66 - The Stotra of Durga  

Narada said - О best of the sages, I have listened to everything and nothing remains. Now you kindly enlighten me on the kavacha and the stotra of the goddess. 

Narayana said - In the earlier times, in the Goloka, Krishna had adored Prakruti and in the month of Chaitra he adored the goddess in Rasamandala with great devotion. In the battle of Madhukaitabha, Vishnu adored the goddess Durga when the life of Brahma was in danger. Thereafter, О sage, in the earlier times, in the battle with the terrific demon Tripurasura, lord Shiva adored Durga. On the fifth time before the battle with Vrutraasura, Indra adored the goddess when he was facing a great danger, at that point of time all the sages, Manush, king Suratha and the humans adored the goddess. Thus, in all the kalpas, the great goddess was adored by the gods.

О Brahmana, now I am going to recite to you the stotra which results in the destruction of all the obstruction and provides pleasure and welfare and serve as a means to cross the ocean of the universe. 

Sri Krishna said - You are then mother of all, Mulaprakruti and Ishvari, you are the eternal goddess in the universe and you take to any form at will. 

Though you are invisible, still you appear in various forms at times. You are the form of eternal Brahmana, truthful, everlasting and eternal. You are the form of the lustre, the base of all. You are the one who takes to a definite form for the sake of your devotees, you are the form of all and the great goddess of all. You are the base of all, all powerful, the seed of all, adorable by all, without any support, possessing all knowledge, provide prosperity to all and are welfare of all the welfares. 

You are the form of all intelligence, all strength, bestower of all knowledge, the great goddess, all knowledgeable and adorable by all.

You are Svaha in the charity of the gods, Svadha in the charity of the manes and dakshina in the charities of all and are the strength of all. 

You represent sleep, mercy, greed, love, satisfaction of hunger, peace, Isha, glory and are always peaceful. You are faith, development, drowsiness, shyness, glory and the wealth of the noble people besides being the misery for the wicked people. 

You are love for the noble people and the quarrelsome for the sinner. You happen to be the goddess of action for all the creatures. You are the one who grants noble position to the gods, the merciful goddess of Brahma and the destroyer of all the demons for the benefit of the gods. 

You are the Yoganidra for the ascetics, the yogic practices, yoga of the ascetics, bestower of success and grant success to siddhas besides being Siddhayogini. 

You are Brahmani, Maheshvari, Vishnumaya, Vaishnavi, bestower of prosperity, Bhadrakali and are terror for all the villages, the household goddess for the householders, glory for the noble peoples and denouncement for the wicked people. 

You are the prevailing death during the time of the war, you destroy the wicked people, protect the noble people like a mother. 

You are adored by Brahma and all the gods who offer prayers to you. You are the Brahmanahood of the Brahmanas and the tapas of the sages. You are intelligence of the intelligent people, wisdom of the wise, glory of the noble people and the memory and the virtues of the influential people. 

You are the glory of the kings, business of the business people, creation for the lord of creation, protection during the time of maintenance and the death at the time of dissolution. You are adored by all the people in the universe, you are Kalaratri, Maharatri, Moharatri and Mohini. 

You are great illusion which has the entire universe influenced by you; even the intellectual are unable to find the way to salvation.  Whosoever recites the stotra which destroys miseries, he will achieve all success. 

The barren women or the women who produce dead children can surely get the son after reciting the stotra for a year. The one who is lodged in the prison with fetters, can be freed from all the fetters if he recites this for a month. 

The person suffering from consumption, leprosy, stomach-ache or high fever, could be relieved of the ailment after listening to the stotra for a year. With the developing of jealousy with the son, the people and the wife, one can be relieved of the troubles by reciting this mantra for a month. There is no doubt about it.

With the reciting of this mantra a person becomes fearless in the royal court, cremation ground, thick forest, battle field and among the wild animals. 

One is relieved of the danger by the hearing of the stotra, when the house is in flames, the forest fire and when one is surrounded by thieves, dacoits and the army. 

The totally foolish person or a pauper will achieve all knowledge and riches if one recites the stotra for one year. There is no doubt.