कथमेकत्र संस्थाने कार्यं कुर्वन्ति शाश्वतम् । परस्परं मिलित्वा हि विभिन्नाः शत्रवः किल
How do they, being established in one place, perform a continuous action? For, though distinct and mutually opposed, they act together like enemies united.
एकत्रस्थाः कथं कार्यं कुर्वन्तीति वदस्व मे । ब्रह्मोवाच शृणु पुत्र प्रवक्ष्यामि गुणास्ते दीपवृत्तयः
How do they, being together, accomplish an action? Please tell me. Brahmā said: Listen, my son, I will explain—the guṇas are like the elements of a lamp.
प्रदीपश्च यथा कार्यं प्रकरोत्यर्थदर्शनम् । वर्तिस्तैलं यथार्चिश्च विरुद्धाश्च परस्परम्
Just as a lamp performs its function of illumination, the wick, oil, and flame are mutually opposed to each other.
विरुद्धं हि तथा तैलमग्निना सह सङ्गतम् । तैलं वर्तिविरोध्येव पावकोऽपि परस्परम्
In the same way, oil, though opposed to fire, when joined with it, and the wick, though opposed to oil, and fire, are mutually opposed.
एकत्रस्थाः पदार्थानां प्रकुर्वन्ति प्रदर्शनम् । नारद उवाच एवं प्रकृतिजाः प्रोक्ता गुणाः सत्यवतीसुत
Yet, being together in one place, they reveal objects. Nārada said: Thus, O son of Satyavatī, the guṇas born of nature have been described.
विश्वस्य कारणं ते वै मया पूर्वं यथा श्रुतम् । व्यास उवाच इत्युक्तं नारदेनाथ मम सर्वं सविस्तरम्
They are indeed the cause of the universe, as I have previously heard. Vyāsa said: Thus everything was explained to me in detail by Nārada.
गुणानां लक्षणं सर्वं कार्यं चैव विभागशः । आराध्या परमा शक्तिर्यया सर्वमिदं ततम्
All the characteristics and actions of the guṇas, in their divisions, and the supreme power by which all this is pervaded, were described.
सगुणा निर्गुणा चैव कार्यभेदे सदैव हि । अकर्ता पुरुषः पूर्णो निरीहः परमोऽव्ययः
She is both with qualities and without qualities, always according to the difference of actions; the Puruṣa is non-agent, complete, indifferent, supreme, and imperishable.
करोत्येषा महामाया विश्वं सदसदात्मकम् । ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रःसूर्यश्चन्द्रः शचीपतिः
This great Māyā creates the universe, consisting of the existent and non-existent; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Sūrya, Candra, and the lord of Śacī.
अश्विनौ वसवस्त्वष्टा कुबेरो यादसां पतिः । वह्निर्वायुस्तथा पूषा सेनानीश्च विनायकः
The Aśvins, the Vasus, Tvaṣṭṛ, Kubera, the lord of the waters, Agni, Vāyu, Pūṣā, the commander of the army, and Vināyaka.
सर्वे शक्तियुताः शक्ताः कर्तुं कार्याणि स्वानि च । अन्यथा तेऽप्यशक्ता वै प्रस्पन्दितुमनीश्वराः
All are endowed with her power and are able to perform their own actions; otherwise, they too would be powerless and unable to move.
सा चैव कारणं राजन् जगतः परमेश्वरी । समाराधय तां भूप कुरु यज्ञं जनाधिप
She alone, O king, is the cause of the world, the supreme goddess; worship her, O lord of men, perform sacrifice.
पूजनं परया भक्त्या तस्या एव विधानतः । महालक्ष्मीर्महाकाली तथा महासरस्वती
Worship her with supreme devotion, according to the prescribed method; she is Mahālakṣmī, Mahākālī, and also Mahāsarasvatī.
ईश्वरी सर्वभूतानां सर्वकारणकारणम् । सर्वकामार्थदा शान्ता सुखसेव्या दयान्विता
She is the goddess of all beings, the cause of all causes; the giver of all desired objects, peaceful, easily served, and full of compassion.
नामोच्चारणमात्रेण वाञ्छितार्थफलप्रदा । देवैराराधिता पूर्वं ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरैः
By merely uttering her name, she bestows the desired fruits; she was worshipped before by the gods—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara.
