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Translation of Devishataka (Devīśataka)

Language
English
Extent
76 passages, 9,791 words
Text
partly digitised
Source
pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-10) of in.lit.kavya.stotra.devisataka · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

Contents

Text

5_1

(A group of verses [*kulaka*])
May the dust of the feet of that Mother of intellects serve for your perfection: the particles of dust from the feet of the Mother of intellects, that is, of intuitive wisdom, whose nature is about to be described, may they bring about your, that is to say, your, perfection, the attainment of focused composure.
"Whom Vedhas knows not": which Devī even the Creator does not know. If the creator does not know her, who else, poor wretch, will know? "He cannot comprehend the Dhātṛ": that is, even the Dhātṛ, Prajāpati, cannot comprehend [her]. What kind [of goddess]? "Who fills the universe with infinite majesty": Ananta is the blessed Viṣṇu; his majesty is his greatness; she by whom the universe, the three worlds, is pervaded, filled, by that [greatness]. For according to sacred tradition, the Blessed Lady fills the world through the majesty of Hari. Or else: she by whom the universe is filled with infinite, manifold, immeasurable glories. "And who, like a mother": like a progenitor, "shows compassion": nurtures tenderness, "to a human who bows": to a person who is humble, a devotee. This expresses that although her nature is difficult to know, she is easily attained through devotion by her devotees. She whom even Vedhas does not know is easily attained through devotion; thus there is fruitfulness in the effort of the hymn of praise. (1)

Another [qualification]: Her "solar body," that is, her solar form, is not not equal [to her], meaning it is indeed identical. *Tāpanī* means of the sun (*tapana*). Of what kind of Devī? "By whom the afflictions of those who bow are removed": by whom the afflictions, passion and the rest, of those who bow, the devotees, are removed, destroyed—of such a one. And of what kind is the solar body? "Tormenting the host of enemies of the gods": destroying the enemies of the gods; it has the nature of tormenting the enemies of the gods. The Devī also is just like this, hence their similarity. Likewise, "bringing about a state devoid of wretchedness": it causes one to obtain, brings about, non-meanness, that is, strength and dignity; it is a bestower of elevation. Thus it is common to both. (2)

5_2

Through whom, in the form of speech, the lotus-faces of Vidhi, of Brahmā, shine, look beautiful. What kind of [lotus-faces]? With the bees of the Ṛgveda (*ṛgālayaḥ*): the Ṛc verses themselves are the bees (*alayaḥ*); accompanied by the threefold division of the Veda. And which Devī is "compassion incarnate": consisting of compassion, this is the meaning. Likewise, which Devī "brings about the arising of maintenance, creation, and dissolution": he by whom maintenance, creation, and dissolution—protection, origination, and destruction—are produced, effected, is the blessed Viṣṇu, who brings about maintenance, creation, and dissolution; she whose arising is from him. The purport is that the Devī is the very potency of the Lord. Or else: she by whom the arising, the manifestation, of maintenance, creation, and dissolution is produced. (3)

5_3

Moreover: she who is resorted to, worshipped, by purity—that is, she is pure; and likewise, the Goddess who cuts through torment, torment being the ripening of wicked actions performed previously; and further, she who is to be petitioned by an unblemished intellect, [an intellect] of insight, for the cessation, the removal, of the toil that is the extension of māyā, the cosmic manifestation of ignorance; and who is praised by Śrī, by Lakṣmī. // 4

5_4

Likewise: through devotion to praising that Goddess, through eagerness to take refuge in her, darknesses such as delusion and ignorance attain destruction, dissolution; may the foot-dust belonging to that mother of intellects, the progenitress of thoughts, serve to bring about your perfection! // 5

6_5

May that Goddess protect you! Consisting of the threefold Veda, having the nature of Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāman, she brought to ruin, destroyed, the darknesses, the ignorances, of the seers, the sages. For when the threefold Veda has arisen, the darknesses of the seers are destroyed. Likewise, bearing, carrying, mercy, compassion. Of what sort of mercy? Destroying mental distress, ruining mental anguish, across the world, throughout the universe. // 6

7_6

May that Pārvatī, the daughter of the Himavat, be pleased, gracious towards you! She who was petitioned, besought, by the Foe of Smara, the enemy of Kāma; through which Goddess, acting as the cause, this directly perceptible activity of Vidhi, of Prajāpati, characterized as creation, was accomplished; and whom even Acyuta praised—meaning she was praised by Hari, Hara, Hiraṇyagarbha, and others. // 7

10_7

(A group of three verses)
May that Āryā, the venerable Goddess, purify you! She who is easily propitiated, won over, through the sacrifice of self-restraint and protection—restraint being a tranquil state of mind, protection being preservation, and that very thing being the sacrifice, the offering; by whom, abounding in prudence, long-extended, energetic [demons] were vanquished, overcome, to the deceitful mockery, the pretext for derision, of Hari, of Indra. The meaning is: those who, under the sway of arrogance, even attacked Śakra to mock him were also overcome by her. // 8

10_8

She whose māyā has vanished in the extended, far-reaching battle, conflict—meaning free of deceptive display, engaged in open warfare—or else displaying various illusions and cosmic displays; and ah, alas, by whom among the gods and others here in this world is that unblemished, splendid, innate compassion, mercy of this Goddess not to be sung, not to be chanted? The meaning is: she is worthy of praise by all. The words 'hā' and 'bata' here both express wonder, as in 'Ah, alas, your prowess is to be envied!' And what is that mercy? It is a stream of elixir, an outflow of nectar, because of its delight-giving nature. // 9

