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Devi Mahatmya / Chapter 11

Chapter 11 · Markandeya Purana canto 91

The Eulogy of the Goddess

देवैः कृता नारायणो स्तुतिर्नाम

55 verses.

Verses follow the standard 700-verse numbering of the Durga Saptashati. Pargiter numbered the Purana differently, so his English was matched to each Sanskrit verse by its content; at a few joins a word or two may sit with the neighbouring verse. Lines found only in some printed editions are marked.

Artist's impression of this chapter.
Artist's impression.

Verses 1 to 9

1ऋषिरुवाच ॥

1The rishi spoke:

2देव्या हते तत्र महासुरेन्द्रे सेन्द्राः सुरा वह्निपुरोगमास्ताम् । कात्यायनीं तुष्टुवुरिष्टलाभाद् विकाशिवक्त्राब्जविकाशिताशाः ॥

2When the great lord of the Asuras was slain there by the goddess, Indra and the other gods led by Agni offered praise to her, Katyayani, because they had gained their desire; and their faces shone forth, and their hopes became manifest.

2aदेवा ऊचुः ॥

2aA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.

3देवि प्रपन्नार्तिहरे प्रसीद प्रसीद मातर्जगतोऽखिलस्य । प्रसीद विश्वेश्वरि पाहि विश्वं त्वमीश्वरी देवि चराचरस्य ॥

3“O goddess, who removest the sufferings of thy suppliants, be gracious! Be gracious, O mother of the whole world! Be gracious, O queen of the universe! safeguard the universe! Thou, O goddess, art queen of all that is moveable and immoveable!

4आधारभूता जगतस्त्वमेका महीस्वरूपेण यतः स्थितासि । अपां स्वरूपस्थितया त्वयैतद् आप्याय्यते कृत्स्त्रमलङ्घ्यवीर्ये ॥

4Thou alone hast become the support of the world, Because thou dost subsist in the form of the earth! By thee, who existest in the form of water, all This universe is filled, O thou inviolable in thy valour!

5त्वं वैष्णवी शक्तिरनन्तवीर्या विश्वस्य बीजं परमासि माया । संमोहितं देवि समस्तमेतत् तेवं वै प्रसन्ना भुवि मुक्तिहेतुः ॥

5Thou art Vishnu’s energy, boundless in thy valour; Thou art the germ of the universe, thou art Illusion sublime! All this world has been bewitched, O goddess; Thou indeed when attained art the cause of final emancipation from existence on the earth!

6विद्याः समस्तास्तव देवि भेदाः स्त्रियः समस्ताः सकला जगत्सु । त्वयैकया पूरितमम्बयैतत् का ते स्तुतिः स्तव्यपरा परोक्तिः ॥

6All sciences are portions of thee, O goddess; So are all females without exception in the worlds! By thee alone, as mother, this world has been filled! What praise can there be for thee? Thou art beyond praise, the sublimest expression!

7सर्वभूता यदा देवी स्वर्गमुक्तिप्रदायिनी । त्वं स्तुता स्तुतये का वा भवन्तु परमोक्तयः ॥

7When as being the goddess, who constitutes every created thing, And who bestows Svarga and final emancipation from existence, Thou are praised—for thy praise again What sublime words can be sufficient?

8सर्वस्य बुद्धिरूपेण जनस्य हृदि संस्थिते । स्वर्गापवर्गदे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

8O thou, who abidest under the form of Intelligence In the heart of every living creature; O goddess, who bestowest Svarga and final emancipation from existence, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

9कलाकाष्ठादिरूपेण परिणामप्रदायिनी । विश्वस्योपरतौ शक्ते नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

9Thou in the form of minutes, moments and other portions of time, Dost bring results to pass; O thou who art mighty in the death of the universe, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

Verses 10 to 19

10सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये शिवे सर्वार्थसाधिके । शरण्ये त्र्यम्बके गौरि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

10O thou who art beneficent with every happiness, O lady auspicious, who accomplishest every petition, O giver of refuge, O Tryambaka, O brilliant one, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

11सृष्टिस्थितिविनाशानां शक्तिभूते सनातनि । गुणाश्रये गुणमये नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

11O eternal goddess, who constitutest the energy Of creation, permanence and destruction, O thou abode of good qualities, who consistest of good qualities, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

12शरणागतदीनार्तपरित्राणपरायणे । सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

12Pargiter gives no separate English for this line.

