यत्प्रभावा च सा देवी यत्स्वरुपा यदुद्भवा । सत्सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामस्त्वं ब्रूहि नृवरोत्तम
What is the power of that Goddess, what is her true form, and what is her origin? We wish to hear all this; please speak, O best of kings.
व्यास उवाच इति पृष्टस्तदा तैस्तु ध्रुवसन्धिसुतो नृपः । विचिन्त्य मनसा देवीं तानुवाच मुदान्वितः
Vyasa said: Thus questioned by them, the king, son of Dhruvasandhi, after reflecting in his mind on the Goddess, spoke to them with joy.
सुदर्शन उवाच किं ब्रवीमि महीपालास्तस्याश्चरितमुत्तमम् । ब्रह्मादयो न जानन्ति सेशाः सुरगणास्तथा
Sudarshana said: What can I say, O kings, of her supreme deeds? Even Brahma and the other gods, along with the hosts of deities, do not know them.
सर्वस्याद्या महालक्ष्मीर्वरेण्या शक्तिरुत्तमा । सात्त्विकीयं महीपाला जगत्पालनतत्परा
She is the primal Mahalakshmi of all, the most excellent and venerable power, of sattvic nature, O kings, intent on the protection of the world.
सृजते या रजोरूपा सत्त्वरूपा च पालने । संहारे च तमोरूपा त्रिगुणा सा सदा मता
She who creates in the form of rajas, protects in the form of sattva, and destroys in the form of tamas—she is always considered to be threefold in nature.
निर्गुणा परमा शक्तिः सर्वकामफलप्रदा । सर्वेषां कारणं सा हि ब्रह्मादीनां नृपोत्तमाः
She is the supreme power, beyond qualities, bestower of all desired fruits; she is the cause of all, even of Brahma and the others, O best of kings.
निर्गुणा सर्वथा ज्ञातुमशक्या योगिभिर्नृपाः । सगुणा सुखसेव्या सा चिन्तनीया सदा बुधैः
The attribute-less One cannot be known in any way by yogis, O kings; the One with attributes is easily served and should always be contemplated by the wise.
राजान ऊचुः बाल एव वनं प्राप्तस्त्वं तु नूनं भयातुरः । कथं ज्ञाता त्वया देवी परमा शक्तिरुत्तमा
The kings said: You reached the forest while still a child, and surely you were fearful; how did you come to know the supreme Goddess, the highest Power?
उपासिता कथं चैव पूजिता च कथं नृप । या प्रसन्ना तु साहाय्यं चकार त्वरयान्विता
How was She worshipped by you, and how was She honored, O king? When pleased, how did She swiftly grant you assistance?
सुदर्शन उवाच बालभावान्मया प्राप्तं बीजं तस्याः सुसम्मतम् । स्मरामि प्रजपन्नित्यं कामबीजाभिधं नृपाः
Sudarshana said: In my childhood, I received Her seed mantra, which was highly approved; I remember and recite always, O kings, the mantra called the seed of desire.
ऋषिभिः कथ्यमाना सा मया ज्ञाताम्बिका शिवा । स्मरामि तां दिवारात्रं भक्त्या परमया पराम्
Taught by the sages, I came to know Ambika, the auspicious One; I remember Her day and night with supreme devotion, the highest.
व्यास उवाच तन्निशम्य वचस्तस्य राजानो भक्तितत्पराः । तां मत्वा परमां शक्तिं निर्ययुः स्वगृहान्प्रति
Vyasa said: Hearing his words, the kings became devoted to worship; considering Her the supreme Power, they departed for their own homes.
सुबाहुरगमत्काश्यां तमापृच्छ्य सुदर्शनम् । सुदर्शनोऽपि धर्मात्मा निर्ज्जगाम सुकोसलान्
Subahu went to Kashi, having taken leave of Sudarshana; Sudarshana, righteous in soul, departed for Sukosala.
मन्त्रिणस्तु नृपं श्रुत्वा हतं शत्रुजितं मृधे । जितं सुदर्शनञ्चैव बभूवुः प्रेमसंयुताः
The ministers, hearing that the king Shatrujit had been slain in battle and that Sudarshana had triumphed, became filled with affection.
आगच्छन्तं नृपं श्रुत्वा तं साकेतनिवासिनः । उपायनान्युपादाय प्रययुः सम्मुखे जनाः
Hearing that the king was approaching, the residents of Saketa, bringing gifts, went forth to meet him.