10_9

Moreover: she is the intellect, the mind of the good, of the virtuous. Of what kind of intellect? Of supreme light, excellent brilliance. For the eye of insight perceives even the light of the sun, moon, and fire, whereas the physical eye does not; thus, the intellect that has the nature of light free from rajas and tamas is said to be the Goddess’s very nature. And likewise, through devotion to her, through serving her, this world, these people, having darkness rooted out, having delusion destroyed, or even though having darkness risen up, attain purity, the state of having impurities removed. In this way, with the stanza produced by reading backward, this forms a triad of verses. // 10

13_10

(This too is a triad of verses)
May that Ambikā, the Mother, protect you! She who, accompanied by the gods—or, even while bestowing conciliation—fought, waged war, with the enemy for the protection of the virtuous, for the preservation of good people. Of what sort is the Goddess? Radiant, gleaming with a sword. With what sort [of sword]? With one that removes the battle-fatigue, the sorrow arising from battle, of the gods, the immortals—that is, possessing the nature of destroying the anguish of combat. // 11

13_11

Likewise, the Goddess who shone, gleamed, through victories born of prudence, through the triumphs of good conduct. Of what sort? Having slain the buffalo-demon by the fall of her foot, having killed the demon Mahiṣa by the strike of her foot, on the courtyard of battle, the field of conflict. Furthermore, revered by people free of passion: by the negation of rajas, tamas is negated even more distantly; hence it means: bowed to by sattvic persons, as in 'those devoid of rajas reach the supreme abode.' // 12

16_12

(Samudgaka pattern)
(This also forms a viśeṣaka)
May that Devī protect you, guard [you], by whose enemy—beseeching, asking for continuous combat—death was met, destruction obtained; and which Devī joins, binds with honor and worship, a bowed, humbled person, one practicing restraint and discipline. || 14

16_13

Which Devī is the unexcelled abode of bliss through self-control: through self-control, the conquering of the senses, an unexcelled, supreme abode of bliss, a place of joy. For through wisdom comes the attainment of the bliss of tranquility. Moreover: bestowing honor to the face. She gives, grants honor—in the form of praise—to the face, the mouth. By speaking words free from corruption, the mouth becomes honored. And thus, through the two words, the nature of light and the nature of speech belonging to the Devī as taught in the āgama is revealed. Likewise, honored by men whose perpetual wealth is generosity, respect, and forbearance. Generosity is the offering of wealth to a worthy recipient; respect is knowledge; forbearance is the destruction of anger. Honored, worshiped by those men, human beings, whose wealth, riches, perpetually and imperishably consist of these. The meaning is: just as the Devī is honored by generosity and the rest, she is not [so] by flowers and the like. This is the murajabandha pattern. || 15

16_14

May that boundless, limitless speech, unhindered and unobstructed, protect [you]. Repeatedly, again and again, [protecting] from the destruction of excellence. Producing delight: she who produces passion or cuts it off, she is the maker of delight. May she protect a desired or neutral thing. Of what kind of you? Of you whose enemy is boundless. Moreover, preeminent in dignity: distinguished, superior through dignity and honor. The meaning is: teacher of all. This is the samudgaka pattern. || 16

18_15

(Saṃdānitaka pattern)
May that Gaurī take away, remove your actions, deeds whose disasters, obstacles, have approached, arrived immediately, leaving no interval; which, even when uncompleted, have destruction arising. The meaning is: may she destroy evil actions. Those men who have not resorted to the Devī, who have not taken refuge, become, turn out to be those whose masses of delusion are not driven away, whose collections of ignorance are unmoved, whose darkness is undestroyed. Just as by Gaurī the unexcelled mind of Hara, the thought of Mahādeva, preeminent in wisdom, was delighted, won over for a long, extended time. Likewise, the Devī who delivers from the perils of existence, from the suffering of the transmigratory cycle; or, existence itself is the peril, of Bhava. From what kind of peril of existence? From that whose burning pain of passion, the torment of love's affliction, is endless, boundless—the rescuer, deliverer from it. In the compound 'peril of existence' (bhavāpadaḥ), the genitive case denotes the object in conjunction with a primary noun. Alternatively, it is a qualifier of the Devī: she who exhausts, casts away the endless burning pains produced by passion. || 17–18

23_16

(A kulaka consisting of five verses)
May that Gaurī, the daughter of the mountain, always, continually protect, guard you. Conquering the toil of Yama: she overcomes, subdues the toil, the torment wrought by the Finisher for the host of bowed people. Who, being the compassionate mother, always, at all times, destroys the clinging mass of grief of her devotees themselves: she fells, completely extinguishes those sluggish states born of grief, arisen from distress, which cling and adhere. And the protectress, guardian of the host, the multitude of devoted people. Gomūtrikā pattern. || 19

23_17

Likewise, whose hosts—the individual attendants belonging to her—having abandoned, given up effortless, untroublesome affection for conciliation, fondness for peaceful means, became accompanied by the gods, proud, eager to go, to enter into battle, combat with the enemies of the gods, with the daityas. || 20

23_18

And by whom, unborn, joyful, with delighted mind, when the enemy, the adversary, was struck down, slain by sharp weapons, acute arms, that hope of victory arising from conciliation—desire for conquest produced by peaceful alliance—was relinquished, abandoned out of pride, through arrogance, by those gods, deities. 'Joyful' means one whose arising of conciliation exists. || 21

23_19

yayā āyāya ayi ayāḥ yūyam yaḥ yaḥ ayam yeyayā eya yām
yayuḥ yāyiyayā iyāya yaye ayāyāya yā āyayuk || 22 || These are the individual words.

