ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रोऽयं यमोऽग्निर्वरुणस्तथा । सूर्यश्चन्द्रस्तथा शक्रः सर्वे दैववशाः किल
Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Surya, Chandra, and Indra—all are certainly under the power of fate.
का चिन्ता तर्हि मे मन्दा यद्भावि तद्भविष्यति । उद्यमस्तादृशो भूयाद्यादृशी भवितव्यता
Why then should I worry, you dull-witted ones? What is destined to happen will happen; let my effort be in accordance with what is to be.
सर्वथैव विचार्यैव न शोचन्ति बुधाः क्वचित् । स्वधर्मं न त्यजन्तीह ज्ञानिनो मरणाद्भयात्
The wise never grieve after due consideration; those who know do not abandon their own duty here out of fear of death.
सुखं दुःखं तथैवायुर्जीवितं मरणं नृणाम् । काले भवति सम्प्राप्ते सर्वथा दैवनिर्मितम्
Happiness and sorrow, lifespan, life and death for men—all occur at the appointed time, entirely fashioned by fate.
ब्रह्मा पतति काले स्वे विष्णुश्च पार्वतीपतिः । नाशं गच्छन्त्यायुषोऽन्ते सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः
Brahma falls at his own time, as does Vishnu, the lord of Parvati; at the end of their lifespan, all the gods, including Indra, perish.
तथाहमपि कालस्य वशगः सर्वथाधुना । नाशं जयं वा गन्तास्मि स्वधर्मपरिपालनात्
So now I too am completely under the power of time; whether I meet destruction or victory, I will uphold my own duty.
आहूतोऽप्यनया कामं युद्धायाबलया किल । कथं पलायनपरो जीवेयं शरदां शतम्
Even though I have been called by her, powerless as I am, for battle, how could I, intent on fleeing, live a hundred years?
करिष्याम्यद्य संग्रामं यद्भावि तद्भवत्विह । जयो वा मरणं वापि स्वीकरोमि यथा तथा
Today I will fight this battle; let what is to be, happen here. Whether victory or death, I accept it as it comes.
दैवं मिथ्येति विद्वांसो वदन्त्युद्यमवादिनः । युक्तियुक्तं वचस्तेषां ये जानन्त्यभिभाषितम्
The learned who advocate effort say that fate is false; their words are reasonable, for they know what is spoken.
उद्यमेन विना कामं न सिध्यन्ति मनोरथाः । कातरा एव जल्पन्ति यद्भाव्यं तद्भविष्यति
Without effort, desires are certainly not fulfilled; only the timid say, 'What is to be, will be.'
अदृष्टं बलवन्मूढाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः । प्रमाणं तस्य सत्त्वे किमदृश्यं दृश्यते कथम्
Fools, not the wise, declare the unseen as powerful; what proof is there of its existence? How can the unseen be seen?
अदृष्टं क्त्वापि दृष्टं स्यादेषा मूर्खविभीषिका । अवलम्बं विनैवैषा दुःखे चित्तस्य धारणा
Even if the unseen becomes seen, this is the terror of the ignorant; without any support, it is only the mind's fixation in sorrow.
चक्रीसमीपे संविष्टा संस्थिता पिष्टकारिणी । उद्यमेन विना पिष्टं न भवत्येव सर्वथा
Seated beside the mill, the grinder remains ready, but without effort, the flour is never produced at all.
उद्यमे च कृते कार्यं सिद्धिं यात्येव सर्वथा । कदाचित्तस्य न्यूनत्वे कार्यं नैव भवेदपि
When effort is made, the task is certainly accomplished; but if there is any deficiency in effort, the work may not be completed.
देशं कालञ्च विज्ञाय स्वबलं शत्रुजं बलम् । कृतं कार्यं भवत्येव बृहस्पतिवचो यथा
By understanding the place, time, one's own strength, and the enemy's strength, the task is accomplished, just as the words of Brihaspati declare.
व्यास उवाच इति निश्चित्य दैत्येन्द्रो रक्तबीजं महासुरम् । प्रेषयामास संग्रामे सैन्येन महताऽऽवृतम्
Vyasa said: Having thus resolved, the king of the demons sent forth the great demon Raktabija into battle, surrounded by a mighty army.
