The Origin of the Goddess's Power

Verse 1 (shiva.vayaviya.16.1)

वायुरुवाच । अथ देवो महादेवो महाजलदनादया । वाचा मधुरगम्भीरशिवदश्लक्ष्णवर्णया

vāyuruvāca | atha devo mahādevo mahājaladanādayā | vācā madhuragambhīraśivadaślakṣṇavarṇayā

Vayu said: Then the God Mahadeva, with a voice like the roar of a great rain-cloud, sweet and deep, auspicious-sounding, of smooth utterance,

Verse 2 (shiva.vayaviya.16.2)

अर्थसम्पन्नपदया राजलक्षणयुक्तया । अशेषविषयारम्भरक्षाविमलयदक्षया

arthasampannapadayā rājalakṣaṇayuktayā | aśeṣaviṣayārambharakṣāvimalayadakṣayā

-- with words rich in meaning, endowed with regal quality, skillful and pure in undertaking and protecting every matter,

Verse 3 (shiva.vayaviya.16.3)

मनोहरतरोदारमधुरस्मितपूर्वया । सम्बभाषेसुसम्प्रीतो विश्वकर्माणमीश्वरः

manoharatarodāramadhurasmitapūrvayā | sambabhāṣesusamprīto viśvakarmāṇamīśvaraḥ

-- preceded by an enchanting, noble, sweet smile -- the Lord, greatly pleased, spoke to Vishvakarma.

Verse 4 (shiva.vayaviya.16.4)

ईश्वर उवाच । वत्स वत्स महाभाग मम पुत्र पितामह । ज्ञातमेव मया सर्वं तव वाक्यस्य गौरवम्

īśvara uvāca | vatsa vatsa mahābhāga mama putra pitāmaha | jñātameva mayā sarvaṁ tava vākyasya gauravam

Ishvara said: 'Child, child, greatly fortunate one, my son, Grandsire -- I have understood entirely the weight of your words.'

Verse 5 (shiva.vayaviya.16.5)

प्रजानामेव वृद्ध्यर्थं तपस्तप्तं त्वयाधुना । तपसानेन तुष्टोऽस्मि ददामि च तवेप्सितम्

prajānāmeva vṛddhyarthaṁ tapastaptaṁ tvayādhunā | tapasānena tuṣṭo'smi dadāmi ca tavepsitam

'The austerity you have now performed was for the sake of the increase of creatures alone. By this austerity I am pleased, and I grant you what you desire.'

Verse 6 (shiva.vayaviya.16.6)

इत्युक्त्वा परमोदारं स्वभावमधुरं वचः । ससर्ज वपुषो भागाद्देवीं देववरो हरः

ityuktvā paramodāraṁ svabhāvamadhuraṁ vacaḥ | sasarja vapuṣo bhāgāddevīṁ devavaro haraḥ

Having spoken these most noble words, sweet by their very nature, Hara, the best of gods, created the Goddess from a part of his body,

Verse 7 (shiva.vayaviya.16.7)

यामाहुर्ब्रह्मविद्वांसो देवीं दिव्यगुणान्विताम् । परस्य परमां शक्तिं भवस्य परमात्मनः

yāmāhurbrahmavidvāṁso devīṁ divyaguṇānvitām | parasya paramāṁ śaktiṁ bhavasya paramātmanaḥ

-- she whom the knowers of Brahman call the Goddess endowed with divine qualities, the Supreme Shakti of the Supreme Self, Bhava, who is beyond all,

Verse 8 (shiva.vayaviya.16.8)

यस्यां न खलु विद्यन्ते जन्ममृत्युजरादयः । या भवानी भवस्याङ्गात्समाविरभवत्किल

yasyāṁ na khalu vidyante janmamṛtyujarādayaḥ | yā bhavānī bhavasyāṅgātsamāvirabhavatkila

-- in whom birth, death, old age, and the like do not exist; she who, as Bhavani, manifestly arose from the body of Bhava,

Verse 9 (shiva.vayaviya.16.9)

यस्या वाचो निवर्तन्ते मनसा चेन्द्रियैः सह । सा भर्तुर्वपुषो भागाज्जातेव समदृश्यत

yasyā vāco nivartante manasā cendriyaiḥ saha | sā bharturvapuṣo bhāgājjāteva samadṛśyata

-- she from whom words, along with the mind and the senses, turn back; she appeared as though born from a part of her husband's body,

Verse 10 (shiva.vayaviya.16.10)

या सा जगदिदं कृत्स्नं महिम्ना व्याप्य तिष्ठति । शरीरिणीव स देवी विचित्रं समलक्ष्यत

yā sā jagadidaṁ kṛtsnaṁ mahimnā vyāpya tiṣṭhati | śarīriṇīva sa devī vicitraṁ samalakṣyata

-- she who pervades and abides in this entire universe by her own glory; that Goddess, as though embodied, appeared wondrous to behold.

