Skandapurana 1.4.45: adhyāyaḥ 47

Nārada said:

Then, for the protection of this sacred ford, O victorious one,

listen to how goddesses were established by me after propitiating them.

Just as the supreme Lord, the Self, is pervasive in all beings,

even so the eternal Prakṛti, the supreme Goddess, is pervasive.

Through Her favor, one obtains power, vigor, and all prosperities;

and thus, O son of Pṛthā, that Sovereign Goddess resides in all beings,

as intellect, modesty, nourishment, shame, contentment, peace, forgiveness, longing,

faith, and consciousness, the power born of counsel, zeal, and regal majesty.

She alone is ever for bondage and She alone for liberation;

having propitiated Her, Indra and others attain sovereignty.

And those base ones who do not acknowledge Śakti and despise Her,

even lords of yogins fall manifestly, like those born in Kāśī.

Formerly, indeed, in Vārāṇasī, perfected lords of yogins,

having disdained Śakti, suffered a fall once again.

Therefore, this Śakti must ever and always be worshipped by an embodied being;

pleased, She grants desires; enraged, She destroys in an instant.

And that supreme Prakṛti exists in many divisions;

among them, the great goddesses who were established here—listen [about them]:

Four great Śaktis are stationed in the four directions;

Siddhāmbikā in the east was established by Guha.

At the beginning of the universe, She is celebrated as born from Mūlaprakṛti;

because She was worshipped by the perfected ones, She is therefore Siddhāmbikā.

Likewise in the south is Tārā, established by me,

because, for the deliverance of the gods, She resorted to the Tortoise,

possessed by whom the Tortoise, the teacher of the world, rescued the Vedas;

and, with his body possessed by Her, a wise man will slay the Buddhists,

by the millions, the sinners who destroy the path of the Vedas.

Having propitiated Her, this Daughter of the Mountain was brought by me;

surrounded by very fierce goddesses numbering in crores,

resorting to the southern direction, She stays out of respect for me.

Likewise in the west resides the auspicious goddess Bhāskarā,

possessed by whom the orbs of all the stars,

with the Sun foremost, shine and swiftly go and come.

This is that very Śakti of great power, shining, O son of the Kurus;

propitiated by me, She was brought from the celestial cauldron and stays here;

surrounded continually by crores of crores, She protects the western direction.

Likewise in the north resides the goddess Yoganandinī;

formerly having issued forth from the body of the supreme Prakṛti,

the Four Sanas attained yoga when looked upon with Her pure gaze.

And that goddess, Yogīśvarī, was well pleased by Sanaka and the others;

propitiated by me, She was brought here from the cosmic egg's cauldron;

surrounded by yoginīs, She resides in the northern direction.

Thus these four great Śaktis are always present;

worshipped, they always grant desires; enraged, they are capable of destruction.

And then nine Durgās were brought by me; listen to them:

The supreme goddess named Tripurā, by whom formerly Sthāṇu...

possessed by whom, Sthāṇu, the Lord of the universe, reduced Tripura to ashes.

Therefore the blessed Hara addressed her as Tripurā,

and praised her himself; for that reason she is worthy of worship even by the worlds.

Having propitiated her, she was brought by me from the Amareśvara mountain.

She, who grants the desires of devotees, is situated near Bhaṭṭāditya.

And another is Kolambā, the eternal great Śakti,

possessed by whom Keśava, in the form of a boar, lifted up the earth.

Therefore she was praised, worshipped, and called Kolambā by Viṣṇu.

And that goddess, O Pārtha, was propitiated by me with the yoga of devotion.

Dwelling on the Vārāha mountain, she was brought [here], and she spoke to me:

“Wherever I always dwell, O Nārada, out of compassion for supplicants,

there must be a well inhabited by Rudrāṇī.

For without that well, I have no pleasure anywhere.

Therefore, O twice-born, dig the best of wells yourself right here.”

When spoken to thus by the goddess, O Pārtha, then by the root of a darbha grass,

a well was dug by me, wherein Rudrāṇī manifestly shone forth in the well.

Then having bathed and recited [mantras] there, the gods were propitiated by me.

Then the divine Kolambā, the sovereign lady of the universe, was worshipped.

Then the well-pleased goddess spoke to me as I bowed down:

“I shall always abide here, brought to gracious favor by you.

