Chapter 4 - Praise by Indra and the Other Gods

ṛṣir uvāca

4.1 The seer said:

śakrādayaḥ suragaṇā nihate ’tivīrye
tasmin durātmani surāribale ca Devyā
tāṁ tuṣṭuvuḥ praṇatinamraśirodharāṁsā
vāgbhiḥ praharṣapulakodgamacārudehāḥ

4.2 “When The Devī Had Struck Down the brave but wicked mahiṣāsura and his army of the Gods’ foes, Indra and the hosts of Gods lifted their voices to Her in praise, their heads bowed in reverence, their bodies made beautiful by the thrill of rapture.

Devyā yayā tatam idaṁ jagad ātmaśaktyā
niḥśeṣadevagaṇaśaktisamūhamūrtyā
Tāṁ Ambikām akhiladevamaharṣipūjyāṁ
bhaktyā natāḥ sma vidadhātu śubhāni sā naḥ

4.3 ‘To The Devī, Who Spreads Out this world Through Her Own Power and Who Embodies Herself As All The Powers of the hosts of Gods;
to Ambikā, Who Is Worthy of worship by all the Gods and great seers, we bow down in devotion. May She Grant us that which is Auspicious.

yasyāḥ prabhāvam atulaṁ bhagavān ananto
brahmā haraś ca na hi vaktum alaṁ balaṁ ca
sā Caṇḍikākhilajagat Paripālanāya
nāśāya cāśubhabhayasya matiṁ karotu

4.4 May She Whose Unequalled Might and Splendor even the blessed Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Śiva are powerless to describe,
May She, Caṇḍikā, Be Intent on Protecting all the world and on Destroying the fear of misfortune.

yā Śrīḥ Svayaṁ sukṛtināṁ bhavaneṣvaLakṣmīḥ
pāpātmanāṁ kṛtadhiyāṁ hṛdayeṣu Buddhiḥ
Śraddhā satāṁ kulajanaprabhavasya Lajjā
tāṁ Tvāṁ natāḥ sma Paripālaya Devi viśvam

4.5 O Devī, we bow before You
Who Are Yourself Good Fortune in the dwellings of the virtuous and
Misfortune in the abodes of the wicked,
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!

kiṁ varṇayāma Tava Rūpam acintyam etat
kiñ Cātivīryam asurakṣayakāri bhūri
kiṁ Cāhaveṣu Caritāni Tavāti Yāni
sarveṣu Devy asuradevagaṇādikeṣu

4.6 How can we describe This Form Of Yours, Which Surpasses thought?
And Your Abundant, Exceeding Valor That destroys evil?
And Your Deeds in battle, O Devī, among all the throngs of Gods and demons?

Hetuḥ Samastajagatāṁ Triguṇāpi Doṣair
na Jñāyase hariharādibhir Apyapārā
sarvāśrayākhilam idam jagad Amśabhūtam
Avyākṛtā hi Paramā Prakṛtis Tvam Ādyā

4.7 You Are The Cause of all the worlds.
Though Containing The triple forces of creation Within Yourself, You Are Untouched by any imperfection.
You Are Unfathomable even to Viṣṇu, Śiva, and the other Gods.
You Are The Resort of all.
You Are This Entire, Manifold World and You Are Primordial Matter, Supreme And Untransformed.

Yasyāḥ Samastasuratā Samudīraṇena
Tṛptiṁ Prayāti sakaleṣu Makheṣu Devi
Svāhāsi vai pitṛgaṇasya ca Tṛptihetur
Uccāryase Tvam Ata Eva Janaiḥ Svadhā ca

4.8 O Devī, You Are The Mantra Of Consecration
Whose Utterance in all sacrifices Brings Satisfaction to the whole assemblage of Gods, and
You Are The Mantra Which humans proclaim as The Cause Of Satisfaction to the hosts of ancestral spirits.

Yā Muktihetur Avicintyamahāvratā Tvaṁ
abhyasyase suniyatendriyatattvasāraiḥ
mokṣārthibhir munibhir astasamastadoṣair
Vidyāsi Sā Bhagavatī Paramā Hi Devi

4.9 O Devī, Who Are The Cause of Liberation and Great, Inconceivable Austerities:
sages yearning for liberation contemplate You with senses restrained,
intent upon truth, with all faults cast off,
for You Are The Blessed, Supreme Knowledge.

