Devī Māhātmyam | Durgā Saptashatī | 12
CHAPTER 12
Eulogy of the Merits
॥ dvādaśo'dhyāyaḥ ||
oṃ devyuvāca ॥ 1||
The Devi said:
ebhiḥ stavaiśca māṃ nityaṃ stoṣyate yaḥ samāhitaḥ ।
tasyāhaṃ sakalāṃ bādhāṃ śamayiṣyāmyasaṃśayam ॥ 2||
1-2. And whoever with a concentrated mind shall pray to me constantly with these, hymns, I shall without doubt put down every trouble of his.
madhukaiṭabhanāśaṃ ca mahiṣāsuraghātanam ।
kīrtayiṣyanti ye tadvadvadhaṃ śumbhaniśumbhayoḥ ॥ 3||
3. And those who shall laud (the story of) the destruction of Madhu and Kaitabha, the slaughter Niśumbha likewise.
aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturdaśyāṃ navamyāṃ caikacetasaḥ ।
śroṣyanti caiva ye bhaktyā mama māhātmyamuttamam ॥ 4||
na teṣāṃ duṣkṛtaṃ kiñcidduṣkṛtotthā na cāpadaḥ ।
bhaviṣyati na dāridryaṃ na caiveṣṭaviyojanam ॥ 5||
4-5. And those also who shall listen with devotion to this sublime poem on my greatness on the eighth, the fourteenth and on the ninth days of the fortnight with concentrated mind,
to them nothing wrong shall happen, nor calamities that arise from wrong doings nor poverty and never separation from beloved ones.
śatrubhyo na bhayaṃ tasya dasyuto vā na rājataḥ ।
na śastrānalatoyaughāt kadācit sambhaviṣyati ॥ 6||
6. He shall not experience fear from enemies, or from robbers and kings, or from weapon, fire and flood.
tasmānmamaitanmāhātmyaṃ paṭhitavyaṃ samāhitaiḥ ।
śrotavyaṃ ca sadā bhaktyā paraṃ svastyayanaṃ mahat ॥ 7||
7. Hence this poem of my greatness must be chanted by men of concentrated minds and listened to always with devotion; for it is the supreme course of well-being.
upasargānaśeṣāṃstu mahāmārīsamudbhavān ।
tathā trividhamutpātaṃ māhātmyaṃ śamayenmama ॥ 8||
8. May this poem of my glories quell all epidemic calamities, as also the threefold natural calamities.
yatraitatpaṭhyate samyaṅnityamāyatane mama ।
sadā na tadvimokṣyāmi sāṃnidhyaṃ tatra me sthitam ॥ 9||
9. The place of my sanctuary where this poem is duly chanted every day, I will never forsake and there my presence is certain.
balipradāne pūjāyāmagnikārye mahotsave ।
sarvaṃ mamaitanmāhātmyam uccāryaṃ śrāvyameva ca ॥ 10||
10. When sacrifice is offered, during worship, in the fire-ceremony, and at a great festival, all this poem on my acts must be chanted and heard.
jānatājānatā vāpi balipūjāṃ yathā kṛtām ।
pratīkṣiṣyāmyahaṃ prītyā vahnihomaṃ tathākṛtam ॥ 11||
11. I will accept with love the sacrifice and worship that are made and the fire-offering that is offered likewise, whether they are done with due knowledge (of sacrifice) or not.
śaratkāle mahāpūjā kriyate yā ca vārṣikī ।
tasyāṃ mamaitanmāhātmyaṃ śrutvā bhaktisamanvitaḥ ॥ 12||
sarvābādhāvinirmukto dhanadhānyasamanvitaḥ ।
manuṣyo matprasādena bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ॥ 13||
12-13. During autumnal season, when the great annual worship is performed, the man hearing this glorification of mine with devotion shall certainly through my grace, be delivered without doubt from all troubles and be blessed with riches, grains and children.
