Shailbala Shatak is a floral offering of words at the feet of Bhagwati Paramba. To claim that this is solely the result of my efforts would be a grave mistake. The goddess desired to hear her own praise, and thus this work was divinely guided. This saying finds true meaning: “Whom the goddess blesses, she makes their heart dance with words.”

At the beginning of Shailbala Shatak, the verses shine with the fierce aspect of the mother, yet there is no fire of anger; rather, it is the milk of compassion that flows. The mother tenderly caresses the back of the sinful and, repeatedly, with love, she showers affection on her humble children, begging for their well-being. To comfort the hearts of children hiding in the folds of her sari, Bhavani’s playful acts pulse like the vibrant blood within the veins of Shailbala Shatak.

This shatak is like the prasad which the mother has lovingly fed to her children with her own hands, saturating them with boundless affection. It is dedicated at her feet with the sentiment that the 108 beads of the rosary complete the worship of the mother, and may she infuse this prayer garland with her divine energy and blessings. Shailbala Shatak is that lotus of a hundred petals, laid at the feet of the mother, which has found ultimate bliss.