Amba Stavam
Durga
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- verse 1यामामनन्ति मुनयः प्रकृतिं पुराणींविद्येति यां श्रुतिरहस्यविदो वदन्ति ।तामर्धपल्लवितशङ्कररूपमुद्रांदेवीमनन्यशरणः शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥ 1 ॥yāmāmananti munayaḥ prakṛtiṃ purāṇīṃvidyēti yāṃ śrutirahasyavidō vadanti ।tāmardhapallavitaśaṅkararūpamudrāṃdēvīmananyaśaraṇaḥ śaraṇaṃ prapadyē ॥ 1 ॥meaning
Taking refuge solely in her, I seek the shelter of that Goddess whom the sages call the primeval Nature, whom the knowers of Vedic secrets call Vidya, who bears the half-blossomed gesture of Shankara's form.
- verse 2अम्ब स्तवेषु तव तावदकर्तृकाणिकुण्ठीभवन्ति वचसामपि गुम्भनानि ।डिम्भस्य मे स्तुतिरसावसमञ्जसापिवात्सल्यनिघ्नहृदयां भवतीं धिनोतु ॥ 2 ॥amba stavēṣu tava tāvadakartṛkāṇikuṇṭhībhavanti vachasāmapi gumbhanāni ।ḍimbhasya mē stutirasāvasamañjasāpivātsalyanighnahṛdayāṃ bhavatīṃ dhinōtu ॥ 2 ॥meaning
O Mother, in praising you even the weavings of speech become blunt; yet this child's praise, however improper, will reach you whose heart is melted by maternal love.
- verse 3व्योमेति बिन्दुरिति नाद इतीन्दुलेखा--रूपेति वाग्भवतनूरिति मातृकेति ।निःस्यन्दमानसुखबोधसुधास्वरूपाविद्योतसे मनसि भाग्यवतां जनानाम् ॥ 3 ॥vyōmēti binduriti nāda itīndulēkhā--rūpēti vāgbhavatanūriti mātṛkēti ।niḥsyandamānasukhabōdhasudhāsvarūpāvidyōtasē manasi bhāgyavatāṃ janānām ॥ 3 ॥meaning
As sky, as the bindu, as the nada, as the crescent moon, as form, as the body of vag-bhava, as the matrix of letters — you shine in the mind of the fortunate as the outflowing nectar of blissful consciousness.
- verse 4आविर्भवत्पुलकसन्ततिभिः शरीरै--र्निःस्यन्दमानसलिलैर्नयनैश्च नित्यम् ।वाग्भिश्च गद्गदपदाभिरुपासते येपादौ तवाम्ब भुवनेषु त एव धन्याः ॥ 4 ॥āvirbhavatpulakasantatibhiḥ śarīrai--rniḥsyandamānasalilairnayanaiścha nityam ।vāgbhiścha gadgadapadābhirupāsatē yēpādau tavāmba bhuvanēṣu ta ēva dhanyāḥ ॥ 4 ॥meaning
Those who worship your feet in the worlds with bodies covered in goosebumps, eyes ever streaming tears, and speech stumbling in broken words — O Mother, they are the truly blessed.
- verse 5वक्त्रं यदुद्यतमभिष्टुतये भवत्या--स्तुभ्यं नमो यदपि देवि शिरः करोति ।चेतश्च यत्त्वयि परायणमम्ब तानिकस्यापि कैरपि भवन्ति तपोविशेषैः ॥ 5 ॥vaktraṃ yadudyatamabhiṣṭutayē bhavatyā--stubhyaṃ namō yadapi dēvi śiraḥ karōti ।chētaścha yattvayi parāyaṇamamba tānikasyāpi kairapi bhavanti tapōviśēṣaiḥ ॥ 5 ॥meaning
Whatever face rises to praise you, whatever head bows in salutation, whatever heart has you as its refuge — O Devi, by whom and with what do those belong?
