The Devas Praise the Goddess and Receive Her Boons
Maharishi Medha said – After the Daitya was slain, Indra and the other Devas, with Agni leading them, began to praise Katyayani Devi. Their faces shone with joy because their purpose had been fulfilled.
The Devas said, “O Devi, remover of the sorrows of those who take refuge in You, be pleased with us. O Mother of the entire universe, be gracious to us. O Vindhyeshwari, protect this world, for You are the sovereign of all that moves and all that is still.
O Devi, You are the very foundation of the universe, for You are present even in the form of the Earth. You are immensely powerful. You are the Shakti of Lord Vishnu, the supreme Maya and the very seed of the universe. It is through You that the whole world is veiled in delusion, and when You are pleased, liberation becomes possible.
O Devi, all forms of knowledge are simply different expressions of You. Every woman in this world is a manifestation of Your power. You alone pervade the entire universe. How can anyone truly praise You? You are supreme intelligence itself, and You grant both heavenly joy and liberation to all beings. What greater words could possibly be used to praise You?
O Narayani, You dwell in the hearts of all beings as intelligence and grant both Swarga and Moksha. Salutations to You. You are also the power of time, bringing all states and conditions towards change and completion. O Narayani, we bow to You.
O Narayani, You are the auspiciousness within all that is auspicious. O Shive, fulfiller of every noble purpose, loving protector of those who seek refuge in You, three-eyed Gauri — salutations to You. You are the eternal power behind creation, preservation and dissolution, the foundation of the Gunas and the source of all well-being. O Narayani, we bow to You.
O Narayani, ever ready to protect the helpless, the suffering and those who take refuge in You, remover of every affliction — salutations to You. In the form of Brahmani, You ride in a swan-drawn Vimana and sprinkle sanctified water with Kusha. We bow to You. In the form of Maheshwari, You bear the Trishul, the crescent Moon and serpents, and ride upon the great bull. O Narayani, salutations to You.
In the form of Kaumari, surrounded by peacocks and adorned with a crown, You wield the mighty Shakti weapon. O sinless Narayani, salutations to You. In the form of Vaishnavi, You carry the Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Sharanga bow. Be gracious to us, O Narayani; we bow to You.
In the form of Varahi, You bear the Earth upon Your tusks. O auspicious Narayani, salutations to You. In the fierce form of Narasimhi, You destroy the Daityas and remain ever engaged in protecting the three worlds. O Narayani, salutations to You.
In the form of Aindri, crowned and radiant, holding the mighty Vajra and shining with a thousand eyes, You destroyed Vritrasura. O Narayani, salutations to You. In the form of Shivaduti, You crushed the overwhelming pride of the Daityas. O fierce and thunderous Narayani, salutations to You.
In the form of Chamunda, terrible in appearance, adorned with a garland of severed heads and destroyer of Munda, we bow to You. O Lakshmi, Lajja, Mahavidya, Shraddha, Pushti, Swadha, Dhruva and Maharatri — O Narayani, salutations to You.
O Medha, Saraswati, supreme among all, embodiment of sovereignty, Parvati, Mahakali, controller and Ishwari — O Narayani, salutations to You. O Devi, who are all forms and the sovereign of all, endowed with every Shakti, protect us from fear. We bow to You.
O Katyayani, may Your gentle three-eyed face protect us from every fear. O Bhadrakali, may Your terrible Trishul, blazing like fire and destroyer of all Asuras, guard us from danger. O Devi, may Your bell, whose sound fills the universe and destroys the strength of the Daityas, protect us just as a mother protects her children. O Chandike, may Your sword, stained with the blood and flesh of the Asuras, bring us welfare. We bow to You.
O Devi, when You are pleased, You destroy all disease, and when You are displeased, desired aims come to nothing. Those who take refuge in You do not fall into misfortune; rather, they themselves become capable of giving refuge to others.
Who but You could have destroyed these enemies of Dharma while assuming so many different forms? The fourteen Vidyas, the six Shastras and the four Vedas all shine through Your light and speak of Your glory. Wherever Rakshasas, poisonous serpents or enemies threaten, and even in the midst of the ocean, You remain present and protect the universe.
O Vishveshwari, You sustain the universe because You are Vishvarupa, the form of the cosmos itself. For this reason, even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh bow before You. Those who salute You with devotion become capable of supporting and protecting others.
O Devi, be pleased with us. Just as You protected us by destroying the Asuras, continue to protect us from our enemies. Remove the sins of the whole world and quickly put an end to the great calamities and suffering that arise from them. O remover of the world’s distress, be gracious to those who seek refuge in You. O Parameshwari, worshipped by the inhabitants of all three worlds, grant us a boon.
The Goddess said, “O Devas, I am ready to grant you a boon. Ask for whatever you desire, and I shall give it to you.”
The Devas replied, “O Sarveshwari, continue to remove the suffering of the beings of the three worlds in this way, and continue to destroy our enemies whenever they arise.”
The Goddess said, “In the twenty-eighth Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, two mighty Asuras named Shumbha and Nishumbha will arise again. At that time I shall take birth from the womb of Yashoda in the house of Nanda Gopa and, dwelling in the Vindhya mountains, I shall destroy Shumbha and Nishumbha.
Later, assuming an extremely terrible form upon the Earth, I shall destroy the Danavas known as Vaiprachittas. While devouring those fearsome Asuras, My teeth will become red like pomegranate blossoms. Then the Devas in Swarga and humans on Earth will praise Me as Raktadantika.
Then, when no rain falls for a hundred years, I shall manifest in response to the prayers of the Rishis without being born from a womb. With a hundred eyes I shall look upon the sages, and people will praise Me as Shatakshi.
At that time I shall nourish all beings with life-sustaining vegetables and plants arising from My own body, and therefore I shall become known on Earth as Shakambhari. In that same manifestation, I shall destroy the great Asura named Durgama, and from that deed I shall become famous as Durga Devi.
Later, when I assume a terrifying form to protect the Rishis and Maharishis living in the Himalayas, I shall become renowned as Bhima Devi.
And when the Asura Aruna brings suffering to the three worlds, I shall take the form of countless bees and destroy that mighty Daitya. Then the Devas in Swarga and humans in the mortal world will praise Me as Bhramari.
In this way, whenever the Earth is oppressed by Rakshasas, I shall manifest again and again to destroy the forces that cause suffering.”