And whatever mortals, having bathed in this well, especially on the eighth day of Māgha,

shall worship me, I will destroy their wrongdoing.

The well containing all sacred fords, situated in the forest of all seasons,

near Meru, belonging to Rudrāṇī, is indeed this very well.

Far more than at Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and especially at Gayā,

a ritual ablution in this well is proclaimed by me, O Nārada, to bear greater fruit.

Therefore, at your word, O rich in austerity, I have settled here.

Together with Guha, I shall unweariedly protect this sacred lake.

And those who, having worshipped Kumāreśa, worship me,

I, accompanied by sixty crores of goddesses, shall grant their desires.”

Nārada said:

Addressed thus by the pleased goddess at that time, O Pārtha,

I, delighted, replied to Kolambā, the mother of the universe:

“Here, O goddess, you are the mother, the origin of this hidden sacred field.

Vain is the pilgrimage of those who do not worship you here.

And this holy lake will attain renown by your name.

You are the sovereign lady of this lake, and likewise the sovereign lady of this sacred ford.”

Having thus performed prolonged austerity, the auspicious one was installed by me.

Therefore, this Great Durgā should be constantly worshipped by wise men.

And the third, stationed in that direction, was installed by me

and by Guha; the majesty of this Kapāleśī was described before.

Blessed are those best of men who constantly behold her

after worshipping Kapāleśvara, because she is the universal power.

Thus these three Durgās are situated in the eastern direction.

In the western [direction], I shall proclaim the three most excellent Durgās.

The goddess Suvarṇākṣī, who protects the cosmic egg,

having been propitiated, that goddess was established by me in this sacred ford.

And those who bow to her and worship her with devotion,

by them she has been worshipped alongside thirty-three crores of goddesses.

Another Great Durgā established [there] is Carcitā;
she was brought from the depths of Rasātala by me with great devotion.

She is to be worshipped and meditated upon by those who desire heroism;

she bestowed heroism on many gods and Daiteyas.

This very Great Durgā will, through her valour, liberate the best of heroes, Śūdraka,
when bound by thieves in the future, in the Kali [age].

Then, having worshipped her, he will attain supremacy among heroes,

and assailing his enemies headed by Kālasena, he will slay them.

Therefore she should always be propitiated by men desiring heroism,

that Great Durgā Carcitā, who is stationed in the western direction.

Likewise, Trailokyavijayā is stationed in this third direction,
by worshipping whom the husband of Rohiṇī attained victory in the three worlds.

Brought by me from the world of Soma and worshipped, she always bestows victory.

Thus are these in the west. Hear now of those in the north.

And in the north are three goddesses, chief among them being Ekavīrā. // 55

The goddess who is called Ekavīrā is directly worshipped by Śiva.

Possessed by her, this Lord of Ghosts dissolves the entire universe. // 56

By the power of primordial Ekavīrā, having burned the worlds to ashes,

upon the completion of eleven yugas, he was astonished amidst the ashes. // 57

Such indeed is Ekavīrā, this eternal Śakti.

Worshipped and propitiated, she grants every desired thing to mortals. // 58

Brought from the world of Brahmā by me, she is to be propitiated here, O descendant of Bharata.

Even the chanting of her name, they know, destroys the wicked. // 59

The second, named Harasiddhi, is goddess Durgā of mighty power.

Propitiated and brought here by me from Śīkottara, O son of Pāṇḍu: // 1.2.47.60

When, while staying at Śīkottara, Rudra was besought by Pārvatī,

the compassionate one taught the mantra of the Ḍākinī to the goddess. // 61

Then, deluded by the power of the mantra, the virtuous Daughter of the Mountain

attacked Bhava himself and drank his flesh and blood. // 62

Then, from the body of Rudra, she came forth, the destroyer of affliction,

Harasiddhi, the great Durgā, skilled in great mantras. // 63

That thousand-armed goddess attacked, overpowered,

and liberated Giriśa, and then laid a curse upon her. // 64

From that time forward she is celebrated in the world as Harasiddhi.

Surrounded by sixty crores of goddesses, she is worshipped by the gods. // 65

Having propitiated her who destroys all faults, Sugrīva and the others...

became immensely powerful and destroyers of the host of Ḍākinīs. // 66

Therefore, one should worship her with mind, speech, and physical actions.

