The Glory of Vararoha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.57.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। पंचैवं सिद्धलिंगानि कथितानि तव प्रिये। यश्चैनं वेद संकेतं क्षेत्रवासी स उच्यते

īśvara uvāca| paṁcaivaṁ siddhaliṁgāni kathitāni tava priye| yaścainaṁ veda saṁketaṁ kṣetravāsī sa ucyate

Ishvara said: Thus, O beloved, the five Siddha-lingas have been told to you; whoever understands this indication is truly called a dweller of the sacred field.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.57.2)

अथ शक्तित्रयाणां ते रौद्रीणां वच्मि विस्तरम्। इच्छाक्रियाज्ञानशक्त्यस्तिस्रस्ताः परिकीर्त्तिताः

atha śaktitrayāṇāṁ te raudrīṇāṁ vacmi vistaram| icchākriyājñānaśaktyastisrastāḥ parikīrttitāḥ

Now I shall tell you at length of the three Raudri (Rudra's) Shaktis; Iccha (will), Kriya (action), and Jnana (knowledge) Shakti — these three are proclaimed.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.57.3)

पुनस्तासां पूजनायानुक्रमं क्रमतः शृणु। चतुर्दश तथा पंच पूर्वमुक्तानि यानि तु

punastāsāṁ pūjanāyānukramaṁ kramataḥ śṛṇu| caturdaśa tathā paṁca pūrvamuktāni yāni tu

Now hear, in due order, the sequence for their worship. Of the fourteen and the five previously mentioned,

Verse 4 (skanda.7.57.4)

चत्वारि त्रीणि चैकं वा यथाशक्त्याभिपूज्य च। लिंगानि तानि संपूज्य शक्तीस्तिस्रस्ततोऽर्चयेत्

catvāri trīṇi caikaṁ vā yathāśaktyābhipūjya ca| liṁgāni tāni saṁpūjya śaktīstisrastato'rcayet

worshipping four, three, or even one according to one's ability, and having thus worshipped those lingas, one should then worship the three Shaktis.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.57.5)

सोमेशादीशदिग्भागे वरारोहेति या स्मृता। अमा कला सा सोमस्य उमा पश्चात्प्रकीर्त्तिता

someśādīśadigbhāge varāroheti yā smṛtā| amā kalā sā somasya umā paścātprakīrttitā

In the northeast direction from Somesha is she who is remembered by the name Vararoha; she is the digit of the Moon called 'ama', afterwards renowned as Uma.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.57.6)

इच्छाशक्तिस्तु सा ज्ञेया प्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थिता। तत्र देवि हितार्थाय सर्वेषां प्राणिनां भुवि

icchāśaktistu sā jñeyā prabhāsakṣetrasaṁsthitā| tatra devi hitārthāya sarveṣāṁ prāṇināṁ bhuvi

She should be known as the Iccha-shakti, established in the Prabhasa field; there, O Goddess, for the welfare of all creatures upon the earth,

Verse 7 (skanda.7.57.7)

तस्या माहात्म्यमखिलं कथयामि तवाधुना। पुरा सोमेन त्यक्ताभिर्भार्याभिस्तु वरानने

tasyā māhātmyamakhilaṁ kathayāmi tavādhunā| purā somena tyaktābhirbhāryābhistu varānane

I shall now tell you her entire glory. O fair-faced one, long ago, the wives who had been abandoned by Soma (the Moon),

Verse 8 (skanda.7.57.8)

षड्विंशद्भिस्तपस्तप्तं क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके शुभे। गौरी सा ऽऽराध्यमानाथ दिव्यवर्षगणान्बहून्

ṣaḍviṁśadbhistapastaptaṁ kṣetre prābhāsike śubhe| gaurī sārādhyamānātha divyavarṣagaṇānbahūn

twenty-six in number, performed austerity in the auspicious Prabhasa field. Then Gauri, being worshipped by them for many divine years,

Verse 9 (skanda.7.57.9)

तासां प्रत्यक्षतां प्राप्ता पार्वती परमेश्वरी। उवाच वरदा ब्रूत यद्वो मनसि संस्थितम्

tāsāṁ pratyakṣatāṁ prāptā pārvatī parameśvarī| uvāca varadā brūta yadvo manasi saṁsthitam

the supreme Goddess Parvati became visible to them and, granting a boon, said: "Speak whatever is in your mind."

Verse 10 (skanda.7.57.10)

अथ ताश्चाब्रुवन्देवि यदि तुष्टासि पार्वति। सौभाग्यं देहि नो भूरि लावण्यं परमं तथा

atha tāścābruvandevi yadi tuṣṭāsi pārvati| saubhāgyaṁ dehi no bhūri lāvaṇyaṁ paramaṁ tathā

Then they said: "O Goddess, if you are pleased, O Parvati, grant us abundant good fortune and supreme loveliness."

