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Devi Bhagavatam (Devi
Puranam)
Chapter XXXI
On the death of Sumbha
1. Vyāsa said :-- O King! Sumbha, the Lord of the Daityas, hearing the
words of the soldiers, began to say, then, with eyes rolling with anger.
2-15. Sumbha said :-- O Fools! What are you saying all this? How can I do
this unspeakably mean act and then hope to live? How shall I be able to roam
in this world when I have become the cause the slaying of my brothers and
ministers? Time is the more powerful cause of all that takes place, good or
bad; so when this formless Time is the Supreme Ruler, what use is there in
my brooding over the result? Let whatever come that is inevitable, let
whatever be done that is destined to take place; death or life, I do not
think of either. The more so when Time is never able, even when worshipped,
to thwart off death or life when their proper moment arrives. See! The God
of rain gives us rain in the rainy season; but, it is seen that sometimes it
does not rain in the month of Srāvan (the rainy season); whereas it rains
sometimes in the month Agrahāyana, Pausa, Māgha, or Phālguna (not the rainy
season). Therefore it is evident that Time is not the chief factor. Fate is
stronger than Time; Time is merely the instrumental cause. It is this Fate
that has created all this universe; it cannot be rendered otherwise. I
consider Fate Supreme; Fie on this ones own exertion! For, Lo! Nisumbha,
who had before conquered all the Devas, is slain today by an ordinary woman!
Alas!
When Raktabīja, too, had been slain, how can I desire to hold on to my life,
foregoing all my name and fame! Even Brahmā, who has created all this
universe, will not sooner come to an end than his longevity expires. Four
thousand Yugas constitute one day of Brahmā; and in that one day fourteen
Indras perished; so twice the life of Brahmā constitute the life of Visnu;
similarly twice the life period of Visnu constitute the life period of
Mahesa; and when their longevities expire, they come to an end. This
visible earth, mountains, sun and moon all will perish; so it has been
specially ordained by the Destiny; therefore, O Fools! I do not care a bit
for the death. When a being is born, he must die; and when anyone dies, he
will be born again, there is no doubt in this. So one ought to preserve
ones name and fame which is more permanent in this transitory body. Prepare
my chariot; I will go today to the battlefield; let victory or defeat come
what it may, as Fate has ordained. I will soon go to fight.
16-33. Thus saying, Sumbha mounted on the chariot quickly and went where
the Devī Ambikā was staying. Then the four-fold army, cavalry, infantry,
chariots, horses and elephants and innumerable soldiers, followed him with
weapons in their hands. Going there to the Himālayā mountain, he saw the
Divine Mother sitting on Her Lion. She appeared so very lovely as to enchant
the three worlds. Her body was decorated with various ornaments, all the
auspicious gems were manifest; the Devas, Gandarbhas, Yaksas and Kinnaras in
the heavens were all worshipping Her with hymns and Pārijāta flowers; and
the Devī was making beautiful sounds with bells and conches, indicative of
Her victory. Seeing Her Sumbha was very much enchanted with passionate love
and struck with, the five arrows of cupid, thought thus :-- How wonderful is
Her lovely countenance! See! How wonderful and amazing is Her skilfulness!
Delicacy and capability to endure the hardships of war, though quite
contrary to each other, are both in Her. What a wonder is this! Her bodies
are extremely delicate and limbs are lean and thin; besides She is lately
blooming into womanhood; still She does not feel any passion; this is
undoubtedly very wonderful! She is exquisitely beautiful that can be desired
of in ones mind; and though She is endowed with all the auspicious signs,
yet She has no inclinations for all the pleasures and allurements of the
world and is now slaying the powerful Asuras; this is wonderful indeed! Now
what steps are to be taken so that this Lady comes under my control? All the
Mantrams also are not with me now to bring over this Swan-eyed Lady unto me.
This proud lovely Lady is the incarnate of all Mantrams; how will She come
under my control? This heroic Lady cannot be controlled by conciliatory
words, allurements, dissensions; it is not advisable, too, to fly away from
the battlefield and to
go to Pātāla. What am I to do? Where shall I go in this critical moment? And
if I die at the hands of this Lady, that death is not a glorious one; it
will take away my fame. The death in a battlefield is conducive to ones
well being, so the sages say, when both the parties are equally strong. The
Devas have created this Lady stronger than even hundred strong men; She is a
woman merely in name. This Lady is very powerful and has come here to
destroy the Dānavas; there is no doubt in this. What effect will
conciliatory words now produce on Her; She has come to slay us; Will She be
appeased with good words? Neither will allurements of precious things be of
any avail, for She is decked with various arms and weapons; nor will it be
of any use to sow dissensions between the Devas and Her. Further all the
Devas are under Her control. Therefore it is far better to die than to fly;
victory or death would come unto me today as Fate has ordained.
34-46. Vyāsa said :-- O King! Thus thinking in his mind, Sumbha became
ready to shew his strength; and firmly resolved to fight, he said to the
Devī before him :-- Devī! Fight. But, O One of delicate limbs! Thy so much
toil is in vain. Thou hast no sense at all; for Thou art doing contrary to
the doings of woman-kind. The pair of eyes of women are their arrows; the
eyebrows are their bows; their gestures and postures are their weapons and
their hits are those persons who are skilled in amorous love sentiments. The
dyes used in painting the bodies are their armours, their mental desires are
their chariots, so sweet soft words and conversations are their trumpet
sounds; women have no other things for their war preparations. Therefore, O
Beloved! Any other weapons are mere mockeries and ridiculous; their modesty
is their ornament; impudence can never grace them. An exquisitely beautiful
woman, if engaged in a fight will look harsh; especially when Thou wilt draw
Thy bow, how wilt Thou be able to hide Thy breasts? When Thou wilt run with
Thy club, where will Thy gentle treadings go? O Beautiful! Thy councillors
are this Kālikā and the stupid Chāmundā. Chandikā is Thy adviser; her voice
is very hoarse; how can then she be able to nurse Thee? Again this Lion, the
terror of all the beings, is Thy carrier. Therefore, O Dear! Leave aside all
these and come over unto me. O Beautiful One! That Thou art ringing Thy
bells and dost not sound. Thy lute goes quite against Thy beauty and youth.
