शक्तिः करोति ब्रह्माण्डं सा वै पालयतेऽखिलम् । इच्छया संहरत्येषा जगदेतच्चराचरम्
Power creates the universe, indeed it sustains all; by its will, it dissolves this world, both moving and unmoving.
न विष्णुर्न हरः शक्रो न ब्रह्मा न च पावकः । न सूर्यो वरुणः शक्तः स्वे स्वे कार्ये कथञ्चन
Neither Vishnu, nor Hara, nor Shakra, nor Brahma, nor Agni, nor Surya, nor Varuna are able, in any way, to accomplish their own tasks.
तया युक्ता हि कुर्वन्ति स्वानि कार्याणि ते सुराः । सैव कारणकार्येषु प्रत्यक्षेणावगम्यते
Indeed, empowered by her, the gods perform their respective duties; she alone is directly perceived in causes and effects.
सगुणा निर्गुणा सा तु द्विधा प्रोक्ता मनीषिभिः । सगुणा रागिभिः सेव्या निर्गुणा तु विरागिभिः
She is described by the wise as both with attributes and without attributes; those attached to desires worship her with attributes, while the detached worship her without attributes.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां स्वामिनी सा निराकुला । ददाति वाच्छितान्कामान्पूजिता विधिपूर्वकम्
She, untroubled, is the sovereign of righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation; when worshipped according to rule, she grants the desired wishes.
न जानन्ति जना मूढास्तां सदा माययावृताः । जानन्तोऽपि नराः केचिन्मोहयन्ति परानपि
Deluded people, always covered by her illusion, do not know her; even among those who know, some mislead others.
पण्डिताः स्वोदरार्थं वै पाखण्डानि पूथक्पृथक् । प्रवर्तयन्ति कलिना प्रेरिता मन्दचेतसः
Scholars, prompted by Kali and of dull mind, establish various heretical doctrines separately for the sake of their own livelihood.
कलावस्मिन्महाभागा नानाभेदसमुत्थिताः । नान्ये युगे तथा धर्मा वेदबाह्याः कथञ्चन
In this age of Kali, O highly fortunate one, many divisions of doctrines have arisen; in no other age have such non-Vedic practices of dharma ever appeared.
विष्णुश्चरत्यसावुग्र तपो वर्षाण्यनेकशः । ब्रह्मा हरस्त्रयो देवा ध्यायन्तः कमपि धुवम्
That fierce Vishnu performs austerities for many years; Brahma, Hari, and Hara—the three gods—constantly meditate on some eternal principle.
कामयानाः सदा कामं ते त्रयः सर्वदैव हि । यजन्ति यज्ञान्विविधान्ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
Those three—Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara—always desire desires and perform various sacrifices.
ते वै शक्तिं परां देवीं ब्रह्माख्यां परमात्मिकाम् । ध्यायन्ति मनसा नित्यं नित्यां मत्वा सनातनीम्
They indeed meditate always in their minds on the supreme power, the Goddess, called Brahman, the supreme Self, considering her eternal and everlasting.
तस्माच्छक्तिः सदा सेव्या विद्वद्भिः कृतनिश्चयैः । निश्चयः सर्वशास्त्राणां ज्ञातव्यो मुनिसत्तमाः
Therefore, the power is always to be served by the wise who are firm in resolve; this is to be known as the conclusion of all scriptures, O best of sages.
कृष्णाच्छ्रुतं मया चैतत्तेन ज्ञातं तु नारदात् । पितुः सकाशात्तेनापि ब्रह्मणा विष्णुवाक्यतः
I heard this from Krishna, and thus I learned it from Narada; he too received it from his father, and from Brahma by the word of Vishnu.
न श्रोतव्यं न मन्तव्यमन्येषां वचनं बुधैः । शक्तिरेव सदा सेव्या विद्वद्भिः कृतनिश्चयैः
The wise should neither listen to nor consider the words of others; only the power is always to be served by the wise who are firm in resolve.
प्रत्यक्षमपि द्रष्टव्यमशक्तस्य विचेष्टितम् । अतः सर्वेषु भूतेषु ज्ञातव्या शक्तिरेव हि
Even the actions of the powerless should be observed directly; therefore, in all beings, only the power is truly to be known.