23_20

"O people, having come forth through that Devī as the instrumental cause, become sheltered in Viṣṇu ('ayāḥ')! Become those who attain ('ayāḥ') to 'A', the blessed Vāsudeva! For the Devī is the cause of all coming-into-being: such is the import. And as scripture says: 'The Devī is the sister of Govinda; at the end, she grants his state.' Whichever person, having reached her—that Devī who is to be attained—has departed by the path of one who pierces the solar orb. The sun is called 'yayuyāyin', one whose nature is to go ('yāti') by horses ('yayu'); 'yayuyāyiya' means one who goes to the sun, that is, one who pierces the solar orb, meaning one who is liberated. And 'yayuyāyiyayā' means by that path, that course, of one who pierces the solar orb. Because of the metarule, 'A form ending in a kvip suffix does not lose its verbal-root status,' the 'ā' is elided by the rule 'āto dhātoḥ', giving this form. 'Iyāya' means he went. By what kind of path? By that which must be attained ('yeyayā'). Whichever person takes refuge in that Devī departs by the path that pierces the solar orb; he is liberated: this is the general purport. Moreover, that Devī has been resorted to ('yaye') for obtaining auspicious destiny ('ayāyāya'): 'aya' means knowledge or favorable destiny; its acquisition is 'ayāya'; 'āya' is attainment. For that purpose, for the attainment of knowledge, she was resorted to. Hence the Devī unites [one] with gain ('āyayuk'): she unites, connects [one] with 'āya', meaning knowledge or the arrival of wealth. 'Āya' is coming, formed with the suffix ghañ in the sense of action. 'Eya' is from the root iṅ preceded by āṅ with the suffix lyap... 22.

23_21

Likewise, the man seeking refuge in that Devī, betaking himself to her, being long-lived with an excellent long life, prospers, obtaining prosperity and wealth. And he does not yield to the whim of disease: he suffers no recurrence of illness; he never has to drink medicine on account of sickness. Whoever takes refuge in the Devī attains longevity, health, and sovereign power: this is the meaning of the sentence. 23.

26_22

(A viśeṣaka: a unit of three verses)
By you, through that Āryā, Gaurī, may devotion to policy, adherence to prudent conduct, be maintained at all times, be established. By which Devī fortune, prosperity, having established its seat, having gained a foothold among the enemies of the gods, the foes of the suras, was smitten, taken away. And she who, consisting of speech, possessing the forms of Parā, Paśyantī, Madhyamā, and Vaikharī, strikes down sins, evils, and distress. With what? With beautiful sounds, auspicious words. And she is like an arrow ('iṣuḥ') on account of striking from afar... 24.

26_23

So, 'by whom lack of conduct has been conquered' ('jitānayā'): those who have no conduct or policy have been subdued by her. So too, that Devī 'has vast firmness' ('natājitārasātatasāratā'): of those who are bowed, her devotees, she brings about crossing over, victory from battle ('ājitaḥ'), wherein her firmness ('sāratā'), her solidity, is unfolded ('ātatā'), extended; that is, she possesses immense steadfastness. 'She is not without protection' ('na sāvanā na'): she exists with protection ('sāvanā'); not 'not with protection', but rather full of protection, safeguarding her devotees. Moreover, she is 'the enemy to the torments of the end' ('avasānayātanāriḥ'): the enemy, the destroyer of those torments, the fruitions of wicked deeds that occur at the end, at the time of death. 'Inā' means the sovereign queen. This is a sarvatobhadra; the diagrammatic arrangement is indeed well-known... 25.

26_24

By that Devī, 'delighting the mind of the enemy of Smara' ('manobhavārātimanobhirāmayā'): pleasing to the heart of the foe of Mind-born [Kāma], captivating the heart of the Three-eyed Lord. Likewise, 'whose sole skill is the removal of old age and disease' ('jarāmayāpākaraṇaika-dakṣayā'): skilled, clever in casting off, in destroying old age, gray hair, and diseases, illnesses. Furthermore, 'granting purity through the destruction of arrogance' ('madakṣayānnirmalatāṃ dadānayā'): bestowing, giving freedom from passion through the dissolution of egoism. This is a viśeṣaka... 26.

28_25

(Anuloma-pratiloma in each quarter-verse; a yugmaka)
May that Devī, manifest ('aktā'), protect, safeguard [us]! She who came ('samāyayau') to the battle for the welfare of Indra, for the good of Śakra. Thus it is stated that the Devī's true nature is both manifest and unmanifest. She who was not conquered, not overcome by the enemy's army using deception ('samāyayā'). Furthermore, endowed with delicate slender grace ('mugdhatayā'), the moon ('māḥ'), clinging to, embraced by Hara, Mahādeva, clearly, surely begged for lovely charms equal ('samāḥ') to those of the Devī. Desiring a beauty equal to hers, the moon clearly begs Hara... 27.

28_26

[And which Goddess?] She is foremost in cleansing the mind: 'cleansing' means purity of the mind, and she is the best in that respect. Likewise, her form is celebrated for its majesty: she whose form is celebrated and majestic, possessing great power. Having a radiant white splendor: she whose light is pure, white luster; the meaning is that she is of the nature of pure illumination. Furthermore, she fulfills the longing of the wise man: she satisfies the desire [of the knower]. Likewise, she whose face is praised like a fresh forest of lotuses: she whose face is worthy of praise like an expanse of fresh lotuses. Likewise, she is unborn, free from birth. Furthermore, situated in the mouth, she is joyful armor, the best shield; the meaning is that through the form of speech she is always the highest protective armour for the virtuous. Likewise, in secret, she wears as an ear ornament the playful jests made at the proper occasion by Hara, Śambhu, who is full of aesthetic relish: she whose ear adornment is the playful banter spoken at the right moment by him. She is the protector in battle, guarding in conflict. Moreover, she is devoted to protecting those whose bowing is deeply esteemed: she is intent on protecting those whose bowing, whose reverence to the Goddess, is greatly valued; because, protecting compassion, she guards or attains compassion. The sense is that she is supremely compassionate toward those who bow [to her]. || 28