13हंसयुक्तविमानस्थे ब्रह्माणीरूपधारिणि । कौशाम्भः क्षरिके देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

13O thou who ridest in a heavenly car yoked with swans, Who assumest the form of Brahmani, O goddess who sprinklest kusa-grass-steeped water, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

14त्रिशूलचन्द्राहिधरे महावृषभवाहिनि । माहेश्वरीस्वरूपेण नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

14O thou who holdest a trident, the moon and a serpent, Who art borne on a huge bull, With the natural character of Mahesvari, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

15मयूरकुक्कुटवृते महाशक्तिधरेऽमघे । कौमारीरूपसंस्थाने नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

15O thou who art attended by the peacock and cock, Who bearest a great spear, O sinless one; O thou who takest thy station in Kaumari’s form, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

16शङ्खचक्रगदाशार्ङ्गगृहीतपरमायुधे । प्रसीद वैष्णवीरूपे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

16O thou who holdest as thy finest weapons A conch, discus, club, and the bow S'arnga, Be gracious, O thou who hast Vaishnavi’s form; O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

17गृहीतोग्रमहाचक्रे दंष्ट्रोद्धृतवसुन्धरे । वराहरूपिणि शिवे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

17O thou who graspest a huge formidable discus, Who hast uplifted the earth with thy tushes, O auspicious one, who hast a hog-like form, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

18नृसिंहरूपेणोग्रेण हन्तुं दैत्यान् कृतोद्यमे । त्रैलोक्यत्राणसहिते नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

18O thou who in the fierce man-lion form Didst put forth thy efforts to slay the Daityas, O thou who art connected with the: deliverance of the three worlds, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

19किरीटिनि महावज्रे सहस्रनयनोज्ज्वले । वृत्रप्राणहरे चैन्द्रि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

19O thou who hast a diadem and a great thunderbolt, Who art dazzling with a thousand eyes, And who tookest away Vritra’s life-breath, O Aindri; O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

Verses 20 to 28

20शिवदूतीस्वरूपेण हतदैत्यमहाबले । घोररूपे महारावे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

20O thou who with the nature of Siva-duti Slewest the mighty hosts of the Daityas, O thou of terrible form, of loud shrieks, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

21दंष्ट्राकरालवदने शिरोमालाविभूषणे । चामुण्डे मुण्डमथने नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

21O thou who hast a face formidable with tushes, Who art decorated with a garland of heads, O C'amunda, who grindest shaven heads, O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

22लक्ष्मि लज्जे महाविद्ये श्रद्धे पुष्टे स्वधे ध्रुवे । महारात्रे महामाये नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

22O Lakshmi, Modesty, Wide-Knowledge! O Faith, Nourishment, Svadha, Immoveable! O Great-Night, Great-Illusion! O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

23मेधे सरस्वति वरे भूति बाभ्रवि तामसि । नियते त्वं प्रसीदेशे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

23O Mental-Vigour, Sarasvati, Choice One! O Welfare, Wife of Babhru, Dark One! O Self-controlled Queen, be thou gracious! O Narayani, reverence be to thee!

23aसर्वतः पाणिपादान्ते सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखे । सर्वतः श्रवणघ्राणे नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

23aA line found in some editions; Pargiter does not translate it.

24सर्वस्वरूपे सर्वेशे सर्वशक्तिसमन्विते । भयेभ्यस्त्राहि नो देवि दुर्गे देवि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

24O thou who hast the nature of all, Queen of all! O thou who possessest the might of all! From terrors save us, O goddess! O goddess Durga, reverence be to thee!

25एतत्ते वदनं सौम्यं लोचनत्रयभूषितम् । पातु नः सर्वभीतिभ्यः कात्यायनि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

25Kindly is this thy countenance, Which is adorned with three eyes; May it guard us from all created things! O Katyayani, reverence he to thee!

26ज्वालाकरालमत्युग्रमशेषासुरशूदनम् । त्रिशूलं पातु नो भीतेर्भद्रकालि नमोऽस्तुते ॥

26Formidable with flames, exceedingly sharp, Destroying the Asuras without quarter, May thy trident guard us from fear! O Bhadra-kali, reverence be to thee!

