Sanskrit

The Devi Gita

I started this translation in 2017 fromthe Swami Satyananda Sarasvati, Devi Mandir, Napa, CA version.

There are 12 chapters from the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Chapters 29 – 40

Devi Gita Chapter One   27 verses              Oct 20 2017

chapter summary:

1 – 4 Janamejaya asks Vyasa how if the goddess evolved from one goddess, how did they become the daughters of others.

5 – 10 vyasa explains how the asura halahala took birth with strength given by a boon from brahma, and they fought siva and vishnu and were defeated

11 – 14 siva and vishnu bragged with pride to gauri and laksmi; they laughed which made the gods uncontrolably angry and the goddesses became unmanifest

15 – 20 brahma was forced to take over the duties neglected by siva and vishnu

21 – 27 brahma called his sons and asked them to please the goddesses while he continues with the heavy work of the universe; daksa and the others went into the forest to meditate upon the supreme

janameyaya uvāca                        janamejaya said:

gaurī lakṣmī sarasvatyo               gauri, laksmi and sarasvati

dattāḥ pūrvaṁ parāmbayā 1.1    weregiven ages ago by the supreme mother

gaurī – sakti of siva, lakṣmī –  sakti of vishnu, sarasvatyaḥ – sakti of brahma[ pl nom ], dattāḥ – given [ – dā ], pūrvaṁ – ages ago [ s acc ], parāmbayā – by the supreme mother [ s dat ]

harāya haraye tadvan                    to hara and hari, siva and vishnu

nābhipadmodbhavāya ca             to he who is born from a lotus, brahma

tuṣārādreśca dakṣasya                   of the snowy mountain and dakṣa

gaurī kanyeti viśrutam 1.2           gauri is the daughter, it’s been heard 

harāya – for hara, siva [ s dat ], haraye – for hari, vishnu [ s dat ], tadvat – also [ adv ], nābhi – navel, padma – lotus, udbhavāya – for production, origin, birth [ s dat ] , ca – and [ pcl ], tuṣāra – cold, snowy, adreḥ – of the mountain [ s gen – adri ], ca – and, dakṣasya – dakṣa’s [ s gen ], gaurī – gauri, kanyā – daugher, iti – [ quote ], viśrutam – it’s been heard [ verb ]

kṣīrodadheśca kanyeti                   daughter of the milky way

maḥālakṣmīriti smṛtam                 the great laksmi is remembered

mūladevyudbhavānāṁ ca             the main goddess of all the births

kathaṁ kanyātvamanyayoḥ  1.3  tell of the daughters of others

kṣīrodadheḥ – of the milky way [ s gen – dadhi ], ca – and [ pcl ], kanyā – daugher [ s f nom ], iti – [ quote ], maḥālakṣmīḥ – the great laksmi [ s f nom ], iti – [ quote ], smṛtam – remembered, mūla – root, devi – goddess, udbhavānāṁ – of the births [ pl gen ], ca – and [ pcl ], kathaṁ –  tell?, how? [ interr ], kanyātvam – kanyā-ness, the nature of a daughter, girl, maidenhood, anyayoḥ – of the two others [ du gen ]

asambhāvyam idaṁ bhāti                 this appears inconceivable; illuminate 

saṁśayo’tra mahāmune                      my doubts, o great muni

chindhi jñānāsinā taṁ tvaṁ              with the sword of knowledge, you cut

saṁśayaccheda tat paraḥ 1.4              that my doubt and cut it to pieces

o muni, what appears impossible to grasp, please cut my doubts into pieces with the sword of knowledge

asambhāvyam – inconceivable, impossible, incomprehensible, idaṁ – this [ pron 3rd pers s nom ], bhāti – illumination [ verb – bhā 3rd pers s  ] , saṁśayaḥ – doubt, atra – here [ adv ], mahāmune – o great seer [ s voc ], chindhi – you cut [ verb – chid 2nd pers s imv ], jñāna – knowledge, āsinā – by a sword [ s instr ], jñānāsinā – with the sword of wisdom, taṁ – that, tvaṁ – you, saṁśayat – doubt, cheda – cutting off, dissipating, tat – that , paraḥ – over 

vyāsa uvāca                            vyāsa said

śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi           listen, o king and I will tell 

rahasyaṁ paramādbhutam     aboutthe mystical, supernatural secrets

devī bhaktasya te kiñcid         to the devotees of the goddesss        

avācyaṁ na hi vidyate  1.5     there is nothing unspoken to be known

listen of king, and I will tell you about the mystical, supernatural secrets … to devotees of the goddess, there is nothing to remain unsaid.

