Hear now the glorious story of the Divine Mother as sung in the sacred verses. She is Bhavānī, the benevolent goddess, whose presence can be attained through deep contemplation. Like an axe, she clears away the dense forest of worldly existence, delighting in all that is auspicious and embodying auspiciousness itself. To her devoted followers, she bestows good fortune. The Mother cherishes true devotion, is reached only through the path of devotion, and is moved solely by the love of her devotees. She dispels all fears and is the beloved consort of Śambhu, worshipped even by Śāradā, and honored as the wife of Śarva, bestowing happiness upon all. She is the radiant consort of Shiva, the giver of prosperity and virtue, with a face luminous as the autumn moon. Slender-waisted and serene, she is independent and without blemish, untouched and pure, eternal and formless, ever undisturbed, beyond attributes and parts, peaceful, without desire, and unwavering. Forever liberated and changeless, she stands beyond all manifestation and dependence, ever pure and wise, flawless and uninterrupted. She has no cause, no blemish, no limitations, and no ruler above her; she is free from passion, destroys all attachment and pride, and removes arrogance from the heart. Free from anxiety and ego, untouched by delusion and the destroyer of delusion, she is without possessiveness, removes all attachments, is sinless, and destroys all sin. She is without anger, pacifies anger, is free from greed, and destroys greed; she is beyond doubt and dispels all doubts, transcending worldly existence and destroying all bondage. She is utterly free from doubt, without alternative conception, undisturbed and undivided, the destroyer of all duality. She is imperishable, the crusher of death, actionless, and unattached. Incomparable, with dark-blue hair, she is beyond decline and transgression, difficult to approach and invincible, removing sorrow and granting happiness. Far removed from the wicked, she pacifies evil conduct and is free from faults. All-knowing and filled with compassion, she has neither equal nor superior. Endowed with all powers, she is the source of all auspiciousness and bestows the highest path. She is sovereign over all, pervading everything, and is the very embodiment of all mantras. She is the essence of all yantras and the form of all tantras, transcending the mind itself. The great sovereign, the supreme goddess, she is the great Lakshmi, beloved of Shiva. Of great form and greatly worshipped, she destroys great sins, enchants the world, is of supreme existence and power, and is a source of great delight. She enjoys great pleasures, possesses great sovereignty, valor, and strength, is endowed with great intelligence and accomplishment, and rules supremely over all great yogis. She is the greatest tantra, mantra, and yantra, and the greatest seat, worshipped through great sacrifices and honored by Mahabhairava. She witnesses the great cosmic dance of Shiva, is queen to Mahakamesha, and the supreme beauty of Tripura. Adorned with sixty-four offerings and skilled in sixty-four arts, she is served by a vast host of sixty-four crore yoginis. She is the knowledge of sacred formulas, the wisdom of the moon, abiding at the center of the lunar disc. Of enchanting form and lovely smile, she bears the charming crescent moon. Sovereign of all that moves and does not move, she dwells in the palace of the supreme wheel as Parvati, lotus-eyed and radiant as a padmaraga gem. Seated upon a throne of five corpses, she embodies the essence of the five Brahmas, her nature pure consciousness, supreme bliss, and dense with knowledge. She is the forms of meditation, the meditator, and the object of meditation; free from righteousness and unrighteousness, she takes universal form, is awake, dreaming, and of the subtle self. She appears as the sleeper, is the embodiment of deep sleep, and transcends even the fourth state, beyond all states of consciousness. As the creator, she is of the nature of Brahma; as protector, she takes the form of Govinda. As dissolver of the universe, she assumes the form of Rudra, and as sovereign, she brings about concealment. She is Sadāśiva, bestower of grace, ever devoted to the fivefold acts. She dwells at the center of the solar orb as Bhairavi, adorned with fortune, seated on a lotus, the divine one, sister of Padmanabha. From the mere opening and closing of her eyes, countless worlds arise and dissolve. She has a thousand heads and faces, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. She is the mother of all beings, from Brahma down to the smallest insect. She ordains the duties of castes and stages of life, and the Vedas are but the expression of her will. She grants the fruits of both virtue and vice. The dust of her lotus feet marks the parting of the hair of the Vedas; she is the precious pearl hidden within the shell of all scriptures. She grants the aims of human life, is complete, enjoys all delights, and is sovereign of the worlds. The Mother, without beginning or end, is served by Vishnu, Brahma, and Indra. She is Narayani, whose form is sound itself, yet is beyond name and form. She is the embodiment of the syllable 'Hrīm', adorned with modesty, pleasing to the heart, and free from acceptance and rejection. Worshipped by kings of kings, she is queen, beautiful, lotus-eyed, delightful and enchanting, to be enjoyed, and wears a girdle with tinkling bells. She is Lakshmi, her face like the full moon, the embodiment of love and delight, granting protection, destroying demons, pleasing, and passionately attached to her beloved. She is desired, the very form of the creative power of desire, delighting in kadamba blossoms, auspicious, the root of the universe, and an ocean of the nectar of compassion. Adorned with the arts, artful in speech, beautiful, delighting in kadambari wine, she grants boons, her eyes lovely, intoxicated with the ecstasy of Varuni. She surpasses the universe, is known through the Vedas, and dwells on Mount Vindhya. She is the creatrix, mother of the Vedas, the power of Vishnu, and ever playful. Her nature is the field, she is the sovereign and protector of the field and the knower of the field, free from decay and growth, honored by the guardians of the field. Victorious, pure, worthy of reverence, affectionate to those who bow to her, eloquent, with beautiful hair, she dwells within the circle of fire. She is the wish-fulfilling creeper for the devoted, liberator from worldly bonds, destroyer of heretics, and promoter of right conduct. She is the moonlight that delights those scorched by the triple fires of suffering, ever youthful, worshipped by ascetics, slender-waisted, and the remover of darkness. She is consciousness itself, aiming at the supreme state, of the very nature of pure consciousness; her own bliss is the source of the bliss experienced by Brahma and all the gods. Thus is the Divine Mother, infinite and all-compassionate, the very heart and soul of the universe.