29_27

(Bearing three meanings)
May that Gaurī, Mṛḍānī, bring about what is beneficial and favorable for you! Whom people worship, whom they attend upon. Because she brings about the rise of men: by whom the manifestation and elevation of the learned or of mankind has been effected. What kind of people? Desiring service, that is, pleasing and turning toward [her] constantly, always, or beautifully. Of what nature is the Goddess? Bearing the slender form of Śambhu, Śarva; renowned, celebrated. Now furthermore, may that cow of speech, speech itself, grant what is desired! Of what kind? Whose manifestation has been made by the learned. Renowned as bearing the non-slender nature of Śambhu, of Brahman; the sense is that speech remains fully manifest in that feminine form as well. 'Śambhu' should be known as Brahman and Īśvara. Whom people worship. What kind of people? Desiring the pleasing of the virtuous, the winning of their hearts. Alternatively, may that Gaurī, the earth, grant your desire! Whom people inhabit and serve. What kind of people? Accompanied by their wives, desiring wealth and riches. What kind of earth? Whose seasonal abundance is produced by furrows, by ploughing and furrowing with ploughs. And the Goddess's form is made of speech and the earth; this is the meaning of the sentence. || 29

31_28

(Connected verse)
...May that ruler, the beloved of Hara, Lord of the Mountains, direct her care and effort toward fortune and prosperity for you! Men who, immediately after bowing down, bow as equals to the thirty-three gods. Moreover, endowed with generosity and enjoyments: those who possess generosity and the experiences of sensory enjoyments. Likewise, those who are bowed low before that Goddess, having gone to the sky, ever cast off their sins together with their enemies. || 30

31_29

Likewise, the Goddess whose power and majesty delighted and satisfied the gods, the sky-dwellers, by the slaughter and killing of the enemy army; and furthermore, who is like the day to the lotus of his mind, because of causing it to blossom. This is an adjective of the Goddess or of her power. || 31

34_30

(This is a group of verses)
Likewise, by that praiseworthy and auspicious Goddess, today, on this day, with insight into truth, with knowledge of the essential reality, may an auspicious, beneficial welfare—meaning happiness—and the pacification of suffering, the destruction of the threefold afflictions (internal, divine, and elemental), be brought about for you. The Goddess who, herself prepared for combat and arrayed for battle, addressed and spoke in the manner to be stated to the gods routed and chased by hostile foes. She said how: "O gods, who are conquered and overcome, depart from the battlefield having become fearless and free from dread! Let there be no fear of battle for you. You by whom the weakness and incapacity of Airāvata, the elephant of the king of the gods, has been perceived. Moreover, is your favorable realm and abode truly not easy to attain? The meaning is that it is indeed easily attainable. And furthermore, the army of the gods, brilliant with the lord, radiant with the divine master... amidst the reasoned enemies of the mind, your prosperity..." This is a complete-stanza great chiasmus. || 32, 33, 34

36_31

[This is a rhyme called āvali:]
May the Devī named Jayā be in your favored desire, in a favorable endeavor; that which is desired is beneficial; let her act in your beneficial work, such is the meaning. In what kind? In the praised one, the lauded one. What kind of Devī? Having attained conquest in battle, she went, and unmeasured, of boundless nature. Furthermore, through her as cause, mankind, the world, attained, obtained, ample strength. Through whom? Through the birthless one, free from birth. What kind of mankind? Being free from rebirth; taking "rebirth" as jana, it is a negative compound; having attained knowledge of truth, such is the meaning. It is said that a person seeking liberation obtains the capacity to attain liberation through her grace. (36)

37_32

[...] giving distress, granting pain. Likewise, she is the chief, the foremost, among the guardians of the world whose minds are intent, whose intellects are devoted, to fostering the zeal of good people. Furthermore, by mere remembrance, merely by remembering [...] extended [...]. The abundance of malice, that is, excess of hatred [...] misfortune, bad luck, bringing distress, causing pain to those [possessing these]. (37)

38_33

May the consort of the Three-eyed Lord, the wife of Hara, become the cause, the instrument, of the destruction of your misfortune, the counteracting of ill-fortune. She who, for some reason, bears, carries a form, a body, united, mingled with the body of the Enemy of Madana. And seeing whom, unconquered, unvanquished, the daitya named Śumbha, though deceitful, full of delusion, swiftly, instantly met destruction, death, attained it. Likewise, she is praised, lauded without weariness, without indolence, by bowing gods, siddhas, gandharvas, and men. (38)

39_34

May Pārvatī quell your enemies, crush your foes, from every side, from all directions and places. Cast off, destroyed are the great faults, formed and formless. Likewise, she is the refuge, the place of fearlessness, for the three worlds in distress, filled with suffering, consisting of the earth, atmosphere, and heaven. Furthermore, by whom the daitya champions, the chief asuras, were crushed, destroyed mercilessly, without pity. Moreover, through the manifestations of her own limbs, her portion-creations, she gently, slowly, dispels, drives away the great delusion of the heart, the lack of discernment that is born in the mind and deeply impenetrable, difficult to pierce. In another respect, merely remembered, merely meditated upon by one devoted to her worship, a man intent on service who has a desire for fitting praise, she nourishes, brings about all that is wished. (39)

[Verse 40 recited in the previous segment.]

