Third Skandha · Chapter 5
Sourceब्रह्मोवाच इत्युक्त्वा विरते विष्णौ देवदेवे जनार्दने । उवाच शङ्करः शर्वः प्रणतः पुरतः स्थितः ॥ १ ॥ शिव उवाच यदि हरिस्तव देवि विभावज- स्तदनु पद्मज एव तवोद्भवः । किमहमत्र तवापि न सद्गुणः सकललोकविधौ चतुरा शिवे ॥ २ ॥ त्वमसि भूः सलिलं पवनस्तथा खमपि वह्निगुणश्च तथा पुनः । जननि तानि पुनः करणानि च त्वमसि बुद्धिमनोऽप्यथ हङ्कृतिः ॥ ३ ॥ न च विदन्ति वदन्ति च येऽन्यथा हरिहराजकृतं निखिलं जगत् । तव कृतास्त्रय एव सदैव ते विरचयन्ति जगत्सचराचरम् ॥ ४ ॥ अवनिवायुखवह्निजलादिभिः सविषयैः सगुणैश्च जगद्भवेत् । यदि तदा कथमद्य च तत्स्फुटं प्रभवतीति तवाम्ब कलामृते ॥ ५ ॥ भवसि सर्वमिदं सचराचरं त्वमजविष्णुशिवाकृतिकल्पितम् । विविधवेषविलासकुतूहलै- र्विरमसे रमसेऽम्ब यथारुचि ॥ ६ ॥ सकललोकसिसृक्षुरहं हरिः कमलभूश्च भवाम यदाऽम्बिके । तव पदाम्बुजपांसुपरिग्रहं समधिगम्य तदा ननु चक्रिम ॥ ७ ॥ यदि दयार्द्रमना न सदाम्बिके कथमहं विहितश्च तमोगुणः । कमलजश्च रजोगुणसंभवः सुविहितः किमु सत्त्वगुणो हरिः ॥ ८ ॥ यदि न ते विषमा मतिरम्बिके कथमिदं बहुधा विहितं जगत् । सचिवभूपतिभृत्यजनावृतं बहुधनैरधनैश्च समाकुलम् ॥ ९ ॥ तव गुणास्रय एव सदा क्षमाः प्रकटनावनसंहरणेषु वै । हरिहरद्रुहिणाश्च क्रमात्त्वया विरचितास्त्रिजगतां किल कारणम् ॥ १० ॥ परिचितानि मया हरिणा तथा कमलजेन विमानगतेन वै । पथिगतैर्भुवनानि कृतानि वा कथय केन भवानि नवानि च ॥ ११ ॥ सृजसि पासि जगज्जगदम्बिके स्वकलया कियदिच्छसि नाशितुम् । रमयसे स्वपतिं पुरुषं सदा तव गतिं न हि विद्म वयं शिवे ॥ १२ ॥ जननि देहि पदाम्बुजसेवनं युवतिभागवतानपि नः सदा । पुरुषतामधिगम्य पदाम्बुजा- द्विरहिताः क्व लभेम सुखं स्फुटम् ॥ १३ ॥ न रुचिरस्ति ममाम्ब पदाम्बुजं तव विहाय शिवे भुवनेष्वलम् । निवसितुं नरदेहमवाप्य च त्रिभुवनस्य पतित्वमवाप्य वै ॥ १४ ॥ सुदति नास्ति मनागपि मे रति- र्युवतिभावमवाप्य तवान्तिके । पुरुषता क्व सुखाय भवत्यलं तव पदं न यदीक्षणगोचरम् ॥ १५ ॥ त्रिभुवनेषु भवत्वियमम्बिके मम सदैव हि कीर्तिरनाविला । युवतिभावमवाप्य पदाम्बुजं परिचितं तव संसृतिनाशनम् ॥ १६ ॥ भुवि विहाय तवान्तिकसेवनं क इह वाञ्छति राज्यमकंटकम् । त्रुटिरसौ किल याति युगात्मतां न निकटं यदि तेऽङ्घ्रिसरोरुहम् ॥ १७ ॥ तपसि ये निरता मुनयोऽमला- स्तव विहाय पदाम्बुजपूजनम् । जननि ते विधिना किल वञ्चिताः परिभवो विभवे परिकल्पितः ॥ १८ ॥ न तपसा न दमेन समाधिना न च तथा विहितैः क्रतुभिर्यथा । तव पदाब्जपरागनिषेवणा- द्भवति मुक्तिरजे भवसागरात् ॥ १९ ॥ कुरु दयां दयसे यदि देवि मां कथय मन्त्रमनाविलमद्भुतम् । समभवं प्रजपन्सुखितो ह्यहं सुविशदं च नवार्णमनुत्तमम् ॥ २० ॥ प्रथमजन्मनि चाधिगतो मया तदधुना न विभाति नवाक्षरः । कथय मां मनुमद्य भवार्णवा- ज्जननि तारय तारय तारके ॥ २१ ॥ इत्युक्ता सा तदा देवी शिवेनाद्भुततेजसा । उच्चचाराम्बिका मन्त्रं प्रस्फुटं च नवाक्षरम् ॥ २२ ॥ तं गृहीत्वा महादेवः परां मुदमवाप ह । प्रणम्य चरणौ देव्यास्तत्रैवावस्थितः शिवः ॥ २३ ॥ जपन्नवाक्षरं मन्त्रं कामदं मोक्षदं तथा । बीजयुक्तं शुभोच्चारं शङ्करस्तस्थिवांस्तदा ॥ २४ ॥ तं तथाऽवस्थितं दृष्ट्वा शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम् । अवोचं तां महामायां संस्थितोऽहं पदान्तिके ॥ २५ ॥ न वेदास्त्वामेवं कलयितुमिहासन्नपटवो यतस्ते नोचुस्त्वां सकलजनधात्रीमविकलाम् । स्वधाभूता देवी सकलमखहोमेषु विहिता तदा त्वं सर्वज्ञा जननि खलु जाता त्रिभुवने ॥ २६ ॥ कर्ताऽहं प्रकरोमि सर्वमखिलं ब्रह्माण्डमत्यद्भुतं कोऽन्योस्तीह चराचरे त्रिभुवने मत्तः समर्थः पुमान् । धन्योऽस्म्यत्र न संशयः किल यदा ब्रह्माऽस्मि लोकातिगो मग्नोऽहं भवसागरे प्रवितते गर्वाभिवेशादिति ॥ २७ ॥ अद्याहं तव पादपङ्कजपरागादानगर्वेण वै धन्योऽस्मीति यथार्थवादनिपुणो जातः प्रसादाच्च ते । याचे त्वां भवभीतिनाशचतुरां मुक्तिप्रदां चेश्वरीं हित्वा मोहकृतं महार्तिनिगडं त्वद्भक्तियुक्तं कुरु ॥ २८ ॥ अतोऽहञ्च जातो विमुक्तः कथं स्यां सरोजादमेयात्त्वदाविष्कृताद्वै । तवाज्ञाकरः किङ्करोऽस्मीति नूनं शिवे पाहि मां मोहमग्नं भवाब्धौ ॥ २९ ॥ न जानन्ति ये मानवास्ते वदन्ति प्रभुं मां तवाद्यं चरित्रं पवित्रम् । यजन्तीह ये याजकाः स्वर्गकामा न ते ते प्रभावं विदन्त्येव कामम् ॥ ३० ॥ त्वया निर्मितोऽहं विधित्वे विहारं विकर्तुं चतुर्धा विधायादिसर्गम् । अहं वेद्मि कोऽन्यो विवेदातिमाये क्षमस्वापराधं त्वहङ्कारजं मे ॥ ३१ ॥ श्रमं येऽष्टधा योगमार्गे प्रवृत्ताः प्रकुर्वन्ति मूढाः समाधौ स्थिता वै । न जानन्ति ते नाम मोक्षप्रदं वा समुच्चारितं जातु मातर्मिषेण ॥ ३२ ॥ विचारे परे तत्त्वसंख्याविधाने पदे मोहिता नाम ते संविहाय । न किं ते विमूढा भवाब्धौ भवानि त्वमेवासि संसारमुक्तिप्रदा वै ॥ ३३ ॥ परं तत्त्वविज्ञानमाद्यैर्जनैर्यै- रजे चानुभूतं त्यजन्त्येव ते किम् । निमेषार्धमात्रं पवित्रं चरित्रं शिवा चाम्बिका शक्तिरीशेति नाम ॥ ३४ ॥ न किं त्वं समर्थाऽसि विश्वं विधातुं दृशैवाशु सर्वं चतुर्धा विभक्तम् । विनोदार्थमेवं विधिं मां विधाया- दिसर्गे किलेदं करोषीति कामम् ॥ ३५ ॥ हरिः पालकः किं त्वयाऽसौ मधोर्वा तथा कैटभाद्रक्षितः सिन्धुमध्ये । हरः संहृतः किं त्वयाऽसौ न काले कथं मे भ्रुवोर्मध्यदेशात्स जातः ॥ ३६ ॥ न ते जन्म कुत्रापि दृष्टं श्रुतं वा कुतः सम्भवस्ते न कोऽपीह वेद । किलाद्यासि शक्तिस्त्वमेका भवानि स्वतन्त्रैः समस्तैरतो बोधिताऽसि ॥ ३७ ॥ त्वया संयुतोऽहं विकर्तुं समर्थो हरिस्त्रातुमम्ब त्वया संयुतश्च । हरः सम्प्रहर्तुं त्वयैवेह युक्तः क्षमा नाद्य सर्वे त्वया विप्रयुक्ताः ॥ ३८ ॥ यथाऽहं हरिः शङ्करः किं तथाऽन्ये न जाता न सन्तीह नो वाऽभविष्यन् । न मुह्यन्ति केऽस्मिंस्तवात्यन्तचित्रे विनोदे विवादास्पदेऽल्पाशयानाम् ॥ ३९ ॥ अकर्ता गुणस्पष्ट एवाद्य देवो निरीहोऽनुपाधिः सदैवाकलश्च । तथापीश्वरस्ते वितीर्णं विनोदं सुसम्पश्यतीत्याहुरेवं विधिज्ञाः ॥ ४० ॥ दृष्टादृष्टविभेदेऽस्मिन्प्राक्त्वत्तो वै पुमान्परः । नान्यः कोऽपि तृतीयोऽस्ति प्रमेये सुविचारिते ॥ ४१ ॥ न मिथ्या वेदवाक्यं वै कल्पनीयं कदाचन । विरोधोऽयं मयाऽत्यन्तं हृदये तु विशङ्कितः ॥ ४२ ॥ एकमेवाद्वितीयं यद्ब्रह्म वेदा वदन्ति वै । सा किं त्वं वाप्यसौ वा किं सन्देहं विनिवर्तय ॥ ४३ ॥ निःसंशयं न मे चेतः प्रभवत्यविशङ्कितम् । द्वित्वैकत्वविचारेऽस्मिन्निमग्नं क्षुल्लकं मनः ॥ ४४ ॥ स्वमुखेनापि सन्देहं छेत्तुमर्हसि मामकम् । पुण्यभोगाच्च मे प्राप्ता सङ्गतिस्तव पादयोः ॥ ४५ ॥ पुमानसि त्वं स्त्री वासि वद विस्तरतो मम । ज्ञात्वाऽहं परमां शक्तिं मुक्तः स्यां भवसागरात् ॥ ४६ ॥
brahmovāca ityuktvā virate viṣṇau devadeve janārdane | uvāca śaṅkaraḥ śarvaḥ praṇataḥ purataḥ sthitaḥ || 1 || śiva uvāca yadi haristava devi vibhāvaja- stadanu padmaja eva tavodbhavaḥ | kimahamatra tavāpi na sadguṇaḥ sakalalokavidhau caturā śive || 2 || tvamasi bhūḥ salilaṃ pavanastathā khamapi vahniguṇaśca tathā punaḥ | janani tāni punaḥ karaṇāni ca tvamasi buddhimano'pyatha haṅkṛtiḥ || 3 || na ca vidanti vadanti ca ye'nyathā hariharājakṛtaṃ nikhilaṃ jagat | tava kṛtāstraya eva sadaiva te viracayanti jagatsacarācaram || 4 || avanivāyukhavahnijalādibhiḥ saviṣayaiḥ saguṇaiśca jagadbhavet | yadi tadā kathamadya ca tatsphuṭaṃ prabhavatīti tavāmba kalāmṛte || 5 || bhavasi sarvamidaṃ sacarācaraṃ tvamajaviṣṇuśivākṛtikalpitam | vividhaveṣavilāsakutūhalai- rviramase ramase'mba yathāruci || 6 || sakalalokasisṛkṣurahaṃ hariḥ kamalabhūśca bhavāma yadā'mbike | tava padāmbujapāṃsuparigrahaṃ samadhigamya tadā nanu cakrima || 7 || yadi dayārdramanā na sadāmbike kathamahaṃ vihitaśca tamoguṇaḥ | kamalajaśca rajoguṇasaṃbhavaḥ suvihitaḥ kimu sattvaguṇo hariḥ || 8 || yadi na te viṣamā matirambike kathamidaṃ bahudhā vihitaṃ jagat | sacivabhūpatibhṛtyajanāvṛtaṃ bahudhanairadhanaiśca samākulam || 9 || tava guṇāsraya eva sadā kṣamāḥ prakaṭanāvanasaṃharaṇeṣu vai | hariharadruhiṇāśca kramāttvayā viracitāstrijagatāṃ kila kāraṇam || 10 || paricitāni mayā hariṇā tathā kamalajena vimānagatena vai | pathigatairbhuvanāni kṛtāni vā kathaya kena bhavāni navāni ca || 11 || sṛjasi pāsi