O Sensitive One! If Thou likest to fight, better assume an ugly appearance,
let Thy nature be ferocious and cruel; let Thy colour be black like a crow;
lips elongated, legs long, nails ugly, teeth horrible, and let Thy eyes be
ugly or yellow like those of a cat. O Devī! Assume such an ugly appearance
and stand firmly for the fight. O Deer-eyed One! Speak first harsh words
unto me; then I will fight with Thee; my hand does not get up to strike Thee
with handsome teeth, in the battlefield, Who art like a second Rati.
47. Vyāsa said :-- O Best of the descendants of Bhārata! When Sumbha said
thus, the Divine Mother, seeing him passionate, smiled and said :--
48-50. O Stupid One! Why are you so much distressed with passion? O Fool! If
your hand does not come forward to strike weapons at Me, then fight with
this ugly Kālikā or Chāmundā; they are your best compeers in the
battlefield; they will fight with you; I will stand as a mere Witness. Thus
saying, the Devī Bhagavatī said to Kālikā, in sweet words :-- O Kālikā!
Your nature is fierce; this Sumbha likes also the fierce; so kill him.
51-69. Vyāsa said :-- O King! That Kālikā, the incarnate of Death, thus
ordered, took up Her club immediately and became ready to fight, as if sent
there direct by the God of Death. A dreadful fight then ensued between the
two; and the highsouled Munis and the Devas were present there and witnessed
the great event. Sumbha first struck at Kālikā, raising his club. Kālikā,
then, struck Sumbha in return with her club violently. Instantly she made a
dreadful sound, broke down his chariot, glittering like gold, into pieces,
killed the horses of the chariot and slew the charioteer. Walking, then, on
foot with a very heavy club in his hand, Sumbha struck with great anger on
the breast of Kālikā and began to laugh. Kālikā, in the meanwhile, rendering
his stroke useless, soon took up Her axe and cut off his left hand, pasted
with sandal and decked with arms and weapons. His left hand thus out off,
his whole body was drenched with torrents of blood; yet he came up with club
in his hand and struck Kālikā with it. Kālikā, too, laughed and with Her
scimitar cut off his right arm holding the club and ornamented with armlet.
Sumbha became angry and came up violently to kick Her when Kālikā quickly
cut off his two legs. His arms and legs thus severed from his body, the
Demon frightened Kālikā and told Her, Wait, wait. And soon he came up
before Her. Seeing the Demon coming, Kālikā severed his neck from his body
like a lotus; blood began to gush out in continuous streams. O King! The
head of Sumbha, thus severed from his body, fell on the ground like a
mountain. Immediately the life left the body. Seeing the Dānava fall down
lifeless, Indra and the other hosts of Devas began to worship the Devī
Bhagavatī, Chāmundā, and Kālikā and chanted lovely hymns to them. The winds
then began to blow pleasantly; all the quarters looked very clear and Fire
in sacrificial altars, being circumambulated, became very propitious. On the
other hand, those Daityas that remained alive quitted
their arms and weapons, bowed down to the Divine Mother, and fled away one
and all to the Pātāla. O King! I have now described in regular order to you
how the Devī protected the Devas and destroyed Sumbha and other Asuras.
Those human beings on the surface of the earth that read this anecdote from
the beginning to the very end or hear it constantly, get all their desires
fulfilled; there is no doubt in this. O King! Verily he gets a son who has
not got any son; he gets abundance of wealth who is without any wealth; the
diseased become cured of their diseases; what more can be said than the fact
that he who hears this glorious deed of the Devī in its entirety, gets all
that he desires. O King! That man who reads daily this holy anecdote or
hears it, has never to fear from his enemies; in addition be gets liberation
after leaving his this body.
Here ends the Thirty-first Chapter of the Fifth Book on the death of Sumbha
in the Mahā Purānam Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi
Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter XXXII
On the King Surathas going to the forest
1-4. Janamejaya said :-- O Best of Munis! The glory of Chandikā has been
fully described by you. By whom was She worshipped in the ancient times
after the reading and hearing of Her three glorious deeds (the killing of
Madhu Kaitava, etc.)? Who was it that derived the best effects by
worshipping the Devī, the Bestower of all desires? When and with whom was
She pleased and then offered boons? O Ocean of mercy! Kindly narrate fully
all these things to me. O Brāhmana! Describe to me also the rules how the
meditation, worship and Homa of the Great Devī are conducted. Sūta said :--
O Risis! Krisna Dvaipāyana, the son of Satyavatī, was very glad to hear
these questions of Janamejaya and began to describe how the worship, etc.,
of the Mahā Māyā, the Devī Bhagavatī are to be done.