Verse 11 (shiva.vayaviya.16.11)

सर्वं जगदिदं चैषा सम्मोहयति मायया । ईश्वरात्सैव जाताऽभूदजाता परमार्थतः

sarvaṁ jagadidaṁ caiṣā sammohayati māyayā | īśvarātsaiva jātā'bhūdajātā paramārthataḥ

This Goddess bewilders the entire universe by her Maya; though she appears to have arisen from Ishvara, in ultimate reality she is unborn.

Verse 12 (shiva.vayaviya.16.12)

न यस्याः परमो भावः सुराणामपि गोचरः । विश्वामरेश्वरी चैव विभक्ता भर्तुरङ्गतः

na yasyāḥ paramo bhāvaḥ surāṇāmapi gocaraḥ | viśvāmareśvarī caiva vibhaktā bharturaṅgataḥ

Her supreme nature is not within the range even of the gods; and she, the Sovereign Mistress of the gods of the universe, thus became distinct from her husband's body.

Verse 13 (shiva.vayaviya.16.13)

तां दृष्ट्वा परमेशानीं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरीम् । सर्वज्ञां सर्वगां सूक्ष्मां सदसद्व्यक्तिवर्जिताम्

tāṁ dṛṣṭvā parameśānīṁ sarvalokamaheśvarīm | sarvajñāṁ sarvagāṁ sūkṣmāṁ sadasadvyaktivarjitām

Seeing her, the Supreme Sovereign Lady, the Great Mistress of all worlds, all-knowing, all-pervading, subtle, free from the manifest condition of both existence and non-existence,

Verse 14 (shiva.vayaviya.16.14)

परमां निखिलं भासा भासयन्तीमिदं जगत् । प्रणिपत्य महादेवीं प्रार्थयामास वै विराट्

paramāṁ nikhilaṁ bhāsā bhāsayantīmidaṁ jagat | praṇipatya mahādevīṁ prārthayāmāsa vai virāṭ

-- supreme, illumining this entire universe with her own radiance -- Virat Brahma bowed down before the Great Goddess and made this entreaty:

Verse 15 (shiva.vayaviya.16.15)

ब्रह्मोवाच । देवि देवेन सृष्टोऽहमादौ सर्वजगन्मयि । प्रजासर्गे नियुक्तश्च सृजामि सकलं जगत्

brahmovāca | devi devena sṛṣṭo'hamādau sarvajaganmayi | prajāsarge niyuktaśca sṛjāmi sakalaṁ jagat

Brahma said: 'O Goddess, I was created by the God in the beginning, O you who pervade the whole universe. Appointed to the task of creating progeny, I create the entire world.'

Verse 16 (shiva.vayaviya.16.16)

मनसा निर्मिताः सर्वे देवि देवादयो मया । न वृद्धिमुपगच्छन्ति सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः

manasā nirmitāḥ sarve devi devādayo mayā | na vṛddhimupagacchanti sṛjyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ

'All the gods and others, O Goddess, have been fashioned by me through mind; yet they do not attain increase, even though created again and again.'

Verse 17 (shiva.vayaviya.16.17)

मिथुनप्रभवामेव कृत्वा सृष्टिमतः परम् । संवर्धयितुमिच्छामि सर्वा एव मम प्रजाः

mithunaprabhavāmeva kṛtvā sṛṣṭimataḥ param | saṁvardhayitumicchāmi sarvā eva mama prajāḥ

'Henceforth, having made the creation arise from sexual union alone, I wish to cause all my creatures to flourish.'

Verse 18 (shiva.vayaviya.16.18)

न निर्गतं पुरा त्वत्तो नारीणां कुलमव्ययम् । तेन नारीकुलं स्रष्टुं शक्तिर्मम न विद्यते

na nirgataṁ purā tvatto nārīṇāṁ kulamavyayam | tena nārīkulaṁ sraṣṭuṁ śaktirmama na vidyate

'But since the imperishable race of women has not yet come forth from you, I do not possess the power to create the race of women.'

