Praise of the Goddess by Indra and the Devas
Maharishi Medha said – After the Goddess had slain the mighty and wicked Mahishasura and destroyed the Asura army, Indra and all the other Devas bowed their heads and bodies before Bhagavati and began to praise Her:
“We bow with devotion to Ambika, whose Shakti pervades the entire universe and who is worshipped by all the Devas and Maharishis. May She bless us with well-being. May Chandika Devi, whose incomparable power and glory cannot be fully described even by Lord Vishnu, Lord Shankar and Brahmaji, protect this entire universe and remove every inauspicious fear.
O Devi, in the homes of the virtuous You dwell as Lakshmi, while in the homes of the unrighteous You appear as Alakshmi. In noble families You reside as modesty and dignity. We bow to You, Durga Bhagavati. O Devi, protect this universe. How can we possibly describe Your inconceivable form? How can we speak adequately of Your tremendous power in destroying the Asuras, or of the sacred deeds through which You guide both Devas and Daityas?
O Devi, although You are Trigunatmika, You are also the source from which the entire universe arises. Neither Lord Vishnu, Lord Shankar nor any other Deva can reach the limit of Your true nature. You are the refuge of all, and this entire universe exists as a manifestation of You, for You are the primordial Prakriti from which all things arise.
O Devi, You are Swaha, the sacred invocation through which the Devas receive offerings in Yajna. You are also Swadha, through which the Pitrs are satisfied. You are the Vidya that leads to Moksha, the inconceivable supreme knowledge sought by sages who have mastered the essence of reality and freed themselves from faults. You are Vani itself. You are the foundation of the faultless Rigveda and Yajurveda, and of the Samaveda with its beautiful and melodious chants. You are Bhagavati.
For the creation and sustenance of this universe, You manifest as the knowledge that supports life and livelihood, and You remove the suffering of all beings. O Devi, You are Medha, the power through which the Shastras are understood, and You are also the boat that carries beings across the difficult ocean of worldly existence.
You are Lakshmi, who dwells in the heart of Lord Vishnu, and You are Gauri, honoured by Lord Mahadev. Your face, gentle with a soft smile, pure like the full Moon and radiant with the beauty of refined gold, is so graceful that it is astonishing that Mahishasura could look upon it and still be filled with anger.
And yet, O Devi, when that same face became filled with wrath, glowing red like the rising Moon and made fierce by Your arched brows, it is equally astonishing that Mahishasura did not lose his life at once. Who could remain alive after beholding Your angry form? O Devi, be gracious to us. When You are pleased, the world prospers; when You are angered, entire lineages may be destroyed. We have witnessed this ourselves, for You destroyed the vast army of Mahishasura before our very eyes.
O Devi, whoever receives Your grace becomes honoured in the land. Their wealth and reputation increase, their Dharma remains firm, and their families and households prosper. By Your grace, a righteous person performs Yajna with faith, follows the path of Dharma and, through the merit of such actions, attains the higher worlds. For You are the one who grants desired blessings throughout all three worlds.
O Mother Durga, when remembered, You remove the fears of all beings, and when meditated upon by those with steady minds, You grant the highest auspiciousness. O Devi, destroyer of poverty and sorrow, who other than You is so compassionate? Your heart is always turned towards the welfare of others.
O Devi, even when You slay Your enemies, Your purpose is ultimately compassionate, because by their destruction others are freed from suffering. Though those Asuras may have accumulated sins for a long time and become destined for suffering, by dying in battle against You they attain a higher state. In this way, even towards Your enemies, Your intention is ultimately benevolent.
O Devi, could You not reduce all the Asuras to ashes with a mere glance? Surely You could. Yet You choose to destroy them with weapons so that, by dying in battle before You, they may attain a blessed destination. Such is Your compassion even towards those who oppose You.
O Devi, it is remarkable that the eyes of the Asuras were not blinded by the fierce brilliance of Your sword or by the radiant points of Your Trishul. Perhaps it was because their gaze remained fixed upon Your beautiful, moon-like face, which brought delight even in the midst of battle.
Your nature destroys wickedness, Your form is beyond imagination and beyond comparison, and Your strength and courage destroy the enemies of Dharma. Even in battle, You display compassion towards those You defeat. O Devi, with whom can Your power be compared? And who else possesses such a beautiful form while striking such fear into the hearts of the wicked?
Compassion in the heart and terrible firmness in battle — these two qualities are found together in You alone throughout the three worlds. O Mother, by slaying the enemies on the battlefield, You granted them a higher destination. In this way You protected all three worlds and removed the fear caused by those arrogant Asuras. We bow to You.
O Devi, protect us with Your Shula and Your Khadga. Protect us with the sound of Your bell and the twang of Your bow. O Chandike, guard us in the east, west, north and south with Your revolving Shula. Protect us with both Your gentle and Your fierce forms, and protect this Earth as well. O Ambike, may the Khadga, Shula, Gada and other weapons shining in Your lotus-like hands always protect us.”
Maharishi Medha said – In this way, all the Devas praised Bhagavati, the Mother of the Universe. They worshipped Her with flowers from Nandana, fragrant pastes and other sacred offerings, and together offered divine incense filled with beautiful fragrance. Pleased with their devotion, the Goddess said, “O Devas, ask Me for whatever boon you desire.”
The Devas replied, “O Bhagavati, You have already accomplished everything for us. Nothing remains for us to ask, because You have slain our enemy Mahishasura. O Maheshwari, if You still wish to grant us a boon, then bless us with this: whenever we remember You in times of difficulty, please appear and remove our suffering.
O Ambike, whoever praises You with devotion, bless them with prosperity, abundance and well-being. May their wealth, household and family flourish, and may You always remain gracious towards us.”
Maharishi Medha said – O King, after the Devas prayed in this way for both their own welfare and the welfare of the world, the Goddess said, “Tathastu — so be it,” and disappeared from their sight.
O King, I have now told you how Bhagavati, who always seeks the welfare of the three worlds, manifested from the combined Tejas of the Devas. I shall now describe how, for the protection of all beings and the destruction of the wicked Asuras Shumbha and Nishumbha, the Goddess later manifested from the body of Gauri.