लक्ष्मणोऽपि च तां त्यक्त्वा निर्गतो मत्पदानुगः । वारितोऽपि मयात्यर्थं मोहितः प्राकृतैर्गुणैः
Lakshmana too, leaving her behind, went out, following my footsteps; though I earnestly forbade him, he was deluded by ordinary qualities.
भिक्षुरूपं ततः कृत्वा रावणः कपटाकृतिः । जहार तरसा रक्षो जानकीं शोककर्शिताम्
Then Ravana, taking the form of a mendicant and disguising himself, swiftly abducted Janaki, who was afflicted by sorrow.
दुःखार्तेन मया तत्र रुदितञ्च वने वने । सुग्रीवेण च मित्रत्वं कृतं कार्यवशान्मया
Stricken with grief, I wept there, from forest to forest; and, compelled by necessity, I formed a friendship with Sugriva.
अन्यायेन हतो वाली शापाच्चैव निवारितः । सहायान्वानरान् कृत्वा लङ्कायां चलितः पुनः
Vali was slain unjustly and hindered by a curse; gathering the monkeys as allies, I set out again for Lanka.
बद्धोऽहं नागपाशैश्च लक्ष्मणश्च ममानुजः । विसंज्ञौ पतितौ दृष्ट्वा वानरा विस्मयं गताः
I was bound by serpent bonds, and so was Lakshmana, my younger brother; seeing us unconscious and fallen, the monkeys were astonished.
गरुडेन तदाऽऽगत्य मोचितौ भ्रातरौ किल । चिन्ता मे महती जाता दैवं किं वा करिष्यति
Then Garuda arrived and freed the two brothers; a great anxiety arose in me, wondering what fate or destiny would do.
हृतं राज्यं वने वासो मृतस्तातः प्रिया हृता । युद्धं कष्टं ददात्येवमग्रे किं वा करिष्यति
The kingdom was taken, I dwelt in the forest, my father died, my beloved was abducted; such a difficult battle was given—what would fate do next?
प्रथमं तु महद्दुःखमराज्यस्य वनाश्रयम् । राजपुत्र्यान्वितस्यैव धनहीनस्य मे सुराः
First, the great sorrow was the exile to the forest without a kingdom, accompanied only by the princess, and lacking wealth, O gods.
वराटिकापि पित्रा मे न दत्ता वननिर्गमे । पदातिरसहायोऽहं धनहीनश्च निर्गतः
Not even a coin was given to me by my father upon departing for the forest; I went forth on foot, alone and without wealth.
चतुर्दशैव वर्षाणि नीतानि च तदा मया । क्षात्रं धर्मं परित्यज्य व्याधवृत्त्या महावने
Fourteen years were spent by me then, abandoning the warrior's duty, living as a hunter in the great forest.
दैवाद्युद्धे जयः प्राप्तो निहतोऽसौ महासुरः । आनीता च पुनः सीता प्राप्तायोध्या मया तथा
By destiny, victory was attained in battle, and that great demon was slain; Sita was brought back, and I returned to Ayodhya.
वर्षाणि कतिचित्तत्र सुखं संसारसम्भवम् । प्राप्तं राज्यञ्च सम्पूर्णं कोसलानधितिष्ठता
For some years there, I enjoyed happiness born of worldly life, and attained the complete kingdom, ruling over Kosala.
पुरैवं वर्तमानेन प्राप्तराज्येन वै तदा । लोकापवादभीतेन त्यक्ता सीता वने मया
Even then, while ruling the kingdom, out of fear of public reproach, I abandoned Sita in the forest.
कान्ताविरहजं दुःखं पुनः प्राप्तं दुरासदम् । पातालं सा गता पश्चाद्धरां भित्त्वा धरात्मजा
Again, I suffered the unbearable sorrow of separation from my beloved; afterwards, the daughter of the earth entered the netherworld, breaking through the earth.
एवं रामावतारेऽपि दुःखं प्राप्तं निरन्तरम् । परतन्त्रेण मे नूनं स्वतन्त्रः को भवेत्तदा
Thus, even in the incarnation of Rama, I experienced unceasing sorrow; truly, being dependent on others, who can be independent then?
पश्चात्कालवशात्प्राप्तः स्वर्गो मे भ्रातृभिः सह । परतन्त्रस्य का वार्ता वक्तव्या विबुधेन वै
Later, by the force of time, I attained heaven together with my brothers; what need is there for a wise person to speak of the condition of one who is dependent?
