The Glory of Ajadevi

Verse 1 (skanda.7.59.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। अथ वच्मि तृतीयां ते ज्ञानशक्तिं शिवात्मिकाम्। प्रभासक्षेत्रमध्यस्थां दारिद्र्यौघविनाशिनीम्

īśvara uvāca| atha vacmi tṛtīyāṁ te jñānaśaktiṁ śivātmikām| prabhāsakṣetramadhyasthāṁ dāridryaughavināśinīm

Ishvara said: Now I tell you of the third — the Jnana-shakti (power of knowledge), of Shiva's own nature — established in the midst of the Prabhasa field, destroyer of the flood of poverty.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.59.2)

अजेति नाम्नीं तां देवीं राह्वीशाद्दक्षिणे स्थिताम्। मम वक्त्राद्विनिष्क्रांता षष्ठाद्वै विष्णुपूजितात्

ajeti nāmnīṁ tāṁ devīṁ rāhvīśāddakṣiṇe sthitām| mama vaktrādviniṣkrāṁtā ṣaṣṭhādvai viṣṇupūjitāt

That Goddess, named Aja, situated to the south of Rahu's shrine, emerged from my sixth face — the one worshipped by Vishnu.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.59.3)

देव्युवाच। पंचवक्त्राणि देवेश प्रसिद्धानि तव प्रभौ। षष्ठं यद्वदनं देव तस्य किं नाम संस्मृतम्। समुत्पन्ना कथं तस्मादजादेवीति या श्रुता

devyuvāca| paṁcavaktrāṇi deveśa prasiddhāni tava prabho| ṣaṣṭhaṁ yadvadanaṁ deva tasya kiṁ nāma saṁsmṛtam| samutpannā kathaṁ tasmādajādevīti yā śrutā

The Goddess said: "O Lord of gods, your five faces are well known, O Lord. What is the remembered name of that sixth face, O God? How did she who is heard of as Ajadevi arise from it?"

Verse 4 (skanda.7.59.4)

ईश्वर उवाच। साधु पृष्टं त्वया देवि यद्गोप्यं स्वसुतेष्वपि। तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि अप्रसिद्धागमोदितम्

īśvara uvāca| sādhu pṛṣṭaṁ tvayā devi yadgopyaṁ svasuteṣvapi| tatte'haṁ saṁpravakṣyāmi aprasiddhāgamoditam

Ishvara said: "Well asked, O Goddess — that which is kept secret even from my own sons, I shall now tell you, as it is declared in an obscure scripture."

Verse 5 (skanda.7.59.5)

वक्त्राणि मम देवेशि सप्तासन्पूर्वमेव हि। सद्योजातादिपंचैव षष्ठं स्मृतमजेति च

vaktrāṇi mama deveśi saptāsanpūrvameva hi| sadyojātādipaṁcaiva ṣaṣṭhaṁ smṛtamajeti ca

"O Goddess of gods, formerly I had seven faces. Five beginning with Sadyojata, and the sixth is remembered as 'Aja'."

Verse 6 (skanda.7.59.6)

सप्तमं पिचुनामेति सप्तैवं वदनानि मे। तेभ्योऽजं ब्रह्मणे दत्तं पिचुवक्त्रं तु विष्णवे

saptamaṁ picunāmeti saptaivaṁ vadanāni me| tebhyo'jaṁ brahmaṇe dattaṁ picuvaktraṁ tu viṣṇave

"The seventh is named 'Pichu'; thus I have seven faces. Of these, the Aja-face was given to Brahma, and the Pichu-face to Vishnu."

Verse 7 (skanda.7.59.7)

तस्मादहं महादेवि पंचवक्त्रोऽधुनाऽभवम्। अजस्तु ब्रह्मा सञ्जज्ञे पिचुर्विष्णुरजायत

tasmādahaṁ mahādevi paṁcavaktro'dhunā'bhavam| ajastu brahmā saṁjajñe picurviṣṇurajāyata

"Therefore, O great Goddess, I have now become five-faced. Aja arose as Brahma, and Pichu arose as Vishnu."

Verse 8 (skanda.7.59.8)

अजवक्त्रान्महादेवि अजा जाता महाप्रभा। अन्धासुररणे घोरे मम क्रोधेन भामिनि

ajavaktrānmahādevi ajā jātā mahāprabhā| andhāsurarane ghore mama krodhena bhāmini

"From the Aja face, O great Goddess, was born the Goddess Aja, of great splendor — in the terrible battle with Andhasura, O lovely one, born of my wrath."

