एवं चिन्तातुरान्वीक्ष्य प्रह्लादस्तानुवाच ह । योद्धव्यं नाथ गन्तव्यं पलाय्य दानवोत्तमाः
Seeing them troubled by such thoughts, Prahlada spoke: 'O best of demons, we must fight, or else flee from here.'
नमुचिस्तानुवाचाथ पलायनपरानिह । हनिष्यति जगन्माता रुषिता किल हेतिभिः
Then Namuci spoke to those intent on fleeing: 'The Mother of the world, enraged, will surely slay us with her weapons.'
तथा कुरु महाभाग यथा दुःखं न जायते । व्रजामोऽद्यैव पातालं तां स्तुत्वा तदनुज्ञया
Do as you must, O fortunate ones, so that no suffering arises. Let us go today to the netherworld, having praised her and with her permission.
प्रह्लाद उवाच स्तौमि देवीं महामायां सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणीम् । सर्वेषां जननीं शक्तिं भक्तानामभयङ्करीम्
Prahlada said: I praise the Goddess, the great Maya, who creates, sustains, and destroys; the Mother of all, the power, the giver of fearlessness to devotees.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्या विष्णुभक्तस्तु प्रह्लादः परमार्थवित् । तुष्टाव जगतां धात्रीं कृताञ्जलिपुटस्तदा
Vyasa said: Thus, Prahlada, devoted to Vishnu and knowing the highest truth, praised the Mother of the worlds, with hands joined in reverence.
मालासर्पवदाभाति यस्यां सर्वं चराचरम् । सर्वाधिष्ठानरूपायै तस्यै ह्रींमूर्तये नमः
All that moves and does not move shines like a garlanded serpent upon her; to her, who is the form of all abodes, to the embodiment of Hrīṃ, I bow.
त्वत्तः सर्वमिदं विश्वं स्थावरं जङ्गमं तथा । अन्ये निमित्तमात्रास्ते कर्तारस्तव निर्मिताः
From you, all this universe arises—both the immobile and the moving; others are merely instruments, O Creator, made by you.
नमो देवि महामाये सर्वेषां जननी स्मृता । को भेदस्तव देवेषु दैत्येषु स्वकृतेषु च
Salutations to you, O Goddess, great enchantress, remembered as the mother of all; what distinction exists between gods, demons, or those created by you?
मातुः पुत्रेषु को भेदोऽप्यशुभेषु शुभेषु च । तथैव देवेष्वस्मासु न कर्तव्यस्त्वयाधुना
What difference is there for a mother among her children, whether auspicious or inauspicious? In the same way, O Goddess, you should not make distinctions now between the gods and us.
यादृशास्तादृशा मातः सुतास्ते दानवाः किल । यतस्त्वं विश्वजननी पुराणेषु प्रकीर्तिता
Just as they are, so are your children, O Mother, indeed the Dānavas; for you are proclaimed in the ancient texts as the mother of the universe.
तेऽपि स्वार्थपरा नूनं यथैव वयमप्युत । नान्तरं दैत्यसुरयोर्भेदोऽयं मोहसम्भवः
They too are surely intent on their own interests, just as we are; there is no real difference between demon and god—this division arises from delusion.
धनदारादिभोगेषु वयं सक्ता दिवानिशम् । तथैव देवा देवेशि को भेदोऽसुरदेवयोः
We are attached day and night to enjoyments such as wealth and wives; so too are the gods, O Goddess of the gods—what difference is there between gods and demons?
तेऽपि कश्यपदायादा वयं तत्सम्भवाः किल । कुतो विरोधसम्भूतिर्जाता मातस्तवाधुना
They too are descendants of Kaśyapa, and we are also born from him; how, O Mother, has this enmity arisen among your children now?
न तथा विहितं मातस्त्वयि सर्वसमुद्भवे । साम्यतैव त्वया स्थाप्या देवेष्वस्मासु चैव हि
Such division is not ordained by you, O Mother, source of all; you should establish equality between the gods and us.
गुणव्यतिकरात्सर्वे समुत्पन्नाः सुरासुराः । गुणान्विता भवेयुस्ते कथं देहभृतोऽमराः
All gods and demons are born from the intermingling of qualities; as embodied beings, how could they, even the immortals, be without qualities?
