निगदिता भुवनैरिति चण्डिका जननि शुम्भनिशुम्भनिषूदनी प्रणतचिन्तितदानवदानवप्रमथनैकरतिस्तरसा भुवि
Called Caṇḍikā by the worlds, mother, destroyer of Śumbha and Niśumbha, you swiftly and singly crush the demons desired by the bowed, on earth.
वियति वायुपथे ज्वलनोज्ज्वले ऽवनितले तव देवि च यद्वपुः तदजिते ऽप्रतिमे प्रणमाम्यहं भुवनभाविनि ते भववल्लभे
In the blazing path of the wind in the sky, and on earth, O goddess, your form is unconquered and incomparable. I bow to you, creator of the worlds, beloved of Bhava.
जलधयो ललितोद्धतवीचयो हुतवहद्युतयश्च चराचरम् फणसहस्रभृतश्च भुजंगमास् त्वदभिधास्यति मय्यभयंकराः
The oceans with their lively waves, the fires with their radiance, all moving and unmoving beings, and the serpents bearing a thousand hoods— all will speak your name, which brings fear to me.
भगवति स्थिरभक्तजनाश्रये प्रतिगतो भवतीचरणाश्रयम् करणजातमिहास्तु ममाचलं नुतिलवाप्तिफलाशयहेतुतः
O blessed one, refuge of those with steadfast devotion, I have come to your feet for shelter. May my actions here be unwavering, for the sake of attaining the fruit of even a trace of praise.
प्रसन्ना तु ततो देवी वीरकस्येति संस्तुता प्रविवेश शुभं भर्तुर् भवनं भूधरात्मजा
Then, pleased, the goddess, praised by Vīraka, entered her husband's auspicious abode, the daughter of the mountain.
अथ रुद्रो महागौरीं गौरीं दृष्ट्वा तु सुन्दरीम् चित्तव्यामोहनाकारां करीन्द्रोन्मत्तगामिनीम्
Then Rudra, seeing Mahāgaurī, the beautiful Gaurī, whose form bewilders the mind, moving like a wild elephant, gazed upon her.
पूर्णचन्द्राननां तन्वीं नितम्बोरुघनस्तनीम् मध्ये क्षामां तथाक्षीणलावण्यामृतवर्षिणीम्
With a face like the full moon, slender, with broad hips and heavy breasts, thin at the waist, yet undiminished in beauty, she poured forth the nectar of charm.
सर्वाभरणपूर्वाङ्गीं मदो मन्देन कारिणीम् सकामः शङ्कितो दीनो रौद्रो वीरो भयानकः
Adorned with every ornament, acting with gentle intoxication, he was desirous, anxious, dejected, fierce, heroic, and terrifying.
करुणाहास्यबीभत्सकिंचित्किंचिद्धरो ऽभवत् जिघांसुर्देववाक्येन भैरवं कृतवान्वपुः
He became somewhat compassionate, smiling, dreadful, and strange; wishing to kill, by the gods’ command, he assumed a terrifying form.
सा चापि भैरवी जाता देवस्य प्रतिरूपिणी तस्या रूपसहस्राणि ददर्श गिरिगोचरः
She too became Bhairavi, the counterpart of the god; the mountain-dweller saw her display thousands of forms.
ग्रस्ते सहस्ररूपाणां तारारूपे प्रदर्शिते पार्वत्या चाथ निःशङ्कः शंकरो वाभवत्ततः
When those thousand forms were consumed, and the star-like form was shown by Parvati, then Shankara became free from doubt.
दृष्ट्वा जगन्मयीं तां तु रराम सुरतप्रियः विरहोत्कण्ठितां भार्यां प्राप्य भूयो हिमात्मजाम्
Seeing her, who embodied the universe, the lover of pleasure rejoiced, having regained his wife, Himavat’s daughter, after longing in separation.
यावद्वर्षसहस्रान्तम् उभयो रहसिस्थयोः नानाकरणबद्धोत्था क्रीडासीत् संतता तयोः
For a thousand years, while both remained in seclusion, their play continued unbroken, arising from various causes.
द्वारस्थो वीरको देवान् हरदर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः व्यसर्जयत् स्वकान्येव गृहाण्यादरपूर्वकम्
Viraka, standing at the door, sent away the gods who wished to see Hara, respectfully directing them to their own homes.