27हिनस्ति दैत्यतेजांसि स्वनेनापूर्य या जगत् । सा घण्टा पातु नो देवि पापेभ्यो नः सुतानिव ॥

27Thy bell, that fills the world with its ringing And destroys the glories of the Daityas, May thy bell guard us, O goddess, Even us like children from sins!

28असुरासृग्वसापङ्कचर्चितस्ते करोज्ज्वलः । शुभाय खड्गो भवतु चण्डिके त्वां नता वयम् ॥

28Besmirched with the blood and fat of the Asuras As with mire, gleaming with rays, May thy scymitar be for our welfare! O C'andika, to thee we bow!

Verses 29 to 38

29रोगानशेषानपहंसि तुष्टा रुष्टा तु कामान् सकलानभीष्टान् । त्वामाश्रितानां न विपन्नराणां त्वामाश्रिता ह्याश्रयतां प्रयान्ति ॥

29Thou destroyst all sicknesses, when gratified; But when wrathful destroyest all longed-for desires. No calamity befalls men who have sought unto thee! They who have sought unto thee become verily a refuge themselves!

30एतत्कृतं यत्कदनं त्वयाद्य धर्मद्विषां देवि महासुराणाम् । रूपैरनेकैर्बहुधाऽत्ममूर्ति कृत्वाम्बिके तत्प्रकरोति कान्या ॥

30This slaughter that thou hast now wrought On the great Asuras who hate righteousness, O goddess, By multiplying thy body in many forms,— O Ambika, what other goddess achieves that? In the sciences, in the scriptures,

31विद्यासु शास्त्रेषु विवेकदीपेष्व् आद्येषु वाक्येषु च का त्वदन्या । ममत्वगर्तेऽतिमहान्धकारे विभ्रामयत्येतदतीव विश्वम् ॥

31which need the lamp of discrimination, And in the ancient sayings, who but thou Within the pit of selfishness, wherein is exceeding great darkness, Causes this universe to whirl about most grievously?

32रक्षांसि यत्रोग्रविषाश्च नागा यत्रारयो दस्युबलानि यत्र । दावानलो यत्र तथाब्धिमध्ये तत्र स्थिता त्वं परिपासि विश्वम् ॥

32Wherever dwell Rakshasas and virulently-poisonous Nagas, Wherever foes exists wherever the powers of the Dasyus, And where flaming fire appears amid the ocean, There abiding thou dost safeguard the universe!

33विश्वेश्वरि त्वं परिपासि विश्वं विश्वात्मिका धारयसीति विश्वम् । विश्वेशवन्द्या भवती भवन्ति विश्वाश्रया ये त्वयि भक्तिनम्राः ॥

33O queen of the universe, thou safeguardest the universe! Thou hast the nature of the universe, for thou upholdest the universe. Thou art the lady worthy to be praised by the lord of the universe. They are The refuge of the universe, who bow in faith before thee!

34देवि प्रसीद परिपालय नोऽपरिभीतेर् नित्यं यथासुरवधादधुनैव सद्यः । पापानि सर्वजगतां प्रशमं नयाशु उत्पातपाकजनितांश्च महोपसर्गान् ॥

34O goddess, be gracious! Protect us wholly from fear of our foes Perpetually, as thou hast at this very time saved us promptly by the slaughter of the Asuras! And bring thou quickly to rest the sins of all the worlds And the great calamities which have sprang from the maturing of portents!

35प्रणतानां प्रसीद त्वं देवि विश्वार्तिहारिणी । त्रैलोक्यवासिनामीड्ये लोकानां वरदा भव ॥

35To us who are prostrate be thou gracious, O goddess, who takest away affliction from the universe! O thou worthy of praise from the dwellers in the three worlds, Bestow thou boons on the worlds!”

36श्रीदेव्युवाच ॥

36The goddess spoke:

37वरदाहं सुरगण वरं यन्मनसेच्छथ । तं वृणुध्वं प्रयच्छामि जगतामुपकारकम् ॥

37I am ready to bestow a boon. O ye hosts of gods, choose whatever boon ye desire in your mind; I grant it as a thing that benefits the worlds.