43_35

(Combination of four verses)
"Bow to that Devī"—bow down to her who, being placed upon the lap, mounted upon the lap, by her husband Hara, the Slayer of Smara, caused fresh, unprecedented wonder, astonishment, among women; and the clanging twang also belonging to whose bow did not fail to bring about the diminishment, destruction, of enemies; furthermore, who, shining, going through the sky, said to the daitya named Kaṃsa in this manner: "The blessed Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa, your devoted killer, will strike [you] down!" How? He explains: abandoning transcendent māyā, giving up the deceitful stratagems of the enemy, with his arm of supreme strength, together with his brother, the blessed one named Saṃkarṣaṇa, of matched strength, by whom enemies were slain; and who, as Bhadrakālī, Kātyāyanī, shines, appears in many ways, in battles; and through whom, through that Devī, when bowed to, the multitude of people, endowed with the radiant splendor of discernment, the illumination of superior knowledge, shines, is made evident—the meaning is that the Devī shines—by being exceedingly connected to what is auspicious, as a worthy cause; the connection is: "Bow [to her]!" (Verses 41, 42, 43)

45_36

To that Satī, the one named Satī or the virtuous wife, I am bowed down, I have paid homage. Of what kind? She who, having attained bodily form arising from that mountain which is not inferior, the most exalted, and having reached the state of being beloved by the world, was seen by Giriśa, Mahādeva, in this world, with perpetual, joyful passion, with longstanding affection, accompanied by joy. And so says Kālidāsa: "Satī, having abandoned her body through yogic practice." And likewise: "cutting off existence"—she cuts off, severs, the cycle of transmigratory existence. (45)

46_37

(Two-syllable verse)
O Devī, whose obeisance dispels sin—sin is that which is impelled, and that very thing is obeisance; she whose service destroys sins, that is the meaning. Having addressed her, "to you" is inferred from the context, thus: O Devī, homage to you; we bow to you, this is the purport. Likewise, O Devī, Menā, the woman of Himavat, being longing, distracted, surely, certainly, considered, understood, this honoring, worshipping, by this name of yours, the designation "Umā"—"nu" is an interrogative. O you whose inferences, names, are manifold: by this single name "Umā" there is no adequacy, no measure, indeed—the word "nāma" indicates concession—what kind of honor could there be through the single name "Umā"? That is the meaning. Likewise, through silence, through asceticism; the word "silence" here indicates being purified, etc.; the intention is restraint here. "amama-māna-nimna-mananānna": the sense of "mine" and pride, the notion of egotism, ego; lowered, diminished by that is "mamamāna-nimna"; when the negative compound is made: "unhumbled by the sense of 'mine' and pride"; that contemplation, knowledge, which is their very food, bodily maintenance, for those whose asceticism is the function of knowledge devoid of egotism. "inānūnime": the state of deficiency is deficiency; non-deficiency is fullness; she who has non-deficiency compared to Ina, the sun; the vocative form ending in ṭāp: "O you who are equal to the sun!" Likewise, "munminnānanomā": she whose moon-face is tender, moistened, with delight, joy; O you who consist of bliss, that is the meaning. And further, "she who elevates the mind and honor of sages": she has this as her nature or habit, thus named. She nourishes the knowledge of the minds of sages, such is the purport. The connection is the addressing of her. (46)

49_38

I remember, contemplate, meditate upon that Devī, unmeasured, unbounded, unvanquished by Smara—by desire. / When bowed to her—the man who has bowed down to her—because of the decline of unpropitious fate: 'aya' is favorable destiny, its 'dāna' is loss, a form of [the root] dā/do; therefore, from the loss of bad fortune, he does not go, does not fall into ruin of conduct—into the destruction of prudent policy. What kind of Devī? Benevolent, favorable to Śiva—to Śaṅkara; likewise, whose desire or intention brings about welfare—bestows supreme good. (49)

50_39

O Devī named Sarasvatī! Move, go towards exceedingly great favor: the word 'svati' means 'exceedingly'. Likewise, take your stand, abide in the ocean of my mind: the mind itself is an ocean (sarasvat), in that ocean of the mind. The 'kṣetra' is the body, which is itself the holy place known as Kurukṣetra; because of your eternal dwelling there, like the river Sarasvatī, you are the Sarasvatī thereof—this is an address to her. The meaning is that she abides in the body in the form of eternally arisen speech. (50)

51_40

(Apparent Contradiction [virodhābhāsa]) / O Devī, whatever men have their minds steeped in devotion to you, whose intellects are perfumed by your service, here in this world, in the triad of worlds—in the three realms—of them alone do I consider the attainment of birth, their state of having taken birth, to be debtless, with the three debts destroyed. The meaning is: that freedom from debt in this world towards the seers, ancestors, and gods which is accomplished through celibacy, offspring, and sacrifice, is attained through devotion to the Devī. The apparent contradiction lies in 'atraye traye' and 'anṛṇāṃ nṛṇām'. (51)

57_41

Having illuminated the multitude of clouds that cuts through the distress of embodied men, / you are seen standing before the wise, pure by nature of your insight. (58)

60_42

O Devī, steadfast, unwavering meditation—devotion—upon you, the all-pervading one, in your realm, gradually according to prescribed rule, wholly nourishes, strengthens, exalts [the soul], the master of the body, within the body, which is other than steadfast, extremely perishable. The meaning is: in this impermanent transmigratory cycle, devotion to you alone is the essence. 60.

You struck down the glory of the merciless through battle, destroying their great fortune;
protect the lord, the steadfast maker of supreme elevations, by disregarding the pitiless! 61.
(A yamaka repeating whole quarter-verses [pādābhyāsa-yamaka])
Those who do not show mercy [a-dayāḥ], who are violent—the splendor of those merciless ones, you, O wonder, struck down through battle, by disregarding, scorning the pitiless. Cruelly, through violence, in battle, by destroying the limits of great fortunes, producing boundless bliss, protect the lord [ina], the master, who is the steadying force, the producer of steadfastness, of those endowed with great elevations—great, vast raisings [udaya], knowledge, or favorable destiny; the meaning is: protect the lord who grants steadfastness to those possessing great knowledge. 61.

