Varaha Purana

ततो यज्ञहनुर्नामा दैत्यो हस्तिस्वरूपवान् । उवाच भग्नमेतद्धि कुमारीभिः समन्ततः ।। ९४.

Then the demon named Yajñahanur, who had the form of an elephant, replied: 'This defeat has been caused everywhere by the maidens.'

ततो दुद्राव महिषस्ताः कन्याः शुभलोचनाः । गदामादाय तरसा कन्या दुद्राव वेगवान् ।। ९४.

Then Mahisha rushed at those maidens with beautiful eyes; seizing his mace, one maiden charged swiftly toward him.

यत्र तिष्ठति सा देवी देवगन्धर्वपूजिता । तत्रैव सोऽसुरः प्रायाद् यत्र देवी व्यवस्थिता । सा च दृष्ट्वा तमायान्तं विंशद्धस्ता बभूव ह ।। ९४.

Where the goddess stood, honored by the gods and gandharvas, there the demon went, to the place where the goddess was stationed; and seeing him approaching, she became twenty-handed.

धनुः खङ्गं तथा शक्तिं शरान् शूलं गदां तथा । परशुं डमरुं चैव तथा घण्टां विशालिनीम् । शतघ्नीं मुद्गरं घोरं भुशुण्डीं कुन्तमेव च ।। ९४.

She took up a bow, sword, spear, arrows, trident, mace, axe, drum, a great bell, a hundred-killer, a dreadful mallet, a bhuśuṇḍī, and a spear.

मुसलं च तथा चक्रं भिन्दिपालं तथैव च । दण्डं पाशं ध्वजं चैव पद्मं चेति च विंशतिः ।। ९४.

She also took up a pestle, discus, sling, staff, noose, banner, and lotus—thus, twenty weapons.

भूत्वा विंशभुजा देवी सिंहमास्थाय दंशिता । सस्मार रुद्रं देवेशं रौद्रं संहारकारणम् ।। ९४.

Having become twenty-armed, the goddess mounted a lion, fierce in appearance, and remembered Rudra, the lord of the gods, the wrathful one, the cause of destruction.

ततो वृषध्वजः साक्षाद् रुद्रस्तत्रैव आययौ । तया प्रणम्य विज्ञप्तः सर्वान् दैत्यान् जयाम्यहम् ।। ९४.

Then the bull-bannered Rudra himself arrived there; she bowed to him and declared, 'I shall conquer all the demons.'

त्वयि सन्निधिमात्रे तु देवदेव सनातन । एवमुक्त्वाऽसुरान् सर्वान् जिगाय परमेश्वरी ।। ९४.

O eternal Lord of gods, merely by your presence, having spoken thus, the supreme goddess defeated all the demons.

मुक्तवा तमेकं महिषं शेषं हत्वा तमभ्ययात् । यावद् देवी ततः साऽपि तां दृष्ट्वा सोऽपि दुद्रुवे ।। ९४.

Having released Mahisha alone and slain the rest, she approached him; and when the goddess saw him, he too fled.

क्वचिद् युध्यति दैत्येन्द्रः क्वचिच्चैव पलायति । क्वचित् पुनर्मृधं चक्रे क्वचित् पुनरुपारमत् ।। ९४.

At times the demon king fought, at times he fled; sometimes he engaged in battle again, sometimes he withdrew.

एवं वर्षहस्त्राणि दश तस्य तया सह । दिव्यानि विगतानि स्युर्युध्यतस्तस्य शोभने । बभ्राम सकलं त्वाजौ ब्रह्माण्डं भीतमानसम् ।। ९४.

Thus, for ten thousand divine years, he fought with her, O splendid one; he wandered across the entire battlefield, his mind filled with fear.

ततः कालेन महता शतश्रृङ्गे महागिरौ । पद्भ्यामाक्रम्य शूलेन निहतो दैत्यसत्तमः ।। ९४.

Then, after a long time, on the great mountain with a hundred peaks, the foremost demon was struck down by her trident as she pressed him with her feet.

शिरश्चिच्छेद खङ्गेन तत्र चान्तःस्थितः पुमान् । निर्गत्य विगतः स्वर्गं देव्याः शस्त्रनिपातनात् ।। ९४.

There, she cut off his head with a sword; the spirit within departed and ascended to heaven, struck down by the goddess's weapons.

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे महिषं वीक्ष्य निर्जितम् । सब्रह्मका स्तुतिं चक्रुर्देव्यास्तुष्टेन चेतसा ।। ९४.

Then all the hosts of gods, seeing Mahisha defeated, together with Brahma, praised the goddess with joyful hearts.

देवा ऊचुः । नमो देवि महाभागे गम्भीरे भीमदर्शने । जयस्थे स्थितिसिद्धान्ते त्रिनेत्रे विश्वतोमुखि ।। ९४.

