क्षीरसागरसम्भूतः प्रसृतामृतनिर्झरः । प्रतिबिम्बशशश् श्रीमान् यस्य चूडामणिश् शशी
Born from the ocean of milk, with streams of nectar flowing forth, whose crest jewel is the moon, radiant and reflected, shining upon his head.
अनारतशिरश्चन्द्रप्रस्रवेणामरीकृतः । यस्येन्द्रनीलवत् कालकूटः कण्ठस्य भूषणम्
Whose neck is adorned with the dark poison, like a sapphire, made immortal by the continuous flow of moonlight upon his head.
धूलिलेखामहावर्तं स्वच्छं पावकसम्भवम् । परमाणुचयं भस्म यस्य स्नानजलं सितम्
Whose bath water is pure, consisting of ashes born from fire, swirling in great dust, made of countless particles.
निर्मलानि जितेन्दूनि घृष्टानि घटितानि च । यस्यास्थीन्य् एव रत्नानि देहे कान्तिमयानि च
Whose bones are themselves gems—pure, surpassing the moon in brilliance, polished and fashioned, radiant within his body.
दशाशादशम् अम्भोदनीलं शीतलपल्लवम् । तारकाबिन्दुशबलं यस्य चाम्बरम् अम्बरम्
His sky is the ten directions and the ten quarters, cool with tender leaves, dark blue like the ocean, and speckled with stars and dots.
भ्रमच्छिवाङ्गनं पक्वमहामांसौदनाकुलम् । बहुभूतेर् गृहं यस्य श्मशानं हिमपाण्डुरम्
His abode is the cremation ground, pale as snow, filled with the wandering forms of Shiva's attendants, crowded with heaps of great, cooked flesh, and the dwelling of many beings.
कपालमालाभरणाः पीतरक्तरसासवाः । अन्त्रस्रग्दामवलिता बन्धवो यस्य मातरः
His mothers are those whose ornaments are garlands of skulls, who drink yellow and red blood-wine, and who wear intestines as necklaces.
प्रस्फुरन्मूर्धमणयश् चोपन्तो मसृणाङ्गकाः । भुजगा वलया यस्य प्रकचत्कनकत्विषः
His shining jewels are the sparkling gems on their heads, their smooth limbs, and the snakes that coil as bracelets, gleaming with golden light.
दृक्पातप्लुष्टशैलेन्द्रं जगत्कवलनालसम् । भैरवाचरितं यस्य लीलासन्त्रासितामरम्
His play is the dreadful conduct that terrifies the gods, his gaze scorches the lord of mountains, and he is eager to devour the world.
स्वस्थीकृतजगज्जीवस् स्वव्यापारस्थचेतसः । यदृच्छया करस्पन्दो यस्यासुरपुरक्षयः
He is self-composed, his mind established in his own activity, sustaining the life of the world; the destruction of the cities of demons happens by the mere movement of his hand, as he wills.
एकाग्रमूर्तयस् स्नेहरागद्वेषविवर्जिताः । स्वजना यस्य ते शैलास् सरसा अपि नीरसाः
His own people are those whose forms are one-pointed, free from affection, passion, and hatred; though they are mountains and lakes, they are devoid of essence.
शिरःखुराः खुरकराः करदन्ता भुजोदराः । ऋक्षोष्ट्राजाहिवक्त्राश् च प्रमथा यस्य लालकाः
His favorites are the goblins whose heads are hooves, whose hands are hooves, whose teeth are hands, whose bellies are arms, and whose faces are those of bears, camels, elephants, and serpents.
यस्य नेत्रत्रयोद्भासिवदनस्यामरप्रभोः । यथा गणास् तथैवान्यः परिवारो हि मातरः
Just as the attendants of the immortal Lord, whose face shines with three eyes, so too are the other groups—the Mothers are his retinue.
नृत्यन्ति मातरस् तस्य पुरो भूतगणानताः । चतुर्दशविधानन्तभूतजातैकभोजनाः
These Mothers, bowed to by hosts of spirits, dance before him; they partake of the single food of the fourteenfold, endless classes of beings.
खरोष्ट्रकाकवदना रक्तमेदोवसासवाः । दिगम्बरा विहारिण्यश् शरीरावयवस्रजः
With faces of donkeys, camels, and crows, smeared with blood, marrow, and fat, unclothed, wandering, adorned with garlands of body parts—
वसन्ति गिरिकूटेषु व्योम्नि लोकान्तरेषु च । अटवीषु श्मशानेषु शरीरेषु च देहिनाम्
They dwell on mountain peaks, in the sky, in other worlds, in forests, in cremation grounds, and in the bodies of embodied beings.
