Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 25
Adhyāya 6: Kaṅka (Yudhiṣṭhira) Seeks Refuge in Virāṭa’s Assembly
“दुर्गे! तुम दुःसह दुःखसे उद्धार करती हो
durge tvaṁ duḥsaha-duḥkhebhya uddhāraṁ karoti, tasmāl lokaiḥ durgeti kathyase. ye durgame vane kleśaṁ prāpnuvanti, mahāsāgare nimajjanti, athavā taskarāṇāṁ vaśaṁ gatāḥ, teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ tvam eva paramā gatiḥ—tvam eva tān saṅkaṭāt mocayituṁ śaknoṣi. mahādevi! udake plavamānāḥ, durgamārge gacchantaḥ, araṇyeṣu ca bhrāntāḥ ye tvāṁ smaranti, te manuṣyāḥ kleśaṁ na prāpnuvanti. tvam eva kīrtiḥ śrīḥ dhṛtiḥ siddhiḥ lajjā vidyā santatiḥ matiḥ sandhyā rātriḥ prabhā nidrā jyotsnā kāntiḥ kṣamā dayā ca. tvayā pūjitayā manuṣyāṇāṁ bandhanaṁ mohaḥ putranāśaḥ dhananāśa-saṅkaṭaṁ vyādhiḥ mṛtyuḥ sarvaṁ bhayaṁ ca praṇaśyati. aham api rājyāt bhraṣṭaḥ, tasmāt tava śaraṇaṁ prapannaḥ. praṇataś ca yathā mūrdhnā tava devi sureśvari, trāhi māṁ padmapatrākṣi; satye, satyā bhavasva naḥ.
毗湿摩波耶那说：“噢，杜尔迦女神！因为你能拯救众生脱离难以忍受的苦难，人们便称你为‘杜尔迦’。凡在险阻密林中受困者、在大海中沉溺者、或落入盗贼之手者——唯有你是至上的归依；唯有你能使他们脱离灾厄。伟大的女神啊！人在水中挣扎之时、行走于险途之时、或迷失于荒林之时，若忆念于你，便不遭苦恼。你即是名声、福泽、坚忍、成就、羞怯、学识、子嗣、慧思、黄昏、黑夜、光辉、睡眠、月华、丽色、宽恕与慈悲。你一旦受人礼敬，便为世人摧破束缚与迷妄，消除失子失财之祸、疾病、死亡与一切恐惧。我亦被夺去王国，因此前来投奔于你。今以首俯伏致敬——女神啊，诸天之主，莲叶之眼者，愿救我！真理啊，愿你对我等显现为真。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): in situations of extreme vulnerability—loss, danger, fear—one should remember and worship the protecting divine power. The Goddess is portrayed as the source of both worldly supports (prosperity, learning, courage) and moral qualities (modesty, forgiveness, compassion), and as the remover of bondage, delusion, and fear.
Within the Virāṭa Parva context of the Pāṇḍavas’ concealment and hardship, the narration presents a hymn/prayer to Durgā. The speaker voices a plea for protection and restoration, identifying the Goddess as the supreme refuge for those in peril and explicitly stating, “I have been deprived of my kingdom; therefore I seek your shelter.”