परतन्त्रोऽत्म्यहं नूनं पद्मयोने निशामय । तथा त्वमपि रुद्रश्च सर्वे चान्ये सुरोत्तमाः
O Lotus-born, see: I am truly dependent on another; so too are you, Rudra, and all the other foremost gods.
देवान् प्रति देवीवाक्यवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्विष्णुः पुनराह प्रजापतिम् । यन्मायामोहितः सर्वस्तत्त्वं जानाति नो जनः
Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, the blessed Viṣṇu again addressed the Lord of Creatures: 'All are deluded by her māyā; no one knows the true reality.'
वयं मायावृताः कामं न स्मरामो जगद्गुरुम् । परमं पुरुषं शान्तं सच्चिदानन्दमव्ययम्
Covered by māyā, we do not remember the Teacher of the world, the supreme, peaceful, imperishable Person, who is existence, consciousness, and bliss.
अहं विष्णुरहं ब्रह्मा शिवोऽहमिति मोहिताः । न जानीमो वयं धातः परं वस्तु सनातनम्
Deluded, we think 'I am Viṣṇu, I am Brahmā, I am Śiva,' but, O Creator, we do not know the supreme, eternal Reality.
यन्मायामोहितश्चाहं सदा वर्ते परात्मनः । परवान्दारुपाञ्चाली मायिकस्य यथा वशे
Deluded by her māyā, I always act under the sway of the Supreme Self, just as Draupadī was under the control of the magical dice.
भवतापि तथा दृष्टा विभूतिस्तस्य चाद्भुता । कल्पादौ भवयुक्तेन मयापि च सुधार्णवे
In the same way, you too have seen her wondrous power; at the beginning of the cycle, endowed with creative energy, I too saw her in the ocean of nectar.
मणिद्वीपेऽथ मन्दारविटपे रासमण्डले । समाजे तत्र सा दृष्टा श्रुता न वचसापि च
Then, on the jeweled island, beneath the coral tree, in the circle of the dance, she was seen there in the assembly—heard of, but not described in words.
तस्मात्तां परमां शक्तिं स्मरन्त्वद्य सुराः शिवाम् । सर्वकामप्रदां मायामाद्यां शक्तिं परात्मनः
Therefore, today, O gods, remember that supreme, auspicious Power, the primal māyā, the supreme energy of the Supreme Self, who grants all desires.
व्यास उवाच इत्युक्ता हरिणा देवा ब्रह्माद्या भुवनेश्वरीम् । सस्मरुर्मनसा देवीं योगमायां सनातनीम्
Vyāsa said: Thus addressed by Hari, the gods led by Brahmā remembered in their minds the Goddess, the eternal Yogamāyā, Mistress of the worlds.
स्मृतमात्रा तदा देवी प्रत्यक्षं दर्शनं ददौ । पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिधरा देवी जपारुणा । दृष्ट्वा प्रमुदिता देवास्तुष्टुवुस्तां सुदर्शनाम्
As soon as she was remembered, the Goddess gave them direct vision; holding noose, goad, boon, and fearlessness, the crimson-hued Goddess appeared. Seeing her, the delighted gods praised her, radiant in form.
देवा ऊचुः ऊर्णनाभाद्यथा तन्तुर्विस्फुलिङ्गा विभावसोः । तथा जगद्यदेतस्या निर्गतं तां नता वयम्
The gods said: As the thread comes from the spider, as sparks from fire, so too has this world arisen from her; to her we bow.
यन्मायाशक्तिसंकॢप्तं जगत्सर्वं चराचरम् । तां चितं भुवनाधीशां स्मरामः करुणार्णवाम्
We remember her, the ocean of compassion, the Lady of the worlds, whose māyā and power have fashioned all this moving and unmoving creation.
यदज्ञानाद्भवोत्पत्तिर्यज्ज्ञानाद्भवनाशनम् । संविद्रूपां च तां देवीं स्मरामः सा प्रचोदयात्
We remember that Goddess, embodiment of consciousness, from whom, through ignorance, birth arises, and through knowledge, dissolution; may she impel us.
महालक्ष्यै च विद्महे सर्वशक्त्यै च धीमहि । तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात्
We know Mahālakṣmī, we contemplate the All-powerful; may that Goddess inspire us.