Chapter 3 - Attributes of the Goddess

1. Vaishampayana said:—Having saluted the goddess Narayani, the mistress of the three worlds I shall recite the sacred hymn as sung by the ancient Rishis.

2. "O goddess, you are the salvation, intelligence, glory, bashfulness, learning, advancement and inclination of all the worlds. You are identical with twilight, night, ray, sleep and the night of death.

3. You are designated as the worshipful goddess Katyayani, Kaushiki, observant of the vow of celibacy and the mother of Kartikeya. You are highly powerful and dost practise hard austerities.

4. O goddess, you are Jaya, Vijaya, satisfaction, nourishment, forgiveness and mercy. You are clad in a blue silken raiment and the eldest sister of Yama.

5. You are of various forms, art without any, hast dreadful and large eyes and art the protector of your votaries.

6-7. O great goddess, living on the summits of fearful mountains, in rivers, caves, and forest and being adored by Savaras,^[1] Varvaras^[2] and Pulindas^[3] you dost traverse the worlds in a car consisting of peacock-feathered flags.

8. Surrounded by cocks, goats, lambs, lions and tigers and worshipped by the ringing of bells you dost always live in the mount Vindhya.

9. You dost hold trident, Pattisha and other weapons. The sun and the moon are your flags. You are the ninth day of the dark half of the month and the eleventh day of the light half.

10-11. You are 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. You dost wear bark, excellent cloth and art the dreadful twilight.

12. You are of dishevelled hairs and the death. You are fond of wine and meat. Although you are Lakshmi (of beautiful form) you dost assume a dreadful form for the destruction of the Danavas.

13-17. You art Savitri^[4] of the Vedas, the mother of mantras, the celibacy 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,^[5] Surasa^[6] of Nagas, art conversant with the knowledge of Brahman, initiation and great beauty. You are the effulgence of luminous bodies, Rohini of stars, the consummate prosperity in courts, forts, confluences of rivers and the full-moon.

18. You are the goddess of learning in Valmiki,^[7] the memory of Dvaipayana^[8] 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 your own deeds.

19-22. O goddess, you are 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. You art the direction, the contrary direction, the flame of fire, ray, Shakuni, Putana, the terrible Revati, the over-powering sleep of all creatures and Kshatrya.

23. You are Brahmavidya^[9] in learning, Om^[10] and Vasha^[11] . The Rishis know you as the ancient Parvati amongst women.

24. As said by Brahma you are Arundhati^[12] amongst chaste women. Truly you have been designated by the gods as Indrani^[13] .

25-26. This universe, mobile and immobile, is permeated by you. Undoubtedly you are 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.

27. My heart, mind and reasoning faculty are all devoted to you. Do you save me from all sins;show me this favour.

28. "O goddess, you are always propitiated with him, who, rising up early in the morning, purifying himself and controlling his mind, will read this heavenly hymn.

29-30. You 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.

31-32. O goddess, as recorded by the great saint Krishna Dvaipayana you are the supreme Brahman identical with truth. You dost drive away the fear of men, proceeding from chains, death, the destruction of children and wealth and disease. Assuming various forms at your will, you dost confer boons.

33. Stupifying Kamsa you 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 Kamsa’s milk-man".

34. Having thus addressed (the goddess of sleep) the lord disappeared and she too, saluting him, expressed her consent by saying, "So be it".

Footnotes and references:

[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]:

Dvaipayana 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.