- verse 6मूलालवालकुहरादुदिता भवानिनिर्भिद्य षट्सरसिजानि तटिल्लतेव ।भूयोऽपि तत्र विशसि ध्रुवमण्डलेन्दु--निःस्यन्दमानपरमामृततोयरूपा ॥ 6 ॥mūlālavālakuharāduditā bhavāninirbhidya ṣaṭsarasijāni taṭillatēva ।bhūyō'pi tatra viśasi dhruvamaṇḍalēndu--niḥsyandamānaparamāmṛtatōyarūpā ॥ 6 ॥meaning
O Bhavani, you arise from the hollow of the root-lotus, pierce the six lotus-centres like a lightning-creeper, and re-enter at the lunar orb of the polar region pouring down the supreme ambrosia.
- verse 7दग्धं यदा मदनमेकमनेकधा तेमुग्धः कटाक्षविधिरङ्कुरयाञ्चकार ।धत्ते तदाप्रभृति देवि ललाटनेत्रंसत्यं ह्रियैव मुकुलीकृतमिन्दुमौलेः ॥ 7 ॥dagdhaṃ yadā madanamēkamanēkadhā tēmugdhaḥ kaṭākṣavidhiraṅkurayāñchakāra ।dhattē tadāprabhṛti dēvi lalāṭanētraṃsatyaṃ hriyaiva mukulīkṛtamindumaulēḥ ॥ 7 ॥meaning
When Manmatha had been burned to a single ash, your soft sidelong glance made him bud again in countless forms — and so, O Devi, the frontal eye has since then kept itself modestly folded, as if ashamed.
- verse 8अज्ञातसम्भवमनाकलितान्ववायंभिक्षुं कपालिनमवाससमद्वितीयम् ।पूर्वं करग्रहणमङ्गलतो भवत्याःशम्भुं क एव बुबुधे गिरिराजकन्ये ॥ 8 ॥ajñātasambhavamanākalitānvavāyaṃbhikṣuṃ kapālinamavāsasamadvitīyam ।pūrvaṃ karagrahaṇamaṅgalatō bhavatyāḥśambhuṃ ka ēva bubudhē girirājakanyē ॥ 8 ॥meaning
O daughter of the mountain-king, who knew beforehand that you, the supreme, would first take the hand of Shambhu — that wandering beggar, skull-bearing, naked, matchless — at an auspicious marriage?
- verse 9चर्माम्बरं च शवभस्मविलेपनं चभिक्षाटनं च नटनं च परेतभूमौ ।वेतालसंहतिपरिग्रहता च शम्भोःशोभां बिभर्ति गिरिजे तव साहचर्यात् ॥ 9 ॥charmāmbaraṃ cha śavabhasmavilēpanaṃ chabhikṣāṭanaṃ cha naṭanaṃ cha parētabhūmau ।vētālasaṃhatiparigrahatā cha śambhōḥśōbhāṃ bibharti girijē tava sāhacharyāt ॥ 9 ॥meaning
A skin for garment, ash of a corpse for ointment, wandering for alms, dancing in a cremation ground, keeping company with ghosts and spirits — all this unseemliness of Shambhu shines as beauty because of your companionship, O Girijaa.
- verse 10कल्पोपसंहरणकेलिषु पण्डितानिचण्डानि खण्डपरशोरपि ताण्डवानि ।आलोकनेन तव कोमलितानि मात--र्लास्यात्मना परिणमन्ति जगद्विभूत्यै ॥ 10 ॥kalpōpasaṃharaṇakēliṣu paṇḍitānichaṇḍāni khaṇḍaparaśōrapi tāṇḍavāni ।ālōkanēna tava kōmalitāni māta--rlāsyātmanā pariṇamanti jagadvibhūtyai ॥ 10 ॥meaning
His fierce, sharp dances at the dissolution of the aeons — even those, O Mother, become gentle at your glance and transform themselves into the graceful lâsya, the world's delight.
- verse 11जन्तोरपश्चिमतनोः सति कर्मसाम्येनिःशेषपाशपटलच्छिदुरा निमेषात् ।कल्याणि देशिककटाक्षसमाश्रयेणकारुण्यतो भवति शाम्भववेददीक्षा ॥ 11 ॥jantōrapaśchimatanōḥ sati karmasāmyēniḥśēṣapāśapaṭalachChidurā nimēṣāt ।kalyāṇi dēśikakaṭākṣasamāśrayēṇakāruṇyatō bhavati śāmbhavavēdadīkṣā ॥ 11 ॥meaning
O Kalyaani, when in his last body a creature has equal karma and the teacher's glance falls in compassion, the entire web of fetters is severed in an instant and the Shaambhava initiation is bestowed.
