rishiruvaach.
The Rishi said:
shakraadayah suraganaa nihate'tiveerye tasminduraatmani suraaribale ch devyaa . taan tushtuvuh pranatinamrashirodharaansaa vaagbhih praharshapulakodgamachaarudehaah.
When that most valiant but evil-natured Mahishasura and the army of that foe of the devas were destroyed by the Devi, Indra and the hosts of devas uttered their words of praise, their necks and shoulders reverently bent, and bodies rendered beautiful with horripilation and exultation.
devyaa yayaa tatamidan jagadaatmashaktyaa nishsheshadevaganashaktisamoohamoortyaa . taamambikaamakhiladevamaharshipoojyaan bhaktyaa nataah sm vidadhaatu shubhaani saa nah.
To that Ambika who is honoured by all devas and sages and pervades this world by her power and who is the embodiment of the entire powers of all the hosts of devas, we bow in devotion. May she grant us what is good!
yasyaah prabhaavamatulan bhagavaanananto brahmaa harashch n hi vaktumalan balan ch . saa chandikaakhilajagatparipaalanaay naashaay chaashubhabhayasy matin karotu.
May Chandika, whose incomparable greatness and power Bhagavan Vishnu, Brahma and Hara are unable to describe, bestow her mind on protecting the entire world and on destroying the fear of evil.
yaa shreeh svayan sukritinaan bhavaneshvalakshmeeh paapaatmanaan kritadhiyaan hridayeshu buddhih . shraddhaa sataan kulajanaprabhavasy lajjaa taan tvaan nataah sm paripaalay devi vishvam.
O Devi, we bow before you, who are yourself prosperity in the dwellings of the virtuous, ill-fortune in those of the vicious, intelligence in the hearts of the learned, faith in the hearts of the good, and modesty in the hearts of the high-born. May you protect the universe!
kin varnayaam tav roopamachintyametat kin chaativeeryamasurakshayakaari bhoori . kin chaahaveshu charitaani tavaadbhutaani sarveshu devyasuradevaganaadikeshu.
O Devi, how can we describe your inconceivable form, or your abundant surpassing valour that destroys the asuras, or your wonderful feats displayed in battles among all the hosts of gods, asuras and others?
hetuh samastajagataan trigunaapi doshair n jnaayase hariharaadibhirapyapaaraa . sarvaashrayaakhilamidan jagadanshabhootam avyaakritaa hi paramaa prakritistvamaadyaa.
You are the origin of all the worlds! Though you are possessed of the three gunas you are not known to have any of their attendant defects! You are incomprehensible even to Vishnu, Shiva and others! You are the resort of all! This entire world is composed of an infinitesimal portion of yourself! You are verily the supreme primordial Prakriti untransformed.
yasyaah samastasurataa samudeeranen triptin prayaati sakaleshu makheshu devi . svaahaasi vai pitriganasy ch triptihetur uchchaaryase tvamat ev janaih svadhaa ch.
O Devi, you are Svaha at whose utterance the whole assemblage of gods attains satisfaction in all the sacrifices. You are the Svadha which gives satisfaction to the manes. Therefore you are recited by people.
yaa muktiheturavichintyamahaavrataa tvam abhyasyase suniyatendriyatattvasaaraih . mokshaarthibhirmunibhirastasamastadoshair vidyaasi saa bhagavatee paramaa hi devi.
O Devi, you are the supreme knowledge, the cause of liberation, and of inconceivable great penance. You are cultivated by sages desiring liberation, whose senses are well restrained, who are devoted to the reality, and have shed all their blemishes.
shabdaatmikaa suvimalargyajushaan nidhaanam udgeetharamyapadapaathavataan ch saamnaam . devee trayee bhagavatee bhavabhaavanaay vaartaa ch sarvajagataan paramaartihantree.
You are the soul of Brahman. You are the repository of the very pure Rig-veda and Yajus stotra, and of Samans, the recital of whose words is beautiful with the Udgitha! You are Bhagavati embodying the three Vedas. And you are the sustenance whereby life is maintained. You are the supreme destroyer of the pain of all the worlds.
medhaasi devi viditaakhilashaastrasaaraa durgaasi durgabhavasaagaranaurasangaa . shreeh kaitabhaarihridayaikakritaadhivaasaa gauree tvamev shashimaulikritapratishthaa.
