Chapter 16 - The manifestation of divine Śakti

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vāyu said:—

1-3. Then the delighted god Śiva spoke to Brahmā with a benign and sweet smile. His voice sounded like thunder. All the letters were sweet, majestic, soft, clear, full and rich in meanings. They had royal qualities being pure and efficient in the protection of all subjects.

Lord Śiva said:—

4. Dear child, O fortunate one, the gravity of your statements has been understood by me.

5. It is for the increase in the number of the subjects that this penance has been performed by you. I am delighted with your penance. I shall grant you what you desire.

6. After this sweet and liberal speech the excellent lord created the goddess from a part of his body.

7. It is the goddess whom scholars of the Vedas call

the greatest Śakti endowed with the divine qualities of Śiva the great soul.

8. It was the goddess in whom there is neither birth, nor death nor old age nor other similar things. It was the goddess who manifested herself from the body of Śiva.

9. She from whom words recede along with the mind and the sense-organs,^[1] appeared to be born of a part of the body of her husband.

10. The goddess who pervades everything through her greatness was seen like a wonderfully embodied being.

11. It is she who fascinates the entire universe with her Māyā. Really she is unborn but she appeared to be born of Śiva.

12. Her great form is not visible even to the gods. Such a great goddess of all the gods was divided in the body of her lord.

13-14. On seeing the great omniscient, omnipresent subtle goddess, devoid of the difference between Sat and Asat, the goddess who illuminates the universe with her brilliance, Brahmā bowed and prayed.

Brahmā said:—

15. O Goddess in the beginning I was created by the lord and employed in the activity of the creation. I create the universe.

16. O Goddess, the gods and others are mentally created by me. Though they are created again and again they do not increase in number.

17. Hereafter I wish to increase the number through copulation.

18. The race of women has not emerged from you. Hence I cannot create an everlasting race of women.^[2]

19-22. Śaktis originate from you. Hence I worship you alone who bestow Śaktis upon everyone everywhere, who grant boons and who are Māyā and the goddess of the gods. O omnipresent goddess for the increase of the mobile and immobile beings, please be born with a part of yours, as the daughter of Dakṣa my son. Thus requested by Brahmā the goddess created a Śakti equal in splendour to herself from the middle of her eyebrows. Lord Śiva looked at her laughingly and spoke.

23-25. “After propitiating Brahmā with penance you shall carry out what he desires”. The Śakti obeyed the lord. At the instance of Brahmā she became the daughter of Dakṣa. After giving the incomparable Śakti in the form of Brahman to Brahmā, the goddess re-entered the body of the lord. The lord vanished. Since that time the enjoyment of sexual pleasures in women was established.

26. O leading brahmins, procreation functions through copulation. O leading sages, Brahmā too was satisfied.

27. Thus the manifestation of Śakti has been narrated to you. It enhances merit. It shall be narrated with the story of creation.

28. He who recites this every day attains merits and obtains worthy sons.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cp. Vāyavīya S. 3.1.

[2]:

Cp. Ch. 15. V. 2.