- verse 12मुक्ताविभूषणवती नवविद्रुमाभायच्चेतसि स्फुरसि तारकितेव सन्ध्या ।एकः स एव भुवनत्रयसुन्दरीणांकन्दर्पतां व्रजति पञ्चशरीं विनापि ॥ 12 ॥muktāvibhūṣaṇavatī navavidrumābhāyachchētasi sphurasi tārakitēva sandhyā ।ēkaḥ sa ēva bhuvanatrayasundarīṇāṃkandarpatāṃ vrajati pañchaśarīṃ vināpi ॥ 12 ॥meaning
You flash in the mind adorned with pearl ornaments, red as fresh coral — like a starlit twilight; that one man alone becomes Manmatha for all three-world beauties.
- verse 13ये भावयन्त्यमृतवाहिभिरंशुजालै--राप्यायमानभुवनाममृतेश्वरीं त्वाम् ।ते लङ्घयन्ति ननु मातरलङ्घनीयांब्रह्मादिभिः सुरवरैरपि कालकक्षाम् ॥ 13 ॥yē bhāvayantyamṛtavāhibhiraṃśujālai--rāpyāyamānabhuvanāmamṛtēśvarīṃ tvām ।tē laṅghayanti nanu mātaralaṅghanīyāṃbrahmādibhiḥ suravarairapi kālakakṣām ॥ 13 ॥meaning
Those who meditate upon you, O queen of immortals, nourishing the worlds with the current of nectar from your rays — they truly cross what even Brahma and the chief gods cannot cross.
- verse 14यः स्फाटिकाक्षगुणपुस्तककुण्डिकाढ्यांव्याख्यासमुद्यतकरां शरदिन्दुशुभ्राम् ।पद्मासनां च हृदये भवतीमुपास्तेमातः स विश्वकवितार्किकचक्रवर्ती ॥ 14 ॥yaḥ sphāṭikākṣaguṇapustakakuṇḍikāḍhyāṃvyākhyāsamudyatakarāṃ śaradinduśubhrām ।padmāsanāṃ cha hṛdayē bhavatīmupāstēmātaḥ sa viśvakavitārkikachakravartī ॥ 14 ॥meaning
One who meditates upon you, O Mother, as the white-as-autumn-moon one seated on a lotus, holding crystal rosary, book, and water-pot, hand raised in explanation — he becomes the vessel of all knowledge.
- verse 15बर्हावतंसयुतबर्बरकेशपाशांगुञ्जावलीकृतघनस्तनहारशोभाम् ।श्यामां प्रवालवदनां सुकुमारहस्तांत्वामेव नौमि शबरीं शबरस्य जायाम् ॥ 15 ॥barhāvataṃsayutabarbarakēśapāśāṃguñjāvalīkṛtaghanastanahāraśōbhām ।śyāmāṃ pravālavadanāṃ sukumārahastāṃtvāmēva naumi śabarīṃ śabarasya jāyām ॥ 15 ॥meaning
I bow to you alone as the Shabari — wearing a peacock-feather diadem, with tangled glossy hair, jewelled with gunja-berry necklaces on your full dark breasts, dark-complexioned, with coral lips, delicate hands, wife of the hunter.
- verse 16अर्धेन किं नवलताललितेन मुग्धेक्रीतं विभोः परुषमर्धमिदं त्वयेति ।आलीजनस्य परिहासवचांसि मन्येमन्दस्मितेन तव देवि जडी भवन्ति ॥ 16 ॥ardhēna kiṃ navalatālalitēna mugdhēkrītaṃ vibhōḥ paruṣamardhamidaṃ tvayēti ।ālījanasya parihāsavachāṃsi manyēmandasmitēna tava dēvi jaḍī bhavanti ॥ 16 ॥meaning
O naive one, was only the tender new creeper half purchased, while this rough half was bought cheaply by the Lord? — I think the teasing words of your companions were silenced by the soft smile of that expression, O Devi.
