Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Rishi said:

When the great demon was killed by the Devi all the gods, led by Agni, sang the praise of Katyayani, their shining faces filled the universe with radiant light:

“O Devi, You who remove the sufferings of your devotees, be pleased with us.
O Mother of all the world, be gracious.
O Queen of the universe, protect the universe.
O Devi, you rule everything that moves and everything that is immovable.
You alone are the foundation of everything. You stand in the form of the Earth.
All this universe gets satisfaction from You in the form of water.
You have limitless courage. You are the Vishnu Shakti.
You are the ultimate power of Maya, the seed-source of the universe.
By Your power all this universe has been thrown into illusion, O Devi,
If you become pleased you become the cause of liberation of all Creation.

All sciences are part of You. The feminine power of all women is from You.
By you alone, O Great Mother, by You alone this world is filled.
How can we sing Your praise when You are beyond praise?
All the sublime words are deficient.
O Devi, You are the power which resides in all beings to give them Self-realisation, to give the bliss of moksha. How then can we find words to describe Your glory?

You dwell as intelligence in every heart, to bestow heaven and the ultimate freedom.
O Narayani, we bow to You!

We bow to You O Narayani, who, in the form of minutes and other divisions of time, brings about change in all things and, ultimately, the destruction of the universe.

O three-eyed Devi, giver of auspiciousness and prosperity, O Narayani, You are our only refuge, we surrender to You.

We bow to You O Narayani. You are the power of creation, sustentation and destruction, eternally. You are the cause of the three Gunas and also beyond them.
You are the supreme path of salvation.

You give refuge to the dejected and distressed. You also absorb all that distresses your devotees. O Narayani, we bow to You.

You who ride in the heavenly chariot drawn by swans when You take the form of Brahmani. You sprinkle water steeped in Kusha grass. O Narayani, we bow to You.

We bow to You O Narayani, You who have the form of Maheshvari when, holding Your trident, You ride the great bull. You are adorned with the moon and a serpent.

O You who are sinless, you take the form of Kaumari, wielding great power in Your spear, accompanied by cocks and peacocks, O Narayani, we bow to You.

O you who, in the form of Vaishnavi, hold the great conch, discus, mace and bow, be pleased with us O Narayani.

We bow to You O Narayani, when in the form of Varahi, You grasp the huge discus and support the Earth on Your tusks.

In the fierce form of Narasimha You protect the three worlds, killing the demons.
O Narayani, we bow to You.

As Aindri, You hold the thunderbolt. Crowned with a diadem, dazzling with Your thousand eyes You took Vrita’s life.
O Narayani we bow, we bow to You who slew the mighty hosts of daityas when You became Shivaduti of terrible appearance and roaring voice.

In Your form as Chamunda with the garland of skulls, with Your wide mouth and fearsome teeth, You killed the demon Munda. O Narayani, we bow to You.

O Narayani, reverence to You, you are nourishment, modesty, prosperity, wisdom, faith.
You are the sweet libation and the sacrificial ladle.
You are the great night, the great illusion, we bow to You.

We bow to you O Narayani, You are Sarasvati the source of understanding, beautiful, dark-bodied, and intuitive. Be pleased with us.

O Queen of all, You reside in every being. You are the power that enlivens every being.
In the form of Durga You cross the sea of terrible calamities to rescue us. We bow to You.

May this benevolent face of Yours, adorned with three eyes, protect us from all terror.
O Katyayani we bow to You.

The slicing edge of Your flame-forged trident kills all demons. It guards us from fear.
O Bhadrakali we bow to You.

O Devi! That bell of Yours fills the world with its ringing. It destroys the vigour of the demon hosts. May it save us from error, like a mother’s voice.

O Candika! That sword you wield in Your bright hands, smeared as it was with the fat and blood of the demons, has brought our salvation. We bow to You.

When pleased You destroy all disease.
When angry You frustrate impure desires.
Those who seek You are always protected. Indeed, others seek refuge in them.

O Ambika, You manifested Your many forms as You worked this great slaughter. What other goddess is capable of this?

You are the light which reveals the wisdom of the Vedas, of the sciences and of the ancient sayings.
But in the dark pit of the selfish mind You cause the universe to reel terribly.

Wherever rakshasas dwell, and virulent, poisonous nagas, where devils dwell and venomous snakes exist; where enemies and hosts of robbers are, there You stand, even in volcanoes under water, there You stand to protect the world.

O Queen of the universe You protect and hold the universe.
You are the very Self of the universe.
You are the Goddess adored by the Lord of the universe.
Those who submit to You in devotion also become themselves the refuge of the universe.

O Goddess! Be gracious and protect us always as You have done just now by this slaughter of asuras. Destroy the sins of all the worlds, protect us from the calamities which spring from the maturing of evil conditions.

We surrender before You, be gracious O Goddess.
You alone can remove the agony of the world.
You are the one to be worshipped by the three worlds.
Please bestow boons to the worlds.”

The Devi Said:

O Devas, I am ready: ask a boon. Whatever you wish for the world, I will grant it.

The Devas said:

O Queen of all, as You have now destroyed our enemies, we pray You, please destroy all the troubles of the three worlds.

The Devi said:

When the twenty-eighth Age has arrived, during the period of Vaivasvata Manu-antara, the Demons Shumbha and Nishimbha will be born as two different demons.
Then I shall come out of the womb of Yashoda, in the house of Nanda-gopa, dwelling in the Vindhya Mountain. I will destroy the demons.
I shall incarnate again on Earth in a ferocious form to slay the danavas who descend from the Viprachitti demon. And when I chew those fierce asuras, My teeth will become red as pomegranate flowers. Therefore the Gods in heaven and the men on earth shall praise Me as Rakta-dantika when they pray.
And again, when a hundred year drought will occur I will come: mind-borne on the prayers of the saints. I shall not be born of a womb, but will behold the munis with a hundred eyes.
Then mankind shall praise Me as Shatakshi, the Hundred-eyed, and I shall nourish the world with life-sustaining foliage which shall grow from My cosmic body, until the rains set in. I shall be known then as Shambhari and shall slay the great demon called Durgama.
Then I shall be known as the goddess Durga, when I again assume that terrible form on the mountain Himalaya, and shall eat the rakshasas for the sake of the devoted munis. They shall bow and humbly praise Me as Durga-devi.
When the demon Aruna shall create havoc in the three worlds I will be known as Bhima-devi in My bee-like form as a swarm I shall slay that asura.
Then everywhere people will praise Me as Bhramari whenever demons disturb them and I will incarnate and kill their enemies.