नास्त्यत्रावसरो देवा देव्या सह वृषाकपिः निभृतः क्रीडतीत्युक्ता ययुस्ते च यथागतम्
There is no opportunity here, O gods; the bull-bannered one is playing privately with the goddess, he said, and so they departed as they had come.
गते वर्षसहस्रे तु देवास्त्वरितमानसाः ज्वलनं चोदयामासुर् ज्ञातुं शंकरचेष्टितम्
When a thousand years had passed, the gods, eager in mind, urged Agni to learn what Shankara was doing.
प्रविश्य जालरन्ध्रेण शुकरूपी हुताशनः ददृशे शयने शर्वं रतं गिरिजया सह
Entering through a lattice opening, Agni, taking the form of a boar, saw Sharva lying with Girija.
ददृशे तं च देवेशो हुताशं शुकरूपिणम् तमुवाच महादेवः किंचित्कोपसमन्वितः
The lord of the gods saw him, Agni in the form of a boar, and Mahadeva spoke to him, somewhat angered.
निषिक्तमर्धं देव्यां मे शुक्रस्य शुकविग्रह लज्जया विरतिस्थायां त्वमर्धं पिब पावक
Half of my semen has been discharged in the goddess, O Agni, in the form of semen; since she stopped out of shame, you drink the other half.
यस्मात्तु त्वत्कृतो विघ्नस् तस्मात्त्वय्युपपद्यते इत्युक्तः प्राञ्जलिर्वह्निर् अपिबद्वीर्यमाहितम्
Because you caused this obstacle, therefore it falls upon you; so addressed, Agni, with joined palms, drank the potent seed.
तेनापूर्यत तान्देवांस् तत्तत्कायविभेदतः विपाट्य जठरं तेषां वीर्यं माहेश्वरं ततः
By that, the gods were filled, each according to their bodily division; splitting open their bellies, the Maheshvara seed emerged.
निष्क्रान्ते तप्तहेमाभं विततं शंकराश्रमे तस्मिन्सरो महज्जातं विमलं बहुयोजनम्
When it came forth, glowing like molten gold, spread out in Shankara’s hermitage, a great, pure lake was formed, vast in extent.
प्रोत्फुल्लहेमकमलं नानाविहगनादितम् तच्छ्रुत्वा तु ततो देवी हेमद्रुममहाजलम्
With golden lotuses in full bloom, resounding with various birds, hearing this, the goddess then approached the great golden lake.
जगाम कौतुकाविष्टा तत्सरः कनकाम्बुजम् तत्र कृत्वा जलक्रीडां तदब्जकृतशेखरा
Filled with curiosity, she went to that lake of golden lotuses; there, after playing in the water, she adorned herself with a lotus garland.
उपविष्टा ततस्तस्य तीरे देवी सखीयुता पातुकामा च तत्तोयं स्वादु निर्मलपङ्कजम्
Then, seated on the bank with her companions, the goddess wished to drink, and saw that water, sweet and pure, adorned with lotuses.
अपश्यत्कृत्तिकाः स्नाताः षडर्कद्युतिसंनिभाः पद्मपत्रे तु तद्वारि गृहीत्वोपस्थिता गृहम्
She saw the Krittikas, bathed and radiant like six suns, who had taken that water from the lotus leaf and brought it home.
हर्षादुवाच पश्यामि पद्मपत्रे स्थितं पयः ततस्ता ऊचुरखिलं कृत्तिका हिमशैलजाम्
With delight she said, 'I see milk resting on the lotus leaf.' Then the Krittikas spoke everything to the daughter of the mountain.
दास्यामो यदि ते गर्भः सम्भूतो यो भविष्यति सो ऽस्माकमपि पुत्रः स्याद् अस्मन्नाम्ना च वर्तताम् भवेल्लोकेषु विख्यातः सर्वेष्वपि शुभानने
If a child is born to you, we will give him to you; but let him also be our son, bearing our names, and let him be renowned in all worlds, O auspicious one.
इत्युक्तोवाच गिरिजा कथं मद्गात्रसंभवः सर्वैरवयवैर्युक्तो भवतीभ्यः सुतो भवेत्
Girija replied, 'How can a son born from my body, possessing all limbs, belong to you all?'
ततस्तां कृत्तिका ऊचुर् विधास्यामो ऽस्य वै वयम् उत्तमान्युत्तमाङ्गानि यद्येवं तु भविष्यति
Then the Krittikas said to her, 'We will provide him with the finest limbs; if it is so, let it be.'