्मृता
Out of fear of me, the wind blows, and the sun moves out of fear; Indra, Agni, and Death likewise—thus I am remembered as the highest of all.
मत्प्रसादाद्भवद्भिस्तु जयो लब्धोऽस्ति सर्वथा । युष्मानहं नर्तयामि काष्ठपुत्तलिकोपमान्
By my grace, victory is always obtained by you all; I make you dance like wooden puppets.
कदाचिद्देवविजयं दैत्यानां विजयं क्वचित् । स्वतन्त्रा स्वेच्छया सर्वं कुर्वे कर्मानुरोधतः
Sometimes the gods are victorious, sometimes the demons; I, independent and by my own will, do everything according to the order of karma.
तां मां सर्वात्मिकां यूयं विस्मृत्य निजगर्वतः । अहङ्कारावृतात्मानो मोहमाप्ता दुरन्तकम्
Forgetting me, the all-pervading, out of your own pride, your selves covered by ego, you have fallen into a great delusion.
अनुग्रहं ततः कर्तुं युष्मद्देहादनुत्तमम् । निःसृतं सहसा तेजो मदीयं यक्षमित्यपि
Then, to bestow favor, my own supreme energy suddenly emerged from your bodies, even as a Yakṣa.