हरिकृतमधुकैटभवधवर्णनम् सूत उवाच यदा विनिर्गता निद्रा देहात्तस्य जगद्गुरोः । नेत्रास्यनासिकाबाहुहृदयेभ्यस्तथोरसः
When sleep departed from the body of that Lord of the universe, it exited from his eyes, mouth, nose, arms, heart, and chest.
निःसृत्य गगने तस्थौ तामसी शक्तिरुत्तमा । उदतिष्ठज्जगन्नाथो जृम्भमाणः पुनः पुनः
Emerging, the supreme tamasic power stood in the sky; the Lord of the world rose, stretching and yawning again and again.
तदापश्यत् स्थितं तत्र भयत्रस्तं प्रजापतिम् । उवाच च महातेजा मेघगम्भीरया गिरा
Then he saw there Prajapati, standing, terrified with fear; and the mighty one spoke to him with a voice deep as thunderclouds.
विष्णुरुवाच किमागतोऽसि भगवंस्तपस्त्यक्त्वात्र पद्मज । कस्माच्चिन्तातुरोऽसि त्वं भयाकुलितमानसः
Vishnu said: 'O revered one, why have you come here, abandoning your austerities, O Lotus-born? Why are you so anxious, your mind overwhelmed by fear?'
ब्रह्मोवाच त्वत्कर्णमलजौ देव दैत्यौ च मधुकैटभौ । हन्तुं मां समुपायातौ घोररूपौ महाबलौ
Brahma said: 'O God, the two demons Madhu and Kaitabha, born from the dirt of your ears, have come to kill me; they are terrifying in form and great in strength.'
भयात्तयोः समायातस्त्वत्समीपं जगत्पते । त्राहि मां वासुदेवाद्य भयत्रस्तं विचेतनम्
Out of fear, both have come to your presence, Lord of the world; save me, O Vāsudeva, for I am terrified and bewildered by fear.
विष्णुरुवाच तिष्ठाद्य निर्भयो जातस्तौ हनिष्याम्यहं किल । युद्धायाजग्मतुर्मूढौ मत्समीपं गतायुषौ
Viṣṇu said: Remain here, now fearless; I will surely slay them. Those two fools have come to me for battle, their lifespans ended.
सूत उवाच एवं वदति देवेशे दानवौ तौ महाबलौ । विचिन्वानावजं चोभौ संप्राप्तौ मदगर्वितौ
Sūta said: As the Lord of gods spoke thus, those two mighty demons, searching for the unborn one, both arrived, intoxicated with pride.
निराधारौ जले तत्र संस्थितौ विगतज्वरौ । तावूचतुर्मदोन्मत्तौ ब्रह्माणं मुनिसत्तमाः
Standing unsupported in the water, free from distress, those two, maddened with arrogance, addressed Brahmā, O best of sages.
पलायित्वा समायातः सन्निधावस्य किं ततः । युद्धं कुरु हनिष्यावः पश्यतोऽस्यैव सन्निधौ
Having fled, you have come into his presence—so what? Fight! We will slay you right before him, in his very presence.
पश्चादेनं हनिष्यावः सर्पभोगोपरिस्थितम् । त्वमद्य कुरु संग्रामं दासोऽस्मीति च वा वद
Afterwards, we will kill him, who sits upon the coils of the serpent. Today, either fight, or declare yourself our servant.
सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं विष्णुस्तावुवाच जनार्दनः । कुरुतं समरं कामं मया दानवपुङ्गवौ
Sūta said: Hearing those words, Viṣṇu, called Janārdana, spoke to those foremost of demons: Fight as you wish with me.
हरिष्यामि मदं चाहं युवयोर्मत्तयोः किल । आगच्छतं महाभागौ श्रद्धा चेद्वां महाबलौ
I will take away your pride, both of you who are intoxicated; come, O mighty ones, if you have faith.
सूत उवाच श्रुत्वा तद्वचनं चोभौ क्रोधव्याकुललोचनौ । निराधारौ जलस्थौ च युद्धोद्युक्तौ बभूवतुः
Sūta said: Hearing those words, both, their eyes agitated with anger, unsupported in the water, became ready for battle.
मधुश्च कुपितस्तत्र हरिणा सह संयुगम् । कर्तुं प्रचलितस्तूर्णं कैटभस्तु तथा स्थितः
There, Madhu, enraged, rushed swiftly to fight with Hari; and Kaiṭabha stood ready as well.