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.
अतः परं सर्वभावैर्हित्वा गर्वं तु देहजम् । मामेव शरणं यात सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम्
Therefore, abandoning all bodily pride in every way, take refuge in me alone, who am of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्या च महादेवी मूलप्रकृतिरीश्वरी । अन्तर्धानं गता सद्यो भक्त्या देवैरभिष्टुता
Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, the great goddess, the primal nature, the sovereign, at once disappeared, praised by the gods with devotion.
ततः सर्वे स्वगर्वं तु विहाय पदपङ्कजम् । सम्यगाराधयामासुर्भगवत्याः परात्परम्
Then all, abandoning their pride, properly worshipped the lotus feet of the supreme goddess, who is beyond the highest.
त्रिसन्ध्यं सर्वदा सर्वे गायत्रीजपतत्पराः । यज्ञभागादिभिः सर्वे देवीं नित्यं सिषेविरे
All of them, always intent on reciting the Gāyatrī at the three junctions of the day, continually served the goddess with offerings and other rites.
एवं सत्ययुगे सर्वे गायत्रीजपतत्पराः । तारहृल्लेखयोश्चापि जपे निष्णातमानसाः
Thus, in the Satya Yuga, all were devoted to reciting the Gayatri; their minds were deeply skilled in the repetition of the Tara and Hrillekha as well.
न विष्णूपासना नित्या वेदेनोक्ता तु कुत्रचित् । न विष्णुदीक्षा नित्यास्ति शिवस्यापि तथैव च
Worship of Vishnu was not constant, nor prescribed anywhere in the Vedas; initiation into Vishnu was not perpetual, and the same applies to Shiva.
गायत्र्युपासना नित्या सर्ववेदैः समीरिता । यया विना त्वधःपातो ब्राह्मणस्यास्ति सर्वथा
Gayatri worship alone is eternal, declared by all the Vedas; without it, a Brahmin inevitably falls from his status.
तावता कृतकृत्यत्वं नान्यापेक्षा द्विजस्य हि । गायत्रीमात्रनिष्णातो द्विजो मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्
By this alone, a Brahmin fulfills his duty, needing nothing else; one who is deeply versed in Gayatri attains liberation.
कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुर्यादिति प्राह मनुः स्वयम् । विहाय तां तु गायत्रीं विष्णूपास्तिपरायणः
Manu himself said: 'One may do other things or not'; but abandoning Gayatri for devotion to Vishnu,
शिवोपास्तिरतो विप्रो नरकं याति सर्वथा । तस्मादाद्ययुगे राजन् गायत्रीजपतत्पराः । देवीपदाम्बुजरता आसन्सर्वे द्विजोत्तमाः
or for worship of Shiva, a Brahmin certainly goes to hell; therefore, O King, in the first age, all eminent Brahmins were devoted to reciting Gayatri and absorbed in the lotus feet of the Goddess.
ब्राह्मणादीनां गायत्रीभिन्नान्यदेवोपासनाश्रद्धाहेतुनिरूपणम् व्यास उवाच कदाचिदथ काले तु दशपञ्चसमा विभो । प्राणिनां कर्मवशतो न ववर्ष शतक्रतुः
Vyasa said: Once, after ten and fifteen years, O mighty one, due to the actions of beings, Indra did not send rain.
अनावृष्ट्यातिदुर्भिक्षमभवत्क्षयकारकम् । गहे गृहे शवानां तु संख्या कर्तुं न शक्यते
Because of the drought, a severe famine arose, causing destruction; in every house, the number of corpses could not be counted.
केचिदश्वान्वराहान्वा भक्षयन्ति क्षुधार्दिताः । शवानि च मनुष्याणां भक्षयन्त्यपरे जनाः
Some, driven by hunger, ate horses or boars; others consumed the corpses of humans.
बालकं बालजननी स्त्रियं पुरुष एव च । भक्षितुं चलिताः सर्वे क्षुधया पीडिता नराः
All, afflicted by hunger, set out to eat children, mothers of children, women, and even men.
ब्राह्मणा बहवस्तत्र विचारं चक्रुरुत्तमम् । तपोधनो गौतमोऽस्ति स नः खेदं हरिष्यति
Many Brahmins there deliberated deeply; 'There is the ascetic Gautama, he will relieve our distress.'
सर्वैर्मिलित्वा गन्तव्यं गौतमस्याश्रमेऽधुना । गायत्रीजपसंसक्तगौतमस्याश्रमेऽधुना
All agreed to go now to Gautama's hermitage, where Gautama is absorbed in Gayatri recitation.
सुभिक्षं श्रूयते तत्र प्राणिनो बहवो गताः । एवं विमृश्य भूदेवाः साग्निहोत्राः कुटुम्बिनः
It is heard that there is abundance there, and many beings have gone; thus, the Brahmins, householders with sacred fires,
सगोधनाः सदासाश्च गौतमस्याश्रमं ययुः । पूर्वदेशाद्ययुः केचित्केचिद्दक्षिणदेशतः
with cows and servants, went to Gautama's hermitage; some came from the east, others from the south.
पाश्चात्या औत्तराहाश्च नानादिग्भ्यः समाययुः । दृष्ट्वा समाजं विप्राणां प्रणनाम स गौतमः
Those from the west and north also arrived from various directions; seeing the assembly of Brahmins, Gautama offered his respects.
आसनाद्युपचारैश्च पूजयामास वाडवान् । चकार कुशलप्रश्नं ततश्चागमकारणम्
He honored them with seats and proper offerings, inquired about their well-being, and then asked the reason for their arrival.