जया च विजया चैव जयन्ती चापराजिता । वामस्रोतोगता एतास् तुम्बुरुं रुद्रम् आश्रिताः
Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanti, and Aparajita—these, moving in the leftward current, have sought refuge in Tumburu Rudra.
सिद्धा शुष्का च रक्ता च उत्पला चेति देवताः । स्रोतो दक्षिणम् आश्रित्य भैरवं रुद्रम् आश्रिताः
Siddha, Shushka, Rakta, and Utpala—these goddesses, following the rightward current, have sought refuge in Bhairava Rudra.
सर्वासाम् एव मातॄणाम् अष्टाव् एतास् तु नायिकाः । आसाम् अनुगतास् त्व् अन्या देव्यश् शतसहस्रशः
Of all the Mothers, these eight are the leaders; other goddesses, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, follow them.
रौद्री च वैष्णवी ब्राह्मी वाराही वायवी तथा । कौमारी वासवी सौरी चेत्याद्यास् तास् सहस्रशः
Raudri, Vaishnavi, Brahmi, Varahi, Vayavi, Kaumari, Vasavi, and Sauri—these and others, in thousands, are among them.
आसाम् अनुगतास् त्व् अन्या देव्यः खेचर्य उत्तमाः । देवकिन्नरगन्धर्वपुरुषासुरसम्भवाः
Along with these, there are other supreme goddesses who move through the sky, born among the gods, kinnaras, gandharvas, humans, and asuras.
तासाम् अनुगतास् त्व् अन्या भूचर्यः कोटिशस् स्थिताः । रूपिकानामधारिण्यो भूमौ पुरुषभोजनाः
Accompanying them are yet other earth-roaming beings, existing in countless numbers, who assume various forms and subsist on human food upon the earth.
हया गजाः खराः काका उष्ट्राजगरमर्कटाः । इत्यादिवाहनान्य् आसां चरन्तीनां जगत्त्रये
For these wandering beings in the three worlds, their vehicles include horses, elephants, donkeys, crows, camels, deer, monkeys, and the like.
ताः काश्चित् पशुधर्मिण्यः क्षुद्रकर्मस्व् अवस्थिताः । काश्चिद् विदितवेद्यत्वाज् जीवन्मुक्तपदे स्थिताः
Some of them possess the nature of animals, engaged in petty actions; others, having attained knowledge of what is to be known, abide in the state of liberation while living.
तासां मध्ये महार्हाणां मातॄणां मुनिनायक । अलम्बुसेति विख्याता माता मानद विद्यते
Among these most exalted mothers, O leader of sages, there is a mother renowned as Alambusa, O bestower of honor.
वज्राश्रितुण्डश् चण्डाख्य इन्द्रनीलाचलोपमः । तस्यास् तु वाहनं काको वैष्णव्या गरुडो यथा
Her vehicle is the crow named Vajrashritunda, fierce and resembling a mountain of blue sapphire, just as Garuda is for the goddess Vaishnavi.
इत्य् अष्टैश्वर्ययुक्तास् ता मातरो रौद्रचेष्टिताः । व्योम्नि मेलापकं चक्रुर् एकदा समम् आगताः
Thus endowed with eight kinds of powers, those mothers, fierce in their actions, once gathered together in the sky for an assembly.
पूजयित्वा जगत्पूज्यौ देवौ तुम्बुरुभैरवौ । विचित्रार्थाः कथाश् चक्रू रुधिरासवतोषिताः
Having worshipped the two deities, Tumburu and Bhairava, who are revered by the world, they engaged in wondrous conversations, delighted by the wine of blood.
अथेयम् आययौ तासां कथावसरतः कथा । अस्मान् उमापतिर् देवः किं पश्यत्य् अवहेलया
Then, as they were engaged in conversation, this topic arose: 'Why does the god, consort of Uma, look upon us with disregard?'
प्रभावं दर्शयामो ऽस्य पुनर् नास्मान् असौ यथा । दृष्टमात्रमहाशक्तिः करिष्यत्य् अवधीरणम्
'Let us show him our power, lest, seeing our great might only once, he treats us with contempt as before.'