5-21. Vyāsa said :-- O King! In days of yore in Svārochisa Manvantara there
was a king, named Suratha, very liberal-minded and devoted to govern well
his subjects. He was truthful, active and energetic, and devoted to his
Guru; he always served the twice-born and he never used to hold any sexual
intercourse except with his legal wife. He was generous, not liking to
quarrel with anybody, and expert in the science of archery. While he was
thus governing his kingdom, the Mlechchas, the hill tribes, turned out his
enemies. They destroyed the city of Kolā, became very haughty and turbulent
and desired to conquer the whole earth by their sheer force. Thus
accompanied by the great four-fold army
elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry they came to conquer the dominion
of the King Suratha. A dreadful fight then ensued between the King and the
dreadful Mlechchas. O King! The Mlechcha forces were not at all numerous
whereas the armies of the king were large; still the Mlechchas were lucky to
win the battle. The King, defeated, fled to his own city which was a
strongly fortified place. The good King, wise in statesmanship when he saw
that his ministers had gone over to the enemies party, became very anxious
and thought whether it was advisable for him to wait for a better
opportunity, remaining within his own extensive city, well guarded by a
strong wall and ditch or it would be better to fight on. The King thought
also that it would not at all be advisable to consult with his ministers who
were, then, under the control of his enemies; what then would he do under
the circumstances? Those vicious ministers could at any time deliver him to
the hands of his enemies; what would then happen to him! Those men, that are
avaricious, can do anything in this world; therefore it would never be
advisable to trust them. The people under the sway of greed commit injury to
their fathers, brothers, friends, acquaintances, their Gurus and the adored
Brāhmanas. When the ministers had joined with his enemies, they could well
be classed with the vicious; no doubt in this. Never could they be trusted
under the above circumstances. Thus pondering over the matter, the King
became absent-minded, and, finding no remedy, went out of the city alone,
mounted on a horse. The intelligent King, helpless, entered into a dense
forest and thought where would he go now? Knowing, then, that there was, at
a distance of three Yojanas from that place, a hermitage of the great
ascetic the Sumedhā Risi, the King went there. (N.B. :-- A Yojana is a
distance measuring four Krosas or eight or nine miles.)
22-33. O King! That hermitage was more beautiful than even the Heavens; it
was on the bank of a river; various kinds of trees were there; it was
frequented with wild animals having no enmity with each other; the whole
place was echoed with the sounds of cuckoos. The students were studying and
reverberating the atmosphere with their Vedic chants; hundreds of herds of
deers were running there; rice trees had grown there wildly at places and
their harvests were collected at places; good flowery trees and others with
delicious fruits were seen there; at places fragrant smells of oblations of
ghee, etc., were coming; all these were delighting to any man who went or
stayed there. The King Suratha was very glad to see that Āsrama; he became
fearless and wanted to stay there in the hermitage of the Brāhmin. Fastening
his horse at the root of a tree, the King approached humbly to the Risi, and
saw that the
Muni was seated on a deer skin under the shade of dense Sāl trees. He was
peaceful, lean and thin by tapasyā. His stature was straight; and he was
teaching his disciples and explaining to them the meaning of the Veda
Sāstras.
He was void of anger, greed, etc., beyond all the dualities, without any
jealousy, always devoted to the contemplation of his Self, truthful and full
of peace. Seeing him the King was filled with tears and prostrated before
him and fell like a stick before him. The Muni, seeing him thus asked him to
get up and enquired about his welfare. A disciple then at the sign of the
Guru, gave him a Kusāsan, to take his seat. The King got up and at his
permission took his seat on that kusāsan; the the Muni worshipped the King
duly by offering to him water to wash his feet, and Arghya (an offer of
green grass, rice, etc). Then the Muni asked him, Who are you? What for are
you come here? Why are you so anxious? Tell frankly all these that are not
yet known to me. What do you want? Speak out your mind. Even if that be
impracticable, I will no doubt try my best to accomplish your desired ends.
34-36. The King said :-- O Muni! I am the King Suratha; defeated by my
enemy, I have left my kingdom, palace, and wife and have come to your
refuge. O Brāhmana! I am ready to do whatever you order me; on this surface
of the earth there is no one but you who can protect me. Now I am very much
terrified by my enemy; therefore I have come to you. O Muni! You protect
those who come to seek your refuge; I have now come here to seek your
shelter; so save me from this danger.
37-38. The Maharsi said :-- O King! Stay here without any fear; none of
your enemies would be able to enter this hermitage by my power of Tapasyā,
even if they be very powerful. O Best of Kings! You will not be allowed to
kill any animals here; you will have to sustain yourself on this wild rice,
roots and fruits, etc., as the rules of the forest living permit.
39-48. Vyāsa said :-- Thus hearing his words, the King began to live there,
with all purity and without any fear, on roots and fruits. Once the King,
while taking rest under the shade of a tree, while thinking of various
things, thought of his own house thus :-- My enemies have, no doubt
acquired my kingdom, but they are vicious and wicked, shameless Mlechchas
and always addicted to sinful deeds; certainly they are tormenting my
subjects. My elephants and horses are not regularly getting their food and
have all become powerless; certainly they are suffering very much from my
enemies. All the servants that were nourished by me before are now all
suffering from troubles, having been subjected by my enemies. The wicked
enemies are certainly squandering away my hoarded
wealth to bad immoral purposes, in gambling, drinking and in revelling with
prostitutes. Those Mlechchas and my ministers are always intent on vicious
acts; they do not know who are the proper persons to be given charities; so
they will no doubt exhaust away my coffers in doing sinful acts. While the
King was thus meditating, seated at the root of a tree, there came one man
of the Vaisya caste looking very distressed. The King saw and instantly
bade him take his seat beside him; then the King asked the Vaisya :-- O
Noble One! Of what caste are you? Whence are you coming to this forest? What
is your name? What for you look so pale and distressed? What calamity has
befallen to you? O Good One! Two persons become friends whenever they speak
seven words amongst them; according to this rule I am your friend; tell me,
therefore, truly all these things.
49. Vyāsa said :-- The Vaisya, hearing these words from the King, took his
seat and felt himself much relieved and thinking that he has met with a
saint, began to speak thus :--
50-52. O my Friend! I belong to the Vaisya caste; my name is Samādhi; I was
rich, never I had any jealousy towards anybody; always I used to speak truth
and was devoted to religious acts. My wife and sons are very greedy of money
and are irreligious; so they cut off all their affections and connections
with me, very difficult to cut though, and have driven me out of the house
on the pretext that I am very miserly. Thus forsaken by my relatives, I have
now come to this forest. You look to be a fortunate man; therefore kindly, O
Dear One! give me now your introduction and oblige.
