VAISHAMPAYANA said:—Having saluted the goddess Nārāyani, the mistress of the three worlds I shall recite the sacred hymn as sung by the ancient Rishis (1).
“O goddess, thou art the salvation, intelligence, glory, bashfulness, learning, advancement and inclination of all the worlds. Thou art identical with twilight, night, ray, sleep and the night of death (2).
Thou art designated as the worshipful goddess Kātyāyani, Koushiki, observant of the vow of celebacy and the mother of Kārtikeya. Thou art highly powerful and dost practise hard austerities (3).
O goddess, thou art Jayā, Vijayā, satisfaction, nourishment, forgiveness' and mercy. Thou art clad in a blue silken raiment and the
eldest sister of Yama (4).
Thou art of various forms, art without any, hast dreadful and large eyes and art the protector of thy votaries (5).
O great goddess, living on the summits of fearful mountains, in rivers, caves, and forest and being adored by Savaras,1 Varvaras2 and Pulindas3 thou dost traverse the worlds in a car consisting of peacock-fea thered flags (6-7).
Surrounded by cocks, goats, lambs, lions and tigers and worshipped by the ringing of bells thou dost always live in the mount Vindhyā (8).
Thou dost hold trident, Pattisha and other weapons. The sun and the moon are thy flags. Thou art the ninth day of the dark half of the month and the eleventh day of the light half (9).
Thou art the quarrelsome Rajani, the sister of Baladeva, the abode of all creatures, the death and the supreme end of all animals and the daughter of the milk-man Nanda who carries the victory of the gods. Thou dost wear bark, excellent cloth and art the dreadful twilight (10-11).
Thou art of dishevelled hairs and the death. Thou art fond of wine and meat. Although thou art Lakshmi (of beautiful form) thou dost assume a dreadful form for the destruction of the Dānavas (12).
Thou art Sāvitri4 of the Vedas, the mother of mantras, the celebacy of the maidens, the good luck of women, the external altar of the sacrifices, the gift of the priest, the plough of the cultivators, the earth of all creatures, the success of sea-faring merchants, the bank of the ocean, the first woman of the Yakshns, Surasa5 of Nāgas,6 art conversant with the knowledge of Brahman, initiation and great beauty.
Thou art the effulgence of luminous bodies, Rohini of stars, the consummate prosperity in courts, forts, confluences of rivers and the full-moon (13–17).
Thou art the goddess of learning in Valmiki,7 the memory of Dwaipayana8 the intellect of the Rishis in religious matters, the determination of the gods and dost live in all creatures as the goddess of wine adored by thy own deeds (18).
O goddess, thou art the charming look of the thousand eyes of the king of gods, the Arani of the Agnihotra ascetics, the hunger of all creatures, the gratification, oblation, intellect and brain of the celestials, the receptable of all the Vasus, the hope of men and the pleasure of all those who are crowned with success.
Thou art the direction, the contrary direction, the flame of fire, ray, Shakuni, Putanā, the terrible Revati, the over-powering sleep of all creatures and Kshatrya (19-22).
Thou art Brahmavidya9 in learning, Om10 and Vashat.11 The Rishis know thee as the ancient Parvati amongst women (23).
As said by Brahmā thou art Arundhati12 amongst chaste women. Truly thou hast been designated by the gods as Indrani13(24).
This universe, mobile and immobile, is permeated by thee. Undoubtedly thou art the saviour in battle, burning fire, rivers, fear of thieves, caves, foreign countries, courts, in assailing the enemies and in all other matters where life is at stake (25–26).
My heart, mind and reasoning faculty are all devoted to thee. Do thou save me from all sins; show me this favour (27).
O goddess, thou art always propitiated with him, who, rising up early in the morning, purifying himself and controlling his mind, will read this heavenly hymn (28).
Thou dost give their desired-for objects to those who recite it for three months, and a most excellent boon to those who do it for six months, and celestial vision to those who continue it for nine months and Siddhi as they desire to those who sing it for one full year (29–30).
O goddess, as recorded by the great saint Krishna Dwaipayana thou art the supreme Brahman identical with truth.
Thou dost drive away the fear of men, proceeding from chains, death, the destruction of children and wealth and disease. Assuming various forms at thy will, thou dost confer boons (31–32).
Stupifying Kansa thou shalt alone enjoy the world. And I shall adopt the life of a milk-man amongst kine. For accomplishing my own work I shall become Kansa's milk-man” (33).
Having thus addressed (the goddess of sleep) the lord disappeared and she too, saluting him, expressed her consent by saying, so be it” (34).
Footnotes
1. A barbarian race inhabiting the mountainous districts of India and wearing the feathers of the peacock as decorations.
2. One of a degraded tribe or occupation.
3. A barbarian using an uncultivated and unintelligible dialect.
4. The holy verse of the repetition of which forms an essential part of the ceremonies, enjoined to the Brahmanas for daily observances.
5. The mother of Kuvera.
6. The mother of the Nagas.
7. According to tradition Valmiki obtained a boon from the goddess of learning and composed his great work Ramayana.
8. Dwaipayana Vyasa was celebrated for his memory for he had by heart all the Vedas and Puranas.
9. Knowledge of spirit which is regarded as the best of all forms of learning.
10. The mystic name of the deity, prefacing all the prayers and most of the writings of the Hindus, from A a name of Vishnu, U Siva and Ma Brahma. It therefore implies the Indian triad and expresses the three in one.
11. oblation with fire.
12. The wife of the sage Vasistha.
13. The queen of gods, the wife of Indra.