- verse 17ब्रह्माण्ड बुद्बुदकदम्बकसङ्कुलोऽयंमायोदधिर्विविधदुःखतरङ्गमालः ।आश्चर्यमम्ब झटिति प्रलयं प्रयातित्वद्ध्यानसन्ततिमहाबडबामुखाग्नौ ॥ 17 ॥brahmāṇḍa budbudakadambakasaṅkulō'yaṃmāyōdadhirvividhaduḥkhataraṅgamālaḥ ।āścharyamamba jhaṭiti pralayaṃ prayātitvaddhyānasantatimahābaḍabāmukhāgnau ॥ 17 ॥meaning
This ocean of Maya, brimming with universes like bubbles and waving with various waves of suffering — O Mother, how it is instantly destroyed by the great submarine fire of unbroken meditation on you.
- verse 18दाक्षायणीति कुटिलेति कुहारिणीतिकात्यायनीति कमलेति कलावतीति ।एका सती भगवती परमार्थतोऽपिसन्दृश्यसे बहुविधा ननु नर्तकीव ॥ 18 ॥dākṣāyaṇīti kuṭilēti kuhāriṇītikātyāyanīti kamalēti kalāvatīti ।ēkā satī bhagavatī paramārthatō'pisandṛśyasē bahuvidhā nanu nartakīva ॥ 18 ॥meaning
As Dakshayani, as the Crooked One, as the Cave-dweller, as Katyayani, as Kamala, as the Adept — though one and true, O Blessed Lady, you appear in many forms like a dancer.
- verse 19आनन्दलक्षणमनाहतनाम्नि देशेनादात्मना परिणतं तव रूपमीशे ।प्रत्यङ्मुखेन मनसा परिचीयमानंशंसन्ति नेत्रसलिलैः पुलकैश्च धन्याः ॥ 19 ॥ānandalakṣaṇamanāhatanāmni dēśēnādātmanā pariṇataṃ tava rūpamīśē ।pratyaṅmukhēna manasā parichīyamānaṃśaṃsanti nētrasalilaiḥ pulakaiścha dhanyāḥ ॥ 19 ॥meaning
In the place called the Anahata, defined by joy, your form transformed as nada is known by the inward-facing mind — the fortunate proclaim it with tears and goosebumps.
- verse 20त्वं चन्द्रिका शशिनि तिग्मरुचौ रुचिस्त्वंत्वं चेतनासि पुरुषे पवने बलं त्वम् ।त्वं स्वादुतासि सलिले शिखिनि त्वमूष्मानिःसारमेव निखिलं त्वदृते यदि स्यात् ॥ 20 ॥tvaṃ chandrikā śaśini tigmaruchau ruchistvaṃtvaṃ chētanāsi puruṣē pavanē balaṃ tvam ।tvaṃ svādutāsi salilē śikhini tvamūṣmāniḥsāramēva nikhilaṃ tvadṛtē yadi syāt ॥ 20 ॥meaning
You are the moonlight in the moon and radiance in the fierce sun; you are consciousness in the person and strength in the wind; you are sweetness in water, heat in fire — nothing is without you.
- verse 21ज्योतींषि यद्दिवि चरन्ति यदन्तरिक्षंसूते पयांसि यदहिर्धरणीं च धत्ते ।यद्वाति वायुरनलो यदुदर्चिरास्तेतत्सर्वमम्ब तव केवलमाज्ञयैव ॥ 21 ॥jyōtīṃṣi yaddivi charanti yadantarikṣaṃsūtē payāṃsi yadahirdharaṇīṃ cha dhattē ।yadvāti vāyuranalō yadudarchirāstētatsarvamamba tava kēvalamājñayaiva ॥ 21 ॥meaning
Whatever lights move in the sky, whatever is in mid-space, whatever milk the she-serpent draws from the earth, whatever wind blows, whatever fire blazes — all that, O Mother, is but your sport.
- verse 22सङ्कोचमिच्छसि यदा गिरिजे तदानींवाक्तर्कयोस्त्वमसि भूमिरनामरूपा ।यद्वा विकासमुपयासि यदा तदानींत्वन्नामरूपगणनाः सुकरा भवन्ति ॥ 22 ॥saṅkōchamichChasi yadā girijē tadānīṃvāktarkayōstvamasi bhūmiranāmarūpā ।yadvā vikāsamupayāsi yadā tadānīṃtvannāmarūpagaṇanāḥ sukarā bhavanti ॥ 22 ॥meaning
When you desire contraction, O Girijaa, you are the groundless, nameless-formless substratum of speech and logic; when you desire expansion, the enumeration of your names and forms becomes easy.