तथा प्रकृतयः सर्वे नानोपायनपाणयः । ध्रुवसन्धिसुतं दत्त्वा मुदिताः प्रययुः प्रजाः
Likewise, all the citizens, bearing various gifts in their hands, joyfully went forth, having given Dhruvasandhi's son.
स्त्रियोपसंयुतः सोऽथ प्राप्यायोध्यां सुदर्शनः । सम्मान्य सर्वलोकांश्च ययौ राजा निवेशनम्
Then Sudarshana, accompanied by women, reached Ayodhya; honoring all the people, the king proceeded to the palace.
वन्दिभिः स्तूयमानस्तु वन्द्यमानश्च मन्त्रिभिः । कन्याभिः कीर्यमाणश्च लाजैः सुमनसैस्तथा
Praised by bards, honored by ministers, and showered by maidens with grains and flowers, he entered.
देवीस्थापनवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच गत्वाऽयोध्यां नृपश्रेष्ठो गृहं राज्ञः सुहृद्वृतः । शत्रुजिन्मातरं प्राह प्रणम्य शोकसङ्कुलाम्
Description of the installation of the Goddess. Vyasa said: Having reached Ayodhya, the foremost king, surrounded by friends, addressed the mother of Shatrujit, bowing to her, who was overwhelmed with grief.
मातर्न ते मया पुत्रः सङ्ग्रामे निहतः किल । न पिता ते युधाजिच्च शपे ते चरणौ तथा
Mother, your son was not slain by me in battle, nor was your husband killed by me; I swear this at your feet.
दुर्गया तौ हतौ संख्ये नापराधो ममात्र वै । अवश्यम्भाविभावेषु प्रतीकारो न विद्यते
Both were slain in battle by Durga; I have no fault in this matter. In what must inevitably happen, there is no remedy.
न शोकोऽत्र त्वया कार्यो मृतपुत्रस्य मानिनि । स्वकर्मवशगो जीवो भुङ्क्ते भोगान्सुखासुखान्
No sorrow should be felt by you for your dead son, O proud lady; the soul, bound by its own actions, experiences pleasures and pains.
दासोऽस्मि तव भो मातर्यथा मम मनोरमा । तथा त्वमपि धर्मज्ञे न भेदोऽस्ति मनागपि
O mother, I am your servant, just as my mind delights in you; so too, O knower of dharma, there is not the slightest difference between us.
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम् । तस्मान्न शोचितव्यं ते सुखे दुःखे कदाचन
One must inevitably experience the results of one's actions, whether good or bad; therefore, you should never grieve in happiness or sorrow.
दुःखे दुःखाधिकान्पश्येत्सुखे पश्येत्सुखाधिकम् । आत्मानं शोकहर्षाभ्यां शत्रुभ्यामिव नार्पयेत्
In sorrow, one should see those who suffer more; in happiness, those who are happier. One should not surrender oneself to grief or joy, as one would not to enemies.
दैवाधीनमिदं सर्वं नात्माधीनं कदाचन । न शोकेन तदाऽऽत्मानं शोषयेन्मतिमान्नरः
All this is subject to fate, never to oneself; a wise person should not waste himself away with grief.
यथा दारुमयी योषा नटादीनां प्रचेष्टते । तथा स्वकर्मवशगो देही सर्वत्र वर्तते
Just as a wooden puppet moves at the will of actors, so the embodied soul acts everywhere according to its own karma.
अहं वनगतो मातर्नाभवं दुःखमानसः । चिन्तयन्स्वकृतं कर्म भोक्तव्यमिति वेद्मि च
Mother, when I went to the forest, I was not troubled by sorrow; reflecting on my own actions, I knew I must experience their results.
मृतो मातामहोऽत्रैव विधुरा जननी मम । भयातुरा गृहीत्वा मां निर्ययौ गहनं वनम्
My maternal grandfather died here, and my mother became widowed; fearful, she took me and departed into the dense forest.
लुण्ठिता तस्करैर्मार्गे वस्त्रहीना तथा कृता । पाथेयञ्च हृतं सर्वं बालपुत्रा निराश्रया
Robbers plundered us on the road, leaving us without clothing; all our provisions were taken, and my mother, with her young child, was left without shelter.