वेदा ऊचुः नमो देवि महामाये विश्वोत्पत्तिकरे शिवे । निर्गुणे सर्वभूतेशि मातः शङ्करकामदे
The Vedas said: Salutations to you, O Great Māyā, O auspicious one, creator of the universe; attributeless, ruler of all beings, mother, fulfiller of Śaṅkara’s wish.
त्वं भूमिः सर्वभूतानां प्राणाः प्राणवतां तथा । धीः श्रीः कान्तिः क्षमा शान्तिः श्रद्धा मेधा धृतिः स्मृतिः
You are the earth of all beings, and the life of the living; you are intelligence, prosperity, beauty, forbearance, peace, faith, wisdom, fortitude, and memory.
त्वमुद्गीथेऽर्धमात्रासि गायत्री व्याहृतिस्तथा । जया च विजया धात्री लज्जा कीर्तिः स्पृहा दया
You are the half-syllable of the Udgītha, the Gāyatrī, and the sacred utterances; you are victory, success, the supporter, modesty, fame, aspiration, and compassion.
त्वां संस्तुमोऽम्ब भुवनत्रयसंविधान- दक्षां दयारसयुतां जननीं जनानाम् । विद्यां शिवां सकललोकहितां वरेण्यां वाग्बीजवासनिपुणां भवनाशकर्त्रीम्
We praise you, O Mother, skilled in the ordering of the three worlds, full of the essence of compassion, mother of all beings, knowledge, auspicious, beneficent to all worlds, most excellent, expert in the seed of speech, and destroyer of fear.
ब्रह्मा हरः शौरिसहस्रनेत्र- वाग्वह्निसूर्या भुवनाधिनाथाः । ते त्वत्कृताः सन्ति ततो न मुख्या माता यतस्त्वं स्थिरजङ्गमानाम्
Brahmā, Hara, Śauri, the thousand-eyed one, the lord of speech, fire, the sun, and the rulers of the worlds—all these exist because of you, therefore they are not primary, for you are the mother of all that is moving and unmoving.
सकलभुवनमेतत्कर्तुकामा यदा त्वं सृजसि जननि देवान्विष्णुरुद्राजमुख्यान् । स्थितिलयजननं तैः कारयस्येकरूपा न खलु तव कथंचिद्देवि संसारलेशः
When you, O Mother, wish to create all the worlds, you produce the gods, with Viṣṇu and Rudra at their head; through them, you bring about creation, preservation, and destruction, though you remain one—indeed, O Goddess, there is not the least trace of worldly bondage in you.
न ते रूपं वेत्तुं सकलभुवने कोऽपि निपुणो न नाम्नां संख्यां ते कथितुमिह योग्योऽस्ति पुरुषः । यदल्पं कीलालं कलयितुमशक्तः स तु नरः कथं पारावाराकलनचतुरः स्यादृतमतिः
In all the worlds, who is skilled enough to know your form? Who is worthy to recount the number of your names? If a man is unable to grasp even a small portion, how could he, though clever, measure the ocean with his mind?
न देवानां मध्ये भगवति तवानन्तविभवं विजानात्येकोऽपि त्वमिह भुवनैकासि जननी । कथं मिथ्या विश्वं सकलमपि चैका रचयसि प्रमाणं त्वेतस्मिन्निगमवचनं देवि विहितम्
Among the gods, O Blessed One, not even one knows your infinite powers; you alone are the mother of the world. How do you, being one, create this entire illusory universe? The authority for this, O Goddess, is declared in the words of the Vedas.
निरीहैवासि त्वं निखिलजगतां कारणमहो चरित्रं ते चित्रं भगवति मनो नो व्यथयति । कथंकारं वाच्यः सकलनिगमागोचरगुण- प्रभावः स्वं यस्मात्स्वयमपि न जानासि परमम्
You are indeed without desire, yet the cause of all the worlds—O Blessed One, your conduct is wondrous, and our minds are not disturbed. How can your qualities and powers, which are beyond the reach of all the Vedas, be described? For you do not know your own supreme nature.
न किं जानासि त्वं जननि मधुजिन्मौलिपतनं ॥ शिवे किं वा ज्ञात्वा विविदिषसि शक्तिं मधुजितः । हरेः किं वा मातर्दुरितततिरेषा बलवती
O Mother, do you not know the fall of Madhu’s slayer from his crown? O Auspicious One, or knowing it, do you wish to test the power of the slayer of Madhu? Or, O Mother, is this force of misfortune that has befallen Hari very strong?
उपेक्षा किं चेयं तव सुरसमूहेऽतिविषमा ॥ हरेर्मूर्ध्नो नाशो मतमिह महाश्चर्यजनकम् । महद्दुःखं मातस्त्वमसि जननच्छेदकुशला
Is this your indifference toward the assembly of gods, which is exceedingly harsh? The destruction of Hari’s head is, in our view, a cause of great wonder. O Mother, you are skilled in cutting the thread of birth, yet this is a great sorrow.
ज्ञात्वा दोषं सकलसुरतापादितं देवि चित्ते किं वा विष्णावमरजनितं दुष्कृतं पातितं ते । विष्णोर्वा किं समरजनितः कोऽपि गर्वोऽतिवेगा- च्छेत्तुं मातस्तव विलसितं नैव विद्मोऽत्र भावम्
O Goddess, knowing the fault that has arisen in all the gods, or perhaps some sin committed by Viṣṇu in a previous birth has caused this fall; or, O Mother, was there some overwhelming pride born of battle in Viṣṇu? We do not know, O Mother, the intention behind your play in this matter.
