Devi Mahatmyam (Durga Saptashati)

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.

ततः पराजिता देवाः पद्मयोनिं प्रजापतिम् । पुरस्कृत्य गतास्तत्र यत्रेश-गरुडध्वजौ

Then, the defeated gods, led by the Lotus-born Prajapati, went to the place where the lord with the Garuda-banner was present.

यथावृत्तं तयोस्तद्वन्महिषासुरचेष्टितम् । त्रिदशाः कथयामासुर्देवाभिभवविस्तरम्

The gods described to them everything that had happened, including the deeds of Mahishasura and the extent of his domination over the gods.

सूर्येन्द्रग्न्यनिलेन्दूनां यमस्य वरुणस्य च । अन्येषां चाधिकारान् स स्वयमेवाधितिष्ठिति

He himself took over the authority of the Sun, Moon, Fire, Wind, Yama, Varuna, and the other deities.

स्वर्गान्निराकृताः सर्वे तेन देवगणा भुवि । विचरन्ति यथा मर्त्या महिषेण दुरात्मना

Driven out of heaven by that wicked Mahisha, all the hosts of gods wandered the earth like mortals.

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वममरारिविचेष्टितम् । शरणं वः प्रपन्नाः स्मो वधस्तस्य विचिन्त्यताम्

All this that has been done by the enemy of the gods has been told to you; we have taken refuge with you—let his destruction be considered.

इत्थं निशम्य देवानां वचांसि मधुसूदनः । चकार कोपं शम्भुश्च भ्रुकुटीकुटिलाननौ

Hearing these words of the gods, Madhusudana and Shambhu both became angry, their faces frowning with furrowed brows.

ततो ऽतिकोपपूर्णस्य चक्रिणो वदनात्ततः । निश्चक्राम महत्तेजो ब्रह्मणः शङ्करस्य च

Then from the face of the discus-wielder, filled with intense wrath, there emerged a great radiance, as also from Brahma and Shankara.

अन्येषाञ्चैव देवानां शक्रादीनां शरीरतः । निर्गतं सुमहत्तेजस्तच्चैक्यं समगच्छत

And from the bodies of the other gods, beginning with Indra, a supremely great radiance came forth, and all that radiance united together.

अतीव तेजसः कूटं ज्वलन्तमिव पर्वतम् । ददृशुस्ते सुरास्तत्र ज्वालाव्याप्तदिगन्तरम्

There the gods saw a mass of exceedingly brilliant light, blazing like a mountain, with flames filling all the quarters of space.

अतुलं तत्र तत्तेजः सर्वदेवशरीरजम् । एकस्थं तदभून्नारी व्याप्तलोकत्रयं त्विषा

There that incomparable radiance, born from the bodies of all the gods, became unified in one place as a woman, whose brilliance pervaded the three worlds.