śṛṇu – listen [ verb 2nd pers s imv ], rājan – o king [ s voc ], pravakṣyāmi – I will tell [ verb 1st pers s fut ], rahasyaṁ – secret, parama – – supreme, adbhutam – supernatural, wonderful, devībhaktasya – of devotees of the goddess [ s gen ], te – they, kiñcit – some, avācyaṁ – unspoken, na – not, hi –  verily [ pcl ], vidyate – is known [ verb – vid 3rd pers s pass ]

devītrayaṁ yadā deva       when the three goddesses 

trayāyādāt parāmbikā       were given to the 3 gods, ( by ) the supreme mother

tadā prabhṛti te devāḥ       then they, the gods,  started

sṛṣṭikāryāṇi cakrire 1.6      doing the work of creation

devītrayaṁ – 3 goddessess, yadā  – when [ adv ], deva – god, devatrayāyādāt – gave to 3 gods [ s dat ??? usage ], parāmbikā – the supreme  mother of the universe, tadā – then, prabhṛti – beginning with, commensing with, te – they, devāḥ – the gods[ pl nom ], sṛṣṭi – creation, kāryāṇi – work, cakrire –  they did [ verb 3rd pers pl perf ]

kasmiṁścit samaye rājan                there was a time, o king

daityā hālāhalābhidhāḥ                   an asura by the name of hālāhala

mahāparākramā jātās                       one of great strength, took birth

trailokyaṁ tair jitaṁ kṣaṇāt 1.7     ( he ) quickly conquered the 3 worlds   

kasmiṁścit – once upon a time, at some time, kasmin samaye – at what time? [ online dict ], samaye – coming together, a meeting place, a treaty, arrangement, rājan – o king [ s voc ], daityā – asura, hālāhala – name of an asura, abhidhāḥ – by the name of, mahāparākramā – great strength, heroism, jātāḥ  – took birth, trailokyaṁ – the three worlds, taiḥ – with [ pron 3rd pers pl instr ], jitaṁ – won, overcame, conquored, kṣaṇāt – immediately [ ablat ind ]

brahmaṇo varadānena               with a boon given by brahma

darpitā rajatācalam                     arrogantly, kailasa

rurudhrunijasenābhis                was conqueored by their own army

tathā vaikuṇṭhameva ca 1.8      then they conquered vaikuṇṭha, as well

brahmaṇaḥ – of brahma [ s gen ], varadānena – by the giving of a boon [ s instr ], darpitā – arrogance, pride [ dṛp ], rajata – silvery, acalam – not moving, a mountain, ,rajatācalam – the silvery mountains of kailasa, rurudhuḥ – they obstructed, held back, blocked [ verb – rudh prob should be rurundhuḥ, nijasenābhiḥ – with their own army [ pl instr ], tathā  – thus [ adv ],  vaikuṇṭham – vaikuṇṭha, a mountain, eva – thus, ca – and

kāmāriḥ kaiṭabhāriśca                             siva & vishnu

yuddhodyogaṁ ca cakratuḥ                   prepared to do battle

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇām                              of 60 thousand years

abhūdyuddhaṁ mahotkaṭam 1.9          it was a war exceeding all others

kāmāriḥ – siva,enemy of kāma,   kaiṭabhāriḥ – vishnu, enemy of kaiṭabha, ca – and [ pcl ], yuddha – war, battle, udyoga – the act of preparing anything, preseverence, yuddhodyogaṁ – preparation for war, ca – and [ pcl ], cakratuḥ – the two did [ verb – kṛ 3rd pers du act ], ṣaṣṭi – 60, varṣa – rain, a year, sahasrāṇām – of thousands [ pl gen ], abhūt – was [ verb 3rd pers s imperf ], yuddhaṁ – war, utkaṭam – exceeding the usual measure, abounding in, gigantic, mahotkaṭam – greatly exceeding