jagajjagadambike svakalayā kiyadicchasi nāśitum | ramayase svapatiṃ puruṣaṃ sadā tava gatiṃ na hi vidma vayaṃ śive || 12 || janani dehi padāmbujasevanaṃ yuvatibhāgavatānapi naḥ sadā | puruṣatāmadhigamya padāmbujā- dvirahitāḥ kva labhema sukhaṃ sphuṭam || 13 || na rucirasti mamāmba padāmbujaṃ tava vihāya śive bhuvaneṣvalam | nivasituṃ naradehamavāpya ca tribhuvanasya patitvamavāpya vai || 14 || sudati nāsti manāgapi me rati- ryuvatibhāvamavāpya tavāntike | puruṣatā kva sukhāya bhavatyalaṃ tava padaṃ na yadīkṣaṇagocaram || 15 || tribhuvaneṣu bhavatviyamambike mama sadaiva hi kīrtiranāvilā | yuvatibhāvamavāpya padāmbujaṃ paricitaṃ tava saṃsṛtināśanam || 16 || bhuvi vihāya tavāntikasevanaṃ ka iha vāñchati rājyamakaṃṭakam | truṭirasau kila yāti yugātmatāṃ na nikaṭaṃ yadi te'ṅghrisaroruham || 17 || tapasi ye niratā munayo'malā- stava vihāya padāmbujapūjanam | janani te vidhinā kila vañcitāḥ paribhavo vibhave parikalpitaḥ || 18 || na tapasā na damena samādhinā na ca tathā vihitaiḥ kratubhiryathā | tava padābjaparāganiṣevaṇā- dbhavati muktiraje bhavasāgarāt || 19 || kuru dayāṃ dayase yadi devi māṃ kathaya mantramanāvilamadbhutam | samabhavaṃ prajapansukhito hyahaṃ suviśadaṃ ca navārṇamanuttamam || 20 || prathamajanmani cādhigato mayā tadadhunā na vibhāti navākṣaraḥ | kathaya māṃ manumadya bhavārṇavā- jjanani tāraya tāraya tārake || 21 || ityuktā sā tadā devī śivenādbhutatejasā | uccacārāmbikā mantraṃ prasphuṭaṃ ca navākṣaram || 22 || taṃ gṛhītvā mahādevaḥ parāṃ mudamavāpa ha | praṇamya caraṇau devyāstatraivāvasthitaḥ śivaḥ || 23 || japannavākṣaraṃ mantraṃ kāmadaṃ mokṣadaṃ tathā | bījayuktaṃ śubhoccāraṃ śaṅkarastasthivāṃstadā || 24 || taṃ tathā'vasthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā śaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaram | avocaṃ tāṃ mahāmāyāṃ saṃsthito'haṃ padāntike || 25 || na vedāstvāmevaṃ kalayitumihāsannapaṭavo yataste nocustvāṃ sakalajanadhātrīmavikalām | svadhābhūtā devī sakalamakhahomeṣu vihitā tadā tvaṃ sarvajñā janani khalu jātā tribhuvane || 26 || kartā'haṃ prakaromi sarvamakhilaṃ brahmāṇḍamatyadbhutaṃ ko'nyostīha carācare tribhuvane mattaḥ samarthaḥ pumān | dhanyo'smyatra na saṃśayaḥ kila yadā brahmā'smi lokātigo magno'haṃ bhavasāgare pravitate garvābhiveśāditi || 27 || adyāhaṃ tava pādapaṅkajaparāgādānagarveṇa vai dhanyo'smīti yathārthavādanipuṇo