Śabdātmikā suvimalargyajuṣām nidhānam
Udgītharamyapadapāṭhavatāṁ ca sāmnām
Devī Trayī Bhagavatī bhavabhāvanāya
Vārtā ca sarvajagatāṁ Paramārtihantrī

4.10 With sound as Your Essence,
You Are The Treasury That Holds the taintless Vedic hymns, sung to resound joyfully with Your Holy Name.
You Are The Blessed Devī, Who Embodies The Three Vedas.
Intent On Conferring well-being, You Are The Supreme Destroyer of pain in all the worlds.

Medhāsi Devi viditākhilaśāstrasārā
Durgāsi Durgabhavasāgaranaur Asaṅgā
Śrīḥ Kaiṭabhārihṛdayaikakṛtādhivāsā
Gaurī Tvaṁ eva śaśimaulikṛtapratiṣṭhā

4.11 O Devī, You Are The Intelligence By Which the essence of all scriptures is understood.
You Are Durgā, The Vessel Free Of Attachments That Takes one across life’s difficult ocean.
You Are Srī, The Radiant Splendor That Abides in the heart of Viṣṇu.
You Are Gaurī, The Shining Goddess Who Abides with the moon-crowned Śiva.

Īṣatsahāsam Amalaṁ Paripūrṇacandra-
bimbānukāri kanakottamakāntikāntam
Atyadbhutaṁ prahṛtam āttaruṣā tathāpi
vaktraṁ vilokya sahasā mahiṣāsureṇa

4.12 Gently Smiling, Your Shining Face Resembles the full moon’s orb and Is As Pleasing as the lustre of the finest gold.
Beholding It, how could mahiṣāsura, even though enraged, be moved to strike it?

dṛṣṭvā tu Devi Kupitaṁ Bhrukuṭīkarālam
udyacchaśāṅkasadṛśacchavi yan na sadyaḥ
prāṇān mumoca mahiṣas tad Atīva Citraṁ
Kair Jīvyate Hi Kupitāntakadarśanena

4.13 Still stranger was it, O Devī, that mahiṣa did not perish the instant he beheld Your Wrathful Face, Reddened like the rising moon and Scowling Frightfully.
For who can behold the Enraged Face Of Death and still live?

Devi Prasīda Paramā Bhavatī Bhavāya
sadyo Vināśayasi Kopavatī Kulāni
vijñātam etad adhunaiva yad astam etan
nītaṁ balaṁ Suvipulaṁ mahiṣāsurasya
4.14 O Devī, Who are Supreme, be Gracious to all creation,
for when Angered You Can Annihilate Multitudes.
we saw this the moment You Brought mahiṣāsura’s vast power to an end.

Te Sammatā Janapadeṣu dhanāni teṣāṁ
teṣāṁ yaśāṁsi na ca sīdati dharmavargaḥ
dhanyāsta eva nibhṛtatmajabhṛtyadārā
yeṣāṁ sadābhyudayadā bhavatī prasannā

4.15 Those to whom You Are Bounteous are honored among peoples,
theirs are riches, theirs are glories, and their righteous acts know no limit.
They indeed are Blessed with devoted children, attendants, and partners.

dharmyāṇi Devi Sakalāni sadaiva karmāṇy
atyādṛtaḥ pratidinaṁ sukṛtī karoti
svargaṁ prayāti ca tato Bhavatlī Prasādāl-
Lokatraye ’Pi phaladā nanu Devi Tena

4.16 One who is virtuous and ever mindful performs daily all righteous deeds, O Devī, and by Your Grace attains to heaven.
Are You not, then, The Giver of Rewards in all the three worlds?

