तामेव समुपासन्ते देवीं विश्वेश्वरीं शिवाम् । यद्भक्तिलेशलेशांशलेशलेशलवांशकम्
They worship that very Goddess, the Lady of the Universe, the Auspicious One, even with the tiniest fragment of devotion.
लब्ध्वा मुक्तो भवेज्जन्तुस्तां न सेवेत को जनः । भुवनेशीत्येव वक्त्रे ददाति भुवनत्रयम्
Having obtained even a trace of devotion to her, a being becomes liberated; who indeed would not serve her? She, called the Mistress of the Worlds, grants the three worlds from her mouth.
मां पाहीत्यस्य वचसो देयाभावादृणान्विता । विद्याविद्येति तस्या द्वे रूपे जानीहि पार्थिव
Because there is no one else to whom the words 'Protect me!' can be addressed, she is bound by obligation; know, O King, that she has two forms: knowledge and ignorance.
विद्यया मुच्यते जन्तुर्बध्यतेऽविद्यया पुनः । ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च सर्वे तस्या वशानुगाः
By knowledge a being is freed, by ignorance bound again; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Rudra—all are under her control.
अवताराः सर्व एव यन्त्रिता इव दामभिः । कदाचिच्च सुखं भुंक्ते वैकुण्ठे क्षीरसागरे
All incarnations are indeed constrained, as if by cords; sometimes they enjoy happiness in Vaikuṇṭha or in the Ocean of Milk.
कदाचित्कुरुते युद्धं दानवैर्बलवत्तरैः । हरिः कदाचिद्यज्ञान्वै विततान्प्रकरोति च
Sometimes he engages in battle with powerful Dānavas; sometimes Hari performs the sacrifices that have been arranged.
कदाचिच्च तपस्तीव्रं तीर्थे चरति सुव्रत । कदाचिच्छयने शेते योगनिद्रामुपाश्रितः
Sometimes, observing strict vows, he practices intense austerity at holy places; sometimes he lies on his bed, absorbed in yogic sleep.
न स्वतन्त्रः कदाचिच्च भगवान्मधुसूदनः । तथा ब्रह्मा तथा रुद्रस्तथेन्द्रो वरुणो यमः
The blessed Madhusūdana is never independent; likewise Brahmā, likewise Rudra, and so also Indra, Varuṇa, and Yama.
कुबेरोऽग्नी रवीन्दू च तथान्ये सुरसत्तमाः । मुनयः सनकाद्याश्च वसिष्ठाद्यास्तथापरे
Kubera, Agni, the Sun, the Moon, and other excellent gods, as well as sages like Sanaka and others, and Vasiṣṭha and others as well.
सर्वेऽम्बावशगा नित्यं पाञ्चालीव नरस्य च । नसि प्रोता यथा गावो विचरन्ति वशानुगाः
All are always under the power of the Mother, like Draupadī was to her husbands, or like cows tied with a rope, moving as directed.
तथैव देवताः सर्वाः कालपाशनियन्त्रिताः । हर्षशोकादयो भावा निद्रातन्द्रालसादयः
In the same way, all the deities are bound by the noose of time; feelings like joy and sorrow, sleep, drowsiness, and laziness—
सर्वेषां सर्वदा राजन्देहिनां देहसंश्रिताः । अमरा निर्जराः प्रोक्ता देवाश्च ग्रन्थकारकैः
O King, these are always present in all embodied beings; those called immortals, deathless ones, and gods by the authors of scriptures—
अभिधानतश्चार्थतो न ते नूनं तादृशाः क्वचित् । उत्पत्तिस्थितिनाशाख्या भावा येषां निरन्तरम्
By name and in meaning, they are certainly not truly such anywhere, for they constantly experience birth, existence, and destruction.
अमरास्ते कथं वाच्या निर्जराश्च कथं पुनः । कथं दुःखाभिभूता वा जायन्ते विबुधोत्तमाः
How can they be called immortals, or again, deathless ones? How do the best of the gods come to be afflicted by suffering?
कथं देवाश्च वक्तव्या व्यसने क्रीडनं कथम् । क्षणादुत्पत्तिनाशश्च दृश्यतेऽस्मिन्न संशयः
How can the gods be said to play in adversity? The appearance and disappearance of them is seen in a moment—there is no doubt.