jātaḥ prasādācca te | yāce tvāṃ bhavabhītināśacaturāṃ muktipradāṃ ceśvarīṃ hitvā mohakṛtaṃ mahārtinigaḍaṃ tvadbhaktiyuktaṃ kuru || 28 || ato'hañca jāto vimuktaḥ kathaṃ syāṃ sarojādameyāttvadāviṣkṛtādvai | tavājñākaraḥ kiṅkaro'smīti nūnaṃ śive pāhi māṃ mohamagnaṃ bhavābdhau || 29 || na jānanti ye mānavāste vadanti prabhuṃ māṃ tavādyaṃ caritraṃ pavitram | yajantīha ye yājakāḥ svargakāmā na te te prabhāvaṃ vidantyeva kāmam || 30 || tvayā nirmito'haṃ vidhitve vihāraṃ vikartuṃ caturdhā vidhāyādisargam | ahaṃ vedmi ko'nyo vivedātimāye kṣamasvāparādhaṃ tvahaṅkārajaṃ me || 31 || śramaṃ ye'ṣṭadhā yogamārge pravṛttāḥ prakurvanti mūḍhāḥ samādhau sthitā vai | na jānanti te nāma mokṣapradaṃ vā samuccāritaṃ jātu mātarmiṣeṇa || 32 || vicāre pare tattvasaṃkhyāvidhāne pade mohitā nāma te saṃvihāya | na kiṃ te vimūḍhā bhavābdhau bhavāni tvamevāsi saṃsāramuktipradā vai || 33 || paraṃ tattvavijñānamādyairjanairyai- raje cānubhūtaṃ tyajantyeva te kim | nimeṣārdhamātraṃ pavitraṃ caritraṃ śivā cāmbikā śaktirīśeti nāma || 34 || na kiṃ tvaṃ samarthā'si viśvaṃ vidhātuṃ dṛśaivāśu sarvaṃ caturdhā vibhaktam | vinodārthamevaṃ vidhiṃ māṃ vidhāyā- disarge kiledaṃ karoṣīti kāmam || 35 || hariḥ pālakaḥ kiṃ tvayā'sau madhorvā tathā kaiṭabhādrakṣitaḥ sindhumadhye | haraḥ saṃhṛtaḥ kiṃ tvayā'sau na kāle kathaṃ me bhruvormadhyadeśātsa jātaḥ || 36 || na te janma kutrāpi dṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ vā kutaḥ sambhavaste na ko'pīha veda | kilādyāsi śaktistvamekā bhavāni svatantraiḥ samastairato bodhitā'si || 37 || tvayā saṃyuto'haṃ vikartuṃ samartho haristrātumamba tvayā saṃyutaśca | haraḥ samprahartuṃ tvayaiveha yuktaḥ kṣamā nādya sarve tvayā viprayuktāḥ || 38 || yathā'haṃ hariḥ śaṅkaraḥ kiṃ tathā'nye na jātā na santīha no vā'bhaviṣyan | na muhyanti ke'smiṃstavātyantacitre vinode vivādāspade'lpāśayānām || 39 || akartā guṇaspaṣṭa evādya devo nirīho'nupādhiḥ sadaivākalaśca | tathāpīśvaraste vitīrṇaṃ vinodaṃ susampaśyatītyāhurevaṃ vidhijñāḥ || 40 || dṛṣṭādṛṣṭavibhede'sminprāktvatto vai pumānparaḥ | nānyaḥ ko'pi tṛtīyo'sti prameye suvicārite || 41 || na mithyā vedavākyaṃ vai kalpanīyaṃ kadācana | virodho'yaṃ mayā'tyantaṃ hṛdaye tu viśaṅkitaḥ || 42 || ekamevādvitīyaṃ yadbrahma vedā vadanti vai | sā kiṃ tvaṃ vāpyasau vā kiṃ sandehaṃ vinivartaya || 43 || niḥsaṃśayaṃ na me cetaḥ prabhavatyaviśaṅkitam | dvitvaikatvavicāre'sminnimagnaṃ kṣullakaṃ manaḥ || 44 || svamukhenāpi sandehaṃ chettumarhasi māmakam | puṇyabhogācca me prāptā saṅgatistava pādayoḥ || 45 || pumānasi tvaṃ strī vāsi vada vistarato mama | jñātvā'haṃ paramāṃ śaktiṃ muktaḥ syāṃ bhavasāgarāt || 46 ||