śrutvā mamaitanmāhātmyaṃ tathā cotpattayaḥ śubhāḥ ।
parākramaṃ ca yuddheṣu jāyate nirbhayaḥ pumān ॥ 14||
14. Hearing this glorification and auspicious appearances of mine, and my feats of prowess in battles, a man becomes fearless.
ripavaḥ saṅkṣayaṃ yānti kalyāṇaṃ copapadyate ।
nandate ca kulaṃ puṃsāṃ māhātmyaṃ mama śṛṇvatām ॥ 15||
15. Enemies perish, welfare accrues and the family rejoices for those who listen to this glorification of mine.
śāntikarmaṇi sarvatra tathā duḥsvapnadarśane ।
grahapīḍāsu cogrāsu māhātmyaṃ śṛṇuyānmama ॥ 16||
16. Let one listen to this glorification of mine everywhere, at a propitiatory ceremony, on seeing a bad dream, and when there is the great evil influence of planets.
upasargāḥ śamaṃ yānti grahapīḍāśca dāruṇāḥ ।
duḥsvapnaṃ ca nṛbhirdṛṣṭaṃ susvapnamupajāyate ॥ 17||
17. (By that means) evil protents subside, as also the unfavourable influence of planets, and the bad dream seen by men turns into a good dream.
bālagrahābhibhūtānāṃ bālānāṃ śāntikārakam ।
saṅghātabhede ca nṛṇāṃ maitrīkaraṇamuttamam ॥ 18||
18. It creates peacefulness in children possessed by the seizes of children (i.e., evil spirits), and it is the best promoter of friendship among men when split occurs in their union.
durvṛttānāmaśeṣāṇāṃ balahānikaraṃ param ।
rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ paṭhanādeva nāśanam ॥ 19||
19. It diminishes most effectively the power of all men of evil ways. Verily demons, goblins, and ogres are destroyed by its mere chanting.
sarvaṃ mamaitanmāhātmyaṃ mama sannidhikārakam ।
paśupuṣpārghyadhūpaiśca gandhadīpaistathottamaiḥ ॥ 20||
viprāṇāṃ bhojanairhomaiḥ prokṣaṇīyairaharniśam ।
anyaiśca vividhairbhogaiḥ pradānairvatsareṇa yā ॥ 21||
prītirme kriyate sāsmin sakṛduccarite śrute ।
śrutaṃ harati pāpāni tathārogyaṃ prayacchati ॥ 22||
rakṣāṃ karoti bhūtebhyo janmanāṃ kīrtanaṃ mama ।
yuddheṣu caritaṃ yanme duṣṭadaityanibarhaṇam ॥ 23||
tasmiñchrute vairikṛtaṃ bhayaṃ puṃsāṃ na jāyate ।
yuṣmābhiḥ stutayo yāśca yāśca brahmarṣibhiḥ kṛtāḥ ॥ 24||
brahmaṇā ca kṛtāstāstu prayacchantu śubhāṃ matim ।
araṇye prāntare vāpi dāvāgniparivāritaḥ ॥ 25||
dasyubhirvā vṛtaḥ śūnye gṛhīto vāpi śatrubhiḥ ।
siṃhavyāghrānuyāto vā vane vā vanahastibhiḥ ॥ 26||
rājñā kruddhena cājñapto vadhyo bandhagato'pi vā ।
āghūrṇito vā vātena sthitaḥ pote mahārṇave ॥ 27||
patatsu cāpi śastreṣu saṅgrāme bhṛśadāruṇe ।
sarvābādhāsu ghorāsu vedanābhyardito'pi vā ॥ 28||
smaran mamaitaccaritaṃ naro mucyeta saṅkaṭāt ।
mama prabhāvātsiṃhādyā dasyavo vairiṇastathā ॥ 29||
dūrādeva palāyante smarataścaritaṃ mama ॥ 30||
20-30. This entire glorification of mine draws (a devotee) very near to me.
And by means of finest cattle, flowers, arghya and incenses, and by perfumes and lamps, by feeding Brāhmaṇas, by oblations, by sprinkling (consecrated) water, and by various other offerings and gifts (if one worships) day and night in a year -the gratification, which is done to me, is attained by listening but once to this holy story of mine.
The chanting and hearing of the story of my manifestations remove sins, and grant perfect health and protect one from evil spirits; and when my martial exploit in the form of the slaughter of the wicked Daityas is listened to, men will have no fear from enemies.
