The Greatness of Saptavimshatika

Verse 1 (skanda.6.86.1)

सूत उवाच। अथान्यापि च तत्रास्ति सप्तविंशतिका तथा ॥ नक्षत्रैः स्थापिता देवी वांछितस्य प्रदायिनी

sūta uvāca athānyāpi ca tatrāsti saptaviṁśatikā tathā nakṣatraiḥ sthāpitā devī vāṁchitasya pradāyinī

Suta said: There, too, is another goddess known as Saptavimshatika ("the goddess of the twenty-seven"), established there by the lunar constellations, who grants whatever is desired.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.86.2)

दक्षस्य तनया पूर्वं सप्तविंशतिसंख्यया ॥ उद्वाहिता हि सोमेन पूर्वं ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः

dakṣasya tanayā pūrvaṁ saptaviṁśatisaṁkhyayā udvāhitā hi somena pūrvaṁ brāhmaṇasattamāḥ

O best of brahmins, long ago Daksha's twenty-seven daughters were given in marriage to Soma, the moon.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.86.3)

तासां मध्ये ऽभवच्चैका रोहिणी तस्य वल्लभा ॥ प्राणेभ्योऽपि सदासक्तस्तया सार्धं स तिष्ठति

tāsāṁ madhye 'bhavaccaikā rohiṇī tasya vallabhā prāṇebhyo'pi sadāsaktastayā sārdhaṁ sa tiṣṭhati

Among them, one, Rohini, was his favorite; more devoted to her than to his own life, he always remained with her alone.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.86.4)

ततो दौर्भाग्यसंतप्ताः सर्वा स्ता दक्षकन्यकाः ॥ वैराग्यं परमं गत्वा क्षेत्रेऽस्मिंस्तपसि स्थिताः

tato daurbhāgyasaṁtaptāḥ sarvā stā dakṣakanyakāḥ vairāgyaṁ paramaṁ gatvā kṣetre'smiṁstapasi sthitāḥ

Then, tormented by their ill fortune, all those remaining daughters of Daksha, filled with the deepest detachment, came to this sacred place and devoted themselves to austerity.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.86.5)

संस्थाप्य देवतां दुर्गां श्रद्धया परया युताः ॥ बलिपूजोपहारैस्तां पूजयंत्यः सुरेश्वरीम्

saṁsthāpya devatāṁ durgāṁ śraddhayā parayā yutāḥ balipūjopahāraistāṁ pūjayaṁtyaḥ sureśvarīm

With the utmost faith, they installed the goddess Durga and worshipped that queen of the gods with offerings, worship, and gifts.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.86.6)

ततः कालेन महता तासां सा तुष्टिमभ्यगात् ॥ अब्रवीच्च प्रतुष्टोऽहं वरं दास्यामि पुत्रिकाः

tataḥ kālena mahatā tāsāṁ sā tuṣṭimabhyagāt abravīcca pratuṣṭo'haṁ varaṁ dāsyāmi putrikāḥ

Then, after a long time, that goddess became pleased with them, and said: "O daughters, I am well pleased with you; I shall grant you a boon."

Verse 7 (skanda.6.86.7)

तस्मात्तत्प्रार्थ्यतां चित्ते यद्युष्माकं व्यवस्थितम् ॥ सर्वं दास्याम्यसंदिग्धं यद्युष्माकं हृदि स्थितम्

tasmāttatprārthyatāṁ citte yadyuṣmākaṁ vyavasthitam sarvaṁ dāsyāmyasaṁdigdhaṁ yadyuṣmākaṁ hṛdi sthitam

"Therefore ask for whatever is settled in your minds; whatever lies in your hearts, I shall grant it all without doubt."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.86.8)

ततः प्रोचुश्च ताः सर्वाः प्रसादात्तव वांछितम् ॥ अस्माकं विद्यते देवि यावत्त्रैलोक्यसंस्थितम्

tataḥ procuśca tāḥ sarvāḥ prasādāttava vāṁchitam asmākaṁ vidyate devi yāvattrailokyasaṁsthitam

Then they all said: "O goddess, as long as these three worlds endure, may we obtain, by your grace, what we desire --"

Verse 9 (skanda.6.86.9)

एकं पत्युः सुखं मुक्त्वा यत्सौभाग्यसमुद्भवम् ॥ तस्मात्तद्देहि चास्माकं यदि तुष्टासि चंडिके

ekaṁ patyuḥ sukhaṁ muktvā yatsaubhāgyasamudbhavam tasmāttaddehi cāsmākaṁ yadi tuṣṭāsi caṁḍike

"-- namely that one joy which comes of good fortune with one's husband. O Chandika, if you are pleased with us, grant us that alone."