English translation
1. Brahma said O Narada! Thus speaking, Visnu stopped; Sankara, the Destroyer, then stepped in and, bowing down to the Devi said
2. S’iva said O Devi! If Hari be born by Thy power and the lotus- born Brahma have come into existence from Thee, why, then, I who of Tamo Guna be not born of Thee! O Auspicious One! Thou art clever in creating all the Lokas! What wonder is there in My being created by Thee.
3. O Mother! Thou art the earth, water, air, akasa and fire. Thou art, again, the organs of senses and the organs of perception; Thou art Buddhi, mind and Ahankara (egoism).
4. Those who say that Hari, Hara, and Brahma are respectively the Preserver, the Destroyer and the Creator of this whole Universe do know anything. All the three, above mentioned, are created by Thee; then they perform always their respective functions; their sole refuge being Thyself.
5. O Mother! If the Universe be created of the five elements, earth, air, ether, fire, and water, having the properties of touch, taste, etc., then how these five elements possessing attributes and of the nature of effects, can come into manifestation, without their being born from Thy Chit portion (Intelligence)?
6. O Auspicious Mother! It is Thou in the shape of Brahma, Visnu and S’iva, That art creating this Universe and it is Thou that hast assumed the form of this whole Universe, moving and non-moving. Thus Thou playest, as it wills Thee, under various forms, again and again. Thou dost cease from play (during pralaya) as it likes Thee.
7. O Mother! When Brahma, Visnu and I become desirous to create the world, we execute our duties by taking the dust (earth, etc.) of Thy lotus feet.
8. O Mother! It it were not Thy mercy, then how Brahma could have become endowed with Rajoguna, Visnu with Sattvaguna and I with Tamoguna?
9. O Mother! If there were no differences observed in Thy mind, then why hast Thou created in this world rich and poor, king and councillors, servants, etc., various classes of beings? Why hast Thou not created all alike happy or all alike miserable?
