The Establishment of the Guardian Goddesses

Verse 1 (skanda.3.74.1)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । स्थानवासिन्यो योगिन्यः काजेशेन विनिर्मिताः कस्मिन्स्थाने हि का देव्यः कीदृश्यस्ता वदस्व मे

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca sthānavāsinyo yoginyaḥ kājeśena vinirmitāḥ kasmin sthāne hi kā devyaḥ kīdṛśyas tā vadasva me

Yudhiṣṭhira said: Tell me of the resident yoginīs fashioned by Kājeśa (Shiva) — which goddess dwells in which place, and what is she like?

Verse 2 (skanda.3.74.2)

व्यास उवाच । सर्वज्ञोसि कुलीनोसि साधु पृष्टं त्वयानघ कथयिष्याम्यहं सर्वमखिलेन युधिष्ठिर

vyāsa uvāca sarvajño 'si kulīno 'si sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ tvayānagha kathayiṣyāmy ahaṁ sarvam akhilena yudhiṣṭhira

Vyasa said: You are all-knowing and well-born, O sinless one; you have asked well. I shall tell you everything in full, Yudhiṣṭhira.

Verse 3 (skanda.3.74.3)

नानाभरणभूषाढ्या नानारत्नोपशोभिताः नानावसनसंवीता नानायुवसमन्विताः

nānābharaṇabhūṣāḍhyā nānaratnopaśobhitāḥ nānāvasanasaṁvītā nānāyuvasamanvitāḥ

Those goddesses are adorned with manifold ornaments, resplendent with manifold jewels, wrapped in manifold garments, and attended by manifold youths.

Verse 4 (skanda.3.74.4)

नानावाहनसंयुक्ता नानास्वरनिनादिनीः भयनाशाय विप्राणां काजेशेन विनिर्मिताः

nānāvāhanasaṁyuktā nānāsvaraninādinīḥ bhayanāśāya viprāṇāṁ kājeśena vinirmitāḥ

They are borne on manifold mounts and resound with manifold voices; Kājeśa fashioned them to dispel the fears of the brahmins.

Verse 5 (skanda.3.74.5)

प्राच्यां याम्यामुदीच्यां च प्रतीच्यां स्थापिता हि ताः आग्नेया नैर्ऋते देशे वायव्येशानयोस्तथा

prācyāṁ yāmyām udīcyāṁ ca pratīcyāṁ sthāpitā hi tāḥ āgneyā nairṛte deśe vāyavyeśānayos tathā

They are established in the east, south, north, and west, and likewise in the south-east, south-west, north-west, and north-east corners.

Verse 6 (skanda.3.74.6)

आशापुरी च गात्राई छत्राई ज्ञानजा तथा पिप्पलांबा तथा शांता सिद्धा भट्टारिका तथा

āśāpurī ca gātrāī chattrāī jñānajā tathā pippalāṁbā tathā śāntā siddhā bhaṭṭārikā tathā

Āśāpurī, Gātrāī, Chattrāī, Jñānajā, Pippalāmbā, Śāntā, Siddhā, and Bhaṭṭārikā —

Verse 7 (skanda.3.74.7)

कदंबा विकटा मीठा सुपर्णा वसुजा तथा मातंगी च महादेवी वाराही मुकुटेश्वरी

kadaṁbā vikaṭā mīṭhā suparṇā vasujā tathā mātaṅgī ca mahādevī vārāhī mukuṭeśvarī

Kadambā, Vikaṭā, Mīṭhā, Suparṇā, Vasujā, Mātaṅgī, Mahādevī, Vārāhī, and Mukuṭeśvarī —

Verse 8 (skanda.3.74.8)

भद्रा चैव महाशक्तिः सिंहारा च महाबला एताश्चान्याश्च बहवः कथितुं नैव शक्यते

bhadrā caiva mahāśaktiḥ siṁhārā ca mahābalā etāś cānyāś ca bahavaḥ kathituṁ naiva śakyate

Bhadrā, Mahāśakti, Siṁhārā, and Mahābalā — these, and countless others besides, cannot possibly all be named.

Verse 9 (skanda.3.74.9)

नानारूपधरा देव्यो नानावेषसमाश्रिताः स्थानादुत्तरदिग्भागे आशापूर्णासमीपतः

nānārūpadharā devyo nānāveṣasamāśritāḥ sthānād uttaradigbhāge āśāpūrṇāsamīpataḥ

These goddesses assume manifold forms and wear manifold guises. To the north of this place, near Āśāpūrṇā —

Verse 10 (skanda.3.74.10)

पूर्वे तु विद्यते देवी आनंदानंददायिनी वसंती चोत्तरे देव्यो नानारूपधरा मुदा

pūrve tu vidyate devī ānandānandadāyinī vasantī cottare devyo nānārūpadharā mudā

To the east dwells the goddess who bestows supreme bliss, and to the north, joyfully, dwell goddesses of manifold forms.

Verse 11 (skanda.3.74.11)

इष्टान्कामान्ददात्येता जलदानेन तर्पिताः स्थाने नैर्ऋतिदिग्भागे शांता शांतिप्रदायिनी

iṣṭān kāmān dadāty etā jaladānena tarpitāḥ sthāne nairṛtidigbhāge śāntā śāntipradāyinī

Satisfied by offerings of water, they grant desired boons. In the south-west of this place dwells the goddess Śāntā, giver of peace —

Verse 12 (skanda.3.74.12)

सिंहोपरि समासीना चतुर्हस्ता वरप्रदा भट्टारी च महाशक्तिः पुनस्तत्रैव तिष्ठति

siṁhopari samāsīnā caturhastā varapradā bhaṭṭārī ca mahāśaktiḥ punas tatraiva tiṣṭhati

Seated upon a lion, four-armed, granter of boons — and there too, in that same place, dwells the great shakti Bhaṭṭārī.

