Narayani Stuti

The composition of the sage Markandeya: The Narayani Stuti, the eleventh chapter.

I meditate upon the Goddess of the Universe, who shines like the rising sun and lightning, who wears a crown of the moon, whose breasts are full, who has three eyes, whose face is smiling, and who holds the boon-giving gesture, the goad, the noose, and the gesture of dispelling fear.

The sage said:

When the great lord of the demons was slain by the Goddess there, the gods, along with Indra and led by Agni, praised Katyayani, their faces blossoming like lotuses with the fulfillment of their desires, and they became cheerful.

O Goddess, who removes the distress of those who seek refuge, be gracious, be gracious, O Mother of the entire world. Be gracious, O Lord of the universe, protect the universe. You are the sovereign of all that moves and does not move.

You alone are the foundation of the world, abiding in the form of the earth. By you, who reside in the form of water, this entire universe is nourished, O one of invincible might.

You are the power of Vishnu, of infinite valor. You are the supreme Maya, the seed of the universe. All this is deluded by you, O Devi. When pleased, you become the cause of liberation on earth.

All knowledge are different aspects of you, O Devi. All women in the worlds are parts of you. By you alone, O Mother, is all this filled. What praise can suffice for you, who are beyond all expressions of praise?

Since you, O Devi, are the bestower of enjoyment and liberation in all beings, when you are praised, what supreme words can serve as praise for you?

O Devi, who dwells in the heart of all people in the form of intellect, who grants heaven and liberation, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Divine Mother, who brings about transformation through the forms of time, and who is the power that brings the universe to rest, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O You who are the auspiciousness of all auspicious things, O Shiva, O accomplisher of all aims, O refuge, O three-eyed one, O Gauri, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Eternal One, who is the power behind creation, preservation, and destruction, O abode of the gunas, O one who is composed of the gunas, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Devi, who is devoted to the protection of those who have come for refuge, the afflicted, and the distressed, who removes all distress, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Devi, who dwells in a swan-yoked aerial chariot, who assumes the form of Brahmani, who is the power that flows from the waters of the Kaushiki, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess, who holds the trident, the moon, and the serpent, who rides the great bull, who is in the form of Maheshvari, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O sinless one, surrounded by peacocks and cocks, possessing great power, abiding in the form of Kaumari, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Devi, who holds the supreme weapons: the conch, discus, mace, and the bow Sharanga, be gracious in your Vaishnavi form, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess, who holds the fierce great discus, who lifted up the earth with your tusk, O Varahi form, O Shiva, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess, who made the effort to slay the demons with your fierce Narasimha form, who protects the three worlds, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess, crowned with a diadem, wielding the great thunderbolt, radiant with a thousand eyes, who took the life of Vritra, O Aindri, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess of great might, who slew the demons in the form of Shivaduti, of fierce form, with a great roar, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Goddess with a fearful mouth of fangs, adorned with a garland of skulls, O Chamunda, who slays the heads of demons, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Lakshmi, O Modesty, O Great Knowledge, O Faith, O Nourishment, O Svadha, O Steadfast One, O Great Night, O Great Maya, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O Intelligence, O Saraswati, O Boon-Giver, O Prosperity, O Babhravi, O Tamas, O Destiny, O Queen, be gracious to us, O Narayani, salutations to you.

O One who is the form of all, O Lord of all, endowed with all powers, protect us from fears, O Goddess Durga, O Devi, salutations to you.

May this serene face of yours, adorned with three eyes, protect us from all beings, O Katyayani, salutations to you.

May the trident, blazing and terrifying, immensely fierce, which slaughters all demons, protect us from fear, O Bhadrakali, salutations to you.

May that bell, which destroys the splendor of the demons and fills the world with its sound, protect us from evils, O Devi, just as a mother protects her children.

May your sword, which shines brightly though smeared with the impurities of blood, fat, and mire, bring us auspiciousness, O Chandika, we bow to you.

When pleased, you remove all diseases; when angered, you destroy all desires. For those who take refuge in you, there is no misfortune. Those who seek your shelter attain the highest goal.

O Devi, this destruction of the enemies of righteousness, the great demons, that you have accomplished today by assuming many forms and multiple manifestations—what other goddess could do this, O Mother?

In the scriptures, in knowledge, in the lamp of discrimination, and in the primary teachings, who other than you, O Devi, deludes this entire world, which is in the deep darkness of egotism, causing it to wander?

Where there are demons, where there are venomous serpents, where there are enemies and forces of bandits, where there is a forest fire, or in the midst of the ocean—there you are present and protect the universe.

O Queen of the universe, you protect the universe, and being the very soul of the universe, you uphold it. Those who become free from worldly bonds and are devoted to you become the refuge of the world.

O Devi, be gracious, protect us from the fear of enemies always, just as you have now quickly destroyed the demons. Quickly bring peace to all the sins of the worlds and to the great calamities born of the maturation of portents.

Be gracious to those who bow to you, O Devi, remover of all worldly distress. O one who is praised by the inhabitants of the three worlds, be the bestower of boons to the worlds.

The Goddess said:

I am the bestower of boons, O hosts of gods. Whatever you wish in your minds, choose that. I grant what is beneficial for the worlds.

The gods said:

O Queen of all, the cessation of all obstacles for the three worlds—just so must you act: the destruction of our enemies.

The Goddess said:

When the Vaivasvata Manvantara arrives, in the twenty-eighth yuga, two great demons, Shumbha and Nishumbha, will arise.

Being born in the home of Nanda, from the womb of Yashoda, I will then destroy them, I who dwell in the Vindhya mountains.

Again, assuming a very fierce form on the surface of the earth, descending, I will devour the demons called Vaiprachittas.

When I devour those fierce great demons, the Vaiprachittas, my teeth shall become red, resembling pomegranate blossoms.

Then the gods in heaven and humans in the mortal world, praising me, will ever call me Raktadantika.

Again, in a hundred-year drought when there is no water, being praised by the sages, I will arise on the earth, born without a womb.

Then I will gaze upon the sages with a hundred eyes, and thereafter humans will glorify me as Shatakshi.

Then I will nourish the entire world with vegetables born from my own body, O gods, which sustain life until the rains come.

Then I will become famous on earth as Shakambhari. And there I will slay the great demon named Durgama.

That name of mine will be renowned as Durga Devi. And again, when I assume a fearsome form in the Himalayas,

I will destroy the demons for the protection of the sages. Then all the sages, with tranquil forms, will praise me.

That name of mine will be renowned as Bhima Devi. When the demon named Aruna will cause great trouble in the three worlds,

Then I will assume a form of bees, with countless six-legged insects, and for the welfare of the three worlds, I will slay the great demon.

And then all the worlds will praise me as Bhramari. Thus, whenever there is trouble arising from demons,

Then, descending again and again, I will bring about the destruction of the enemies.

Hail! Thus ends the eleventh chapter named the Narayani Stuti in the Devi Mahatmya of the Markandeya Purana, during the Savarnika Manvantara.

Om Klim. I offer the great oblation to the Narayani Devi, who is Jayanti, complete with her limbs, powers, family, and vehicle, abiding in the Lakshmi seed mantra, borne by Garuda—salutations, Svaha.