10. So Thou wilt have to show Thy mercy towards me. Thy three gunas are capable at all times to create, preserve and destroy the world; then Hah, Hara and Brahma, whom Thou hast created as the cause of the three worlds, is simply Thy will.
11-12. O Bhavani! If Thy Gunas had no power in the acts of creation, etc., then how can the fact that while we three Hah, Brahma and I were coming in the aeroplane, we saw on our way new worlds created by Thee, become possible? Kindly dost Thou say on this. O World-Mother! It is Thou that desirest to create, preserve, and destroy this world by Thy part Mayik power. Thou art always enjoying
with Purusa, Thy husband. O S’iva! We cannot fathom Thy inscrutable ways.
13-15. O auspicious one! How can we understand Thy sport? O Mother! We are transformed into young women before Thee; let us serve Thy lotus feet. If we get our manhood, we will be deprived from serving Thy feet and thus of the greatest happiness. O Mother! O Sire! I do not like to leave Thy lotus feet and get my man-body again and reign in the three worlds. O Beautiful faced one! Now that I have got this youthful feminine form before Thee, there is not a trace of desire within me to get again my masculine form. What use is there in getting manhood, what happiness is there if I do not get sight of Thy lotus-feet!
16-18. O Mother! Let this unsullied fame of mine be spread over in the three worlds that I have got, in this young womanly form, the chance of serving Thy lotus feet that has got this effect that the idea of world goes away. Who is there that will leave Thy service and desire to enjoy the foeless kingdom in the world? Oh! even a moment appears a Yuga to him who has not got Thy lotus feet with him! O Mother! Those that leave the worship of Thy lotus feet and become engaged in performing tapasya are certainly deprived of the best thing by the Creator, though their minds be pure and holy. Their power from their Tapasya may be acquired and they be entitled for Mukti; yet they get dire defeat from not having Thee.
19. O Unborn One! Austerities, control of passions, enlightenment or performance of sacrifices, as ordained in the Vedas, nothing can save, from this ocean of Samsara. It is the devotional worship only of Thy lotus feet that can make one attain the Beatitude. O Devi! If Thou be extremely merciful towards me, then initiate me in that
wonderful holy mantra of Thine; I will repeat that omnipotent par- excellent nine-lettered mantra of the Chandika Devi and be happy.
20-26. O Mother! In my former birth I got the nine-lettered mantra but now I have forgotten it O Tarini! O Saviour! Give me today that mantra and save me from this ocean of world. Brahma said When S’iva of wonderful fire and energy, said this, the Devi Ambika clearly uttered the nine lettered mantra. Mahadeva accepted the mantra and became very glad. He fell down at the feet of the Devi, and then and there began to repeat the nine-lettered mantra together with Vija (seed) that yields desires and liberation and can be easily pronounced. When I saw S'ankara, the Auspicious One to all the Lokas, in that state, I fell down also at the feet of the Devi and spoke to Maha Maya O Mother! It is not that the Vedas are unable to ascertain Thy nature; for, in the performances of sacrifices and other minor actions, they do not mention Thy full Nature, the Ordainer of all but mention simply Indra and minor deities and Svaha Devi, a portion of Thy essence as the presiding deities of the sacrificial offerings and oblations. So, O Devi! It is Thou that hast been extolled in this Universe as the Universal Consciousness, all knowing and transcending all the Devas and all the Lokas.
Note:-- The nine lettered mantra is “Om Hrim S'rim Chandikayai namah.”
27. I have created this greatly wondrous Universe; I am the Lord of this Brahmanda. Who is there more powerful than me in these three worlds? When I am Brahma, transcending all the Lokas, then I am blessed; there is no doubt in this. By reason of this vanity I am plunged in this widely extended ocean of Samsara.