किं वा दैत्यैः समरविजितैस्तीर्थदेशे सुरम्ये घोरं तप्त्वा भगवति वरं लब्धवद्भिर्भवत्याः । अन्तर्धानं गमितमधुना विष्णुशीर्षं भवानि द्रष्टुं किं वा विगतशिरसं वासुदेवं विनोदः
What is the use of demons conquered in battle, or of sacred places in beautiful lands, when those who have undergone fierce austerities and received boons from the Goddess Bhavani have vanished? Now, Vishnu's head is gone—has he disappeared, or is there some delight in seeing Vasudeva bereft of his head?
सिन्धोः पुत्र्यां रोषिता किं त्वमाद्ये कस्मादेनां प्रेक्षसे नाथहीनाम् । क्षन्तव्यस्ते स्वांशजातापराधो व्युत्थाप्यैनं मोदिता मां कुरुष्व
Why are you angry, O Daughter of the Ocean? Why do you look upon her, the First One, who is now without a protector? Forgive your own portion's offense; revive him and make me joyful.
एते सुरास्त्वां सततं नमन्ति कार्येषु मुख्याः प्रथितप्रभावाः । शोकार्णवात्तारय देवि देवा- नुत्थाप्य देवं सकलाधिनाथम्
These gods, renowned for their power, always bow to you and are foremost in action. O Goddess, lift up the Lord of all, and rescue the gods from the ocean of sorrow.
मूर्धा गतः क्वाम्ब हरेर्न विद्मो नान्योऽस्त्युपायः खलु जीवनेऽद्य । यथा सुधा जीवनकर्मदक्षा तथा जगज्जीवितदासि देवि
Mother, we do not know where Hari's head has gone. Truly, today there is no other way for his life. Just as nectar gives life and the power to act, so too, O Goddess, you grant life to the world.
सूत उवाच एवं स्तुता तदा देवी गुणातीता महेश्वरी । प्रसन्ना परमा माया वेदैः साङ्गैश्च सामगैः
Suta said: Thus praised at that time, the Goddess—beyond all qualities, the great Lady, the supreme Māyā—became pleased, she who is known through the Vedas and their branches and the Sāmagas.
तानुवाच तदा वाणी चाकाशस्थाशरीरिणी । देवान्प्रति सुखैः शब्दैर्जनानन्दकरी शुभा
Then, a voice came forth from the sky, bodiless, addressing the gods with words that brought happiness and joy to all people.
मा कुरुध्वं सुराश्चिन्तां स्वस्थास्तिष्ठन्तु चामराः । स्तुताहं निगमैः कामं सन्तुष्टास्मि न संशयः
Do not be anxious, O gods; let the immortals remain at ease. I have been praised with the Vedas as desired—I am satisfied, without doubt.
यः पुमान्मानुषे लोके स्तौत्येतां मामकीं स्तुतिम् । पतिष्यति सदा भक्त्या सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात्
Any man in the world of humans who always praises me with this hymn, with devotion, will obtain all his desires.
शृणोति वा स्तोत्रमिदं मदीयं भक्त्या त्रिकालं सततं नरो यः । विमुक्तदुःखः स भवेत्सुखी च वेदोक्तमेतन्ननु वेदतुल्यम्
Whoever listens to this hymn of mine with devotion, three times a day, will be freed from suffering and become happy. This is declared in the Vedas and is indeed equal to the Vedas.
शृण्वन्तु कारणं चाद्य यद्गतं वदनं हरेः । अकारणं कथं कार्यं संसारेऽत्र भविष्यति
Now listen to the reason why Hari's head was lost. How could anything in this world happen without a cause?
उदधेस्तनयां विष्णुः संस्थितामन्तिके प्रियाम् । जहास वदनं वीक्ष्य तस्यास्तत्र मनोरमम्
Vishnu, seeing the lovely face of his beloved, the daughter of the ocean, who was sitting near him, smiled.
तया ज्ञातं हरिर्नूनं कथं मां हसति प्रभुः । विरूपं हरिणा दृष्टं मुखं मे केन हेतुना
She, Mahalakshmi, understood: 'Why does the Lord laugh at me? For what reason did Hari see my face as deformed?'
विनापि कारणेनाद्य कथं हास्यस्य सम्भवः । सपत्नीव कृता तेन मन्येऽन्या वरवर्णिनी
How could laughter arise today without a cause? I think he has taken another, more beautiful wife, treating me like a co-wife.
ततः कोपयुता जाता महालक्ष्मी तमोगुणा । तामसी तु तदा शक्तिस्तस्या देहे समाविशत्
Then, Mahalakshmi, filled with anger and dominated by the quality of darkness, was entered by a tamasic power at that moment.
केनचित्कालयोगेन देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये । प्रविष्टा तामसी शक्तिस्तस्या देहेऽतिदारुणा
By some conjunction of time, for the accomplishment of the gods' purpose, that fierce tamasic power entered her body.
तामस्याविष्टदेहा सा चुकोपातिशयं तदा । शनकैः समुवाचेदमिदं पततु ते शिरः
Possessed by that tamasic force, she became extremely angry and slowly spoke these words: 'Let your head fall!'
स्त्रीस्वभावाच्च भावित्वात्कालयोगाद्विनिर्गतः । अविचार्य तदा दत्तः शापः स्वसुखनाशनः
Because of her feminine nature, and influenced by the moment, she gave that curse without reflection, which brought about her own loss of happiness.
सपत्नीसम्भवं दुःखं वैधव्यादधिकं त्विति । विचिन्त्य मनसेत्युक्तं तामसीशक्तियोगतः
Thinking in her mind that the pain of having a co-wife is greater than widowhood, she spoke thus, under the influence of tamasic power.