देव्युवाच ॥
१ ॥
The Devi said:
एभिः स्तवैश्च मां नित्यं स्तोष्यते यः समाहितः ।
तस्याहं सकलां बाधां नाशयिष्याम्यसंशयम् ॥
२ ॥
‘Whoever, with a collected mind, praises Me every day with these stutis, I shall without doubt put an end to every trouble of theirs.’
मधुकैटभनाशं च महिषासुरघातनम् ।
कीर्तयिष्यन्ति ये तद्वद्वधं शुम्भनिशुम्भयोः ॥
३ ॥
‘And those who tell of the slaying of Madhu and Kaitabha, the killing of Mahishasura, and likewise the slaying of Shumbha and Nishumbha…’
अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां नवम्यां चैकचेतसः ।
श्रोष्यन्ति चैव ये भक्त्या मम माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् ॥
४ ॥
‘…and those who, with a single mind, listen in bhakti to this highest telling of My glory on the eighth, the fourteenth and the ninth days of the fortnight…’
न तेषां दुष्कृतं किञ्चिद्दुष्कृतोत्था न चापदः ।
भविष्यति न दारिद्र्यं न चैवेष्टवियोजनम् ॥
५ ॥
‘…no wrong will touch them, nor the troubles that wrongdoing brings; there will be no poverty for them, and no parting from those they love.’
शत्रुतो न भयं तस्य दस्युतो वा न राजतः ।
न शस्त्रानलतोयौघात् कदाचित् सम्भविष्यति ॥
६ ॥
‘Such a one will never have cause to fear an enemy, a robber or a king, nor weapons, fire or flood.’
तस्मान्ममैतन्माहात्म्यं पठितव्यं समाहितैः ।
श्रोतव्यं च सदा भक्त्या परं स्वस्त्ययनं हि तत् ॥
७ ॥
‘So this telling of My glory should always be read with a collected mind, and heard with bhakti; for it brings the highest good.’
उपसर्गानशेषांस्तु महामारीसमुद्भवान् ।
तथा त्रिविधमुत्पातं माहात्म्यं शमयेन्मम ॥
८ ॥
‘The telling of My glory quiets every trouble born of pestilence, and the three kinds of calamity.’
यत्रैतत्पठ्यते सम्यङ्नित्यमायतने मम ।
सदा न तद्विमोक्ष्यामि सान्निध्यं तत्र मे स्थितम् ॥
९ ॥
‘The shrine of Mine where this is duly read every day I shall never leave; My presence abides there.’
बलिप्रदाने पूजायामग्निकार्ये महोत्सवे ।
सर्वं ममैतच्चरितमुच्चार्यं श्राव्यमेव च ॥
१० ॥
‘At an offering of bali, at puja, at the fire rite and at a great festival, the whole of this story of Mine should be recited and heard.’
जानताऽजानता वापि बलिपूजां तथा कृताम् ।
प्रतीच्छिष्याम्यहं प्रीत्या वह्निहोमं तथा कृतम् ॥
११ ॥
‘Then, whether the bali and the puja are done knowing the rite or not knowing it, and the fire offering too, I shall accept them gladly.’
शरत्काले महापूजा क्रियते या च वार्षिकी ।
तस्यां ममैतन्माहात्म्यं श्रुत्वा भक्तिसमन्वितः ॥
१२ ॥
‘At the great puja held every year in autumn, whoever hears this telling of My glory with bhakti…’
सर्वाबाधाविनिर्मुक्तो धनधान्यसुतान्वितः ।
मनुष्यो मत्प्रसादेन भविष्यति न संशयः ॥
१३ ॥
‘…will by My grace be freed from every trouble and blessed with wealth, grain and children; of this there is no doubt.’
श्रुत्वा ममैतन्माहात्म्यं तथा चोत्पत्तयः शुभाः ।
पराक्रमं च युद्धेषु जायते निर्भयः पुमान् ॥
१४ ॥
‘Hearing this telling of My glory, the good stories of how I appeared, and My valour in battle, a person becomes fearless.’