28-31. That now I have been able to get the dust of Thy lotus feet, has now made me really proud; and truly I am blessed today and by Thy grace this manifestation of pride on my part has become quite justified. Thou destroyest the fear of this Samsara and givest Mukti. So, O Goddess! pray unto Thee that Thou dost cut asunder this iron chain of my delusion, full of great troubles and make me devoted to Thee. O Auspicious One! I am born from the lotus discovered by Thee; now I am extremely anxious how I can get Mukti. I am Thy obedient servant; I am merged in the delusion of this ocean of world. Save me O S’iva! from this Samsara. Those who do not know Thy character, think that I am the Creator and Lord of this Universe; those, who do not worship Thee and worship Indra and other Devas and perform sacrifices to attain Heaven are certainly ignorant of Thy glory. O Prime Maya! Thou art the Eternal Maha Maya! It is Thou that dost want to play this worldplay, and for that purpose hast created me as Brahma. Then I created these four sorts of beings, engendered by heat and moisture (said of insects and worms), those that are oviparous, those that are sprung from germs or shoots, and those that are born from womb, viviparous and exhibit my pride “That I am omniscient” So forgive this sin of mine, this my pride.
32-37. O Mother! Those ignorant persons blinded by passion, who take recourse to the eight-fold Yoga and Samadhi and labour under it, do not know for certain, they would get Moksa, if they utter Thy name, even under a pretext. O Bhavani! are they not deluded by error and blinded by passion for this world, who discriminate only the Tattvas (essences) and forget Thy name? For it is Thou that dost give Mukti from this world. O Thou Unborn! Can Hah, Hara, etc., and other ancient persons who have realised the highest Truth, forget, even for a second Thy holy character and Thy names S’iva, Ambika, S'akti, Isvari and others? Canst Thou not create, by Thy glance merely, this fourfold creation? In fact, for mere recreation and will, it is Thou that hast made me as a Creator from the earliest times. Is it not that Thou didst save Hah in the ocean from the two Daityas
Madhu and Kaitabha? Is it not again the fact that Thou destroyest Hara even who is the great destroyer, when Thou dissolvest the creation? Otherwise why is it that Hara becomes born from my eye¬ brows at the time of fresh creation? So Hah is not the Preserver of all. Hara is not the Destroyer of all. Had they been such, why would they be preserved and destroyed respectively by Thee? So Thou alone art the Creatrix and Preservatrix of all. O Bhavani; no one has heard of or seen Thee taking birth; nobody knows whence Thou art born. Thou art, indeed, the One and only S'akti! Only the four Vedas can make one understand Thy Nature. O Mother! It is only by Thy help that I am able to create this creation; Hari, to preserve; and Hara, to destroy.
Without Thy aid, we are able to do nothing. There is nobody, in this world, born or that was born or that will be born, who does not become doubtful as we are. This Thine wondrously variegated Universe, full of Thy Lila, consisting in variety, is the common ground of dispute of the imperfect intellects; who are not deluded here! In this Samsara, full of things, visible and invisible, there is another one who is more ancient than Thee; there is another Highest Person who is Thy substratum. If it be argued nicely, it will be seen that there is no other third Person that can be proved as far as evidences or proofs go to measure it. The wise persons, knowing all the laws, declare that there is the One God attributeless, inactive, without any object in view, without any upadhis or adjunct without any parts, who is the witness of Thy widely extended Leela “One alone exists; and that is Brahman, and there is nothing else.” This is the saying of the Vedas. Now I feel in my mind a doubt as to the discrepancy with this Veda saying. I cannot say that the Veda is false. So I ask Thee Art Thou the Brahman, the one and the secondless that is mentioned in the Vedas? or Is the other Person Brahma? Kindly solve this doubt of mine. My mind is not completely free from doubts; this little mind is still discussing whether the Reality is dual or one; I cannot solve myself. So dost Thou say from Thy mouth and cut my doubts asunder. Whether Thou art male or female, describe in detail to me.
So that, knowing the Highest S'akti, I be freed from this ocean Samsara.
Thus ends the fifth chapter of the Third Skandha on the chanting of hymns by Hara and Brahma in the Maha Puranam S'rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24731, revision 75584 (2016-08-03T11:32:26Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk03ch05.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.