53-55. The King said :-- I am the King Suratha; lately I had a defeat from
the dacoits; moreover my ministers deceived me; consequently I am deprived
of my kingdom and have now come here. O Best of Vaisyas! Fortunately you
have come to me today as my friend. We two will repose here gladly in this
beautiful forest covered with trees. O Intelligent One! Now quit your
sorrow; be calm and quiet and rest with me, at your leisure, here happily.
56-58. The Vaisya said :-- O King! My friends and relatives must have been
helpless, very sorrowful and they are distressed at my absence; they must
have been troubled very much by diseases and misfortunes no doubt and have
become very anxious. O King! I cannot remain quiet; my mind is being
troubled with the thought how my wife and sons are spending their times now
in pain or happiness? I am always thinking when I would see again my sons,
wife, relatives, friends, acquaintances and my house? I cannot make me calm
and quiet.
59-60. The King said :-- O Intelligent One! What pleasure can you expect to
see your wicked sons and treacherous relatives who have driven you out of
your house? Even the enemies are far better, provided they do good to us;
what sorts of friends are they who impose on us afflictions and sorrows. Do
you, therefore, make your mind calm and quiet and remain here in greatest
peace and happiness.
61. The Vaisya said :-- O King! Even those that are wicked and cruel cannot
quit their relatives. Today my mind is greatly agitated with the thought of
my relatives; I cannot remain quiet.
62. The King said :-- My mind too, is incessantly troubled with the thought
of my kingdom. Come; let both of us go to the Muni and ask him what is the
medicine for the cure of these our mental agonies.
63-64. Vyāsa said :-- O King! Thus making their determinations, they went
humbly to the Muni to ask him what were the causes of their sorrows? The
King then went close to him and bowing down before him, took his seat and
began to ask calmly and quietly the Muni who was sitting calm and serene.
Here ends the Thirty-second Chapter of the Fifth Book on the King Surathas
going to the forest in the Mahāpurānam, Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter XXXIII
On the description of the greatness of the Devī
1-8. The king Suratha said :-- O Muni! This Vaisya is now become a friend
of mine in this forest; he has been expelled from his home by his sons and
wife and he has come lately here in this forest. He is now suffering very
much from the bereavement of his family and has become very much troubled in
his mind. He is not getting any peace whatsoever. I am also become like him
and have become very distressed owing to my kingdom being robbed away. This
thought, though really devoid of any substantial cause, is not leaving my
heart now. Oh! My elephants and horses, now under my enemies, have become
weak; My servants are suffering very much owing to my absence! My enemies
will, within no time squander away forcibly all my hoarded riches. This
thought is not giving me any happiness; nay, I cannot get any sleep owing to
this care and anxiety. O Lord! I know that this world is false as a dream;
yet my mind is so deluded that I cannot make me quiet. Who am I? What are
those horses and elephants to me? They are not my brothers, sons, nor
friends; yet I feel very much for them and am troubled with
their troubles. O Muni! I know these all are delusions; still I am not able
to make my mind free from them. This is very wonderful indeed! What is the
cause of all this? O Lord! Nothing is veiled from your sight, you are fully
able to solve all these doubts. Therefore, O Ocean of mercy! Kindly explain
to me and this Vaisya the cause of all this delusion.
9. Vyāsa said :-- O King! When the King Suratha asked thus, the Muni in
reply said to him the following words, full of wisdom, so that his delusion
and sorrow might vanish.
10-25. The Muni said :-- O King! I am telling you the cause of bondage as
well the cause of release of all the beings in this Universe. She is known
as Mahā Māyā. She is the Mūla Prakriti, the state of equilibrium of the
three Gunas, Sāttva, Rājas and Tāmas. Even Brahmā, Visnu, Mahesvara, Indra,
Varuna, Vāyu, and the other Devas, Gandarbhas, Nagas, Rāksasas, men, deer,
animals, birds, trees and various kinds of creepers all are under Māyā; thus
they are all bound; again they all get release when they are released by
that Māyā. By Her is created all this world, moving and not moving, all the
beings are caught in Her net and all are under the control of Her. You are a
Ksattriya; so Rājoguna preponderates in you and your heart is thus rendered
impure. She, by Her Māyā, deludes even the minds of those who are Jńānins or
wise; you are but an ordinary man compared to them. Even Brahmā, Visnu and
Mahesa, though possessed of vast wisdom, still roam, under the sway of Māyā,
in the three worlds completely deluded by their attachments to the sensual
objects. O King! In the Satya Yuga, in ancient times Visnu Nārāyana himself
performed a very hard tapasyā in Svetadvīpa. He passed away full ten
thousand years in meditation, with the object of attaining the unbroken
everlasting Bliss and becoming steadfastly attached to Brahmā Vidyā. O King!
Brahmā, too, became engaged in performing a tapasyā, meditating the
Primordial Force, Ādyā Sakti, in a very wonderful solitary place for the
cessation of delusion. Once on a time Vāsudeva Hari wanted to go to another
place; he got up and started to see other places. Brahmā, also, left his
place and started for another destination. When they met each other in their
way, each one asked the other, Who are you? The Prajāpati answered :-- I
am the Creator Brahmā. Hearing thus the Brahmās words, Visnu said :-- O
You Stupid! I am Achyuta Visnu; therefore I am the Creator of this world.
You are inferior to Me as there is so much of Rājoguna in preponderance in
you. Know Me as the eternal Vāsudeva, preponderating in Sāttva Guna. Do you
not remember that I fought a dreadful battle for you and thus saved your
life a short while ago, I slew the two Dānavas Madhu and Kaitava
when you were much distressed by them and took My refuge. How then do you
boast now! O Fool! Quit your this vain boasting now. In this wide world,
there is none superior to Me.
