Viṣṇu’s Prayer to the Universal Mother
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2019-10-07

Śrī Bhagavān said: ‘Salutation to the Devī Prakṛti, the Creatrix; I bow down again and again to Thee. Thou art all-auspicious and grantest the desires of Thy devotees; Thou art of the nature of siddhi (spiritual success) and vṛddhi (increase). I bow down again and again to Thee. I bow down to the World Mother, Who is of the nature of Everlasting Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. 
O Devī! Thou createst, preservest and destroyest this Universe; Thou doest the pralaya (the great Dissolution) and showest favor to the created beings. Thus Thou art the Authoress of the above five-fold things that are done; so, O Bhuvaneśvarī, I bow down to Thee! Thou art the great efficient and material cause of the changeful. Thou art the Unchangeable, Immoveable Consciousness; Thou art the half-letter (ardhamātrā), hrillekhā (the consciousness that ever pervades both inside and outside the Universe, denoted by the bīja-mantra hṛīṁ); Thou art the Supreme Soul and the individual soul. Salutation again and again to Thee!
O Mother! I now realize fully well that this whole Universe rests on Thee; it rises from Thee and again melts away in Thee. The creation of this Universe shews Thy infinite force. Verily, Thou art become Thyself all these lokas (planetary regions). During the time of creation Thou createst the two formless elements akāsā and vāyu and the three elements with form—fire, water, and earth—then with these Thou createst the whole Universe and shewest this to the Enjoyer Puruṣa, who is of the nature of consciousness, for His satisfaction. Thou again dost become the material cause of the twenty-three tattvas: mahat, etc., as enumerated in the Sāṅkhya system and appearest to us like a mirage.
32. O Mother! Were it not for Thee, no object would be visible, Thou pervadest the whole Universe. It is for this reason that those persons that are wise declare that even the Highest Puruṣa can do no work without Thy aid.
33-34. O Devī! Thou createst and art giving satisfaction to the whole Universe by Thy power; again at the time of pralaya Thou swallowest forcibly all these that are seen. So, O Devī! Who can fathom Thy powers? O Mother! Thou didst save us from the hands of Madhu and Kaitabha. Then Thou hast brought us to this Maṇi-Dvīpa and shewed us Thy own form, all the extended regions and immense powers and given us exquisite delight and joy. This is the highest place of happiness.
35-37. O Mother! When I Myself, Śaṅkara and Brahmā or anyone of us is unable to fathom Thy inconceivable glory, who else can then ascertain Thee? O Bhavānī! Who knows how many more than the several regions that we saw reflected in thy nails of Thy feet, exist in Thy creation? O One endowed with infinitely great powers! O Devī! we saw another Viṣṇu, another Hara, another Brahmā, all of great celebrity in the Universe exhibited by Thee; who knows how many other such Brahmās, etc., exist in Thy other Universes? Thy glory is infinite. O Mother! I bow down again and again to Thy lotus feet and pray to Thee that this Thy form may exist always in my mind. May my mouth always utter Thy name, and may my two eyes see always Thy lotus feet.
38-43. O Revered One! May I remember Thee as my Goddess and may Thou constantly look on myself as Thy humble servant. O Mother! What more shall I say than this: May this relation as mother and son always exist between Thee and me. O World-Mother! There is nothing in this world that is not known to Thee, for Thou art omniscient. So O Bhavānī! What more shall my humble self declare to Thee? Now dost Thou do whatever Thou desirest. O Devī! The rumour goes that Brahmā is the Creator, Viṣṇu is the Preserver, and Maheśvara is the Destroyer! Is this true? O Eternal One! It is only through Thy will power, through Thy force, that we create, preserve and destroy. 
O Daughter of the Himālaya mountain! The earth is supporting this Universe; it is Thy endless might that is holding all this made of five elements. O Grantress of boons! It is through Thy power and luster that the Sun is lustrous and becomes visible. Though Thou art the attributeless Self, yet by Thy Māyic power Thou appearest in the form of this prapañca Universe. When Brahmā, Maheśa, and I myself take birth by Thy power and are not eternal, what more can be said of Indra and other Devas than this: that they are mere temporary things and created. It is only Thou that art Eternal, Ancient Prakṛti and the Mother of this Universe. 
O Bhavānī! Now I realize from my remaining with Thee, that it is Thou that dost impart, out of mercy, the brahmā-vidyā to the ancient Puruṣa; and thus He can realize His eternal nature. Otherwise He will remain always under delusion that He is the Lord, He is the Puruṣa without beginning, that He is good and the Universal Soul, and thus suffers under various forms of egoism (ahaṅkāra).

Download the Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam Part 1, Skandhas 1-5:
https://archive.org/details/srimaddevibhagavatampart1/page/n365