अस्य भक्तिमविज्ञाय प्राग्वृत्तं ते निवेदितम् भक्तिश्चेदस्य किं पापैर्न ते भक्तः प्रणश्यति
Without knowing his devotion, you have recounted his past deeds; but if he is devoted, what do his sins matter? A devotee does not perish.
पुण्यकर्मापि किं कुर्यात्त्वदीयाज्ञानपेक्षया अजा प्रज्ञा पुराणी च त्वमेव परमेश्वरी
Even one who acts virtuously does so only by your command; you are the unborn, ancient wisdom, the supreme goddess.
त्वदधीना हि सर्वेषां बंधमोक्षव्यवस्थितिः त्वदृते परमा शक्तिः संसिद्धिः कस्य कर्मणा
For all, bondage and liberation depend on you; apart from you, whose action attains the highest power or accomplishment?
त्वमेव विविधा शक्तिः भवानामथ वा स्वयम् अशक्तः कर्मकरणे कर्ता वा किं करिष्यति
You alone are manifold power; whether beings act or not, without you, what can the agent accomplish?
विष्णोश्च मम चान्येषां देवदानवरक्षसाम् तत्तदैश्वर्यसम्प्राप्त्यै तवैवाज्ञा हि कारणम्
For Vishnu, for myself, and for others—gods, demons, and spirits—the attainment of their respective dominions is caused only by your command.
अतीताः खल्वसंख्याता ब्रह्माणो हरयो भवाः अनागतास्त्वसंख्यातास्त्वदाज्ञानुविधायिनः
Countless Brahmas, Vishnus, and Shivas have passed, and countless are yet to come, all following your command.
त्वामनाराध्य देवेशि पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् लब्धुं न शक्यमस्माभिरपि सर्वैः सुरोत्तमैः
Without worshipping you, O goddess of the gods, even the highest among us cannot attain the four aims of life.
व्यत्यासो ऽपि भवेत्सद्यो ब्रह्मत्वस्थावरत्वयोः सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चापि त्वयेव स्थापितं यतः
There may be an immediate exchange between the state of Brahma and that of immobile beings; merit and demerit are established by you alone.
त्वं हि सर्वजगद्भर्तुश्शिवस्य परमात्मनः अनादिमध्यनिधना शक्तिराद्या सनातनी
You are the primal, eternal power of Shiva, the supreme soul, who sustains the entire universe, without beginning, middle, or end.
समस्तलोकयात्रार्थं मूर्तिमाविश्य कामपि
For the purpose of the world's journey, you assume some form.
अतो दुष्कृतकर्मापि व्याघ्रो ऽयं त्वदनुग्रहात् प्राप्नोतु परमां सिद्धिमत्र कः प्रतिबन्धकः
Therefore, even this tiger, though a doer of evil, may attain supreme accomplishment by your grace; what obstacle is there?
इत्यात्मनः परं भावं स्मारयित्वानुरूपतः ब्रह्मणाभ्यर्थिता गौरी तपसो ऽपि न्यवर्तत
Thus, recalling her own highest nature, Gauri, urged by Brahma, withdrew from her austerities.
ततो देवीमनुज्ञाप्य ब्रह्मण्यन्तर्हिते सति देवीं च मातरं दृष्ट्वा मेनां हिमवता सह
Then, having taken leave of the goddess, when Brahmā had disappeared, the goddess saw her mother Menā together with Himavat.
प्रणम्याश्वास्य बहुधा पितरौ विरहासहौ तपः प्रणयिनो देवी तपोवनमहीरुहान्
Bowing and consoling her parents, who could not bear separation, the devoted goddess, beloved of penance, approached the forest hermitages.
विप्रयोगशुचेवाग्रे पुष्पबाष्पं विमुंचतः तत्तुच्छाखासमारूढविहगो दीरितै रुतैः
In the pain of separation, as she shed tears like flowers, birds perched on the branches above cried out with plaintive calls.