26-31. The Risi said :-- Thus engaged in disputing with each other, their
lips were quivering with anger and their eyes got red. When, Behold! there
appeared suddenly between those two disputants, a nectar-like white phallic
emblem (Lingam), wonderfully long and extensive. Then a voice, from without
anybody, broke out in the Heavens and addressed Brahmā and Visnu who were
quarrelling thus! Whoever amongst you will be able to go to the other end of
this Lingam whether beyond its top or below its bottom, he is certainly the
superior of you two; let one of you therefore go down to Pātāla and let the
other go up to the Heavens. Leave off your useless disputations and take my
word as proof. It is always advisable to select an umpire to decide such a
quarrel as this that has sprung up between you two.
32-39. The Risi said :-- O King! Hearing thus the divine word, both of them
became ready and began energetically to measure the length of the wonderful
Lingam that stood in front of them. Visnu went down to Pātāla and Brahmā
went up to Ākāsa to measure the Lingam and thus to ascertain their
superiority. Going down some distance Visnu got tired and doing his best,
when he could not find out the end of the Lingam, he returned and remained
at the desired meeting place. On the other hand, Brahmā was ascending to the
skies when he got one Ketakī flower dropping from the head of the Lingam. He
became over glad and returned also to the desired meeting place. Brahmā
became very much elated with vanity and when he returned, he at once showed
that flower to Visnu and spoke thus the false words :-- O Visnu! This
Ketakī flower has been obtained from the head of the Lingam. I have brought
this to you simply that you would recognise it and be convinced in your
heart. Hearing these words of Brahmā, Visnu saw the Ketakī flower and said
:-- O Brahmā! Who is your witness in this matter? He whose words are true,
who is equal to all, who is intelligent, pure, and always of good conduct,
he can be the witness in such matters of dispute.
40-44. Brahmā said :-- Who will come now as witness from that far off
place? This Ketakī flower is the witness; this will give evidence. Thus
saying, Brahmā requested Ketakī to give evidence; Ketakī soon replied thus
to convince Visnu. O Visnu! I was on the head of Mahādeva; Brahmā has
brought me from there down to this place; you ought not therefore to have
any doubt on this point. My word is the evidence; Brahmā has gone to the
other end of the Lingam. Some devotee
of Siva put me on His head and Brahmā has got me down from there. Hearing
thus the words of Ketakī, Visnu was very much astonished and said this :--
I cannot trust your word; if Mahā Deva comes and speaks this Himself, then
I can trust and take it as a proof.
45-53. The Risi said :-- O King! The eternal Mahā Deva, hearing the words of
Visnu, spoke thus to Ketakī with great anger, O Liar! Do not utter such
false words; You dropped down from My head and Brahmā while ascending up,
picked you up on the way. Now as you have told a lie, I will never take you;
you are henceforth forsaken by Me. Brahmā was then very much put to shame;
he bowed down to Visnu; Mahā Deva, forsook the Ketakī flower from that date.
O King! Such is the power of Māyā; when Brahmā, Visnu and other wise persons
are so self-deluded by Her, what need to speak of other ordinary mortals!
See! Visnu, the Lord of Laksmī, is self-deluded and is always deceiving the
Daityas for the welfare of the Devas, without any fear whatsoever of the sin
that he is thereby incurring. Though He is the Lord of all yet He has to
take several incarnations in several wombs, forsaking the pleasures of the
Heavens and fighting with the Daityas. O King! Visnu is omniscient and He is
the Lord of this world; specially He is the only One, Supreme in the
creation of the Gods. Now when Māyā exercises such a powerful influence on
Visnu, what wonder is there that the other ordinary beings would be deluded
by Her? O King! That Highest Prakriti draws away violently the hearts of the
wise and drags them down into the ocean of world. That Omnipresent Bhagavatī
is ever the cause of bondage of all when She casts Her net of delusion and
She is again ever the cause of liberation when She imparts Her knowledge to
them.
54. The King said :-- O Brāhman! What is the nature of Her? and what is the
Supreme Force? What is the Cause of this creation? And where is Her highest
place? Kindly narrate all these to me.
55-66. The Risi said :-- O King! She is beginningless; therefore She had no
origin at any time; that Highest Devī is Eternal and She is always the Cause
of all Causes. (How then can any other be powerful like Her). O King! She
resides in all the beings as the essential vital Force; deprived of that
Force, every being is reduced to a dead carcass. She is pervading as the
Universal Force of Consciousness in all the beings. The form of this Sakti
(Force) is the form made up of consciousness itself, the Brahmā. (For the
force of Fire is Fire itself; it is not seen in any other form). Her
appearances and disappearances at times are simply for serving the purposes
of the Gods. O King! Whenever the Devas and men worship Her, Ambikā makes
Her appearance visible to destroy their pains and sufferings. She assumes
various
forms and possesses various powers. That Highest Īsvarī comes down of Her
free will to serve Her some purpose or other. She is not like the Devas,
under the control of Daiva or Fate; She is not under the influence of Time
(as both Fate and Time are created by Her). She puts always every being to
action according to his capacity. Purusa is not the Doer; He is simply the
Witness. This whole Universe is the object seen. That Devī is the Mother of
all this that is witnessed. She is the Manifested and She is the
Unmanifested and She is the Effect also. She alone is the Actress and
manifests thus the world and thus gives the colouring to the Purusa. When
the Purusa is coloured thus, She destroys quickly these worlds. It is said
that Brahmā, Visnu and Mahesa are respectively the Creator, Preserver and
Destroyer of the world; but this is merely a statement; really they are
merely instruments in Her hands. Bhagavatī has created them in reality for
Her Pastime and stationed them in their respective posts. She has bestowed
to them Her part manifestations, i.e., Sarasvatī to Brahmā, Laksmī to Visnu,
and Girijā to Mahesa and has thus rendered them more powerful. They, the
lords of the Devas, always meditate and worship Her as the Creatrix,
Preservrix and Destructrix of this Universe. O King! I have thus described
to you, as far as my intelligence and knowledge go, the holy greatness and
the excellent glory of Her (in reality, I have not been able to come to the
end of it).