Durge Smṛtā Harasi bhītim aśeṣajantoḥ
svasthaiḥ smṛtā matim atīva śubhāṁ Dadāsi
Dāridryaduḥkhabhayahāriṇi kā Tvad Anyā
Sarvopakārakaraṇāya Sadārdracittā

4.17 Remembered in distress, You Remove fear from every creature.
Remembered by the untroubled, You Confer even greater serenity of mind.
Dispeller of poverty, suffering, and fear, Who other than You Is Ever Intent on Benevolence toward all?

Ebhir Hatair jagad upaiti sukhaṁ tathaite
kurvantu nāma narakāya cirāya pāpam
Samgrāma Mṛtyum Adhigamya Divaṁ Prayāntu
Matveti nūnam Ahitān Vinihaṁsi Devi

4.18 The world attains happiness when You Slay its foes,
and though they may have committed enough evil to keep them long in torment, even as You Strike Down our enemies, O Devī, You Think, May They Reach Heaven Through Death In Battle With Me.

dṛṣṭvaiva kiṁ na Bhavatī Prakaroti bhasma
sarvāsurān ariṣu yat prahiṇoṣi śastram
lokān prayāntu ripavo ’pi hi Śastrapūtā
itthaṁ matir bhavati teṣv Api Te ’Tisādhvī

4.19 Why does Your Mere Glance not reduce all asuras to ashes?
Because when Assailed By Your Weapons and thus Purified,
even those adversaries may attain the higher worlds.

Khaḍgaprabhānikaravisphuraṇais tathograiḥ
Śūlāgrakāntinivahena Dṛśo ’surāṇām
yan Nāgatā vilayam Aṁśumad Indukhaṇḍa
Yogyānanam Tava Vilokayatāṁ tad Etat

4.20 If the intense light flashing frightfully from Your Sword
or the glaring brilliance of Your Spearpoint did not blind the asuras’ eyes,
it was because You Made Them Behold
the Moonlike Radiance Beaming From Your Face.

durvṛttavṛttaśamanaṁ Tava Devi Śīlaṁ
Rūpaṁ tathaitad Avicintyam Atulyam Anyaiḥ
Vīryaṁ ca hantṛ hṛtadevaparākramāṇāṁ
vairiṣv Api Prakṭitaiva Dayā Tvayettham

4.21 Even toward them Your Intentions Are Most Gracious.
O Devī, Your Nature Is to Subdue the misconduct of the wicked.
Others cannot equal Your Inconceivable Grace,
for even while Your Might Destroys those who have wrested power from the Gods, You Show Compassion toward those very foes.

kenopamā Bhavatu Te ’Sya Parākramasya
Rūpaṁ ca Śatrubhayakāry Atihāri kutra
Citte Kṛpā Samaraniṣṭhuratā ca dṛṣṭā
Tvayy Eva Devi Varade bhuvanatraye ’pi

4.22 To what may Your Prowess be compared?
Where else is there Beauty So Ravishing, yet Striking Fear into enemies?
Where in the three worlds are Compassion In Heart and Resolve In Battle seen as They Are In You, O Beneficent Devī?

trailokyam Etad Akhilaṁ Ripunāśanena
trātam Tvayā Samaramūrdhani Te ’Pi Hatvā
Nītā Divaṁ Ripugaṇā bhayam Apy Apāstam
asmākam unmada surāribhavam namaste

4.23 Destroying all foes, You Have Saved the three worlds.
Slaying Them at the battle-front,
You Led even those frenzied, hostile throngs to heaven,
even while Dispelling our fear of them. Salutations to You!

Śūlena Pāhi No Devi Pāhi Khaḍgena Cāmbike
Ghaṇṭāsvanena Naḥ Pāhi Cāpajyānissvanena Ca

4.24 Protect us with Your Spear, O Devī,
and Protect us with Your Sword, O Ambikā.
Protect us with the Clangor of Your Bell
and the Resonance of Your Bowstring.

Prācyāṁ Rakṣa Pratīcyāṁ Ca Caṇḍike Rakṣa Dakṣine
bhrāmaṇenātmaśūlasya Uttarasyāṁ Tatheśvari

4.25 Guard us in the east and in the west, O Caṇḍikā. Guard us in the south and also in the north, O Īśvarī, by Brandishing Your Spear.