Verse 13 (skanda.3.74.13)

संस्तुता पूजिता भक्त्या भक्तानां भयनाशिनी स्थानात्तु सप्तमे क्रोशे क्षेमलाभा व्यवस्थिता

saṁstutā pūjitā bhaktyā bhaktānāṁ bhayanāśinī sthānāt tu saptame krośe kṣemalābhā vyavasthitā

When praised and worshipped with devotion, she dispels the fears of her devotees. Seven krośas from this place dwells the goddess Kṣemalābhā —

Verse 14 (skanda.3.74.14)

सा विलेपमयी पूज्या चिंतिता सिद्धिदायिनी पूर्वस्यां दिशि लोकैस्तु बलिदानेन तर्पिता परिवारेण संयुक्ता भुक्तिमुक्ति प्रदायिनी

sā vilepamayī pūjyā cintitā siddhidāyinī pūrvasyāṁ diśi lokais tu balidānena tarpitā parivāreṇa saṁyuktā bhuktimukti pradāyinī

She is worshipped in the form of a paste-image, granting accomplishment merely upon being thought of. In the east, people satisfy her with offerings of bali, and, together with her attendant family, she grants both worldly enjoyment and liberation.

Verse 15 (skanda.3.74.15)

अचिंत्यरूपचरिता सर्वशत्रुविनाशनी संध्यायास्त्रिषु कालेषु प्रत्यक्षैव हि दृश्यते

acintyarūpacaritā sarvaśatruvināśinī saṁdhyāyās triṣu kāleṣu pratyakṣaiva hi dṛśyate

Her form and conduct are beyond thought; she destroys all enemies. At all three twilight hours she is seen directly, manifest before the eyes.

Verse 16 (skanda.3.74.16)

स्थानात्तु सप्तमे क्रोशे दक्षिणा विन्ध्यवासिनी सायुधा रूपसंपन्ना भक्तानां भयहारिणी

sthānāt tu saptame krośe dakṣiṇā vindhyavāsinī sāyudhā rūpasaṁpannā bhaktānāṁ bhayahāriṇī

Seven krośas to the south of this place dwells the goddess Vindhyavāsinī — armed, of beautiful form, and remover of her devotees' fears.

Verse 17 (skanda.3.74.17)

पश्चिमे निंबजा देवी तावद्भूमिसमाश्रिता महाबला सा दृष्टापि नयनानन्द दायिनी

paścime nimbajā devī tāvad bhūmisamāśritā mahābalā sā dṛṣṭāpi nayanānanda dāyinī

In the west, at the same distance, dwells the goddess Nimbajā — of great strength, whose very sight brings delight to the eyes.

Verse 18 (skanda.3.74.18)

स्थानादुत्तरदिग्भागे तावद्भूमिसमाश्रिता शक्तिर्बहुसुवर्णाक्षा पूजिता सासुवर्णदा

sthānād uttaradigbhāge tāvad bhūmisamāśritā śaktir bahusuvarṇākṣā pūjitā sāsuvarṇadā

In the north, at the same distance, dwells a shakti with golden eyes, who, when worshipped, bestows gold.

Verse 19 (skanda.3.74.19)

स्थानाद्वायव्यकोणे च क्रोशमात्र मिते श्रिता क्षेत्रधरा महादेवी समये च्छागधारिणी

sthānād vāyavyakoṇe ca krośamātramite śritā kṣetradharā mahādevī samaye cchāgadhāriṇī

In the north-west corner of this place, one krośa away, dwells the great goddess who is the guardian of the field, who on occasion accepts the offering of a goat.

Verse 20 (skanda.3.74.20)

पुरादुत्तरदिग्भागे क्रोशमात्रे तु कर्णिका सर्वोपकारनिरता स्थानोपद्रवनाशनी

purād uttaradigbhāge krośamātre tu karṇikā sarvopakāraniratā sthānopadravanāśinī

One krośa to the north of the town dwells the goddess Karṇikā, ever devoted to doing good, who dispels the disturbances of this place.

Verse 21 (skanda.3.74.21)

स्थानान्निर्ऋतिदिग्भागे ब्रह्माणीप्रमुखास्तथा नानारूपधरा देव्यो विद्यंते जलमातरः इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीति साहस्र्यां संहितायां तृतीये ब्रह्मखण्डे पूर्वभागे धर्मारण्यमाहात्म्ये देवतास्थापनं नाम द्वाविंशोऽध्यायः

sthānān nairṛtidigbhāge brahmāṇīpramukhās tathā nānārūpadharā devyo vidyante jalamātaraḥ iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṁ saṁhitāyāṁ tṛtīye brahmakhaṇḍe pūrvabhāge dharmāraṇyamāhātmye devatāsthāpanaṁ nāma dvāviṁśo 'dhyāyaḥ

In the south-west of this place dwell Brahmāṇī and the other principal goddesses, along with the water-mothers who assume manifold forms. Thus ends the twenty-second chapter, called "The Establishment of the Guardian Goddesses," within the Glory of Dharmaranya, in the earlier portion of the third Brahma Khanda, in the Skanda Mahapurana's Samhita of eighty-one thousand verses.