Verse 19 (shiva.vayaviya.16.19)

सर्वासामेव शक्तीनां त्वत्तः खलु समुद्भवः । तस्मात्सर्वत्र सर्वेषां सर्वशक्तिप्रदायिनीम्

sarvāsāmeva śaktīnāṁ tvattaḥ khalu samudbhavaḥ | tasmātsarvatra sarveṣāṁ sarvaśaktipradāyinīm

'Indeed, the origin of all powers whatsoever is from you alone. Therefore, O bestower of all power everywhere upon all --'

Verse 20 (shiva.vayaviya.16.20)

त्वामेव वरदां मायां प्रार्थयामि सुरेश्वरीम् । चराचरविवृद्ध्यर्थमंशेनैकेन सर्वगे

tvāmeva varadāṁ māyāṁ prārthayāmi sureśvarīm | carācaravivṛddhyarthamaṁśenaikena sarvage

'-- I entreat you, the boon-granting Maya, the Sovereign Mistress of the gods, O all-pervading one, for the sake of the increase of all moving and unmoving beings, in a single portion of yourself --'

Verse 21 (shiva.vayaviya.16.21)

दक्षस्य मम पुत्रस्य पुत्री भव भवार्दिनि । एवं सा याचिता देवी ब्रह्मणा ब्रह्मयोनिना

dakṣasya mama putrasya putrī bhava bhavārdini | evaṁ sā yācitā devī brahmaṇā brahmayoninā

'-- O Reliever of worldly affliction, become the daughter of Daksha, my son.' Thus entreated by Brahma, the source of the Vedas, that Goddess --

Verse 22 (shiva.vayaviya.16.22)

शक्तिमेकां भ्रुवोर्मध्यात् ससर्जात्मसमप्रभाम् । तामाह प्रहसन् प्रेक्ष्य देवदेववरो हरः

śaktimekāṁ bhruvormadhyāt sasarjātmasamaprabhām | tāmāha prahasan prekṣya devadevavaro haraḥ

-- created a single Shakti from between her eyebrows, of radiance equal to her own. Seeing her, Hara, the best of the gods of gods, laughing, said to her --

Verse 23 (shiva.vayaviya.16.23)

ब्रह्माणं तपसाराध्य कुरु तस्य यथेप्सितम् । तामाज्ञां परमेशस्य शिरसा प्रतिगृह्य सा

brahmāṇaṁ tapasārādhya kuru tasya yathepsitam | tāmājñāṁ parameśasya śirasā pratigṛhya sā

'Having been propitiated by Brahma through his austerity, do for him as he desires.' Having received that command of the Supreme Lord in reverence, she --

Verse 24 (shiva.vayaviya.16.24)

ब्रह्मणो वचनाद्देवी दक्षस्य दुहिताऽभवत् । दत्त्वैवमतुलां शक्तिं ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपिणीम्

brahmaṇo vacanāddevī dakṣasya duhitā'bhavat | dattvaivamatulāṁ śaktiṁ brahmaṇe brahmarūpiṇīm

-- that Goddess, at the word of Brahma, became the daughter of Daksha. Thus having given that unequaled, Brahman-formed Shakti to Brahma,

Verse 25 (shiva.vayaviya.16.25)

विवेश देहं देवस्य देवश्चान्तरधीयत । तदाप्रभृति लोकेऽस्मिन् स्त्रियां भोगः प्रतिष्ठितः

viveśa dehaṁ devasya devaścāntaradhīyata | tadāprabhṛti loke'smin striyāṁ bhogaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

she entered the body of the god, and the god vanished from sight. From that time onward, in this world, the power of union became established in woman,

Verse 26 (shiva.vayaviya.16.26)

प्रजासृष्टिश्च विप्रेन्द्रा मैथुनेन प्रवर्तते । ब्रह्मापि प्राप सानन्दं सन्तोषं मुनिपुङ्गवाः

prajāsṛṣṭiśca viprendrā maithunena pravartate | brahmāpi prāpa sānandaṁ santoṣaṁ munipuṅgavāḥ

and, O foremost of Brahmins, thus the creation of progeny through sexual union began. Brahma too, O bull-like sages, attained blissful contentment.

Verse 27 (shiva.vayaviya.16.27)

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं देव्याः शक्तिसमुद्भवम् । पुण्यवृद्धिकरं श्राव्यं भूतसर्गानुषङ्गतः

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṁ devyāḥ śaktisamudbhavam | puṇyavṛddhikaraṁ śrāvyaṁ bhūtasargānuṣaṅgataḥ

All this has been related to you -- the origination of the Goddess's Shakti -- meritorious to hear, increasing merit, connected with the creation of beings.

Verse 28 (shiva.vayaviya.16.28)

य इदं कीर्तयेन्नित्यं देव्याः शक्तिसमुद्भवम् । पुण्यं सर्वमवाप्नोति पुत्रांश्च लभते शुभान्

ya idaṁ kīrtayennityaṁ devyāḥ śaktisamudbhavam | puṇyaṁ sarvamavāpnoti putrāṁśca labhate śubhān

Whoever constantly recites this account of the origination of the Goddess's Shakti obtains all merit, and gains auspicious sons.