Chapter 57 - Greatness of Varārohā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-4. Thus, O my beloved, five Siddhaliṅgas have been spoken to you. He who understands this convention is called Kṣetravāsin (a resident of holy spot).

Henceforth, I shall describe in detail the three Śaktis of Rudra to you. They are: Icchā (Volition), Jñāna (Knowledge) and Kriyā (Action) of the Liṅgas mentioned to you previously. Listen to the sequence of their worship. A devotee duly worships fourteen, five, four, three or one in accordance with his capacity and thereafter adores the three Śaktis.

5. The deity stationed on the north-east of Someśa and remembered as Varārohā is the digit Amā of Soma (Moon). It is later glorified as Umā.

6. The deity is to be known as Icchā Śakti. She is stationed in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, O goddess, for the welfare of all the living beings on the earth.

7-9. Now I shall fully narrate the greatness of that deity to you. O lady of excellent countenance, a penance was performed by the twenty-six wives ignored and abandoned by Soma. For many years according to the divine reckoning, Gaurī was propitiated in the splendid holy spot of Prabhāsa. Pārvatī, the great goddess, became manifest to them and said: “I am the bestower of boons. Do tell me what has been thought of in your minds.”

10-11. Then they said: “O goddess Pārvatī, if you are pleased, grant unto us the utmost conjugal felicity and excellent loveliness. O splendid goddess, though guiltless, all of us have been deserted by our Lord and master. We have been scorched by the fault of unluckiness and afflicted by adverse fate.”

Gaurī said:

12. From now onwards the Lord of the Night (Soma) will treat all of you alike, with my favour. O ladies of exquisitely beautiful limbs, this will never be false.

13-16. On account of this granting of the boon, my name will be Varadā. If any woman comes here and adores me, the splendid one, the women in her family will never meet with bad luck.

A woman of excellent hips who observes fast on the third lunar day in the month of Māgha and views me, will be on a par with me.

A woman who scrupulously offers garments to sixteen couples and feeds them with fruits and various foodstuffs as well as sixteen types of sweetmeats will definitely become Umā.

17. A woman of ill-luck and one who has not yet given birth to any child, should perform this holy rite named Gaurīvrata on the third lunar day.

18. A man who performs this Vrata frequently shall obtain the desired things.

After saying this, that goddess of beautiful eyes stood by.

19-21. The Lord of the Night began to treat all of them as he treated Rohiṇī. Another woman scorched by misery and blighted by misfortune worshipped Goddess Umā and she became happy and lucky thereafter.

Thus the greatness of Śakti has been succinctly described. The name Varārohā of thine, has been mentioned in the holy spot of Someśvara. It causes the destruction of all sins and of poverty of all sorts.