The Glory of the Twelve-Syllabled Mantra and Parvati's Vow of Austerity

Verse 1 (skanda.6.257.1)

पार्वत्युवाच । द्वादशाक्षरमाहात्म्यं मम विस्तरतो वद । यथावर्णं यत्फलं च यथा च क्रियते मया

pārvatyuvāca dvādaśākṣaramāhātmyaṁ mama vistarato vada yathāvarṇaṁ yatphalaṁ ca yathā ca kriyate mayā

Parvati said: Tell me at length the greatness of the twelve-syllabled mantra, the fruit belonging to each syllable, and how it is to be practiced by me.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.257.2)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । द्विजातीनां सहोंकारसहितो द्वादशाक्षरः । स्त्रीशूद्राणां नमस्कारपूर्वकः समुदाहृतः

śrīmahādeva uvāca dvijātīnāṁ sahoṁkārasahito dvādaśākṣaraḥ strīśūdrāṇāṁ namaskārapūrvakaḥ samudāhṛtaḥ

Shri Mahadeva said: For the twice-born, the twelve-syllabled mantra is declared together with the syllable Om; for women and shudras it is prescribed preceded by the word 'namah' instead.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.257.3)

प्रकृतीनां रामनाम संमतो वा षडक्षरः । सोऽपि प्रणवहीनः स्यात्पुराणस्मृतिनिर्णयः

prakṛtīnāṁ rāmanāma saṁmato vā ṣaḍakṣaraḥ so'pi praṇavahīnaḥ syātpurāṇasmṛtinirṇayaḥ

For ordinary folk, the six-syllabled name of Rama is also approved; that too, by the settled judgment of the Puranas and Smritis, is without the pranava.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.257.4)

क्रमोऽयं सर्ववर्णानां प्रकृतीनां सदैव हि । क्रमेण रहितो यस्तु करोति मनुजो जपम् । तस्य प्रकुप्यति विभुर्नरकादिप्रदायकः

kramo'yaṁ sarvavarṇānāṁ prakṛtīnāṁ sadaiva hi krameṇa rahito yastu karoti manujo japam tasya prakupyati vibhurnarakādipradāyakaḥ

This order holds ever for all the varnas and for ordinary folk; whichever man performs japa without following this order, at him the all-pervading Lord grows angry and grants him hell and the like.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.257.5)

पार्वत्युवाच । मया त्रिमात्रया स्वामिन्सेव्यते जगदीश्वरः । रूपमस्य कथं जाने वचसामप्यगोचरम्

pārvatyuvāca mayā trimātrayā svāminsevyate jagadīśvaraḥ rūpamasya kathaṁ jāne vacasāmapyagocaram

Parvati said: O Lord, by me the Lord of the universe is worshipped through the three-matra syllable Om; but how am I to know his form, which is beyond the reach even of speech?

Verse 6 (skanda.6.257.6)

ईश्वर उवाच । प्रणवस्याधिकारो न तवास्ति वरवर्णिनि । नमो भगवते वासुदेवायेति जपः सदा

īśvara uvāca praṇavasyādhikāro na tavāsti varavarṇini namo bhagavate vāsudevāyeti japaḥ sadā

Ishvara said: O fair one, you have no entitlement to the pranava; your japa should ever be 'namo bhagavate vāsudevāya'.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.257.7)

पार्वत्युवाच । यदि सप्रणवं दद्याद्द्वादशाक्षरचिंतनम् । प्रणवे नाधिकारो मे कथं भवति धूर्जटे

pārvatyuvāca yadi sapraṇavaṁ dadyāddvādaśākṣaraciṁtanam praṇave nādhikāro me kathaṁ bhavati dhūrjaṭe

Parvati said: O Dhurjati, if the meditation on the twelve syllables is given together with the pranava, then how is it that I have no right to the pranava?

