CHAPTER – 84
The eloquent Indra, and the crowd of Suras, after the death of the demons bowing their heads were delighted, and the hair of their beautiful bodies became erect. O Goddess! by thy power this world was created with spirits and gods of different and numerous forms. O Ambika! thou art revered by all the deities; the magnificent sages faithfully prostrate themselves to thee: mayest thou give us prosperity. Thy miracles are unparalleled, Bhagavan, Ananta, Brahma, and Hara are unable to express it. Mayest thou, O Chandika! endeavour to preserve the world, and dispel the fears of the giants. Thou residest in the mansion of the virtuous as a goddess of riches, and as an unfortunate deity in the abode of the vicious, as sense in the heart of the wise, as faith in mankind, and modesty in the superior castes: to thee, O Goddess! I make obeisance and implore thee to rule the universe. How can I describe thy form which is inconceivable? thou art great, heroic, ample: destroyer of the giants. Thy deeds in war are admirable, O Goddess! and superior to the hosts of giants and gods. Thou art the instigating cause of the universal earth, of three powers; incomprehensible to sinners, and even to Hari-Hara, and so forth; thou art attended by all, and art the proprietress of this world: thou art undefinable, inscrutable, and the excellent principle of matter. Thou art Swaha in all the sacrifices. By the devout expression of thy name all the deities are gratified: people pronounce thee by the name of Swadha for the expiatory oblation for deceased ancestors. Thy stability confers inconceivable salvation, which is obtained by those votaries, who subdue their organs, thou art a goddess, thou art the supreme knowledge to edify the searcher after beatitude, sages, and those that are free from different offences. Thou art the word, source of the purest Rig, Yaju, and Saman, of eloquent florid phrases. O divine Goddess! thou art of three powers: for the augmentation of the world; thou art the destroyer of the universe and remover of severe evils. O Goddess! thou art intelligence; essence of the substance of various sciences; impenetrable; a vessel on the difficult sea of secularity; unassociated; chiefly resident in the heart of the enemy of
Khytabha.1 Gouri, thou art worn by the crescent crowned god. With a soft smile, thou art the purest representative of the perfect orbit of the moon; thou hast a beautiful golden hued body. It is an entire wonder that Mahishasura, with self-created anger could look on the enraged, and brow-contracted countenance of the goddess glowing as Sasadhara,2 and not instantly quit his soul; who can live in the sight of the enraged Untaka? O Goddess! we now entreat thy countenance for the ample increase of generations; we implore thee to destroy in thy wrath the extensive posterity of the force of Mahishasura, and to bestow the desired wealth, fame, inexhaustible virtues, offsprings, attendants, consorts, and promotion on the people of the countries thou favourest, mayest thou countenance them. O Goddess! the virtuous by faithfully performing every day the different divine services, and consecration depart to heaven, and thereby reap the fruit of their labour in the three worlds. O Durga! all creatures lose their fear by praying to thee; thou dost grant abundance of prosperities; thou dost release from pain and grievous distress; who is more watchful to oblige in every respect; and who more compassionate than thee. All the universe was made happy by the death of the giants, and though they have committed transgressions a long time which are deserving hell, yet by slaying them in battle you have sent them to heaven. Why did not all the adversaries of the deities turn to abundant ashes, when they saw the dire implements cast forth by thy hand? thou deeming it meet, that they should approach to heaven, hast purified them by thy weapons. The Asuras looking at thy fine large face, resembling the crescent of the moon, became insensible to the vivid flashes of the trident. O Goddess! thy fortitude will cause to cease the practice of all profligate acts, thy unequalled form is inconceivable, thy heroism will absorb other’s valour, and even thy foes acknowledge thy merits. Thy prowess is without equal, thy form will create fear in the enemy: in peace thou art complacent, and in war thou art implacable. O goddess! thou givest benedictions in the three worlds. Thou hast killed the foes at the head of the battle, and saved the whole of the three worlds; multitude of enemies proceeded to heaven. We are exempt from fear, and prostrate ourselves to thee, who art a foe to the intoxicated enemies of Suras. O Ambika! preserve us by thy trident and sword; preserve us by the ringing of thy bell, and by the sound of thy bow-string. O Chandika! guard the East and the West, and the South. Oh Brahmani! defend the North with thy trident. Mayest thou support the saints and good spirits that wander in three lokas; mayest thou retain a number of tremendous forms on the earth, that wield the sword, trident, club, and other instruments in their hand, to defend us at all times and places. The Rishi said, the Suras thus praised and joyfully worshipped her with the divine flowers of the garden of Nandana, rubbing sandal on the universal Dhatri. All the Tridasas faithfully offered her sweet smelling incense, the mild faced goddess said to the humble Suras. Devi said, O Tridasas! I am pleased with your worship I will affectionately give you whatever you desire. The Devas replied, O divine goddess! we have every thing that we require. Thou hast slain our adversary Mahishasura, all our desires have been obtained through thy favour, we have only one thing more to request of thee. Secure from harm whatever mortal recollects to call upon thee, repeatedly, in the time of danger. O beautiful Face! deign to give them augmentation of riches, spouses, and properties. Mayest thou eternally promote us. The Rishi said, the supreme goddess, supporter of the world granted the request, and blessed Bhadra-Kali; and then, O King! she vanished away. He related to the king the history of the conformation of the goddess from the emanation of the deities who were anxious for the weal of these three worlds. Again she was born from the body of Gouri, in order to destroy the evil Daitayas, together with Sumbha, and Nisumbha, to preserve the universe and to gratify the deities. Listen I will perfectly, detail it to you. Thus far is related in the fourth Chapter containing the praise of Sakra or Indra, and so forth.