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.
माता गृहीत्वा मां प्राप्ता भारद्वाजाश्रमं प्रति । विदल्लोऽयं समायातस्तथा धात्रेयिकाऽबला
My mother brought me to the hermitage of Bharadvaja; this weak nurse also arrived there.
मुनिभिर्मुनिपत्नीभिर्दयायुक्तैः समन्ततः । पोषिताः फलनीवारैर्वयं तत्र स्थितास्त्रयः
There, we three were cared for by compassionate sages and their wives, nourished with wild rice and fruits.
दुःखं नमे तदा ह्यासीत्सुखं नाद्य धनागमे । न वैरं न च मात्सर्यं मम चित्ते तु कर्हिचित्
At that time, I had sorrow, not happiness, nor do I have happiness now with the arrival of wealth; never has enmity or jealousy arisen in my mind.
नीवारभक्षणं श्रेष्ठं राजभोगात्परन्तपे । तदाशी नरकं याति न नीवाराशनः क्वचित्
Eating wild rice is better than royal fare, O Parantapa; one who desires such food goes to hell, but never one who eats wild rice.
धर्मस्याचरणं कार्यं पुरुषेण विजानता । सञ्जित्येन्द्रियवर्गं वै यथा न नरकं व्रजेत्
A wise person should practice righteousness, having subdued the senses, so that he does not go to hell.
मानुष्यं दुर्लभं मातः खण्डेऽस्मिन्भारते शुभे । आहारादि सुखं नूनं भवेत्सर्वासु योनिषु
Human birth is rare, mother, in this auspicious land of Bharata; surely, food and other pleasures are found in all other wombs.
प्राप्य तं मानुषं देहं कर्तव्यं धर्मसाधनम् । स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदं नॄणां दुर्लभं चान्ययोनिषु
Having attained this human body, one should pursue righteousness, which grants heaven and liberation to men, and is difficult to obtain in other births.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्ता सा तदा तेन लीलावत्यतिलज्जिता । पुत्रशोकं परित्यज्य तमाहाश्रुविलोचना
Vyasa said: Thus addressed by him, Lilavati, deeply ashamed, abandoned her grief for her son and, with tearful eyes, spoke to him.
सापराधाऽस्मि पुत्राहं कृता पित्रा युधाजिता । हत्या मातामहं तेऽत्र हृतं राज्यं तु येन वै
Son, I am at fault, for your father Yudhajit killed your maternal grandfather here, and took the kingdom.
न तं वारयितुं शक्ता तदाऽहं न सुतं मम । यत्कृतं कर्म तेनैव नापराधोऽस्ति मे सुत
At that time, I was unable to stop him, nor was he my son; whatever was done was by him alone, so I am not at fault, son.