Aim Hrīm Klīm Chāmundāyai Vichche is the (9) nine lettered mantra.
Here ends the Thirty-third Chapter of the Fifth Book on the description of
the greatness of the Devī in Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam, the Mahā Purānam, of
18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter XXXIV
On the methods of the worship of the Devī
1. The King said :-- O Bhagavān! Kindly narrate to me in detail now the
methods how to serve and worship the Goddess and the Mantrams that are used
on such occasions.
2-12. The Risi said :-- O King! I am now describing the method how to
worship the Goddess. Hear. This leads to the fulfilment of all desires, to
the liberation from ones bondage, to self-realisation and to the
destruction of all miseries. The worshipper has to perform his bath; then
putting on a white cloth, he will have to perform his Vaidik and Tāntrik
Sandhyā; then he should, with his heart controlled, perform his Āchamana
ceremony and select a good auspicious site for his own Poojā purposes. Next
he should plaster the site with cow-dung and spread his sacred carpet (Āsana)
whereon he is to take his seat with a cheerful mind and sip water for
Āchamana three times. Then he is to collect the articles for worship
according to
his best capacity and place them duly in their respective positions. He is
to perform Prānāyāma (regulate his breath); and then follows the
Bhuta-Suddhi, the purification of the old and the formation of the
celestial body and Jīva-Suddhi by which the Sādhaka becomes the Devatā-maya;
he then proceeds to Mātrikā Nyāsa (i.e., setting mentally in their several
places in the six Chakras and then externally by physical action the letters
of the alphabet which form the different parts of the body of the Devatā. He
then places his hand on different parts of his body, uttering distinctly at
the same time the appropriate Mātrikā for that part).
Bhuta-Suddhi :-- Dissolve earth into water, water into fire, fire into air,
air into ether; ether into Ahamkāra, Ahamkāra into Mahat and Mahat into
Prakriti, the final Cause. This process is called Bhuta-Suddhi.
He is to mention then the time, date, tithi, and month of the year and make
his Sankalpa; then he will have to assign to the different parts of his body
the Mātrikā Mantrams duly as well as his own Mantram; next he is to meditate
in his own body the seat of the different Devatās and do the internal
worship. He is to breathe life into the Deity outside to be worshipped as
well as within himself to be meditated and worshipped; then he is to do the
same with the articles for worship and purify them by sprinkling with water
and Astra or Phat Mantram, thus removing all sources of obstacles that are
likely to interfere with the act. Next, on an auspicious copper plate, he is
to draw inside a six-angled (hexagonal) figure (two triangles crossing each
other with their vertices one upward and the other below) with white sandal
paste or with eight perfumed things and outside this figure, an octagonal
figure of eight petals; outside this he is to draw the boundary lines that
is called the Bhūpura. On each of the eight petals he is to write each
letter of the nine-lettered Vīja (Seed) Mantram and the ninth letter in the
central ovum. Next by the Mantram by which breath is infused or by the Vedic
Mantram he will have to place the Yantra in the proper position and then
worship the Ādhāra Sakti (the vital Force) in the central ovum and the holy
seat with the Pītha Mantrams. He will have to invoke the Devī, uttering the
Seed Mantram over a golden plate or figure and carefully worship Her by
offering seats and other articles duly as enunciated in the Yāmala Tāntras,
etc. Then he will have to perform the six-fold worship of the Ganas in the
six angles and worship Indra, etc., and Vajra and others in the Bhūpura (the
boundary) and thus finish the Poojā of the Yantra. (For the Poojā see the
Prapancha Sāra.) Note :-- Bhūpura is what is thought over outside front or
in the beginning. Here the Gana Devatās are first thought over and
worshipped. Worship outside, worship inside and See the Deity in and out,
everywhere and be free is the motto of the worship. In the absence of the
Yantra, one
will have to make a metalled image of Bhagavatī and worship Her with the
greatest caution with the Mantras as expounded by Siva in the Tantrams (of
Jāmalā and others). Note :-- Yantra is that which restrains. This human body
is the Yantra. And its imitation is placed outside in various shapes and
figures. The Yantra is the mystical diagram used by the devotees for
worship. Or one may use the Vaidik Mantrams in worshipping the Deity in
accordance with the prescribed rules and with his mind controlled; then,
merged in meditation, one is to mutter silently (perform the Japam of) the
nine-lettered Mantram. (The Mantram is Krīm Daksine Kālike Svāhā). Japam
(muttering or repeating silently the Mantram) is of two kinds :-- Nitya
(daily) and Paurascharanik (repetition of the name of the deity accompanied
with burnt offerings). In the Nitya Japam, Nitya Homas are performed and in
the occasional Paurascharanik Japam, one tenth of this is offerred;
Abhiseka, too, is one-tenth of this Homa; Tarpanam is one-tenth of Abhiseka
and the feeding of the Brāhmanas is one-tenth of what is done in the
Tarpanam. O King! Thus completing the Japam one is to read daily the Chandī
(do the Chandīpātha) where the three glorious deeds of the Devī are
narrated; next he will have to allow the Deity invoked to depart to Her own
place. The Navarātra Vrata (nine night vow) is next to be observed according
to the proper rites and ceremonies. Hrīm Mahisa Mardinyai Svāhā is the
Mantra.