Ḍākinīs and other [spirits] do not creep near Harasiddhi. // 67

Situated in the northeast corner is the third, Caṇḍikā, the ninth.

Even the Lord of Speech would not reach the end in describing her. // 68

She who of old issued forth from the body of Pārvatī,

slew the great demons Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa, and devoured them in wrath. // 69

One hundred akṣauhiṇīs, as well as both Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa,

did not even fill one mouthful of hers; how could she be measured? For such she is! // 1.2.47.70

She alone, being thirsty, also drank the blood of the Andhakas,

and thereupon the blessed Bhava destroyed Andhaka. // 71

And she, having drunk the blood originating from the Raktabījas,

offered to the goddess [him] whose blood was drunk by Cāmuṇḍā. // 72

She is satisfied even with a bow from her devotees, O descendant of Bharata,

and by crores of tens of millions of sinful Daityas. // 73

And an auspicious, holy pool of this goddess was prepared by me,

where, merely by touch, one obtains the fruit of all sacred fords. // 74

The perfection of Hara, the perfection of the gods, and the perfection of dharma, O descendant of Bharata—

manifold perfection is obtained in this sacred ford by those devoted to Caṇḍikā. // 75

And whoever worships the goddess, whether with little or with much,

to him Kātyāyanī, surrounded by hundreds of crores, bestows prosperity. // 76

Thus these great Durgās are stationed here in the nine sacred fords,

as well as the four directional goddesses; they are to be worshipped daily by those desiring good fortune. // 77

Especially during the Navarātra in the month of Āśvina,

having fasted, or eating once a day, one should worship these goddesses // 78

with offerings, cakes, food offerings, libations, and fragrant incenses.

They maintain his protection along the streets, at three-way intersections, and at crossroads. // 79

Ghosts, spirits, piśācas, and the like do not cause distress;

calamities quickly flee away; the yoginīs bring him joy. // 1.2.47.80

One who desires a son obtains sons; one who desires wealth obtains wealth;

one afflicted by disease is freed from disease; one who is bound is freed from bondage. // 81

A man or woman who shows devotion to them with faith

attains all the desires that they contemplate in mind. // 82

These goddesses are wish-granting cows and like wish-fulfilling gems,

and wish-granting creepers for their devotees; indeed, they are the ninefold manifestation here. // 83

Likewise, here, to the south of Harasiddhi, is Bhūtamātā.

I will tell you her incomparable māhātmya in brief: // 84

Formerly, it is said, the wise Guha, on the holy bank of the Sarasvatī...

was anointed to the sovereign lordship over spirits, ghosts, and piśācas.

And he restrained all spirits within proper bounds,

the blessed Guha, having granted them this food out of compassion:

“Whatever is offered without mantras, and whatever is done outside the Veda,

without faith, and in anger—that will be for your satisfaction.”

Then with this portion they all rejoiced.

After some time, [whether] done with faith or without faith,

those very spirits devoured the merit, overpowering the deities.

Then those gods, afflicted by hunger, reported this to Guha.

Hearing that, Guha became enraged, like Kāla [himself].

From the middle of his lotus-brow as he was enraged, a certain [form] came forth:

A woman garlanded with flames, very terrible to behold, having twelve eyes.

Bowing to him, she said: “Lord, I am your Śakti.

Quickly command me to my duty: what desired task shall I perform for you?”

Skanda said:

“Transgressing my command, by these sinful hordes of spirits,

everything given by humans is consumed at will by the vile ones.

Therefore quickly bring them within proper bounds.

A hundred crores of goddesses will follow you, auspicious one.”

Then, having said “So be it,” and surrounded by goddesses at that time,

mounting a peacock, Guha’s Śakti went forth.

Reaching a forest of lotuses, she saw the multitudes of spirits,

and approaching them, the goddess struck them down with various weapons.

Then the ghosts, piśācas, and others, being slain in the great battle,

propitiated that goddess in various guises, like most wretched folk,

some in the guise of brahmins, and with the words of ascetics,

dancing [and crying] again and again: “O lotus-eyed goddess, be gracious!”

Then, pleased, that goddess said to them: “Choose [a boon] as you wish!”

They said to her: “Protect us, O ruler, become the Mother of Spirits!

We shall never abandon the boundary established by Skanda.

And to those who thus gratify you, grant boons forever.”

The holy Goddess said:

“Those who on the new moon day of Vaiśākha gratify me in this way,