A Hymn to the Divine Mother - अम्बास्तोत्रम्।

अम्बास्तोत्रम्।

का त्वं शुभे शिवकरे सुखदु:खहस्ते
आघूर्णितं भवजलं प्रबलोर्मिभङ्गै:।
शान्तिं विधातुमिह किं बहुधा विभग्नाम्
मात: प्रयत्नपरमासि सदैव विश्वे॥

O Thou most beautiful! Whose holy hands
Hold pleasure and hold pain! Doer of good!
Who art Thou? The water of existence
By Thee is whirled and tossed in mighty waves.
Is it, O Mother, to restore again
This universe’s broken harmony
That Thou, without cessation, art at work?

संपादयन्त्यविरतं त्वविरामवृत्ता
या वै स्थिता कृतफलं त्वकृतस्य नेत्री।
सा मे भवत्वनुदिनं वरदा भवानी
जानाम्यहं ध्रुवमियं धृतकर्मपाशा॥

Oh! May the Mother of the universe—
In whose activity no respite rests,
Incessantly distributing the fruits
Of action done, guiding unceasingly
All action yet to come—bestow Her boon
Of blessing on me, Her child, for evermore.
I realise, I know, that it is Thou
Who holdest in Thy hands dread Karma’s rope.

किं वा कृतं किमकृतं क कपाललेख:
किं कर्म वा फलमिहास्ति हि यां विना भो:।
इच्छागुणैर्नियमिता नियमा: स्वतन्त्रै-
र्यस्या: सदा भवतु सा शरणं ममाद्या॥

Is it inherent nature? Something uncreate?
Or Destiny? Some unforeseen result?—
Who lacking nothing, is accountable,
Whose chain of will, untrammelled, grasps the laws,
May She, the Primal Guide, my shelter be!

सन्तानयन्ति जलधिं जनिमृत्युजालं
सम्भावयन्त्यविकृतं विकृतं विभग्नम्।
यस्या विभूतय इहामितशक्तिपाला
नाश्रित्य तां वद कुत: शरणं व्रजाम:॥

Manifestations of Her glory show
In power of immeasurable might,
Throughout the universe, powers that swell
The sea of birth and death, forces that change
And break up the Unchanged and changed again.
Lo! Where shall we seek refuge, save in Her?

मित्रे रिपौ त्वविषमं तव पद्मनेत्रम्
स्वस्थेऽसुखे त्ववितथस्तव हस्तपात:।
छाया मृतेस्तव दया त्वमृतञ्च मात-
र्मुञ्चन्तु मां न परमे शुभदृष्टयस्ते॥

To friend and foe Thy lotus-eyes are even;
Ever Thine animating touch brings fruit
To fortunate and unfortunate alike;
The shade of death and immortality—
Both these, O mother, are Thy grace Supreme!
Mother Supreme! Oh, may Thy gracious face
Never be turned away from me, Thy child!

क्वाम्बा शिवा क्व गृणनं मम हीनबुद्धे-
र्दोर्भ्यां विधत्तुर्मिव यामि जगद्विधात्रीम्॥
चिन्त्यं श्रिया सुचरणं त्वभयप्रतिष्ठं
सेवापरैरभिनुतं शरणं प्रपद्ये॥

What Thou art, the Mother! the All. How praise?
My understanding is so little worth.
‘Twere like desire to seize with hands of mine
The sole Supporter of the universe!
So, at Thy blessed feet—contemplated
By the Goddess of Fortune Herself—the abode
Of fearlessness, worshipped by service true—
There, at those blessed feet, I take refuge!

या मा चिराय विनयत्यतिदु:खमार्गै-
रासिद्धित: स्वकलितैर्ललितैर्विलासै:।
या मे मतिं सुविदधे सततं धरण्यां
साम्बा शिवा मम गति: सफलेऽफले वा॥

She who, since birth, has ever led me on
Through paths of trouble to perfection’s goal.
Mother-wise, in Her own sweet playful ways,
She, who has always through my life inspired
My understanding, She, my Mother,
She, The All, is my resort, whether my work
O’erflow with full fruition or with none.