व्याकुलं बहुधा दीनं विलापमिव कुर्वतः सखीभ्यः कथयंत्येवं सत्त्वरा भर्तृदर्शने
Distressed and agitated in many ways, as if lamenting, she spoke to her companions with eagerness for a vision of her husband.
पुरस्कृत्य च तं व्याघ्रं स्नेहात्पुत्रमिवौरसम् देहस्य प्रभया चैव दीपयन्ती दिशो दश
Placing that tiger before her, out of affection as if it were her own son, she illumined the ten directions with the radiance of her body.
प्रययौ मंदरं गौरी यत्र भर्ता महेश्वरः सर्वेषां जगतां धाता कर्ता पाता विनाशकृत्
Gaurī went to Mandara, where her husband, the great Lord, the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of all worlds, resided.
कृत्वा गौरं वपुर्दिव्यं देवी गिरिवरात्मजा कथं ददर्श भर्तारं प्रविष्टा मन्दितं सती
Having assumed a radiant, divine form, the daughter of the mountain entered—how did she see her husband, Satī, as she entered adorned?
प्रवेशसमये तस्या भवनद्वारगोचरैः गणेशैः किं कृतं देवस्तान्दृष्ट्वा किन्तदा ऽकरोत्
At the moment of her entry, what did the Lord do when he saw the Gaṇeśas stationed at the palace gate, and what did they do?
प्रवक्तुमंजसा ऽशक्यः तादृशः परमो रसः येन प्रणयगर्भेण भावो भाववतां हृतः
Such supreme delight cannot be described directly, for the feeling born of love seizes the hearts of those who feel.
द्वास्थैस्ससंभ्रमैरेव देवो देव्यागमोत्सुकः शंकमाना प्रविष्टान्तस्तञ्च सा समपश्यत
The doorkeepers, in their excitement, eager for the goddess’s arrival, anxiously let her in, and she beheld him within.
तैस्तैः प्रणयभावैश्च भवनान्तरवर्तिभिः गणेन्द्रैर्वन्दिता वाचा प्रणनाम त्रियम्बकम्
Honored by the chief Gaṇas within the palace, with words of devotion and affection, she bowed to Triambaka.
प्रणम्य नोत्थिता यावत्तावत्तां परमेश्वरः प्रगृह्य दोर्भ्यामाश्लिष्य परितः परया मुदा
She had not yet risen from her bow when the Supreme Lord embraced her with both arms, surrounding her with great joy.
स्वांके धर्तुं प्रवृत्तो ऽपि सा पर्यंके न्यषीदत पर्यंकतो बलाद्देवीं सोङ्कमारोप्य सुस्मिताम्
Though he wished to hold her on his lap, she sat on the couch; but from the couch, he gently lifted the smiling goddess onto his lap.
सस्मितो विवृतैर्नेत्रैस्तद्वक्त्रं प्रपिबन्निव तया संभाषणायेशः पूर्वभाषितमब्रवीत्
Smiling, with wide-open eyes, as if drinking in her face, the Lord spoke first to her, eager for conversation.
सा दशा च व्यतीता किं तव सर्वांगसुन्दरि यस्यामनुनयोपायः को ऽपि कोपान्न लभ्यते
That period has passed, O beautiful one, in which no means of appeasement could be found because of anger.
स्वेच्छयापि न कालीति नान्यवर्णवतीति च त्वत्स्वभावाहृतं चित्तं सुभ्रु चिंतावहं मम
Even by your own will, time did not move, nor did you change color; your nature has seized my mind, O lovely-browed one, and brought me concern.
विस्मृतः परमो भावः कथं स्वेच्छांगयोगतः न सम्भवन्ति ये तत्र चित्तकालुष्यहेतवः
How has that supreme feeling been forgotten, when, by the union of our own will, no causes for impurity of mind exist there?
पृथग्जनवदन्योन्यं विप्रियस्यापि कारणम् आवयोरपि यद्यस्ति नास्त्येवैतच्चराचरम्
If, like ordinary people, there is any cause of displeasure between us, then such a thing does not exist anywhere else in the moving and unmoving world.