Saumyāni Yāni Rūpāṇi Trailokye Vicaranti Te
Yāni cātyantaghorāṇi Tai Rakṣāsmāṁs tathā bhuvam

4.26 With Your Gentle Forms That Move Through the three worlds and With Your Surpassingly Terrible Ones, Protect us and also the earth.

KhaḍgaŚūlaGadādīni Yāni Cāstrāṇi Te ’Mbike
Karapallavasaṅgīni Tair asmān Rakṣa sarvataḥ

4.27 O Ambikā, with Sword, Spear, Mace, and whatever other Weapons Your Tender Hands Have Touched, Protect us on all sides.’”

ṛṣir uvāca
4. 28 The seer said:

evaṁ stutā surair Divyaiḥ Kusumair Nandanodbhavaiḥ
arcitā Jagatām Dhātrī tathā gandhānulepanaiḥ

4.29 “In that way the Gods praised Her Who Supports the worlds, honoring Her with flowers that bloom in Indra’s paradise and anointing Her with perfumes.

bhaktyā samastais Tridaśair Divyair Dhūpaiḥ sudhūpitā
prāha prasādasumukhī samastān praṇatān surān

4.24 Devotedly the assembled Gods offered heavenly incense to Her. Serene of countenance, She Spoke to all the Gods, who were bowed down in reverence.

Devy Uvāca
4.31 The Devī Said:

VRIYATĀM TRIDAŚĀḤ SARVE YAD ASMATTO ’BHIVĀÑCHITAM
DADĀMY AHAM ATIPRĪTYĀ STAVAIR EBHIḤ SUPŪJITĀ

4.32 ‘All You Gods, ask whatever You wish of Me. Well pleased with Your hymns, I Will Gladly Grant it.’

Devā ūcuḥ

4.33 The Gods said:

Bhagavatyā Kṛtaṁ Sarvaṁ na kiñcid avasiṣyate
yad ayaṁ nihataḥ śatrur asmākam mahiṣāsuraḥ

4.34 ‘Since You, The Glorious One, have Slain our enemy, this mahiṣāsura, all has been Accomplished; nothing remains to be done.

yadi cāpi Varo deyas Tvayā ’Smākaṁ Maheśvari
saṁsmṛtā saṁsmṛtā Tvaṁ no himsethāḥ Paramāpadaḥ

4.35 But if You Are to Grant a Blessing, O Great Sovereign, May You Destroy our direst misfortunes whenever we remember You.

yaś ca Martyaḥ stavair Ebhis Tvāṁ stoṣyaty amalānane
tasya vittarddhivibhavair dhanadārādisampadām

4.36 O You Of Spotless Countenance, May You Bring increased wealth, family, and success to whatever mortal shall praise You with these hymns.

Vṛddhaye ’Smat Prasannā Tvam Bhavethāḥ SarvadĀmbike

4.37 Through Your Power Of Abundance, O Ambikā, Be Ever Gracious unto us!”’

ṛṣir uvāca

4.38  The seer said:

iti prasāditā de vair jagato ’RTHE TATHĀTMANAḤ
tathety Uktvā [Maa] Bhadrakālī Babhuvāntarhitā nṛpa

4.39 “O king, thus propitiated by the Gods for the world’s sake and for their own, [Maa] Bhadrakālī Said, ‘So Let It Be,’ and Vanished from sight.

ity etat kathitaṁ bhūpa sambhūtā sā yathā purā
Devī Devaśarīrebhyo Jagattrayahitaiṣinī

4.40 So is it told, O king, How She Came Forth long ago from the bodies of the Gods, The Devī Who Desires the wellbeing of the three worlds.

punaś ca GaurīDehāt sā Samudbhūtā Yathābhavat
vadhāya duṣṭadaityānām tathā śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ

4.41 I shall relate further how, for the destruction of śumbha and niśumbha and other wicked daityas, She Appeared From The Body Of Gaurī,

Rakṣanāya ca lokānāṁ devānām Upakāriṇī
tac chṛṇuṣva mayākhyātaṁ yathāvat kathayāmi te

4.42 The Benefactor of the Gods, for the Protection of the three worlds. Hear me tell it. I shall relate it to you as it happened.”