रिपवः सङ्क्षयं यान्ति कल्याणं चोपपद्यते ।
नन्दते च कुलं पुंसां माहात्म्यं मम शृण्वताम् ॥
१५ ॥
‘For those who listen to My glory, enemies come to nothing, good comes to them, and their family rejoices.’
शान्तिकर्मणि सर्वत्र तथा दुःस्वप्नदर्शने ।
ग्रहपीडासु चोग्रासु माहात्म्यं शृणुयान्मम ॥
१६ ॥
‘In every rite for peace, on seeing a bad dream, and when the grahas press hard, one should hear My glory.’
उपसर्गाः शमं यान्ति ग्रहपीडाश्च दारुणाः ।
दुःस्वप्नं च नृभिर्दृष्टं सुस्वप्नमुपजायते ॥
१७ ॥
‘Troubles are stilled, and the hard afflictions of the grahas; and a bad dream a person has seen turns into a good one.’
बालग्रहाभिभूतानां बालानां शान्तिकारकम् ।
सङ्घातभेदे च नृणां मैत्रीकरणमुत्तमम् ॥
१८ ॥
‘It brings peace to children seized by the balagrahas, and where people have fallen out, it is the best maker of friendship.’
दुर्वृत्तानामशेषाणां बलहानिकरं परम् ।
रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां पठनादेव नाशनम् ॥
१९ ॥
‘It takes away the strength of all who live wickedly; by its mere reading, rakshasas, bhutas and pishachas are destroyed.’
सर्वं ममैतन्माहात्म्यं मम सन्निधिकारकम् ।
पशुपुष्पार्घ्यधूपैश्च गन्धदीपैस्तथोत्तमैः ॥
२० ॥
‘This whole telling of My glory brings one into My presence. Offering animals, flowers, arghya and incense, fragrance and the finest diyas…’
विप्राणां भोजनैर्होमैः प्रोक्षणीयैरहर्निशम् ।
अन्यैश्च विविधैर्भोगैः प्रदानैर्वत्सरेण या ॥
२१ ॥
‘…feeding brahmins, giving homa, sprinkling consecrated water day and night, and with many other offerings and gifts, for a whole year…’
प्रीतिर्मे क्रियते साऽस्मिन् सकृत्सुचरिते श्रुते ।
श्रुतं हरति पापानि तथाऽऽरोग्यं प्रयच्छति ॥
२२ ॥
‘…the joy that is given Me is given in full by hearing this good story of Mine once. Heard, it takes away sins and gives good health.’
रक्षां करोति भूतेभ्यो जन्मनां कीर्तनं मम ।
युद्धेषु चरितं यन्मे दुष्टदैत्यनिबर्हणम् ॥
२३ ॥
‘The telling of how I came to be born guards from harmful beings; and when the story of My battles, the slaying of the wicked daityas…’
तस्मिञ्छ्रुते वैरिकृतं भयं पुंसां न जायते ।
युष्माभिः स्तुतयो याश्च याश्च ब्रह्मर्षिभिः कृताः ॥
२४ ॥
‘…is heard, people have no fear of what enemies may do. And the stutis that you and the brahmarshis have sung…’
ब्रह्मणा च कृतास्तास्तु प्रयच्छन्ति शुभां मतिम् ।
अरण्ये प्रान्तरे वापि दावाग्निपरिवारितः ॥
२५ ॥
‘…and those Brahma sang, give a mind turned to good. In a forest, on a lonely road, or caught in a forest fire…’
दस्युभिर्वा वृतः शून्ये गृहीतो वापि शत्रुभिः ।
सिंहव्याघ्रानुयातो वा वने वा वनहस्तिभिः ॥
२६ ॥
‘…surrounded by robbers in a desolate place, or seized by enemies, chased by a lion, a tiger or wild elephants in the forest…’
राज्ञा क्रुद्धेन चाज्ञप्तो वध्यो बन्धगतोऽपि वा ।
आघूर्णितो वा वातेन स्थितः पोते महार्णवे ॥
२७ ॥
‘…sentenced to death or bound in prison at the word of an angry king, or tossed by the wind in a boat on the great sea…’
पतत्सु चापि शस्त्रेषु सङ्ग्रामे भृशदारुणे ।
सर्वाबाधासु घोरासु वेदनाभ्यर्दितोऽपि वा ॥
२८ ॥
‘…when weapons are falling in a most terrible battle, in every dreadful trouble, or when racked with pain…’
स्मरन्ममैतच्चरितं नरो मुच्येत सङ्कटात् ।
मम प्रभावात्सिंहाद्या दस्यवो वैरिणस्तथा ॥
२९ ॥
‘…whoever remembers this story of Mine is freed from the danger. By My power, lions and the like, robbers and enemies…’
दूरादेव पलायन्ते स्मरतश्चरितं मम ॥
३० ॥
‘…flee far from one who remembers My story.’