- verse 23भोगाय देवि भवतीं कृतिनः प्रणम्यभ्रूकिङ्करीकृतसरोजगृहाः सहस्रम् ।चिन्तामणिप्रचयकल्पितकेलिशैलेकल्पद्रुमोपवन एव चिरं रमन्ते ॥ 23 ॥bhōgāya dēvi bhavatīṃ kṛtinaḥ praṇamyabhrūkiṅkarīkṛtasarōjagṛhāḥ sahasram ।chintāmaṇiprachayakalpitakēliśailēkalpadrumōpavana ēva chiraṃ ramantē ॥ 23 ॥meaning
The meritorious bow to you, O Devi, for enjoyment, and dwell a thousand ages in lotus-homes fanned by your brow — they revel forever in the wish-tree groves on the pleasure mountain of cintamani.
- verse 24हर्तुं त्वमेव भवसि त्वदधीनमीशेसंसारतापमखिलं दयया पशूनाम् ।वैकर्तनी किरणसंहतिरेव शक्ताधर्मं निजं शमयितुं निजयैव वृष्ट्या ॥ 24 ॥hartuṃ tvamēva bhavasi tvadadhīnamīśēsaṃsāratāpamakhilaṃ dayayā paśūnām ।vaikartanī kiraṇasaṃhatirēva śaktādharmaṃ nijaṃ śamayituṃ nijayaiva vṛṣṭyā ॥ 24 ॥meaning
You alone are able to remove with compassion all the heat of worldly existence of the bound souls, O sovereign — just as only the collected rays of the sun (Vaikartani) can quench a fire by their own rain.
- verse 25शक्तिः शरीरमधिदैवतमन्तरात्माज्ञानं क्रिया करणमासनजालमिच्छा ।ऐश्वर्यमायतनमावरणानि च त्वंकिं तन्न यद्भवसि देवि शशाङ्कमौलेः ॥ 25 ॥śaktiḥ śarīramadhidaivatamantarātmājñānaṃ kriyā karaṇamāsanajālamichChā ।aiśvaryamāyatanamāvaraṇāni cha tvaṃkiṃ tanna yadbhavasi dēvi śaśāṅkamaulēḥ ॥ 25 ॥meaning
Power, body, the divine oversoul, inner self, knowledge, action, the senses, the lattice of seats, and will — is there anything, O Devi of moon-crested lord, that you are not?
- verse 26भूमौ निवृत्तिरुदिता पयसि प्रतिष्ठाविद्याऽनले मरुति शान्तिरतीवकान्तिः ।व्योम्नीति याः किल कलाः कलयन्ति विश्वंतासां हि दूरतरमम्ब पदं त्वदीयम् ॥ 26 ॥bhūmau nivṛttiruditā payasi pratiṣṭhāvidyā'nalē maruti śāntiratīvakāntiḥ ।vyōmnīti yāḥ kila kalāḥ kalayanti viśvaṃtāsāṃ hi dūrataramamba padaṃ tvadīyam ॥ 26 ॥meaning
Withdrawal has arisen in earth, stability in water, knowledge in fire, peace in wind, exceeding radiance — these indeed are the creative emanations that sustain the world; you are their source.
- verse 27यावत्पदं पदसरोजयुगं त्वदीयंनाङ्गीकरोति हृदयेषु जगच्छरण्ये ।तावद्विकल्पजटिलाः कुटिलप्रकारा--स्तर्कग्रहाः समयिनां प्रलयं न यान्ति ॥ 27 ॥yāvatpadaṃ padasarōjayugaṃ tvadīyaṃnāṅgīkarōti hṛdayēṣu jagachCharaṇyē ।tāvadvikalpajaṭilāḥ kuṭilaprakārā--starkagrahāḥ samayināṃ pralayaṃ na yānti ॥ 27 ॥meaning
As long as the world does not accept your pair of lotus-feet, O refuge of the world, in its heart, so long will the hair-splitting arguments of the disputants be a tangled, twisted, winding delusion.