Verse 10 (skanda.6.86.10)

वयं दौर्भाग्यदोषेण सर्वाः क्लेशं परं गताः ॥ न शक्नुमः प्रियान्प्राणान्देहे धर्तुं कथंचन

vayaṁ daurbhāgyadoṣeṇa sarvāḥ kleśaṁ paraṁ gatāḥ na śaknumaḥ priyānprāṇāndehe dhartuṁ kathaṁcana

"By the fault of this ill fortune we are all sunk in the deepest distress; we can no longer bear to hold our dear lives within our bodies."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.86.11)

श्रीदेव्युवाच। अद्यप्रभृति युष्माकं सौभाग्यं पतिसंभवम्॥ मत्प्रसादादसंदिग्धं भविष्यति सुखोदयम्

śrīdevyuvāca adyaprabhṛti yuṣmākaṁ saubhāgyaṁ patisaṁbhavam matprasādādasaṁdigdhaṁ bhaviṣyati sukhodayam

Shri Devi said: "From this day forth, by my grace, your good fortune arising from your husband shall without doubt bring you happiness."

Verse 12 (skanda.6.86.12)

अन्यापि या पतित्यक्ता स्त्री मामत्र स्थितां सदा ॥ पूजयिष्यति सद्भक्तया चतुर्दश्यामुपोषिता

anyāpi yā patityaktā strī māmatra sthitāṁ sadā pūjayiṣyati sadbhaktayā caturdaśyāmupoṣitā

"Any other woman too, one abandoned by her husband, who fasts and worships me here, ever present in this place, with true devotion on the fourteenth day --"

Verse 13 (skanda.6.86.13)

सा भविष्यति सौभाग्ययु्क्ता पुत्रवती सती ॥ यावत्संवत्सरं तावदेकभक्तपरायणा

sā bhaviṣyati saubhāgyayuktā putravatī satī yāvatsaṁvatsaraṁ tāvadekabhaktaparāyaṇā

"-- that virtuous woman, should she remain devoted for a full year to eating only once a day, shall become blessed with good fortune and with sons."

Verse 14 (skanda.6.86.14)

अक्षारलवणाशा या नारी मां पूजयिष्यति ॥ न तस्याः पतिजं दुःखं दौर्भाग्यं वा भविष्यति

akṣāralavaṇāśā yā nārī māṁ pūjayiṣyati na tasyāḥ patijaṁ duḥkhaṁ daurbhāgyaṁ vā bhaviṣyati

"The woman who worships me while eating food free of alkali and salt shall suffer neither sorrow nor misfortune arising from her husband."

Verse 15 (skanda.6.86.15)

आश्विनस्य सिते पक्षे संप्राप्ते नवमीदिने ॥ उपवासपरा या मां निशीथे पूजयिष्यति ॥ तस्याः सौभाग्यमत्युग्रं सर्वदा वै भविष्यति

āśvinasya site pakṣe saṁprāpte navamīdine upavāsaparā yā māṁ niśīthe pūjayiṣyati tasyāḥ saubhāgyamatyugraṁ sarvadā vai bhaviṣyati

"When the ninth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Ashvin arrives, the woman who, devoted to fasting, worships me at midnight—her good fortune shall forever remain exceedingly great."

Verse 16 (skanda.6.86.16)

एवमुक्त्वा तु सा देवी विरराम द्विजोत्तमाः ॥ ताश्च सर्वाः सुसंहृष्टा जग्मुर्दक्षस्य मंदिरम्

evamuktvā tu sā devī virarāma dvijottamāḥ tāśca sarvāḥ susaṁhṛṣṭā jagmurdakṣasya maṁdiram

O best of brahmins, having said this, the goddess fell silent, and all those maidens, greatly rejoicing, went to Daksha's abode.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.86.17)

एतस्मिन्नंतरे दक्ष आहूतः शूलपाणिना ॥ प्रोक्तः कस्मात्त्वया चन्द्रो यक्ष्मणा संनियोजितः ॥ तदयुक्तं कृतं दक्ष जामाताऽयं यतस्तव

etasminnaṁtare dakṣa āhūtaḥ śūlapāṇinā proktaḥ kasmāttvayā candro yakṣmaṇā saṁniyojitaḥ tadayuktaṁ kṛtaṁ dakṣa jāmātā'yaṁ yatastava