शुम्भ उवाच रक्तबीज महाबाहो गच्छ त्वं समराङ्गणे । कुरु युद्धं महाभाग यथा ते बलमाहितम्
Shumbha said: Raktabija, mighty-armed, go forth to the battlefield; fight, O fortunate one, according to the strength you possess.
रक्तबीज उवाच महाराज न ते कार्या चिन्ता स्वल्पतरापि वा । अहमेनां हनिष्यामि करिष्यामि वशे तव
Raktabija said: O great king, you need not worry in the slightest; I will slay her and bring her under your control.
पश्य मे युद्धचातुर्यं क्वेयं बाला सुरप्रिया । दासीं तेऽहं करिष्यामि जित्वेमां समरे बलात्
Behold my skill in battle! What is this young girl, beloved of the gods? I will make her your servant, conquering her by force in combat.
व्यास उवाच इत्याभाष्य कुरुश्रेष्ठ रक्तबीजो महासुरः । जगाम रथमारुह्य स्वसैन्यपरिवारितः
Vyasa said: Having spoken thus, O best of the Kurus, the great demon Raktabija mounted his chariot and departed, surrounded by his own troops.
हस्त्यश्वरथपादातवृन्दैश्च परिवेष्टितः । निर्जगाम रथारूढो देवीं शैलोपरिस्थिताम्
Encircled by groups of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry, he rode forth on his chariot toward the goddess, who stood atop the mountain.
तमागतं समालोक्य देवी शङ्खमवादयत् । भयदं सर्वदैत्यानां देवानां मोदवर्धनम्
Seeing him approach, the goddess sounded her conch, which always brings fear to the demons and increases the joy of the gods.
श्रुत्वा शङ्खस्वनं चोग्रं रक्तबीजोऽतिवेगवान् । गत्वा समीपे चामुण्डां बभाषे वचनं मृदु
Hearing the fierce sound of the conch, Raktabija, swift of movement, went near Chamunda and spoke gentle words.
रक्तबीज उवाच बाले किं मां भीषयसि मत्वा त्वं कातरं किल । शङ्खनादेन तन्वङ्गि वेत्सि किं धूम्रलोचनम्
Raktabija said: Young girl, why do you try to frighten me, thinking I am timid? With your conch's sound, slender one, do you know Dhumralochana?
रक्तबीजोऽस्मि नाम्नाहं त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः । युद्धेच्छा चेत्पिकालापे सज्जा भव भयं न मे
I am Raktabija by name, and I have come to you; if you desire battle, prepare yourself for war—I have no fear.
पश्याद्य मे बलं कान्ते दृष्टा ये कातरास्त्वया । नाहं पङ्क्तिगतस्तेषां कुरु युद्धं यथेच्छसि
Today, O lovely one, see my strength! Those whom you have seen as fearful—I am not among them. Fight as you wish.
वृद्धाश्च सेविताः पूर्वं नीतिशास्त्रं श्रुतं त्वया । पतितं चार्थविज्ञानं विद्वद्गोष्ठी कृताथ वा
If you have served elders before, listened to treatises on ethics, acquired knowledge of wealth, or participated in learned assemblies,
साहित्यतन्त्रविज्ञानं चेदस्ति तव सुन्दरि । शृणु मे वचनं पथ्यं तथ्यं प्रमितिबृंहितम्
If you possess knowledge of literature and its methods, O beautiful one, then hear my words, which are wholesome, true, and measured.
रसानाञ्च नवानां वै द्वावेव मुख्यतां गतौ । शृङ्गारकः शान्तिरसो विद्वज्जनसभासु च
Of the nine rasas, only two are considered foremost: the sentiment of love and the sentiment of peace, especially in assemblies of learned people.
तयोः शृङ्गार एवादौ नृपभावे प्रतिष्ठितः । विष्णुर्लक्ष्म्या सहास्ते वै सावित्र्या चतुराननः
Of these two, love is established first in the nature of kings; Vishnu dwells with Lakshmi, and Brahma with Savitri.