The gods said: 'Salutations to you, O goddess, great in fortune, profound, and fearsome in appearance; victorious, established in the principle of existence, three-eyed, facing all directions.'

विद्याविद्ये जये याज्ये महिषासुरमर्दिनि । सर्वगे सर्वदेवेशि विश्वरूपिणि वैष्णवि ।। ९४.

'In knowledge and ignorance, in victory and sacrifice, O slayer of Mahishasura; all-pervading, O goddess of all gods, of universal form, O Vaishnavi.'

वीतशोके ध्रुवे देवि पद्मपत्रशुभेक्षणे । शुद्धसत्त्वव्रतस्थे च चण्डरूपे विभावरि ।। ९४.

'Free from sorrow, steadfast, O goddess, with eyes beautiful as lotus petals; established in pure sattva and vows, fierce in form, radiant.'

ऋद्धिसिद्धिप्रदे देवि विद्येऽविद्येऽमृते शिवे । शांकरी वैष्णवी ब्राह्मी सर्वदेवनमस्कृते ।। ९४.

O Goddess, bestower of prosperity and accomplishment, knowledge and ignorance, immortality and auspiciousness; O Śāṃkarī, Vaiṣṇavī, Brāhmī, honored by all the gods.

घण्टाहस्ते त्रिशूलास्त्रे महामहिषमर्दिनि । उग्ररूपे विरूपाक्षि महामायेऽमृतस्त्रवे ।। ९४.

With a bell in hand and the trident as weapon, O great slayer of the buffalo demon; fierce in form, with distorted eyes, O supreme enchantress, source of immortality.

सर्वसत्त्वहिते देवि सर्वसत्त्वमये ध्रुवे । विद्यापुराणशिल्पानां जननी भूतधारिणी ।। ९४.

O Goddess, benefactor of all beings, embodying all creatures, steadfast; mother of knowledge, scriptures, and arts, bearer of all elements.

सर्वदेवरहस्यानां सर्वसत्त्ववतां शुभे । त्वमेव शरणं देवि विद्येऽविद्ये श्रियेऽम्बिके । विरूपाक्षि तथा क्षान्ति क्षोभितान्तर्जलेऽविले ।। ९४.

O auspicious one, knower of all divine secrets, incarnate among all beings; you alone are our refuge, O Goddess, knowledge and ignorance, fortune, O Ambikā; O distorted-eyed one, patience, disturbed in the waters within, unmanifest.

नमोऽस्तु ते महादेवि नमोऽस्तु परमेश्वरि । नमस्ते सर्वदेवानां भावनित्येऽक्षयेऽव्यये ।। ९४.

Salutations to you, O great Goddess; salutations to you, supreme ruler; salutations to you, eternal, imperishable, unchanging among all the gods.

शरणं त्वां प्रपद्यन्ते ये देवि परमेश्वरि । न तेषां जायते किञ्चिदशुभं रणसङ्कटे ।। ९४.

Those who seek refuge in you, O Goddess, supreme ruler, nothing inauspicious befalls them in the dangers of battle.

यश्च व्याघ्रभये घोरे चौरराजभये तथा । स्तबवमेनं सदा देवि पठिष्यति यतात्मवान् ।। ९४.

Whoever, in the terrible fear of tigers or in the fear of bandit kings, always recites this hymn, O Goddess, with self-control—

निगडस्थोऽपि यो देवि त्वां स्मरिष्यति मानवः । सोऽपि बन्धैर्विमुक्तस्ते सुसुखं वसते सुखी ।। ९४.

Even a person bound in chains, O Goddess, who remembers you, is freed from bondage and lives happily, content.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं स्तुता तदा देवी देवैः प्रणतिपूर्वकम् । उवाच देवान् सुश्रोणी वृणुध्वं वरमुत्तमम् ।। ९४.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus praised at that time by the gods with reverence, the beautiful-hipped Goddess spoke to the gods: 'Choose the highest boon.'

देवा ऊचुः । देवि स्तोत्रमिदं ये हि पठिष्यन्ति तवानघे । सर्वकामसमापन्नान् कुरु देवि स नो वरः ।। ९४.

The gods said: O sinless Goddess, whoever recites this hymn of yours, grant us this boon—that you fulfill all their desires.

एवमस्त्विति तान् देवानुक्त्वा देवी पराऽपरा । विससर्ज ततो देवान् स्वयं तत्रैव संस्थिता ।। ९४.

Saying 'So be it,' the supreme Goddess addressed the gods, then dismissed them, and herself remained there.

एतद् द्वितीयं यो जन्म वेद देव्या धराधरे । स वीतशोको विरजाः पदं गच्छत्यनामयम् ।। ९४.

Whoever knows this second birth of the Goddess on earth becomes free from sorrow, pure, and attains the state without affliction.