Verse 8 (skanda.6.257.8)

ईश्वर उवाच । प्रणवः सर्वदेवानामादिरेष प्रकीर्तितः । ब्रह्मा विष्णुः शिवश्चैव वसंति दयितायुताः

īśvara uvāca praṇavaḥ sarvadevānāmādireṣa prakīrtitaḥ brahmā viṣṇuḥ śivaścaiva vasaṁti dayitāyutāḥ

Ishvara said: This pranava is declared to be the origin of all the gods; within it dwell Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, each together with his beloved consort.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.257.9)

तत्र सर्वाणि भूतानि सर्व तीर्थानि भागशः । तिष्ठंति सर्वतीर्थानि कैवल्यं ब्रह्म एव यः

tatra sarvāṇi bhūtāni sarva tīrthāni bhāgaśaḥ tiṣṭhaṁti sarvatīrthāni kaivalyaṁ brahma eva yaḥ

Within it dwell, each in its portion, all beings and all the sacred fords; there abide all the tirthas — that itself is the Brahman which is absolute liberation.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.257.10)

तस्य योग्या तदा देवि भविष्यसि यदा तपः । चातुर्मास्ये हरिप्रीत्यै करिष्यसि शुभानने

tasya yogyā tadā devi bhaviṣyasi yadā tapaḥ cāturmāsye hariprītyai kariṣyasi śubhānane

You shall become worthy of it, O goddess, O fair-browed one, only when you perform austerity during the four months of Chaturmasya for Hari's pleasure.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.257.11)

तपसा प्राप्यते कामस्तपसा च महत्फलम् । तपसा जायते सर्वं तत्तपः सुलभं नरैः

tapasā prāpyate kāmastapasā ca mahatphalam tapasā jāyate sarvaṁ tattapaḥ sulabhaṁ naraiḥ

By austerity, desire is attained; by austerity, great fruit; by austerity, everything comes into being — yet that austerity is easily accessible to men.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.257.12)

यशः सौभाग्यमतुलं क्षमासत्यादयो गुणाः । सुलभं तपसा नित्यं तपश्चर्त्तुं न शक्यते

yaśaḥ saubhāgyamatulaṁ kṣamāsatyādayo guṇāḥ sulabhaṁ tapasā nityaṁ tapaścarttuṁ na śakyate

Fame, unequalled good fortune, and virtues such as forbearance and truthfulness — all these are ever readily won through austerity, yet austerity itself is not easy to practice.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.257.13)

यदा हि तपसो वृद्धिस्तदा भक्तिर्हरौ भवेत् । तदा हि तपसो हानिर्यदा भक्तिं विना कृतम्

yadā hi tapaso vṛddhistadā bhaktirharau bhavet tadā hi tapaso hāniryadā bhaktiṁ vinā kṛtam

When austerity increases, then devotion to Hari arises; but that austerity which is performed without devotion is indeed a loss of austerity.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.257.14)

तावत्तपांसि गर्जंति देहेऽस्मिन्सततं नृणाम् । यदा विष्णुं स्मरेन्नित्यं जिह्वाग्रं पावनं भवेत्

tāvattapāṁsi garjaṁti dehe'sminsatataṁ nṛṇām yadā viṣṇuṁ smarennityaṁ jihvāgraṁ pāvanaṁ bhavet

Austerities keep restlessly stirring within men's bodies only so long as they do not ever remember Vishnu; the moment one remembers him, the very tip of the tongue becomes purified.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.257.15)

यथा प्रदीपे ज्वलिते प्रणश्यति महत्तमः । तथा हरेः कथायां च याति पापमनेकधा

yathā pradīpe jvalite praṇaśyati mahattamaḥ tathā hareḥ kathāyāṁ ca yāti pāpamanekadhā

Just as, when a lamp is lit, deep darkness is destroyed, so too, through the recounting of Hari's deeds, sin departs in its many forms.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.257.16)

तस्मात्पार्वति यत्नेन हरौ सुप्ते तपः कुरु । चातुर्मास्येऽथ संप्राप्ते प्रणवेन समन्वितम्

tasmātpārvati yatnena harau supte tapaḥ kuru cāturmāsye'tha saṁprāpte praṇavena samanvitam

Therefore, O Parvati, when Hari lies asleep, diligently perform austerity; and when Chaturmasya arrives, perform it joined together with the pranava.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.257.17)

विशुद्धहृदया भूत्वा मन्त्रराजमिमं जप । स एव भगवांस्तुष्टो द्वादशाक्षरसंयुतम्

viśuddhahṛdayā bhūtvā mantrarājamimaṁ japa sa eva bhagavāṁstuṣṭo dvādaśākṣarasaṁyutam

Becoming pure of heart, recite this king of mantras joined with the twelve syllables; that same Lord, thus being pleased,

Verse 18 (skanda.6.257.18)