Verse 9 (skanda.7.59.9)

खड्गचर्मधरादेवी सुरूपा सिंहवाहिनी। मर्द्दयन्ती महादैत्यान्देवीकोटिसमन्विता

khaḍgacarmadharādevī surūpā siṁhavāhinī| marddayaṁtī mahādaityāndevīkoṭisamanvitā

The Goddess, bearing sword and shield, of beautiful form, mounted on a lion, accompanied by crores of goddesses, crushed the great daityas.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.59.10)

तस्या भयेन ये दैत्या विद्रुता दक्षिणार्णवम्। पृष्ठतोऽनुययौ तान्वै सा देवी सिंहवाहिनी

tasyā bhayena ye daityā vidrutā dakṣiṇārṇavam| pṛṣṭhato'nuyayau tānvai sā devī siṁhavāhinī

Through fear of her, those daityas who fled toward the southern ocean were pursued from behind by that lion-mounted Goddess.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.59.11)

इतस्ततस्ते धावन्तो मार्यमाणाश्च तद्गणैः। प्रभासक्षेत्रसंप्राप्ता नश्यमाना महार्णवम्

itastataste dhāvaṁto māryamāṇāśca tadgaṇaiḥ| prabhāsakṣetrasaṁprāptā naśyamānā mahārṇavam

Running here and there, being slain by her hosts, they arrived, perishing, at the Prabhasa field, fleeing toward the great ocean.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.59.12)

केचित्तत्र हता दैत्याः केचित्पातालमाययुः। निःशेषान्निहतान्दृष्ट्वा सा देवी सिंहवाहिनी

kecittatra hatā daityāḥ kecitpātālamāyayuḥ| niḥśeṣānnihatāndṛṣṭvā sā devī siṁhavāhinī

Some daityas were slain there, while others fled to Patala. Having seen them all slain without remainder, that lion-mounted Goddess,

Verse 13 (skanda.7.59.13)

क्षेत्रं पवित्रमाज्ञाय तत्र स्थाने स्थिता शुभा। सोमेशादीशकोणस्था सौरीशादुत्तरे स्थिता

kṣetraṁ pavitramājñāya tatra sthāne sthitā śubhā| someśādīśakoṇasthā saurīśāduttare sthitā

recognizing that field as sacred, the auspicious Goddess settled there — situated in the northeast corner from Somesha, to the north of Suryesha (the Sun-lord's shrine).

Verse 14 (skanda.7.59.14)

यस्तां तत्र स्थितां पश्येद्योषिद्वाथ नरोऽपि वा। स भूयात्सत्त्वसौभाग्यैः सप्तजन्मानि संयुतः

yastāṁ tatra sthitāṁ paśyedyoṣidvātha naro'pi vā| sa bhūyātsattvasaubhāgyaiḥ saptajanmāni saṁyutaḥ

Whoever, woman or man, beholds her established there shall be endowed with virtue and good fortune for seven births.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.59.15)

गीतवाद्यादिकं नृत्यं यस्तत्र कुरुते नरः। तस्यान्वये न दौर्भाग्यं भूयात्तस्याः प्रसादतः

gītavādyādikaṁ nṛtyaṁ yastatra kurute naraḥ| tasyānvaye na daurbhāgyaṁ bhūyāttasyāḥ prasādataḥ

Whatever man performs song, music, and dance there — by her grace, misfortune shall never arise in his lineage.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.59.16)

घृतेन दीपकं तत्र या नारी संप्रयच्छति। रक्तवर्त्या महादेवि यावंतस्तत्र तंतवः। तावज्जन्मांतराण्येव सा सौभाग्यमवाप्नुयात्

ghṛtena dīpakaṁ tatra yā nārī saṁprayacchati| raktavartyā mahādevi yāvaṁtastatra taṁtavaḥ| tāvajjanmāṁtarāṇyeva sā saubhāgyamavāpnuyāt

Whatever woman offers a lamp there with ghee and a red wick, O great Goddess — for as many births as there are threads in that wick, she shall obtain good fortune.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.59.17)

यश्चैतत्तु पठेन्नित्यं तृतीयायां विशेषतः। शृणुयाद्वाऽपि यो भक्त्या स कामानखिलाँल्लभेत्

yaścaitattu paṭhennityaṁ tṛtīyāyāṁ viśeṣataḥ| śṛṇuyādvāpi yo bhaktyā sa kāmānakhilāḻlabheta

Whoever regularly recites this, especially on the tritiya, or whoever hears it with devotion, obtains all desires.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.59.18)

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तो रुद्रशक्तित्रयक्रमः

iti saṁkṣepataḥ prokto rudraśaktitrayakramaḥ

Thus has the sequence of Rudra's three Shaktis been briefly told.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.59.19)

एताः शक्तीः पूजयित्वा सोमेशं पूजयेत्ततः। सम्यग्यात्राफलापेक्षी एकां वा वरदामथ

etāḥ śaktīḥ pūjayitvā someśaṁ pūjayettataḥ| samyagyātrāphalāpekṣī ekāṁ vā varadāmatha

Having worshipped these Shaktis, one should then worship Somesha — for one who desires the complete fruit of the pilgrimage; or else, one may worship a single boon-granting Shakti alone.