Candika Devi

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May that Devi by whose power this world has spread,

The perfect form of the powers of countless Devas,

The Mother worshipped by Devas and Maharsis,

Do good to us

 

May that Candika whose peerless majesty and power

Neither Bhagavan Ananta, Brahma, nor Hara can declare,

Turn herself towards us for the destruction of the fear of evil,

And the protection of the whole world.

 

We bow to Her, who is good fortune itself in the dwellings of the

virtuous,

Ill fortune in those of the sinful,

Reason in the hearts of the intelligent,

faith in those of the good,

Modesty in that of the high born.

Protect , O Devi! This Universe.

 

How can we describe Thy though-transcending form,

Or, Thy greatly abounding strength which destroyed the Asuras,

Or O devi! Those great deeds of thine

Done in battle midst hosts of Devas, Asuras and others.

 

Thou art the cause of all the worlds,

Though Thy substance is the three gunas,

Yet it no fault known in thee.

Incomprehensible art thou even to Hari, Hara and other Devas,

Thou art the refuge of all.

The whole world is but a part of Thee,

Unmanifested, primeval, supreme Prakrti,

 

O Devi! Thou art Svaha

By the utterance whereof all Devas in all sacrifices are satisfied.

Thou art also declared by men to be Svadha

Which satisfies the pitrs.

 

Thou, O Devi! Whose great vrata surpasses all thoughts,

Art the supreme knowledge full of power

Which is the cause of liberation

Ever sought to be gained by those Munis desirous thereof,

Who have strictly controlled their senses and are free of all faults.

 

Thou art in the form of sound

The repository of spotless Rg and Yajus hymns,

And of the Saman hymns wherein are the verses of the Charmful Udgitha

Devi, Thou art the threefold Veda and Bhagavati,

For the maintenance of the world thou art the science of Vartta;

Thou art the supreme destroyer of its pains.

 

O Devi! Thou area the power of understanding

By which the essence of all sastras is known;

Thou art Durga, the vessel wherein we cross the dangerous ocean of

the world.

Devoid of attachment art Thou.

Sri also, who has made Thy abode in the heart of the enemy of

Kaitabha,

Thou art indeed Gauri, ,who hast fixed Thy dwelling in the moon-

crested Deva.

 

Smiling spotless like unto the full moon,

Resplendent as the finest gold

And lovely was thy face.

Yet wonderful it was that swayed by wrath

The Asuras Mahisa suddenly smote Thy face when he saw it.

 

Greatly marvelous indeed it was that when he had seen Thy face,

Wrathful, terrible frowning, beauteour as the rising moon,

Mahisa did not forthwith yield up his lire,

For who can live after beholding the wrathful king of Death?

 

O Devi our supreme Lady

Be gracious for the sake of the world.

For when wrathful Thou dost suddenly destroy the generations of the

enemies.

It is but now made known to us

That the mighty army of the Asura Mahisa had met its end.

 

Those to whom Thou, O bestower of Prosperity! Art gracious.

Are esteemed in all lands,

Their wealth and fame increases,

And their dharma, artha, kama, moksa know no lessening.

Praiseworthy are they maintaining sons, servants, and wives.

 

By thy grace, O Devi! The virtuous man, ever honoured,

Does ever daily all religious acts,

And thereafter gains heaven by Thy grace;

Therefore art Thou of a surety the giver of fruit in the three worlds.

 

O Durga; the remembrance of Thee destroyest the fear of all creatures,

When called to recollection by those in health

Thou dost bestow a truly good mind.

O remover of poverty, pain and fear,

Who but Thee art ever compassionate for the good of all.

 

By the slaying of these foes the world gains happiness.

O Devi! Thou hast slain them with the desire

That they should not always sin so as to merit Hell,

But that by death in battle they may go to Heaven.

 

Seeing, them, why dost Thou not ( by Thy look )

Turn them to ashes?

Thou throwest Thy weapon among the enemies, the Asuras,

In order that, being purified by it,

Even these enemies may go to heaven.

Such is thy merciful intention even towards them.

 

If by the glittering, formidable flashes of Thy sword,

And by the luster of Thy spear-point,

The eyes of the Asuras were not destroyed,

It was because they gazed on Thy countenance,

Like unto the radiant moon.

 

O Devi! Thy nature it is to subdue the evil works of the wicked,

Thy form, destructive of the strength of those who destroy the Devas,

Surpasses all thought, and is comparable with none.

By this Thou hast manifest Thy kindness even to enemies.

 

Devi! With whom ma this Thy valour be compared

Or Thy most charming form striking fear among foes?

In Thee only, bestower of boons, even upon three worlds,

Are seen both kindness of heart and relentlessness in battle.

 

By the destruction of their foes the three worlds have been saved by

Thee,

Thou hast led even these to heaven,

Having slain them in the front of battle.

And hast dispelled the fear of besetting us from the maddened enemies

of the Devas.

Salutations to Thee, O Devi!

 

With Thy spear protect us, O Devi!

O Mother! Protect us with Thy sword.

By the sound of Thy bell guard us,

And by the twanging of Thy bow-string

Protect us in the East and in the West,

Guard us, O Candika! In the South,

And in the North by the brandishing of Thy spear

 

Whatever gentle forms of Thine,

And whatever of Thy terrible forms

Wanders in the three worlds,

By these forms protect us and the earth.

 

O Mother! By thy sword, spear and club

And Other weapons, in Thy soft and supple hands,

Guard us on every side.

 

>From the Fourth or Shakradi Mahatmaya of Candi

( Markandeya Purana )