Meanwhile, the trident-bearing Shiva summoned Daksha and said: "Why have you afflicted Chandra with the wasting disease of yakshma? O Daksha, this you have done unjustly, since he is your own son-in-law."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.86.18)

दक्ष उवाच। अनेन तनया मह्यमष्टाविंशतिसंख्यया ॥ ऊढा अखण्डचारित्रास्तास्त्यक्ता दोषवर्जिताः ॥ मुक्त्वैकां रोहिणीं देव निषिद्धेन मयाऽसकृत्

dakṣa uvāca anena tanayā mahyamaṣṭāviṁśatisaṁkhyayā ūḍhā akhaṇḍacāritrāstāstyaktā doṣavarjitāḥ muktvaikāṁ rohiṇīṁ deva niṣiddhena mayā'sakṛt

Daksha said: "He married my twenty-eight daughters, all of unbroken virtue and free of any fault, and yet, save Rohini alone, he abandoned all the rest—though, O Lord, I forbade him this again and again."

Verse 19 (skanda.6.86.19)

ततो मयाऽतिकोपेन नियुक्तो राजयक्ष्मणा ॥ असत्यजल्पको मन्दः कामदेववशं गतः

tato mayā'tikopena niyukto rājayakṣmaṇā asatyajalpako mandaḥ kāmadevavaśaṁ gataḥ

"Therefore, in great anger, I afflicted him with the royal wasting disease; this fool, a speaker of falsehood, has fallen under the sway of desire."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.86.20)

श्रीभगवानुवाच। अद्यप्रभृति सर्वासां समं स प्रचरिष्यति ॥ मद्वाक्यान्नात्र संदेहः सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्॥

śrībhagavānuvāca adyaprabhṛti sarvāsāṁ samaṁ sa pracariṣyati madvākyānnātra saṁdehaḥ satyametanmayoditam

Shri Bhagavan said: "From this day forward he shall move equally among them all; there is no doubt in this word of mine—this I speak in truth."

Verse 21 (skanda.6.86.21)

त्वयापि यद्वचः प्रोक्तमसत्यं स्यान्न तत्क्वचित् ॥ तस्मादेष क्षयं पक्षं वृद्धिं पक्षं प्रयास्यति

tvayāpi yadvacaḥ proktamasatyaṁ syānna tatkvacit tasmādeṣa kṣayaṁ pakṣaṁ vṛddhiṁ pakṣaṁ prayāsyati

"And what you too have spoken shall also never prove false; therefore he shall wane in one fortnight and wax in the other."

Verse 22 (skanda.6.86.22)

दक्षोऽपि बाढमित्येव तत्प्रोक्त्वा च ययौ गृहम् ॥ चंद्रस्तु दक्षकन्यास्ताः समं पश्यति सर्वदा

dakṣo'pi bāḍhamityeva tatproktvā ca yayau gṛham caṁdrastu dakṣakanyāstāḥ samaṁ paśyati sarvadā

Daksha too, saying "So be it," agreed, and went home. Since then, the moon has always looked upon all Daksha's daughters equally,

Verse 23 (skanda.6.86.23)

गच्छमानः क्षयं पक्षं वृद्धिं पक्षं च सद्द्विजाः ॥ सापि देवी ततः प्रोक्ता सप्तविंशतिका क्षितौ ॥ सर्वसौभाग्यदा स्त्रीणां तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे व्यवस्थिता

gacchamānaḥ kṣayaṁ pakṣaṁ vṛddhiṁ pakṣaṁ ca saddvijāḥ sāpi devī tataḥ proktā saptaviṁśatikā kṣitau sarvasaubhāgyadā strīṇāṁ tasminkṣetre vyavasthitā

O worthy brahmins, waning in one fortnight and waxing in the other. And that goddess too, from then on, has been known on earth as Saptavimshatika, established in that sacred place, granting every good fortune to women.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.86.24)

यश्चैतत्पुरतस्तस्याः संप्राप्ते चाष्टमीदिने ॥ शुचिर्भूत्वा पठेद्भक्त्या स सौभाग्यमवाप्नुयात्

yaścaitatpuratastasyāḥ saṁprāpte cāṣṭamīdine śucirbhūtvā paṭhedbhaktyā sa saubhāgyamavāpnuyāt

Whoever, when the eighth lunar day arrives, becomes pure and recites this before her with devotion, attains good fortune.