O Devi, you are the Intellect, by which the essence of all scriptures is comprehended. You are Durga, the boat that takes men across the difficult ocean of worldly existence, devoid of attachments. You are Shri, who has invariably taken her abode in the heart of Vishnu. You are indeed Gauri, who has established herself with Shiva.
eeshatsahaasamamalan paripoornachandr bimbaanukaari kanakottamakaantikaantam . atyadbhutan prahritamaattarushaa tathaapi vaktran viloky sahasaa mahishen sadyah.
Gently smiling, pure, resembling the full moon's orb, beautiful like the splendour of excellent gold was your face! Yet it was very strange that, being swayed by anger, Mahishasura suddenly struck your face when he saw it.
drishtvaa tu devi kupitan bhrukuteekaraalam udyachchhashaankasadrishachchhavi yann sadyah . praanaanmumoch mahishastadateev chitran kairjeevyate hi kupitaantakadarshanen.
Greatly strange it is that when Mahishasura saw your wrathful face, O Devi, terrible with its frowns and red in hue like the rising moon, he did not at once give up his life! For, who can live after beholding the enraged Destroyer?
devi praseed paramaa bhavatee bhavaay sadyo vinaashayasi kopavatee kulaani . vijnaatametadadhunaiv yadastametan neetan balan suvipulan mahishaasurasy.
O Devi, be propitious. You are Supreme. If enraged, you forthwith destroy the asura families for the welfare of the world. This was known this very moment when the vast forces of Mahishasura were brought to their end.
te sammataa janapadeshu dhanaani teshaan teshaan yashaansi n ch seedati dharmavargah . dhanyaast ev nibhritaatmajabhrityadaaraa yeshaan sadaabhyudayadaa bhavatee prasannaa.
You who are always a bestower of prosperity, with whom you are well pleased, those fortunate ones are indeed highly honoured in the country, theirs are riches, theirs are glories, and their acts of righteousness perish not; they are indeed blessed and possessed of devoted children, servants and wives.
dharmyaani devi sakalaani sadaiv karmaanyatyaadritah pratidinan sukritee karoti . svargan prayaati ch tato bhavateeprasaadaal lokatraye'pi phaladaa nanu devi ten.
By your grace, O Devi, the blessed individual does daily all righteous acts with utmost care and thereby goes to heaven. Are you not, therefore O Devi, the bestower of reward in all the three worlds?
durge smritaa harasi bheetim asheshajantoh svasthaih smritaa matimateev shubhaan dadaasi . daaridryaduhkhabhayahaarini kaa tvadanyaa sarvopakaarakaranaay sadaardrachittaa.
When called to mind in a difficult pass, you remove fear for every person. When called to mind by those in happiness, you bestow a mind still further pious. Which devi but you, O Dispeller of poverty, pain and fear, has an ever sympathetic heart for helping everyone?
ebhirhatairjagadupaiti sukhan tathaite kurvantu naam narakaay chiraay paapam . sangraamamrityumadhigamy divan prayaantu matveti noonamahitaan vinihansi devi.
The world attains happiness by the killing of these foes and though these asuras have committed sins to keep them long in hell, let them reach heaven by meeting death eventually at the battle with me - thinking thus, that you, O Devi, certainly destroy our enemies.
drishtvaiv kin n bhavatee prakaroti bhasm sarvaasuraanarishu yatprahinoshi shastram . lokaan prayaantu ripavo'pi hi shastrapootaa itthan matirbhavati teshvapi te'tisaadhvee.
Don't you reduce to ashes all asuras by mere sight? But you direct your weapons against them so that even the enemies, purified by the missiles, may attain the heavenly worlds. Such is your most kindly intention towards them.
khadgaprabhaanikaravisphuranaistathograih shoolaagrakaantinivahen drisho'suraanaam . yannaagataa vilayamanshumadindukhand yogyaananan tav vilokayataan tadetat.
If the eyes of the asuras had not been put out by the terrible flashes of the mass of light issuing from your sword or by the copious lustre of your spearhead, it is because they saw also your face resembling a portion of the moon, giving out cool rays.
durvrittavrittashamanan tav devi sheelan roopan tathaitadavichintyamatulyamanyaih . veeryan ch hantri hritadevaparaakramaanaan vairishvapi prakatitaiv dayaa tvayettham.
O Devi, your nature is to subdue the conduct of the wicked; this your peerless beauty is inconceivable for others; your power destroys those who have robbed the devas of their prowess, and you have thus manifested your compassion even towards the enemies.
kenopamaa bhavatu te'sy paraakramasy roopan ch shatrubhayakaaryatihaari kutr . chitte kripaa samaranishthurataa ch drishtaa tvayyev devi varade bhuvanatraye'pi.