13-31. In the bright fortnight of the month of Āsvin or Chaitra, is to be
observed the fasting of the Navarātra by those who desire for their own
welfare. Homas are to be offered, many in number, and Mantrams are to be
recited, the same as in ones own Mantram, good Pāyasam with sugar, ghee,
and honey mixed is to be offered in this ceremony. Goat meat, or holy leaves
of the Bel tree, or red Karavīr flowers or til (sesamum seed) mixed with
honey can be used instead in the Homa ceremony. The special days for the
worship of the Devī are the eighth, ninth, or fourteenth day (tithi) of the
half month. The feeding of the Brāhmins must be done on each occasion. O
King! Thus the poor become wealthy, the diseased get cured, and the persons
that have no issue get obedient and well qualified sons. The King, expelled
from his kingdom, gets back by the grace of Mahā Māyā, dominion over the
whole earth and becomes able to destroy all those enemies of his, by whom he
was before vanquished, when he worships the Devī. The persons, desirous of
learning, get undoubtedly the learning honourable and auspicious, provided
he worships the Devī with his senses restrained. Persons of all castes,
Brāhmins, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas or Sūdras can become masters of all pleasures
and happiness provided they worship with devotion the Devī, the Preserver of
the World (the Jagaddhātrī). A man or woman whoever
performs the Navarātra vow always full of devotion, gets all the desired
fruits. Whoever celebrates the holy Navarātra ceremony in the bright
fortnight of the month of Āsvin with his heart full of the thought of the
Devī, gets all his desired fruits. O King! Now I am describing the rites and
ceremonies; here a square raised platform or altar is to be made according
to the prescribed rules; a water-jar is then to be placed on it with the
Vedic mantrams and due rites and ceremonies. One will have to make a
beautiful Yantra according to the previously laid rules and the water-jar is
to be placed on it; then spread the beautiful Yava grains all around the
jar. An awning or pandal is to be erected over the altar and the place of
worship, and the site is to be decorated with flowers. Lights and Dhūpas,
incense and perfumes are then to be used in the hall of the Chandikā Devī. O
King! The Devī is to be worshipped thrice; morning, midday and evening; no
miserliness is to be shown in spending wealth for this purpose. Light, dhūp,
good presents of rice and other edibles, flowers, and fruits of various
kinds are to be offered in this worship of the Devī; the chanting of the
hymns of the Vedas, songs, and music with the various instruments are to be
done and a grand festivity is to be made. Moreover, note this carefully that
virgins are to be worshipped duly with sandal, ornaments, clothings, various
edibles, sweet scented oil, and beautiful garlands. (This worship of the
virgins is one of the essentials.) Thus completing the worship of the Devī,
Homa is to be done duly with Mantrams and other necessary articles on the
eighth or the ninth tithi. Lastly the Brāhmins are to be fed duly; then the
worshipper is to take his first meal after fasting (i.e., make pāranam) on
the tenth day; then presents and various articles are to be offered to the
Brāhmin, according to ones might and with devotion.
32-44. O King! Any man, or any chaste married woman or a chaste widow
whoever performs thus the Navarātra Vrata gets in this world all the desired
fruits and enjoys all sorts of enjoyments and gets unbounded happiness and
after death goes to the highest place. And if, owing to some cause or other,
he has to take his birth again in this world, he would be born in an
excellent family and would become endowed with good conduct and
qualifications and get the unflinching devotion towards the Ambikā Devī. O
King! I have thus described to you the rules of the Navarātra ceremony; this
vow is the best of all; highest and greatest pleasures and happinesses are
obtained in worshipping thus the auspicious Mahā Māyā. O King! Better
worship Chandikā duly according to the prescribed rules; then you would be
able, by Her grace, to conquer all your enemies and you will regain your
excellent dominion, unshaken by any, and you will get again the highest
pleasure and happiness when you
will be reunited with your wife and sons in your own palace; there is no
doubt in this. O Vaisya! You, too, better worship the same Mahā Mayā, the
Goddess of the Universe, worshipping Whom leads to the fructification of all
desires. You will then be able to regain all your worldly pleasures in your
own home and be respected by your relatives and acquaintances and finally,
after your death, you will go to the holy abode of the Devī. There is no
doubt in this. Those that do not worship the Devī, go to Naraka or hell;
moreover they suffer much from various diseases in this world. Those that do
not worship the Devī are always defeated by their enemies, are void of wife
and sons, become stupid and suffer pains from their unsatisfied desires. And
those that worship the Preservrix of this world with the Bel leaves,
Karavīra flowers, Satapatra and Champaka flowers, that blessed man, devoted
to the Devī, gets filled with all sorts of enjoyments. O King! What more can
I say than this, that those who have worshipped the Devī Bhavānī with the
Mantrams approved by the Nigama Sāstras, those very persons get honour in
this world and are filled with all sorts of power and wealth. Verily, they
stand foremost in the rank of best men, becoming the only repositories of
all the best qualities in this world.
Here ends the Thirty-fourth Chapter of the Fifth Book on the methods of the
worship of the Devī in Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam, the Mahā Purānam of 18,000
verses by Maharsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter XXXV
On the receiving of the boons by the King Suratha and the Vaisya Samādhi
1-12. Vyāsa said :-- O King! Hearing thus the Risis words, the king Suratha
and Vaisya, who were very distressed in their minds, became very much
comforted and bowed down to the Muni with great humility and modesty. Their
eyes expressed their gladness and their hearts were filled with loving
devotion. Both of them, then, clever in speaking and of calm and quiet
temper, began to address him with their folded hands. O Bhagavān! We were
passing our days in a very humble and distressed spot; we are today purified
by your good words, just as the country was rendered pure by Bhagīratha when
he brought down the river Ganges here. The saints, adorned with purely good
qualities, are incessantly engaged in doing good to others and how the
people can be made happy. O Intelligent One! Surely we have come to this
auspicious Āsrama owing to our past good deeds (in previous births) and all
our miseries are therefore brought to their ends today. There are good many
persons that roam in this world for their selfish ends; very few there exist
like you who are always ready to do good to others. O Muni! True that I am
very much distressed
but this Vaisya is more distressed than me. Both of us, very much afflicted
by the miseries of the world, have come gladly to your Āsrama and are
relieved of our bodily sufferings by your sight; and now, hearing your
words, we are relieved also of our mental pain and sufferings. O Brāhmana!