38देवा ऊचुः ॥

38The gods spoke:

Verses 39 to 48

39सर्वबाधाप्रशमनं त्रैलोक्यस्याखिलेश्वरि । एवमेव त्वया कार्यमस्मद्वैरिविनाशनम् ॥

39O queen of all, complete thou thus indeed the pacification of every trouble of the three worlds, and the destruction of our enemies,

40श्रीदेव्युवाच ॥

40The goddess spoke:

41वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे प्राप्ते अष्टाविंशतिमे युगे । शुम्भो निशुम्भश्चैवान्यावुत्पत्स्येते महासुरौ ॥

41When the twenty-eighth age has arrived, in the Vaivasvata Manv-antara, two other great Asuras shall be born, Sumbha and Nisumbha.

42नन्दगोपगृहे जाता यशोदागर्भसम्भवा । ततस्तौ नाशयिष्यामि विन्ध्याचलनिवासिनी ॥

42Then born as the offspring of Yasoda’s womb in the cowherd Nanda’s house, and dwelling on the Vindhya mountains, I will destroy them both.

43पुनरप्यतिरौद्रेण रूपेण पृथिवीतले । अवतीर्य हनिष्यामि वैप्रचित्तांस्तु दानवान् ॥

43And again becoming incarnate in a very terrible form on the face of the earth, I will slay the Vaiprac'itta Danavas;

44भक्षयन्त्याश्च तानुग्रान् वैप्रचित्तान् सुदानवान् । रक्ता दन्ता भविष्यन्ति दाडिमीकुसुमोपमाः ॥

44and when I devour those fierce and great Vaiprac'itta Asuras, my teeth shall become red like the flowers of the pomegranate.

45ततो मां देवताः स्वर्गे मर्त्यलोके च मानवाः । स्तुवन्तो व्याहरिष्यन्ति सततं रक्तदन्तिकाम् ॥

45Hence the gods in Svarga and men in the world of mortals praising me shall always talk of me as “Red-toothed.”

46भूयश्च शतवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यामनम्भसि । मुनिभिः संस्तुता भूमौ संभविष्याम्ययोनिजा ॥

46And again after a period of a hundred years during which rain and water shall fail, praised by the munis I shall be born, but not womb-begotten, on the earth.

47ततः शतेन नेत्राणां निरीक्षिष्यामि यन्मुनीन् । कीर्तयिष्यन्ति मनुजाः शताक्षीमिति मां ततः ॥

47Then because I shall behold the munis with a hundred eyes, mankind shall therefore celebrate me as “Hundred-eyed.”

48ततोऽहमखिलं लोकमात्मदेहसमुद्भवैः । भरिष्यामि सुराः शाकैरावृष्टेः प्राणधारकैः ॥

48Next, O ye gods, I shall support the whole world with the life-sustaining vegetables, which shall grow out of my own body, during a period of heavy rain.

Verses 49 to 55

49शाकम्भरीति विख्यातिं तदा यास्याम्यहं भुवि । तत्रैव च वधिष्यामि दुर्गमाख्यं महासुरम् ॥

49I shall gain fame on the earth then as S'akambhari; and in that very period I shall slay the great Asura named Durgama.

50दुर्गा देवीति विख्यातं तन्मे नाम भविष्यति । पुनश्चाहं यदा भीमं रूप कृत्वा हिमाचले ॥

50And again when taking a terrible form on mount Himavat

51रक्षांसि भक्षयिष्यामि पुनीनां त्राणकारणात् । तदा मां मुनयः सर्वे स्तोष्यन्त्यानम्रमूर्तयः ॥

51I shall destroy Rakshasas for the sake of delivering the munis, all the munis bowing their bodies reverently shall laud me then;

52भीमा देवीति विख्यातं तन्मे नाम भविष्यति । यदारुणाख्यस्त्रैलोक्ये महाबाधां करिष्यति ॥

52hence my name “The terrible goddess shall become celebrated. When Arunaksha shall work great trouble in the three worlds,

53तदाहं भ्रामरं रूपं कृत्वासंख्येयषट्पदम् । त्रैलोक्यस्य हितार्थाय वधिष्यामि महासुरम् ॥

53I shall take a bee-like form, the form of innumerable bees, and shall slay the great Asura for the welfare of the three worlds,

54भ्रामरीति च मां चोकास्तदा स्तोष्यन्ति सर्वतः । इत्थं यदा यदा बाधा दानवोत्था भविष्यति ॥

54and folk shall then extol me everyone as Bhramari. Thus whenever trouble shall arise caused by the Danavas,

55तदा तदावतीर्याहं करिष्याम्यरिसंक्षयम् ॥

55at each such time I shall become incarnate and accomplish the foes’ destruction.

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