That good is not attained here by bathing in sacred fords,
which, O Ambikā, is attained by people who bow, through service to your sacred scriptures. 62.

64_43

O Mother, O parent, those spotless, untainted, faultless utterances, the speech belonging to the virtuous, the good, the learned, which are brightened by the power of the śāstras, by the majesty of words, sentences, and valid means of knowledge—you bear them as darkness-dispelling weapons, the radiance of arms dispelling darkness. The meaning is: speech free from solecisms, which drives away delusion, is your weapon. 64.

65_44

How should those people who have immediately taken refuge in you, the Mother, the true abode,
not instantly cross over calamity, having attained the primordial bliss? 66.
O Devī, those people in the world who have resorted to you, the Mother, Ambikā, how could they not immediately, that very moment, cross over, transcend calamity, misfortune? The sense is that having crossed beyond sorrow, they remain safe. To you of what kind? The true abode, the auspicious place. People of what kind? Those who have attained, established themselves in the primordial bliss, Śiva. 66.

O Mother, when there is union with your body, the Destroyer of the City shines peerless;
they have declared your true body to be an unsurpassed boat in the ocean of transmigratory existence. 67.
O Mother, when there is union with your body, contact with your form, the Destroyer of the City, Śambhu, shines with splendor. And your true, real, eternal body, the physical embodiment in the form of Paśyantī speech, they call a good boat, an unsurpassed crossing-vessel without anything lower, in the ocean of transmigratory existence, the sea of the world. The meaning is: knowers of reality praise it thus. Because of the derivation of the word “ambā” from the root *av*, how can the aspirated labial *bha* be the subsequent sound merely by its labial quality? Even with dental and labial sounds, there is no breach of yamaka. 67.

68_45

O Devī, grant, give me this very mind which ever clings to—is continually attached to—calmness, that is, non-attachment to sense objects. For your yoga of devotion, that is, engagement in your service, being faultless, that is, completely devoid of deception and without flaw, generates pure, stainless discernment—the excellence of distinguishing between Prakṛti and the Puruṣa—for men, or for both worlds, this world and the next. For this very reason there is purity here and hereafter. (68)

69_46

Devīśataka. / O Devī, who among the people bowed to you, putting an end to—destroying—the Bodiless One, the bodiless Love-god, turn back—appear again—in the transmigratory cycle? The sense is that those bowed to you conquer desire and are liberated. Free from any other activity, they alone remain, expanding, spreading an immaculate, undeluded intellect. As long as there is the transmigratory cycle, so long is there delusion; but those bowed to you never return to the transmigratory cycle. (69)

70_47

O Devī, you are the lineage of auspiciousness—the expanse of merit, the flourishing of welfare—for Hara, the husband of the Daughter of the King of Mountains, Śiva, who burned desire, that is, who reduced the Fish-bannered God to ashes, and whose self is unclad, that is, from whose body clothing has departed, who is clad in the directions, naked. For that reason, Hara shines, looks splendid, endowed with such majesty. / And here, there is no expectation toward a verbal action at all: when considered, the primary sense does not construe, because, due to the lack of a verb, the accusative case of *śubhasaṃtānam* cannot be explained, nor can the lack of agreement with the nominative *tvam*; thus the verb connected with this implied sense is hidden. And it is derived right here from the commentary. Then the construction becomes: "Since, O Devī, you remove (*harasi*) the succession of inauspiciousness (*aśubhasaṃtānam*), the series of obscurations, for him who has burned desire, that is, who is free from longing, and whose self is unclad, that is, whose nature has destroyed the web of afflictions, therefore, through the removal of that succession of inauspiciousness, he shines, blazes, in such a manner." (70)

71_48

O sister of the Slayer of Madhu, Kātyāyanī, O Mother, who among men, out of longing for victory in battle—desiring to overcome the enemy—does not make, does not compose hymns of praise for this reason to be stated? The meaning is that everyone wishing to conquer composes praises to you. For what reason? Because even a lazy man, even one without effort, bowed in devotion to you, is instantly, right at that moment, immediately after bowing, freed from the fear of foes inherent to mortals, that is, from fear of enemies. Such is the connection: therefore, for this reason. (71)

72_49

Because it reads in reverse and direct order, this same [stanza] forms the second verse:

May you, as that very one, protect all here, O [goddess] of pure sentiment and form, bowed to on earth, O Āryā!
Steadfast, venerable, not lacking knowledge, reckoned by the strength born of restraint and meditation, purifying;
Resting in innermost thought, O you of noble sacrifice, vanquisher of the godless, whose own are the lower darkened beings,
Known by those of controlled devotion and free will, treasure of protection, supreme, subject to none! (73)

(Linked together with this [previous verse] in the chain-stanza scheme).
O Devī, may you as that one protect all: "syā" is a form of “you” [or “that”] ... therefore, may you protect all completely in this world... The one who is the supreme boundary of the foremost... [who granted lasting authority for checking the pains caused by foes]... O intellect whose essence is joy born of the knowledge that comes from mortals bowing down, supreme mind... O praise-worthy goddess whose heart is straightened by praise, who have attained sovereignty when delusion is laughed away... O you whose body is free from the taint of passion, bowed to on earth, mistress, steadfast, worthy of worship, not without knowledge but indeed all-knowing... reckoned by the power born of restraints and reflective knowledge, purifying... vanquisher of the godless... known in the heart by those who have mastered devotion... subject to none, autonomous in nature. (72–73)

75_50

O Devī, the conduct pertaining to you is wondrous, inspiring astonishment. For, O Mother, though you are Durgā, you are easy to attain through devotion; though favorably disposed toward Bhava (Hara), you destroy bhava (the transmigratory cycle); and though worthy of meditation, you always attain the state of being chanted (studied). The word *api* denotes concession: she who is inaccessible is easily attained; she who favors Bhava destroys bhava; she who is to be meditated upon is to be chanted—because these seem contradictory by virtue of the word *api*, this is the figure of apparent contradiction (virodhābhāsa). (75)

