स नाभिकमले विष्णोः स्थितो ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः । दृष्ट्वा तावसुरौ चोग्रौ प्रसुप्तं च जनार्दनम्
Brahmā, the lord of creatures, seated in the lotus arising from Viṣṇu’s navel, saw those fierce demons and Viṣṇu himself deep in sleep.
तुष्टाव योगनिद्रां तामेकाग्रहृदयस्थितः । विबोधनार्थाय हरेर्हरिनेत्रकृतालयाम्
With focused mind, he praised that Yogic Sleep, who dwelt in the eyes of Hari, in order to awaken Hari.
विश्वेश्वरीं जगद्धात्रीं स्थिति-संहारकारिणीम् । निद्रां भगवतीं विष्णोरतुलां तेजसः प्रभुः
He praised the Lady of the Universe, the Sustainer of the world, the one who brings about creation and destruction, the divine Sleep of Viṣṇu, the incomparable power of the Lord.
त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा त्वं हि वषट्कारः स्वरात्मिका । सुधा त्वमक्षरे नित्ये त्रिधा मात्रात्मिका स्थिता
You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, you indeed are the Vaṣaṭ call, the essence of sound; you are the immortal nectar, O imperishable and eternal one, established as the threefold measure of speech.
अर्धमात्रा स्थिता नित्या यानुच्चार्या विशेषतः । त्वमेव सन्ध्या सावित्री त्वं देवि जननी परा
You are the eternal, unuttered half-syllable, especially beyond articulation; you alone are the twilight, the Savitri hymn, and you, O Goddess, are the supreme Mother.
त्वयैव धार्यते सर्वं त्वयैतत्सृज्यते जगत् । त्वयैतत्पाल्यते देवि त्वमत्स्यन्ते च सर्वदा
By you alone is all this sustained; by you this universe is created; by you, O Goddess, this is protected, and you always bring about its dissolution.
विसृष्टौ सृष्टिरूपा त्वं स्थितिरूपा च पालने । तथा संहृतिरूपान्ते जगतो ऽस्य जगन्मये
At creation you are the form of creation, in preservation you are the form of sustenance; likewise, at the end you are the form of dissolution of this universe, O embodiment of the world.
महाविद्या महामाया महामेधा महास्मृतिः । महामोहा च भवती महादेवी महेश्वरी
You are the great knowledge, the great illusion, the great wisdom, the great memory; you are also the great delusion, the great Goddess, the supreme Lady.
प्रकृतिस्त्वञ्च सर्वस्य गुणत्रयविभाविनी । कालरात्रिर्महारात्रिर्मोहरात्रिश्च दारुणा
You are the primal nature of all, manifesting the three qualities; you are the night of time, the great night, and the dreadful night of delusion.
त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीस्त्वं बुद्धिर्बोधलक्षणा । लज्जा पुष्टिस्तथा तुष्टिस्त्वं शान्तिः क्षान्तिरेव च
You are prosperity, you are sovereignty, you are modesty, you are intelligence marked by understanding; you are bashfulness, nourishment, contentment, peace, and indeed forbearance.
खडिगनी शूलिनी घोरा गदिनी चक्रिणी तथा । शङ्खिनी चापिनी बाण-भुशुण्डी परिघायुधा
Wielder of sword and spear, fearsome, bearing mace and discus, conch-holder, archer, armed with arrows, slings, and iron club.
सौम्या सौम्यतराशेष-सौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी । परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी
Gentle, more gentle than all that is gentle, supremely beautiful; you alone are the highest among all that is high and low, O Supreme Lady.
यच्च किञ्चित् क्वचिद्वस्तु सदसद्वाखिलात्मिके । तस्य सर्वस्य या शिक्तिः सा त्वं किं स्तूयते तदा
Whatever thing exists anywhere, whether real or unreal, O essence of all, the power of all that—indeed, you are she; so how can you be praised?
यया त्वया जगत्स्त्रष्टा जगत्पात्यत्ति यो जगत् । सो ऽपि निद्रावशं नीतः कस्त्वां स्तोतुमिहेश्वरः
By you, even the creator, protector, and devourer of the world is overcome by sleep; who then, O Lady, is able to praise you here?
विष्णुः शरीरग्रहणमहामीशान एव च । कारितास्ते यतो ऽतस्त्वां कः स्तोतुं शक्तिमान् भवेत्
Vishnu, the one who takes form, and the great Lord Ishana, are made to act by you; therefore, who could be capable of praising you?