ऋषिरुवाच ॥
३१ ॥
The Rishi said:
इत्युक्त्वा सा भगवती चण्डिका चण्डविक्रमा ॥
३२ ॥
Having spoken so, Bhagavati Chandika, fierce in Her valour…
पश्यतामेव देवानां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ।
तेऽपि देवा निरातङ्काः स्वाधिकारान् यथा पुरा ॥
३३ ॥
…vanished on that very spot, even as the devas looked on. Then the devas, their fear gone, took up their own offices as before…
यज्ञभागभुजः सर्वे चक्रुर्विनिहतारयः ।
दैत्याश्च देव्या निहते शुम्भे देवरिपौ युधि ॥
३४ ॥
…and all of them, their enemies slain, once more received their share of the yajnas. And when Shumbha, foe of the devas, had been slain by the Devi in battle…
जगद्विध्वंसके तस्मिन् महोग्रेऽतुलविक्रमे ।
निशुम्भे च महावीर्ये शेषाः पातालमाययुः ॥
३५ ॥
…that destroyer of the world, most fierce and of matchless valour, and the mighty Nishumbha too, the daityas who were left went down to Patala.
एवं भगवती देवी सा नित्यापि पुनः पुनः ।
सम्भूय कुरुते भूप जगतः परिपालनम् ॥
३६ ॥
In this way, O King, Bhagavati Devi, though She is eternal, appears again and again and protects the world.
तयैतन्मोह्यते विश्वं सैव विश्वं प्रसूयते ।
सा याचिता च विज्ञानं तुष्टा ऋद्धिं प्रयच्छति ॥
३७ ॥
It is She who deludes this universe, and She who gives it birth; asked, She gives true knowledge, and pleased, She gives prosperity.
व्याप्तं तयैतत्सकलं ब्रह्माण्डं मनुजेश्वर ।
महाकाल्या महाकाले महामारीस्वरूपया ॥
३८ ॥
O King, this whole universe is pervaded by Her, Mahakali, who at the great dissolution takes the form of the great pestilence.
सैव काले महामारी सैव सृष्टिर्भवत्यजा ।
स्थितिं करोति भूतानां सैव काले सनातनी ॥
३९ ॥
She, in Her time, is the great pestilence; She, the unborn, becomes creation; and She, the eternal, sustains all beings in their time.
भवकाले नृणां सैव लक्ष्मीर्वृद्धिप्रदा गृहे ।
सैवाभावे तथाऽलक्ष्मीर्विनाशायोपजायते ॥
४० ॥
In good times She is Lakshmi in people's homes, giving increase; and in hard times She Herself becomes Alakshmi, and brings ruin.
स्तुता सम्पूजिता पुष्पैर्धूपगन्धादिभिस्तथा ।
ददाति वित्तं पुत्रांश्च मतिं धर्मे गतिं शुभाम् ॥
४१ ॥
Praised, and given puja with flowers, incense, fragrance and the rest, She gives wealth and children, a mind set on dharma, and a good end.