जलजानां च कीटानां मशकानां तथा पुनः । उपमा न कथं चैषामायुषोऽन्ते मराः स्मृताः
And just as with aquatic creatures, insects, and mosquitoes, their lives are likewise compared; at the end of their lifespan, they are called mortals.
ततो वर्षायुषश्चापि शतवर्षायुषस्तथा । मनुष्या ह्यमरा देवास्तस्माद् ब्रह्मापरः स्मृतः
Thus, there are those with lifespans of a year, and those with lifespans of a hundred years; humans are called mortals, gods are called immortals, and beyond them is Brahmā.
रुद्रस्तथा तथा विष्णुः क्रमशश्च भवन्ति हि । नश्यन्ति क्रमशश्चैव वर्धन्ति चोत्तरोत्तरम्
So too are Rudra and Viṣṇu, each in their own order; they perish in succession and grow greater, one after another.
नूनं देहवतो नाशो मृतस्योत्पत्तिरेव च । चक्रवद् भ्रमणं राजन् सर्वेषां नात्र संशयः
Surely, for those who possess a body, destruction is certain, and for the dead, birth indeed follows; O King, for all beings, this cycle of wandering is like a wheel—there is no doubt about this.
मोहजालावृतो जन्तुर्मुच्यते न कदाचन । मायायां विद्यमानायां मोहजालं न नश्यति
A creature enveloped by the net of delusion is never released; as long as Māyā exists, the net of delusion does not perish.
उत्पित्सुकाल उत्पत्तिः सर्वेषां नृप जायते । तथैव नाशः कल्पान्ते ब्रह्मादीनां यथाक्रमम्
O King, at the time destined for creation, birth arises for all; likewise, at the end of the age, destruction occurs in due order even for Brahmā and the others.
निमित्तं यस्तु यन्नाशे स घातयति तं नृप । नान्यथा तद्भवेन्नूनं विधिना निर्मितं तु यत्
Whatever is the cause of someone's destruction, O King, that alone brings about their end; it cannot be otherwise—whatever is ordained by fate must surely come to pass.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखं वा सुखमेव वा । तत्तथैव भवेत्कामं नान्यथेह विनिर्णयः
Birth, death, old age, disease, suffering, or even happiness—these occur exactly as they must; there is no other determination here.
सर्वेषां सुखदौ देवौ प्रत्यक्षौ शशिभास्करौ । न नश्यति तयोः पीडा क्यचित्तद्वैरिसम्भवा
The two gods who give happiness to all—the visible moon and sun—do not escape suffering; sometimes, pain arises for them too, due to the presence of their adversaries.
भास्करस्य सुतो मन्दः क्षयी चन्द्रः कलङ्कवान् । पश्य राजन् विधेः सूत्रं दुर्वारं महतामपि
The son of the sun, Saturn, brings decline; the moon wanes and bears a blemish—see, O King, the thread of destiny is irresistible, even for the great.
वेदकर्ता जगत्स्रष्टा बुद्धिदस्तु चतुर्मुखः । सोऽपि विक्लवतां प्राप्तो दृष्ट्वा पुत्रीं सरस्वतीम्
The creator of the Vedas, the maker of the world, the wise four-faced one—even he became bewildered, seeing his daughter Sarasvatī.
शिवस्यापि मृता भार्या सती दग्ध्वा कलेवरम् । सोऽभवद्दुःखसन्तप्तः कामार्तश्च जनार्तिहा
Even Śiva, whose wife Satī died and whose body was burned, became tormented by sorrow and overcome by desire, though he is the remover of the world's suffering.
कामाग्निदग्धदेहस्तु कालिन्द्यां पतितः शिवः । सापि श्यामजला जाता तन्निदाघवशान्नृप
Śiva, whose body was burned by the fire of desire, fell into the river Kālindī; and she too became dark with water, O King, due to the force of that heat.
कामार्तो रममाणस्तु नग्नः सोऽपि भृगोर्वनम् । गतः प्राप्तोऽथ भृगुणा शप्तः कामातुरो भृशम्
Overcome by desire, Śiva, while enjoying himself, went naked into the forest of Bhṛgu; there, afflicted by passion, he was cursed by Bhṛgu.
पतत्वद्यैव ते लिङ्गं निर्लज्जेति भृशं किल । पपौ चामृतवापीञ्च दानवैर्निर्मितां मुदे
"Today your liṅga will fall, and you will be utterly shameless," he was told; yet he joyfully drank from the pool of nectar made by the Dānavas.