Stories of the Great Bharata - A Retelling

Arc 2 - Bhagavad Gītā Parva - Chapter 4 - The Hymn of Arjuna to the Goddess

Arjuna said:

I bow to Thee, O Leader of Yogins,

Thou who art the very essence of Brahman;

Dweller upon Mandara’s heights,

Ever ageless, dark and radiant.

O Kāli, fierce and gracious Mother,

Bride of the skull-bearing Lord!

O thou whose hue is twilight flame,

I bow before Thee, Mahākālī.

Thou who bringest refuge to Thy devotees,

Giver of victory, victory’s self;

Bannered with peacock plumes,

Adorned with every shining gem.

Sword and shield in hand, O terrible One,

Younger sister of the cowherd chief,

Born of Nanda’s line, lover of battle,

Drinker of the Asura’s blood—Salutations to Thee!

O Umā, Śākambarī, white and dark in hue,

Slayer of Kaitabha, flame-eyed Goddess!

Thou art the Vedas, the Śrutis, the highest virtue;

Friend of the Brahmana and guardian of sacrifice.

Thou art Svāhā and Svadhā, Time and its measure;

Thou art Sarasvatī, the source of wisdom;

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Thou art Savitrī, mother of the Vedas;

Thou art the science of Vedānta’s end.

I bow to Thee, O Mother of Skanda,

O Thou that possessest sixfold powers,

O Thou that dwellest in the inaccessible heights,

Grant me victory through Thy grace.

In every peril, in forest and field,

In the homes of the devout, in the underworld,

Thou dwellest, unvanquished, unwearied,

Slayer of the Daityas, foe of fear.

Thou art illusion, modesty, and beauty;

Thou art day and night, and twilight between;

Thou art contentment and growth and splendour;

Thou art the radiance of the Sun and the Moon.

Thou art the wealth of the prosperous,

And the wisdom of the seers and Siddhas.

Mother of worlds, protect me now,

With steadfast heart to Thee I bow;

Let victory, born of Thee, be mine,

And light my path through war divine.

Sañjaya continued:

Then, O King, understanding the depth of Pārtha’s devotion, the great Goddess Durgā—ever gracious toward mankind—manifested in the sky before Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Clad in celestial brilliance, She smiled and spoke.

The Goddess said:

“O son of Pāṇḍu, victory shall soon be thine. Thy foes shall fall before thee, for thou hast Nārāyaṇa as thy ally. Even Indra, wielder of the thunderbolt, could not prevail against thee. Behold, by My favour, thy triumph is certain.”

Having thus granted the boon, the Mother of the universe vanished like lightning into the firmament.

Then the son of Kuntī, his heart uplifted, ascended again to his chariot. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, seated together—the Lord and His instrument—blew their divine conches, filling heaven and earth with sound. It was as though the very soul of dharma had declared its awakening.

He who at dawn repeats this praise,

Walks fearless through life’s countless ways;

No Rakṣasa, serpent, beast, or king

Can shadow him with suffering.

Bondage and battle flee his tread,

Prosperity crowns his path instead.

Sañjaya continued:

Thus have I learned, O King, by the grace of the sage Vyāsa, the hymn that brings victory and protection. Yet thy sons, bound fast by the cords of fate, know not that Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are Nara and Nārāyaṇa—divine among men. Their hour is come, yet they see it not.

Dvaipāyana, Nārada, Kāṇva, and even the sinless Rāma had warned thy son, but he would not heed. The wheel of Time has turned, and the kingdom of thy house is sinking.

Know this, O King:

Where righteousness (dharma) abides, there dwell glory and beauty.

Where modesty abides, there dwell prosperity and wisdom.

Where righteousness abides, there is Kṛṣṇa.

And where Kṛṣṇa is—there is Victory.

When Truth and God together stand,

No darkness dares defy their hand;

For where stands Kṛṣṇa, radiant, free—

There stands eternal victory.

Sañjaya said:

When both armies stood face to face, O King, vast as oceans meeting at the world’s end, the warriors on either side burned with equal joy and courage. Their banners streamed, their garlands exhaled fragrance, and perfumes rose alike from both hosts—Pāṇḍava and Kaurava. No heart yet trembled, for the moment before the first arrow flies is the moment when even mortals feel immortal.