And the hymns uttered by you, and those by the divine sages, and those by Brahma bestow a pious mind.
He who is (lost) on a lonesome spot in a forest, or is surrounded by forest fire, or who is surrounded by robbers in a desolate spot, or who is captured by enemies,
or who is pursued by a lion, or tiger, or by wild elephants in a forest, or who, under the orders of a wrathful king, is sentenced to death, or has been imprisoned,
or who is tossed about in his boat by a tempest in the vast sea, or who is in the most terrible battle under shower of weapons, or who is amidst all kinds of dreadful troubles, or who is afflicted with pain
- such a man on remembering this story of mine is saved from his strait. Through my power, lions etc., robbers and enemies, flee from a distance from him who remembers this story of mine.
ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 31||
The Rishi said:
ityuktvā sā bhagavatī caṇḍikā caṇḍavikramā ॥ 32||
31-32. Having spoken thus the adorable Chaṇḍikā, fierce in prowess, vanished on that very spot even as the Devas were gazing one.
paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāṃ tatraivāntaradhīyata ।
te'pi devā nirātaṅkāḥ svādhikārānyathā purā ॥ 33||
33. Their foes having been killed, all Devas also were delivered from fear; all of them resumed their own duties as before and participated in their shares of sacrifices.
yajñabhāgabhujaḥ sarve cakrurvinihatārayaḥ ।
daityāśca devyā nihate śumbhe devaripau yudhi ॥ 34||
jagadvidhvaṃsake tasmin mahogre'tulavikrame ।
niśumbhe ca mahāvīrye śeṣāḥ pātālamāyayuḥ ॥ 35||
34-35. When the exceedingly valorous Śumbha and Niśumbha, the most fierce foes of devas, who brought ruin on the world, and who were unparalleled in prowess had been slain by the Devi in battle, the remaining Daityas went away to Pāṭala.
evaṃ bhagavatī devī sā nityāpi punaḥ punaḥ ।
sambhūya kurute bhūpa jagataḥ paripālanam ॥ 36||
36. Thus O King, the adorable Devi, although eternal, incarnating again and again, protects the world.
tayaitanmohyate viśvaṃ saiva viśvaṃ prasūyate ।
sā yācitā ca vijñānaṃ tuṣṭā ṛddhiṃ prayacchati ॥ 37||
37. By her this universe is deluded, and it is she who creates this universe. And when entreated, she bestows supreme knowledge, and when propitiated, she bestows prosperity.
vyāptaṃ tayaitatsakalaṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ manujeśvara ।
mahādevyā mahākālī mahāmārīsvarūpayā ॥ 38||
38. By her, the Mahākālī, who takes the form of the great destroyer at the end of time, all this cosmic sphere is pervaded.
saiva kāle mahāmārī saiva sṛṣṭirbhavatyajā ।
sthitiṃ karoti bhūtānāṃ saiva kāle sanātanī ॥ 39||
39. She indeed takes the form of the great destroyer at the (proper) time. She, the unborn, indeed becomes this creation (at the time proper for re-creation), She herself, the eternal Being, sustains the beings at (another) time.
bhavakāle nṛṇāṃ saiva lakṣmīrvṛddhipradā gṛhe ।
saivābhāve tathālakṣmīrvināśāyopajāyate ॥ 40||
40. In times of prosperity, she indeed is Lakshmi, who bestows prosperity in the homes of men; and in times of misfortune, she herself becomes the goddess of misfortune, and brings about ruin.
stutā sampūjitā puṣpairgandhadhūpādibhistathā ।
dadāti vittaṃ putrāṃśca matiṃ dharme gatiṃ śubhām ॥ 41||
41. When praised and worshipped with flowers, incense, perfumes, etc., she bestows wealth and sons, and a mind bent on righteousness and prosperous life.
॥ svasti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye
bhagavatī vākyaṃ dvādaśo'dhyāyaḥ ॥ 12॥
Here ends the twelfth chapter called Eulogy of the Merits of Devi-Māhātmya in the period of Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, during the period of Sāvarṇi, the Manu.