कामः क्रोधश्च लोभश्च सर्वदेहेषु संस्थिताः । वर्तन्ते सर्वदा तस्मात् कोऽविरोधी भवेञ्चनः
Desire, anger, and greed reside in all bodies; they always operate, so who could ever be free from conflict?
त्वया मिथो विरोधोऽयं कल्पितः किल कौतुकात् । मन्यामहे विभेदेन नूनं युद्धदिदृक्षया
This mutual conflict has indeed been arranged by you out of sport; we believe that, through division, you surely wish to witness battle.
अन्यथा खलु भ्रातॄणां विरोधः कीदृशोऽनघे । त्वं चेन्नेच्छसि चामुण्डे वीक्षितुं कलहं किल
Otherwise, what kind of conflict could there be among brothers, O faultless one? If you, O Cāmuṇḍā, did not wish to see strife, it would not occur.
जानामि धर्मं धर्मज्ञे वेद्मि चाहं शतक्रतुम् । तथापि कलहोऽस्माकं भोगार्थं देवि सर्वदा
I know righteousness, O knower of righteousness, and I know Indra as well; yet, O Goddess, still there is always quarrel among us for the sake of enjoyment.
एकः कोऽपि न शास्तास्ति संसारे त्वां विनाम्बिके । स्पृहावतस्तु कः कर्तुं क्षमते वचनं बुधः
In this world, there is truly no ruler apart from you, O Ambikā; who, being full of desire, is able to obey another's command?
देवासुरैरयं सिन्धुर्मथितः समये क्वचित् । विष्णुना विहितो भेदः सुधारत्नच्छलेन वै
Once, gods and demons churned this ocean together; Viṣṇu created division by means of the nectar and jewels as a pretext.
त्वयासौ कल्पितः शौरिः पालकत्वे जगद्गुरुः । तेन लक्ष्मीः स्वयं लोभाद् गृहीतामरसुन्दरी
By you, that Viṣṇu was appointed as protector, O teacher of the world; by him, out of greed, Lakṣmī herself, the beautiful goddess, was taken.
ऐरावतस्तथेन्द्रेण पारिजातोऽथ कामधुक् । उच्चैःश्रवाः सुरैः सर्वं गृहीतं वैष्णवेच्छया
Airāvata was taken by Indra, the Pārijāta tree and the wish-fulfilling cow as well; Uccaiḥśravā and all else were taken by the gods, according to Viṣṇu's wish.
अनयं तादृशं कृत्वा जाता देवास्तु साधवः । (अन्यायिनः सुरा नूनं पश्य त्वं धर्मलक्षणम् ।)
Having acted in this way, the gods became virtuous; (but truly, O Goddess, see how the gods acted unjustly—this is the mark of righteousness.)
नूनं दैत्याः पराभूवन्पश्य त्वं धर्मलक्षणम् । क्व धर्मः कीदृशो धर्मः क्व कार्यं क्व च साधुता
Surely the demons have been defeated—see for yourself the mark of righteousness: where is dharma, what kind of dharma is this, where is duty, and where is virtue?
कथयामि च कस्याग्रे सिद्धं मैमांसिकं मतम् । तार्किका युक्तिवादज्ञा विधिज्ञा वेदवादकाः
And before whom shall I present this established doctrine of the Mimamsakas? The logicians, those skilled in argument, the ritualists, and the Veda-expositors—
उक्ताः सकर्तृकं विश्वं विवदन्ते जडात्मकाः । कर्ता भवति चेदस्मिन्संसारे वितते किल
—these have declared that the universe is with an agent, yet they, being of inert nature, dispute among themselves. If there is an agent in this vast world—
विरोधः कीदृशस्तत्र चैककर्मणि वै मिथः । वेदे नैकमतिः कस्माच्छास्त्रेष्वपि तथा पुनः
—what kind of contradiction is there, then, in a single act mutually? Why, even in the Veda, is there not one opinion, and likewise in the treatises as well?
नैकवाक्यं वचस्तेषामपि वेदविदां पुनः । यतः स्वार्थपरं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्
Even among the knowers of the Veda, their statements are not of one voice; for all the world, moving and unmoving, is intent on its own interests.
निःस्पृहः कोऽपि संसारे न भवेन्न भविष्यति । शशिनाथ गुरोर्भार्या हृता ज्ञात्वा बलादपि
No one in this world is or ever will be without desire; even the wife of the moon-guru was taken by force, knowing this—