76_51

(A pun in Sanskrit and Mahārāṣṭrī Prakrit.)
Because it is the primary context, first the meaning of the Sanskrit words: O Devī, grantor of joy, protect my attachment—my thorough devotion and faith—in acquiring traditional learning, whose limit is set by the gods! The sense is that devotion to sacred scripture is not abandoned even by the gods. As it is said: “Therefore scripture is your authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done.” And O Umā, daughter of the mountain, smiling, cheerful, when the occasion arises, dispel that delusion of mind, that mental torpor, which causes endless roaming! Now the meaning of the words in the Mahārāṣṭrī tongue, composed with poetic virtuosity: O bride of Śiva, give, grant, bestow passion for dharma, for religious merit! And for us, in this coming and going within the transmigratory cycle, cut off and destroy the hope enslaved by darkness—subject to the cosmic illusion of ignorance; the meaning is: grant liberation! You are my refuge and ultimate resort. Quickly, instantly, let the delusion of the mind—the mental ignorance, or the variegated, diverse delusion—disappear as futile and barren, that is, let the transmigratory cycle depart! Thus by these three verbal forms is the meaning in the second language given. || 76

76_52

Venerable as the morning twilight bringing forth the light of the sun,
you dispel, O Devī, the night that consists of great delusion. || 77
O Devī, you are venerable, worthy of worship. Bringing forth illumination—granting light, bestowing knowledge—to the wise, you dispel and drive away the night of ignorance that consists of great delusion. Just so, like the morning twilight, that interval between dawn and daybreak: for that twilight is venerable to all, and, bringing forth the light of the sun, dispels the deeply dark night. || 77

78_53

(A pun in Sanskrit and Śaurasenī Prakrit.)
There, first the meaning of the Sanskrit words: O Devī, giver of life, in overcoming guilt-bearing enemies—those foes whose misdeeds are evident—may your two states of existence, namely your being and your brilliance, possess an abundance of manifest power! That is to say: just as guilty enemies are conquered by people, so too your presence and splendor are visibly seen. Moreover, may these two states of existence grant a safe crossing over the ocean of existence. The sense is: when you are present, or by your majesty, one crosses over the ocean of transmigratory life. And may they bestow the harmonious word, which does not decay; or may they bestow the Word-Brahman, which abides equally and universally through eternal presence throughout the fourteenfold realm of beings, from Brahmā down to a clump of grass. And that is a raft for crossing over the ocean of the transmigratory cycle. And so says the Ṛgvedic scripture: “The verses abide in the supreme, imperishable ether wherein all the gods have taken their seat. He who does not know this, what will he do with the verse? Those who know it sit together here.” Now the meaning in the Śaurasenī tongue: O Gaurī, in the worlds, in the three worlds, your power of asceticism is ever endowed with a wealth of essence firm as a thunderbolt—a attainment intensely firm like a thunderbolt, whose acquisition is exceedingly durable. As is said by Amarasiṃha: “*Hrādinī*, *vajra*, *kuliśa*, *bhidura*, *pavi*, *śatakoṭi*, *svaru*, *śamba*, *dambholi*, *aśani* in both genders.” The meaning is that the power of your asceticism never fails. What kind of Gaurī? Delightful in purity, intent on conquering the fluctuations of the mind. In what kind of purity? In that which is foremost in ultimate beatitude. Moreover, O Gaurī, bowed down to by those who have attained complete calmness, reverenced by those of consummate tranquillity who have conquered the turbulent surges of the mind! The sense is that seekers of liberation bow down to you, since the conquest of the mind is indeed liberation itself. As it is said: “For the mind alone, defiled by afflictions like passion, is the transmigratory cycle; that very mind, freed from them, is proclaimed to be liberation.” || 78

79_54

This is a punning verse uniting Sanskrit and Apabhraṃśa. / The metre is called Dvipathaka. Here also: / First, the Sanskrit meaning, because it is the context: O Devī, in men whose passion has departed, whose delusion has vanished, [dispel] from here, from this transmigratory cycle, out of season, that which cuts away the unagitated joy relating to the cool snow of self-restraint—where the scriptures are gems because they illuminate, and pure self-restraint, the quieting of the mind, is snow because it extinguishes [all passions]—cast it away! Destroy their ignorance, is the meaning of the sentence. How? Like fear to those who have sacrifice, like fear to those who perform sacrifices—just as the community of sacrificers [is not made to perish], that is the meaning. Likewise, in what kind of men? In those who possess strength over the state of sluggishness, dullness, that has arisen—by the rule that [the letters] 'la' and 'ḍa' are identical. / Now, the meaning in the Prākṛt-Apabhraṃśa language: For whom only the scriptures are in mind, and the understanding of scripture—the greatness of learning—and equanimity, the restraint of sense-objects, and all these bestow tranquil balance; indeed, even he possesses a thousand radiant natures arising from the satisfaction of the Goddess—the word 'thousand' expressing multiplicity. That also, indeed, is a thousand pure things derived from the pleasure of the Devī, such is the meaning. That of his is the manifestation of the Devī's grace, this is the meaning of the sentence. || 79

79_55

Now the Wheel: / In debate, you shine forth in speech aligned with scripture; / through the consecration of the weapon that is your command, O giver of boons, the gods conquer their enemies. || 80