प्रदास्यति परं ज्ञानं ब्रह्मरूपमखण्डितम् । ब्रह्मकल्पांतकोटीषु जप त्वं द्वादशाक्षरम्

pradāsyati paraṁ jñānaṁ brahmarūpamakhaṇḍitam brahmakalpāṁtakoṭīṣu japa tvaṁ dvādaśākṣaram

will bestow upon you the supreme knowledge that is the unbroken form of Brahman; therefore recite the twelve syllables even to the end of crores of Brahma's kalpas.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.257.19)

मन्त्रराजं सप्रणवं ध्यायेत्सोऽपि न पश्यति । इत्युक्ता सा तपोनिष्ठा तपश्चरितुमागता

mantrarājaṁ sapraṇavaṁ dhyāyetso'pi na paśyati ityuktā sā taponiṣṭhā tapaścaritumāgatā

One should meditate upon this king of mantras together with the pranava, which is otherwise hard even to perceive. Being told this, she who was devoted to austerity set out to practice her penance.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.257.20)

हिमाचलस्य शिखरे चातुर्मास्ये समागते । ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतपरा वसनत्रयसंयुता

himācalasya śikhare cāturmāsye samāgate brahmacaryavrataparā vasanatrayasaṁyutā

On the peak of the Himalaya, when Chaturmasya had arrived, intent upon the vow of celibacy, clad in the threefold garment,

Verse 21 (skanda.6.257.21)

प्रातर्मध्येऽपराह्ने च ध्यायन्ती हरिशंकरम् । वपुर्यथा पुरा कृष्टं पूजने शंकरस्य च

prātarmadhye'parāhne ca dhyāyantī hariśaṁkaram vapuryathā purā kṛṣṭaṁ pūjane śaṁkarasya ca

meditating upon Hari-Shankara in the morning, at midday, and in the afternoon, her body drawn thin as before in the worship of Shankara,

Verse 22 (skanda.6.257.22)

सखीजन समायुक्ता पितुः शृंगे मनोहरे । अतपत्सा विशालाक्षी क्षमादिगुणसंयुता

sakhījana samāyuktā pituḥ śṛṁge manohare atapatsā viśālākṣī kṣamādiguṇasaṁyutā

accompanied by her companions, on her father's lovely peak, that large-eyed goddess, endowed with forbearance and the other virtues, performed her austerity.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.257.23)

गालव उवाच । या हि योगीश्वरध्येया या वन्द्या विश्ववन्दिता । जननी या च विश्वस्य साऽपि कामात्तपोगता

gālava uvāca yā hi yogīśvaradhyeyā yā vandyā viśvavanditā jananī yā ca viśvasya sā'pi kāmāttapogatā

Galava said: She who is meditated upon by the lords of yoga, who is worthy of homage and is worshipped by the whole world, who is herself the mother of the universe — even she, for the sake of her desire, went to practice austerity.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.257.24)

या हि प्रकृतिसद्रूपा तडित्कोटिसमप्रभा । विरजा या स्वयं वन्द्या गुणातीताचरत्तपः

yā hi prakṛtisadrūpā taḍitkoṭisamaprabhā virajā yā svayaṁ vandyā guṇātītācarattapaḥ

She who is the very reality-form of Prakriti, radiant as ten million flashes of lightning, the stainless one, herself worthy of homage and beyond the gunas — she practiced austerity.

Verse 25 (skanda.6.257.25)

पृथ्व्यंबु तेजो वायुश्च गगनं यन्मयं विदुः । मूलप्रकृतिरूपा या सा चकारोत्तम तपः

pṛthvyaṁbu tejo vāyuśca gaganaṁ yanmayaṁ viduḥ mūlaprakṛtirūpā yā sā cakārottama tapaḥ

She of whom earth, water, fire, air, and ether are known to be formed, who is the very form of the root Prakriti — she performed the highest austerity.

Verse 26 (skanda.6.257.26)

या स्थावरं जंगममाशु विश्वं व्याप्य स्थिता या प्रकृतेः पुरापि । स्पृहादिरूपेण च तृप्तिदात्री देवे प्रसुप्ते तपसाऽऽप शुद्धिम्

yā sthāvaraṁ jaṁgamamāśu viśvaṁ vyāpya sthitā yā prakṛteḥ purāpi spṛhādirūpeṇa ca tṛptidātrī deve prasupte tapasā''pa śuddhim

She who, pervading swiftly the whole moving and unmoving universe, abides therein, who existed even before Prakriti, who as desire and its forms bestows satisfaction — she, while the Lord lay asleep, attained purity through her austerity.