मोक्षकामैश्च विविधैस्तापसैर्विजितात्मभिः । अस्पष्टमपि यन्नाम प्रसङ्गेनापि भाषितम्
By ascetics seeking liberation, self-controlled, in various ways; even if her name is indistinctly spoken, or mentioned incidentally.
ददाति वाञ्छितानर्थान्दुर्लभानपि सर्वथा । ऐ ऐ इति भयार्तेन दृष्ट्वा व्याघ्रादिकं वने
She grants desired objects, even those exceedingly difficult to obtain, in every way; when one, terrified, cries 'ai ai' upon seeing a tiger or similar beast in the forest.
बिन्दुहीनमपीत्युक्तं वाञ्छितं प्रददाति वै । तत्र सत्यव्रतस्यैव दृष्टान्तो नृपसत्तम
Even when the utterance is incomplete, she bestows the desired boon; in this regard, O foremost of kings, the example of Satyavrata is well known.
प्रत्यक्ष एव चास्माकं मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । ब्राह्मणानां समाजेषु तस्योदाहरणं बुधैः
This is evident to us, the sages of purified mind, in assemblies of Brahmins; the wise cite his case as an illustration.
कथ्यमानं मया राजञ्छ्रुतं सर्वं सविस्तरम् । अनक्षरो महामूर्खो नाम्ना सत्यव्रतो द्विजः
I shall narrate to you, O king, all of this in detail as I have heard it; Satyavrata, by name, was a Brahmin, utterly ignorant and unlettered.
श्रुत्वाऽक्षरं कोलमुखात्समुच्चार्य स्वयं ततः । बिन्दुहीनं प्रसंगेन जातोऽसौ विबुधोत्तमः
Having heard the syllable from the mouth of a Kolan, he then pronounced it himself; due to the omission of the dot, he became, by circumstance, a foremost among the wise.
ऐकारोच्चारणाद्देवी तुष्टा भगवती तदा । चकार कविराजं तं दयार्द्रा परमेश्वरी
By uttering the vowel 'ai', the goddess was pleased at that time; the supreme Lady, moved by compassion, made him king of poets.
सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् जनमेजय उवाच कोऽसौ सत्यव्रतो नाम ब्राह्मणो द्विजसत्तमः । कस्मिन्देशे समुत्पन्नः कीदृशश्च वदस्व मे
Janamejaya said: Who is this Brahmin named Satyavrata, O best of twice-born? In which land was he born, and what was he like? Tell me.
कथं तेन श्रुतः शब्दः कथमुच्चारितः पुनः । सिद्धिश्च कीदृशी जाता तस्य विप्रस्य तत्क्षणात्
How did he hear the word, and how did he utter it again? What kind of attainment arose for that Brahmin at that very moment?
कथं तुष्टा भवानी सा सर्वज्ञा सर्वसंस्थिता । विस्तरेण वदस्वाद्य कथामेतां मनोरमाम्
How was Bhavani, the all-knowing, all-pervading, pleased? Please narrate this delightful story to me in detail today.
सूत उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा राज्ञा व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच परमोदारं वचनं रसवच्छुचि
Suta said: Thus questioned by the king, Vyasa, son of Satyavati, spoke words most noble, full of flavor and purity.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पौराणिकीं शुभाम् । श्रुता मुनिसमाजेषु मया पूर्वं कुरूद्वह
Vyasa said: Listen, O king, I shall relate a sacred ancient tale, which I heard before in an assembly of sages, O descendant of the Kurus.
एकदाऽहं कुरुश्रेष्ठ कुर्वंस्तीर्थाटनं शुचि । सम्प्राप्तो नैमिषारण्यं पावनं मुनिसेवितम्
Once, O best of Kurus, while I was undertaking pilgrimage to holy places, I arrived at Naimisha forest, sanctified and frequented by sages.
प्रणम्याहं मुनीन्सर्वान् स्थितस्तत्र वराश्रमे । विधिपुत्रास्तु यत्रासञ्जीवन्मुक्ता महाव्रताः
Having bowed to all the sages, I remained there in the excellent hermitage, where the sons of Brahma, liberated while living, observed great vows.
कथाप्रसंग एवासीत्तत्र विप्रसमागमे । जमदग्निस्तु पप्रच्छ मुनीनेवं समास्थितः
There, in the gathering of Brahmins, a conversation arose; Jamadagni then questioned the sages, having taken his seat.