79_56

(This is an unrecognizable chiming, apratyabhijñā-yamaka.) / O Devī, O giver of boons who grants desired wishes, in debate—in taking up one's own side and the opposing side—you shine forth, you are splendid, in speech aligned with scripture, in eloquent language. Likewise, the gods, the immortals, conquer, overcome, their enemies on account of the consecration of the weapon of your command—command itself being the weapon, an implement fashioned for destruction—through the force of meditating upon that. Even though the five syllables 'vā-de-śā-stra-saṃ' are chimed, because it is not recognized, this is an apratyabhijñā-yamaka. || 80

82_57

O Devī, the host of people, resorting to—reverently serving—you, the Goddess, the sister of Hari, Govinda's sister, know, understand, in truth, in reality, their own essential nature, their own excellence. How? Having played, having behaved sportingly, through yoga—through the suppression of mental fluctuations—and having cast off evil, having destroyed sins. And thus Manu says: 'One should eliminate faults through breath-controls, attachments through sense-withdrawal, ungodly states through meditation, and sin through concentrations. For the breath, the wind, is declared to be the activity of all the sense-organs; by its mastery, indeed, the sense-organs are swiftly conquered. Mastery of breath alone is yoga, mastery of breath alone is asceticism; from mastery of breath alone everything is obtained, of this there is no doubt.' And likewise in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad: 'Just as a bird tied by a string, having flown in every direction and not having found a resting place anywhere else, takes refuge in the bond itself; even so, my dear, that mind, having flown in every direction and not having found a resting place anywhere else, takes refuge in the breath itself. For the mind, my dear, is tethered to the breath.' And likewise the Ṛgvedic scripture: 'Seven yoke the one-wheeled chariot; one horse, having seven names, draws it. The unaging, irreproachable wheel has three navels, wherein all these worlds abide.' || 82

84_58

(This [verse has] a hidden fourth quarter.)
O Mother, for a person desiring to cross over from the transmigratory cycle, you are the true path—a noble refuge, a shelter. Of what kind? White—spotless; boundless—without limit; supreme—the highest knowledge, bestowing the object of knowledge of truth. Here in this transmigratory cycle, you protect—shelter—the living being from misfortune, from distress. For this reason, this fourth quarter is obtained from the three quarters, and thus it has a hidden fourth quarter. (84)

85_59

O people, being deeply respectful, seek refuge in, take shelter in, that remembrance of—recollection of—the Āryā, the Devī. What kind of remembrance? The supreme, the highest practice of austerity: observance of rules and self-restraint. The meaning is that remembrance of the Devī alone is the supreme austerity. For what purpose? For the nourishment—the growth—of intellects. The plural expression is used because the intellect has eight aspects, as is said: 'Desire to hear, hearing, grasping, retaining, knowledge, discernment, inductive reasoning, and deductive refutation—intellect is considered eightfold.' (85)

86_60

O Devī, among the different doctrines—the diversities of intellect—of disputants, of eloquent debaters, your viewpoints—visions—shine, are resplendent. The gist is that whatever the particular cognitions of disputants may be, they are merely your own viewpoints. Of what kind are these viewpoints? The abode of majesty—the seat of greatness. Just as the unequal, sharp cutting-edges, the tips of the points, of your trident gleam, so do they shine. Such is the meaning. (86)

87_61

(Written in the gomūtrikā-bandha pattern, with linked yamaka.)
O Devī, that mind which through your activity—through the action characterized by hearing, contemplating, studying, and restraining the senses, etc. For this alone is the activity of the Lady of Speech; as it is said: 'One should cause the group of senses situated outside to cease in the mind; having cast the mind into purity, that intellect rests in the realm of knowledge; or one should perform spiritual action with the contemplation of knowledge.' Hence, that mind which is expanded—blossomed—by that activity and attentive—careful, restrained—and therefore possesses noble wealth, imperishable supreme riches; that mind, characterized by joy, attains—reaches—the nectar of sound, the nectar of the word, from its abode, from the seat of light characterized by liberation. The meaning is that it gains the dawn of the Word-Brahman. As is said: 'The single syllable Oṃ is Brahman.' And likewise in the Upaniṣads: 'This syllable alone is Brahman, this syllable alone is the supreme; having known this syllable alone, whatever one desires is his.' This is the gomūtrikā-bandha and yamaka. The diagram, however, has already been shown once. (87)

88_62

(A half-gomūtrikā-bandha with yamaka.)
O Devī, Bestower of Boons, granter of the desired object! Those steadfast men, of undisturbed mind, by whom you, the goddess, are praised—lauded as a refuge—on earth, in the world, bring—cause to attain—your fame, renown, to the state of an ornament, a decoration, for the realm of the gods, the abode of the gods. (88)

89_63

O Devī, O knower, O wisdom! Ah, wonder! Of the Sāṃkhyas who possess the positive and negative [inferences]—vīta and avīta are technical terms of the Sāṃkhyas, meaning direct and indirect arguments demonstrating the existence of the primal nature (pradhāna) and the soul (puruṣa)—your status as wealth is 'vitta', knowledge—that is, the essential reality. For they declare liberation to come from knowledge alone. Because you have extended that truth—you have expanded that truth, the ultimate reality, the nature of the Supreme Brahman. What kind of truth? Where widespread pains, extensive afflictions, have departed, have vanished. The gist is: you alone are the supreme Pradhāna for the Sāṃkhyas. (89)

90_64

(This is a quiver-design [tūṇabandha] formed by two zigzag-pattern [pādagomūtrikābandha] lines.)
O Tārā, radiant and pure, rising up as a refuge to protect those who rely on you, with your own raised arm that destroys sin, by your efforts at the time of incitement you protect the battle of the king of gods. The meaning of the sentence is: the gods, protected by seeking refuge in you, once more become engaged in battle. Together with the previous half-verse beginning with "suradeśasya te kīrtiṃ" in zigzag meter, this verse in repeated zigzag meter forms a quiver-design. [Diagrammatic layout] The fivefold arrangement is now explained here. // 90

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