What is your prowess to be compared to? Where can one find this beauty (of yours) most charming, (yet) striking fear in enemies? Compassion in heart and relentlessness in battle are seen, O Devi, O Bestower of boons, only in you in all the three worlds.
trailokyametadakhilan ripunaashanen traatan tvayaa samaramoordhani te'pi hatvaa . neetaa divan ripuganaa bhayamapyapaastamasmaakamunmadasuraaribhavan namaste.
Through the destruction of the enemies all these three worlds have been saved by you. Having killed them in the battle-front, you have led even those hosts of enemies to heaven, and you have dispelled our fear from the frenzied enemies of the devas. Salutation to you!
shoolen paahi no devi paahi khadgen chaambike . ghantaasvanen nah paahi chaapajyaanihsvanen ch.
O Devi, protect us with your spear. O Ambika, protect us with your sword, protect us by the sound of your bell and by the twang of your bow-string.
praachyaan raksh prateechyaan ch chandike raksh dakshine . bhraamanenaatmashoolasy uttarasyaan tatheshvari.
O Chandika, guard us in the east, in the west, in the north and in the south by the brandishing of your spear, O Iswari!
saumyaani yaani roopaani trailokye vicharanti te . yaani chaatyarthaghoraani tai rakshaasmaanstathaa bhuvam.
Protect us and the earth with those lovely forms of yours moving about in the three worlds, as also with your exceptionally terrible forms.
khadgashoolagadaadeeni yaani chaastraani te'mbike . karapallavasangeeni tairasmaan raksh sarvatah.
O Ambika, protect us on every side with your sword, spear and club and whatever other weapons your sprout-like (soft) hand has touched.
rishiruvaach.
The Rishi said:
evan stutaa surairdivyaih kusumairnandanodbhavaih . architaa jagataan dhaatree tathaa gandhaanulepanaih.
Thus the supporter of the worlds was praised by the devas, given puja with celestial flowers that blossomed in Nandana and with perfumes and unguents;
bhaktyaa samastaistridashairdivyairdhoopaih sudhoopitaa . praah prasaadasumukhee samastaan pranataan suraan.
and with devotion all of them offered her heavenly incense. Benignly serene in countenance she spoke to all obeisant devas.
devyuvaach.
The Devi said:
vriyataan tridashaah sarve yadasmatto'bhivaanchhitam.
Choose all of you, O devas, whatever you desire of me.
devaa oochuh.
The devas said:
bhagavatyaa kritan sarvan n kinchidavashishyate . yadayan nihatah shatrurasmaakan mahishaasurah.
Since our enemy, this Mahishasura, has been slain by Bhagavati (i.e. you) everything has been accomplished, and nothing remains to be done.
yadi chaapi varo deyastvayaasmaakan maheshvari . sansmritaa sansmritaa tvan no hinsethaah paramaapadah.
And if a boon is to be granted to us by you, O Mahesvari, whenever we think of you again, destroy our direct calamities.
yashch martyah stavairebhistvaan stoshyatyamalaanane . tasy vittardhivibhavairdhanadaaraadisampadaam.
O Mother of spotless countenance, and whatever mortal shall praise you with these stotra,
vriddhaye'smatprasannaa tvan bhavethaah sarvadaambike.
may you, who have become gracious towards us, be also propitious to him for his increase in wealth, wife, and other prosperities.
rishiruvaach.
The Rishi said:
iti prasaaditaa devairjagato'rthe tathaa''tmanah . tathetyuktvaa bhadrakaalee babhoovaantarhitaa nrip.
O King, being thus propitiated by the devas for the sake of the world and for their own sake, Bhadrakali said, 'Be it so' and vanished from sight.
ityetatkathitan bhoop sambhootaa saa yathaa puraa . devee devashareerebhyo jagattrayahitaishinee.
Thus have I narrated, O King, how the Devi who desires the good of all the three worlds made her appearance of yore out of the bodies of the devas.
punashch gaureedehaatsaa samudbhootaa yathaabhavat. vadhaay dushtadaityaanaan tathaa shumbhanishumbhayoh.
And again how she emerged from the body of Gauri for the slaying of the wicked asuras as well as Sumbha and Nisumbha,
rakshanaay ch lokaanaan devaanaamupakaarinee . tachchhrinushv mayaakhyaatan yathaavatkathayaami te.
and for the protection of the worlds, as a benefactress of the devas, listen as I relate it. I shall tell it to you exactly as it happened.