सा त्वमित्थं प्रभावैः स्वैरुदारैर्देवि संस्तुता । मोहयैतौ दुराधर्षावसुरो मधुकैटभौ
Thus, O Goddess, praised by your own noble powers, bewilder these two unconquerable demons, Madhu and Kaitabha.
प्रबोधञ्च जगत्स्वामी नीयतामच्युतो लघु । बोधश्च क्रियतामस्य हन्तुमेतौ महासुरौ
Let the Lord of the universe, Achyuta, be quickly awakened, and let awareness be brought to him, so that he may slay these two great demons.
एवं स्तुता तदा देवी तामसी तत्र वेधसा । विष्णोः प्रबोधनार्थाय निहन्तुं मधुकैटभौ
Thus praised by the Creator, the Tamasic Goddess was there, for the purpose of awakening Vishnu, to destroy Madhu and Kaitabha.
नेत्रास्यनासिका-बाहु-हृदयेभ्यस्तथोरसः । निर्गम्य दर्शने तस्थौ ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः
Emerging from the eyes, mouth, nose, arms, heart, and chest of Brahma, the one of unmanifest birth, she stood visible.
उत्तस्थौ च जगन्नाथस्तया मुक्तो जनार्दनः । एकार्णवे ऽहिशयनात्ततः स ददृशे च तौ
Freed by her, Janardana, the Lord of the universe, arose from his serpent-bed in the single ocean, and then he saw those two.
मधुकैटभौ दुरात्मानावतिवीर्यपराक्रमौ । क्रोधरक्तेक्षणावत्तुं ब्रह्माणं जनितोद्यमौ
Madhu and Kaitabha, evil-minded and possessed of immense strength and valor, their eyes red with anger, intent on killing Brahma, were seen.
समुत्थाय ततस्ताभ्यां युयुधे भगवान् हरिः । पञ्चवर्षसहस्राणि बाहुप्रहरणो विभुः
Then, rising up, the Blessed Hari fought with those two, the mighty one wielding his arms as weapons, for five thousand years.
तावप्यतिबलोन्मत्तौ महामायाविमोहितौ । उक्तवन्तौ वरो ऽस्मत्तो व्रियतामिति केशवम्
Those two, exceedingly strong and intoxicated, deluded by the great Māyā, said to Keśava: 'Choose a boon from us.'
भवनेतामद्य मे तुष्टौ मम वध्यावुभावपि । किमन्येन वरेणात्र एतावद्धि वृतं मम
You two are now pleased with me; though both of you are to be slain by me, what other boon is needed here? For this alone is my wish.
वञ्चिताभ्यामिति तदा सर्वमापोमयं जगत् । विलोक्य ताभ्यां गदितो भगवान् कमलेक्षणः
Then, realizing they had been deceived, and seeing the whole world composed of water, the lotus-eyed Lord spoke to them:
आवां जहि न यत्रोर्वो सलिलेन परिप्लुता । प्रीतौ स्वस्तव युद्धेन श्लाघ्यस्त्वं मृत्युरावयोः
Slay us both where the earth is not covered with water; we are pleased with your battle—your valor is praiseworthy, and death comes to us by you.
तथेत्युक्त्वा भगवता शङ्ख-चक्र-गदाभृता । कृत्वा चक्रेण वै च्छिन्ने जघने शिरसी तयोः
Saying 'So be it,' the Lord, bearer of conch, discus, and mace, struck off their heads at their hips with his discus.
एवमेषा समुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणा संस्तुता स्वयम् । प्रभावमस्या देव्यास्तु भूयः शृणु वदामि ते
Thus she arose, praised by Brahmā himself; now hear again as I tell you of this goddess’s power.
देवासुरमभूद् युद्धं पूर्णमब्दशतं पुरा । महिषे ऽसुराणामधिपे देवानां च पुरन्दरे
Long ago, there was a full-scale war between the gods and the asuras, lasting a hundred years, with Mahisha, lord of the asuras, and Purandara, lord of the gods, as their leaders.
तत्रासुरैर्महावीर्यैर्देवसैन्यं पराजितम् । जित्वा च सकलान् देवानिन्द्रो ऽबून्महिषासुरः
There, the army of the gods was defeated by the mighty asuras; having conquered all the gods, Mahishasura became Indra.