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.'
इति निश्चित्य ता देव्यो विवर्णवदनाङ्गिकाम् । उमाम् एव वशीकृत्य प्रोक्षयाम् आसुर् आदृताः
Thus resolved, those goddesses, their faces and limbs pale, respectfully won over Uma herself and sprinkled her.
माययापहृतां भर्तुर् अङ्गाद् भङ्गम् उपागताम् । ताम् आलोलकचां देव्यश् चक्रुर् ओदनतां गताम्
By their magic, they took a part from the body of her husband, which had been seized and broken, and made the goddess with disheveled hair assume the form of food.
पार्वतीप्रोक्षणदिने तस्मिंस् तत्र महोत्सवः । बभूव तासां सर्वासां नृत्तगेयमनोरमः
On that day of Parvati's sprinkling, there was a great festival among them all, delightful with dance and song.
अन्या ननृतुर् उद्दामरवम् एवाम्बराम्बराः । दीर्घावयवविक्षेपविकासिजघनोदराः
Some danced wildly, their garments mingling with the sky, their long limbs swaying, their hips and bellies blossoming in movement.
अन्या जहसुर् उद्दामतालक्ष्वेडाघनारवम् । लसदङ्गविकारं च ध्वनड्डमरुकाननाः
Others laughed loudly, their clapping and stamping resounding, their radiant bodies transformed, and the sound of their drums echoing through the forest.
अन्या जगुर् ध्वनच्छैलगुहम् आपानतोषिताः । तारारवं रणद्रन्ध्रजगन्मण्डपकोटरे
Others sang, their voices filling the echoing mountain caves, delighting in drink, their high-pitched cries resounding in the halls and recesses of the assembly.
अन्याः पानं पपुः पुष्टचर्वितार्द्रशिरःखुरम् । लीलाघुरघुरारावरणदाकाशकोटराः
Others drank, their beaks wet and strong from chewing, their heads and hooves moist, playfully making light, heavy, and resonant sounds, filling the sky's hollows.
पपुर् उदगुर् अथोच्चैस् तेरुर् आजग्मुर् ऊषुर् जहसुर् अपुर् अहौषुः पेतुर् उच्चैर् ववल्गुः । ननृतुर् अनिशम् आदुस् स्वादुमांसं च देव्यस् त्रिभुवनम् अपवृत्तं चक्रुर् उन्मत्तनृत्ताः
They drank water, then cried out loudly, moved about, stayed, laughed, filled themselves, roared, fell down, leapt up, danced ceaselessly, and the goddesses, intoxicated, made the three worlds turn away with their wild dancing.
इत्य् उत्सवे वर्तमाने तासां वाहास् त उत्तमाः । तथैव मत्ता जहसुर् ननृतुः पपुर् अप्य् असृक्
As the celebration continued, their excellent mounts, likewise intoxicated, laughed, danced, and even drank blood.
तत्र कान्तासवोन्मत्ताः क्वचिन् ननृतुर् अम्बरे । रथहंस्यस् सिता ब्राह्म्यः काकश् चालम्बुसारथः
There, some, maddened by delightful wine, danced in the sky; the white swan chariots of the Brahma goddesses, and the crow named Alambu was their charioteer.