- verse 28निर्देवयानपितृयानविहारमेकेकृत्वा मनः करणमण्डलसार्वभौमम् ।ध्याने निवेश्य तव कारणपञ्चकस्यपर्वाणि पार्वति नयन्ति निजासनत्वम् ॥ 28 ॥nirdēvayānapitṛyānavihāramēkēkṛtvā manaḥ karaṇamaṇḍalasārvabhaumam ।dhyānē nivēśya tava kāraṇapañchakasyaparvāṇi pārvati nayanti nijāsanatvam ॥ 28 ॥meaning
Some, making the mind-and-sense-complex sovereign, having journeyed beyond both the deva and the pitru paths, fixing it in meditation on the five causal levels of your being, O Parvati, pass the junctions of the seasons in their own seat.
- verse 29स्थूलासु मूर्तिषु महीप्रमुखासु मूर्तेःकस्याश्चनापि तव वैभवमम्ब यस्याः ।पत्या गिरामपि न शक्यत एव वक्तुंसापि स्तुता किल मयेति तितिक्षितव्यम् ॥ 29 ॥sthūlāsu mūrtiṣu mahīpramukhāsu mūrtēḥkasyāśchanāpi tava vaibhavamamba yasyāḥ ।patyā girāmapi na śakyata ēva vaktuṃsāpi stutā kila mayēti titikṣitavyam ॥ 29 ॥meaning
Even of the goddess whose glory in her coarser forms — earth and the rest — cannot be declared by the Lord of speech himself, even she, O Mother, is said to have been praised.
- verse 30कालाग्निकोटिरुचिमम्ब षडध्वशुद्धौआप्लावनेषु भवतीममृतौघवृष्टिम् ।श्यामां घनस्तनतटां शकलीकृताघांध्यायन्त एव जगतां गुरवो भवन्ति ॥ 30 ॥kālāgnikōṭiruchimamba ṣaḍadhvaśuddhauāplāvanēṣu bhavatīmamṛtaughavṛṣṭim ।śyāmāṃ ghanastanataṭāṃ śakalīkṛtāghāṃdhyāyanta ēva jagatāṃ guravō bhavanti ॥ 30 ॥meaning
Guru-teachers of the worlds meditate upon you in your dark form, dense-breasted, whose radiance dissolves the inauspiciousness — pouring forth an ambrosia shower in the six-path purification.
- verse 31विद्यां परां कतिचिदम्बरमम्ब केचि--दानन्दमेव कतिचित्कतिचिच्च मायाम् ।त्वां विश्वमाहुरपरे वयमामनामःसाक्षादपारकरुणां गुरुमूर्तिमेव ॥ 31 ॥vidyāṃ parāṃ katichidambaramamba kēchi--dānandamēva katichitkatichichcha māyām ।tvāṃ viśvamāhuraparē vayamāmanāmaḥsākṣādapārakaruṇāṃ gurumūrtimēva ॥ 31 ॥meaning
Some call you the supreme Vidya, some call you the sky, some bliss alone, some illusion — others call you the universe; we call you, O Guru, direct and boundless compassion.
- verse 32कुवलयदलनीलं बर्बरस्निग्धकेशंपृथुतरकुचभाराक्रान्तकान्तावलग्नम् ।किमिह बहुभिरुक्तैस्त्वत्स्वरूपं परं नःसकलजननि मातः सन्ततं सन्निधत्ताम् ॥ 32 ॥kuvalayadalanīlaṃ barbarasnigdhakēśaṃpṛthutarakuchabhārākrāntakāntāvalagnam ।kimiha bahubhiruktaistvatsvarūpaṃ paraṃ naḥsakalajanani mātaḥ santataṃ sannidhattām ॥ 32 ॥meaning
Dark-blue as a blue-lotus petal, with thick lustrous tangled hair, girt with a slender waist beneath heavy full breasts — what more need be said? O universal Mother, be seen by us in your supreme form.
- verse 33इति श्रीकालिदास विरचित पञ्चस्तव्यां चतुर्थः अम्बास्तवः ।iti śrīkāḻidāsa virachita pañchastavyāṃ chaturthaḥ ambāstavaḥ ।meaning
Colophon: Thus ends the fourth Ambaastava in the Panchastavi composed by Sri Kalidasa.
Primary text from vignanam.org