Verse 11 (skanda.7.57.11)

त्यक्ताः सर्वा वयं देवि निर्दोषाः स्वामिना शुभे। दौर्भाग्यदोषसंदग्धा दौर्भाग्येण तु पीडिताः

tyaktāḥ sarvā vayaṁ devi nirdoṣāḥ svāminā śubhe| daurbhāgyadoṣasaṁdagdhā daurbhāgyena tu pīḍitāḥ

"O auspicious one, we have all been abandoned by our husband though we are blameless; we are scorched by the taint of misfortune and afflicted by ill-fortune."

Verse 12 (skanda.7.57.12)

गौर्युवाच। अद्यप्रभृति सर्वा वः समं द्रक्ष्यति रात्रिपः। प्रसादान्मम चार्वंग्यो नैतन्मिथ्या भविष्यति

gauryuvāca| adyaprabhṛti sarvā vaḥ samaṁ drakṣyati rātripaḥ| prasādānmama cārvaṁgyo naitanmithyā bhaviṣyati

Gauri said: "From this day, by my grace, the lord of night (the Moon) shall look upon all of you equally, O lovely-limbed ones; this shall not prove false."

Verse 13 (skanda.7.57.13)

वरदा चेति मन्नाम वरदानाद्भविष्यति। इहागत्य तु या नारी पूजयिष्यति मां शुभाम्

varadā ceti mannāma varadānādbhaviṣyati| ihāgatya tu yā nārī pūjayiṣyati māṁ śubhām

"'Varada' (the boon-giver) shall be my name, because of this granting of a boon. Whatever woman comes here and worships me, the auspicious one,"

Verse 14 (skanda.7.57.14)

न दौर्भाग्यं कुले तस्याः क्वचित्प्राप्स्यंति योषितः। माघमासे तृतीयायामुपवासपरायणा

na daurbhāgyaṁ kule tasyāḥ kvacitprāpsyaṁti yoṣitaḥ| māghamāse tṛtīyāyāmupavāsaparāyaṇā

"the women of her lineage shall never attain misfortune. On the tritiya of the month of Magha, devoted to fasting,"

Verse 15 (skanda.7.57.15)

या मां द्रक्ष्यति सुश्रोणी मत्तुल्या सा भविष्यति। दम्पती षोडशैवात्र परिधाप्य प्रयत्नतः

yā māṁ drakṣyati suśroṇī mattulyā sā bhaviṣyati| dampatī ṣoḍaśaivātra paridhāpya prayatnataḥ

"the fair woman who beholds me shall become equal to me. Whoever diligently clothes sixteen couples here,"

Verse 16 (skanda.7.57.16)

फलानि भक्ष्यभोज्यं च पक्वान्नानि च षोडश। या प्रदास्यति वै नारी सा तूमैव भविष्यति

phalāni bhakṣyabhojyaṁ ca pakvānnāni ca ṣoḍaśa| yā pradāsyati vai nārī sā tūmaiva bhaviṣyati

"and offers fruits, delicacies, food, and sixteen cooked dishes — that woman shall herself become Uma."

Verse 17 (skanda.7.57.17)

एतद्गौरीव्रतंनाम तृतीयायां तु कारयेत्। अप्रसूता च या नारी या नारी दुर्भगा भवेत्

etadgaurīvrataṁnāma tṛtīyāyāṁ tu kārayet| aprasūtā ca yā nārī yā nārī durbhagā bhavet

"This vow, called the Gauri-vrata, should be performed on the tritiya. A woman who is childless, or a woman who is unfortunate,"

Verse 18 (skanda.7.57.18)

पुमानसकृदप्यैवं कृत्वा प्राप्स्यत्यभीप्सितम्। एवमुक्त्वा स्थिता तत्र सा देवी चारुलोचना

pumānasakṛdapyaivaṁ kṛtvā prāpsyatyabhīpsitam| evamuktvā sthitā tatra sā devī cārulocanā

"or even a man, performing this even once, obtains his heart's desire." Having said this, that lovely-eyed Goddess remained there.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.57.19)

पश्यते रात्रिनाथश्च सर्वास्ता रोहिणीं यथा। अन्यापि दुःखसंदग्धा दौर्भाग्येण तु पीडिता

paśyate rātrināthaśca sarvāstā rohiṇīṁ yathā| anyāpi duḥkhasaṁdagdhā daurbhāgyena tu pīḍitā

And the lord of night looks upon all of them just as he does Rohini. Another woman too, who was scorched by sorrow and afflicted by misfortune,

Verse 20 (skanda.7.57.20)

अपूजयदुमां देवीं सुभगा साऽभवत्ततः। इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं माहात्म्यं शक्तिसंभवम्

apūjayadumāṁ devīṁ subhagā sā'bhavattataḥ| iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktaṁ māhātmyaṁ śaktisaṁbhavam

worshipped the Goddess Uma and thereby became fortunate. Thus has this glory, arising from the Shakti, been briefly told.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.57.21)

सोमेश्वरे वरारोहा नामेति कथितं तव। सर्वपापक्षयकरं सर्वदारिद्र्यनाशनम्

someśvare varārohā nāmeti kathitaṁ tava| sarvapāpakṣayakaraṁ sarvadāridryanāśanam

At Someshvara, she is named Vararoha, as has been told to you; this destroys all sins and annihilates all poverty.