hāhākāro mahānāsīd                      making the great sound “ ha ha “

devadānavasenayoḥ                       the armies of the devas & asuras

mahatā’tha prayatnena                  with great effort [ from the two ]

tābhyāṁ te dānavā hatāḥ 1.10      the asuras were defeated    

hāhākāraḥ- making the sound “ha ha”, mahāt – great, āsīt – was [ verb – as 3rd pers s imperf ], deva – the gods, dānava – the asuras, senayoḥ – of the army [ du gen ], mahata – with great [ s instr – mahant ], atha – now [ adv ], prayatnena – with effort [ ind s instr ], tābhyāṁ – from the two [ pron du ablat ], te  – the two [ pron 3rd pers du ], dānavā –asura, hatāḥ – – beaten, struck, defeated

svasvasthāneṣu gatvā               having gone to their own residences

tāv abhimānaṁ ca cakratu      puffed up with pride 

svaśaktyor nikaṭe rājan           being at the side of their own power, o king

yadvaśādeva te hatāḥ 1.11       from their victory, due to their own command       

svasvasthāneṣu – at one’s own place [ pl loc ], gatvā – having gone[ gam gerund ], tāu – the two [ pron abhimānaṁ – thinking oneself proud [  ], ca – and [ pcl ], cakratuḥ – the two did [ verb kr 3rd pers du act ], svaśaktyoḥ – of their own power [ du gen ], nikaṭe – nearness, being at the side of, close to [ s loc ], rājan – o king janameyaya [ s voc ], yat – which, vaśin – having will, power, authority over, vaśādeva – authority of the gods, te – the two [ pron du nom ], hatāḥ – overcome, OR vaśāt – by force of, by command of [ s dat dict p929 ], eva – even [ adv ]; ???, I think 2nd option because the grammar works; don’t understand how swami got his translation

abhimānaṁ tayorjnātvā                  having learned of their pride

calahāsyaṁ ca cakratuḥ                   trembling laugher

mahālakṣmīśca gaurī ca                  the great laksmi and gauri

hāsyaṁ dṛṣṭvā tayostu tau 1.12      when they saw the two laughing

abhimānaṁ –pride, arrogance [ s acc ], tayoḥ – of the two [ pron 3rd pers du gen ], jnātvā – having known [ gerund ], cala – shaking, trembling, unsteady, loose, hāsyaṁ – laughing, ca – and [ pcl ], cakratuḥ –the two did [ verb kr 3rd pers du perf ], mahālakṣmīḥ – great laksmi [ s nom ], ca – and, gaurī – uma, ca – and, hāsyaṁ – to be laughed at, comical, laughing, ridiculous, dṛṣṭvā – having seen [ gerund ], tayoḥ – of the two [ pron 3rd pers du gen ], tu – but [ pcl ], tau – the two ( laksmi & gauri ) [ pron 3rd pers du acc ]

devāvatīva saṅkruddhau      the two gods ( became ) extremely angry

mohitāvādimāyayā                their speech ( became ) confused by māya

duruttaraṁ ca dadatur          ( the two gods brought ) unanswerable  

avamānapuraḥsaram 1.13     streams of disrespectful & dishonable ( behavior)

devāu – the two devas [ du nom should be devau ], atīva – extremely, saṅkruddhau – very angry [ du ], mohitāu – confused [ du ], ādi – beginning with [ ??? useage ], OR vādi – speaker,  māyayā – by māyā [ s f instr ], duruttaraṁ – difficult to be crossed, unanswerable, ca – and [ pcl ], dadatuḥ – the two gave [ verb dā 3rd pers du perf ], avamāna – disrespect, dishonor, puraḥsaram – going before or in advance, harbinger, forerunner; note: ???