We are very much blessed and our objects have been gained by your
nectar-like words; O Thou, the Ocean of mercy! You have purified us, out of
your unbounded mercy. We are quite tired of this world; knowing this, do you
lead us beyond this world by holding our hands and by initiating us with
Mantrams. O Best of Munis! We will first of all practise a very hard Tapasyā
(asceticism) and worship Bhagavatī, the Awarder of happiness; then, seeing
Her, we will go to our respective abodes. Now we expect the nine-lettered
Mantram of the Devī from your mouth and practising the Navarātra varam we
will fast and meditate on the Mantram.
[Note :-- The nine-lettered Mantram is Om Mahisamardinyai Svāhā. Instead
of Om, any of the following may be used :-- Hrīm, Klīm, Aim, Strīm, or Hūm
mentioned in Sāradā Tilaka, Nārāyanī Tantra, or in Visvasāra Tantra (see
page 125 of Tantra Sāra ).
13-30. Vyāsa said :-- O King! When the king and Vaisya prayed thus to the
Muni Sumedha, the best of the Munis, gave them the auspicious Mantram with
its seed (Vīja) and as well what is to be meditated (Dhyān). On getting the
Mantram (with Risi, Chhanda, seed Sakti, and Devatā) duly, they welcomed
the Muni and with his permission went to the holy bank of a river. Both of
them were of delicate frames and both of them were fully determined; they
went to a very solitary place and selected their place and took their seats
there. There they spent one month in repeating silently the Mantram and in
chanting the three glorious deeds of Chandī. In this short period of one
month, they became very much attached to the lotus-feet of Bhavānī and their
minds were also much pacified. They attended to no other business; only they
used to go to the Muni once a day and bowing down before him they returned
to their own seats of Kusa grass and gave themselves up to the meditation
of the Devī and always repeated silently their Mantrams. O King! One year
thus passed away; they then abstained from taking fruits and subsisted on
the leaves of trees. Thus engaged in meditation and asceticism they passed
away another year sustaining themselves with dry leaves only. O King! When
the two years thus passed, they got in their dreams the beautiful vision of
the Goddess Bhagavatī. They were very much delighted to see in their dreams
the Ambikā Devī in red robes and decorated with various ornaments. They
practised tapasyā in the third year with water as
their only food. Thus when they found that, after practising the tapas for
three years, they could not see face to face the Devī they became very
anxious to see the Devī and thought thus :-- When we have not been so
fortunate as to see the Devī, Who art the Bestower of peace and happiness to
the human beings, we will then leave our bodies, in deep distress and
sorrow! Thus thinking, the King prepared a beautiful triangular Kunda
(pit), firm and of one hand measure. Lighting a fire in that pit, the King
began to cut off slices of flesh from his own body and offered them as
oblations to the fire. The Vaisya, too, then did the same. O King! Both of
them were very much excited and began to offer their blood as oblation to
the Devī. The Devī Bhagavatī, then, seeing them thus grieved, and that their
hearts were over flown with devotion towards Her, appeared direct before
them and said thus :--
31-32. O King! You are my favourite devotees; I am pleased with your
Tapasyā; now ask whatever you desire; I will grant you that boon. Then She
spoke to the Vaisya :-- O Highly Fortunate One! I am pleased; ask without
any delay any boon; I will grant that just now.
33-52. Vyāsa said :-- O King! Hearing thus the words of the Devī, the king
Suratha was very much delighted and said thus :-- O Devī! Grant me this
boon that I be able today to conquer my enemies with my own power and that I
may regain my kingdom. The Devī then spoke to him thus :-- O King! Go to
your own abode; your enemies are now enfeebled and will certainly be
defeated.
(Note :-- The Devī has now withdrawn Her own power from the enemies with
which they were filled before. This is the result of the real sacrifice to
the Devī.)
O Fortunate One! Your ministers will all come and prostrate themselves
before your feet and will be obedient to you; you can now go back to your
city and govern your subjects happily. O King! Thus reign for Ajuta years
(10,000 years) over your widely extended dominion; then, when you quit your
body, you will again be born from Sūrya, and be known widely as Sāvarni
Manu. Vyāsa said :-- O King! The pure-natured Vaisya said with folded
hands :-- O Devī! I have nothing to do with house, sons, nor wealth. O
Mother! The house, wealth and sons, all these are so many sources of bondage
to this world and are very transitory like dreams. Therefore give me
knowledge so that my ties to this world be cut asunder. Persons who are
devoid of knowledge, those fools are merged in this ocean of world. The wise
never prefer this Samsāra; therefore they can cross this world. Vyāsa
said :-- O King! Hearing this, the Mahāmāyā said to the Vaisya, that stood
in front of Her thus :-- O Vaisya! No doubt you will acquire knowledge.
Thus granting boons to them, the Devī then and there disappeared. After the
Devī had disappeared, the King bowed down to the Muni, mounted on his horse
and expressed a desire to go back to his kingdom. Just at that time all his
ministers and subjects came humbly before him, bowed down to him and
standing before him with folded hands, said :-- O King! Your enemies all
had acted very sinfully; hence they were all slain in battle; you be pleased
now to remain in your city, free from any enemy and govern your subjects.
The King, hearing thus, bowed down to the Muni and with his permission,
started towards his kingdom, surrounded by his ministers. On regaining his
own kingdom, wife, relatives and kinsmen he began to enjoy the sea-girt
earth. On the other hand, the Vaisya became illumined with the Spiritual
Knowledge and all his connections and attachments being completely severed,
became free from all bondages. He became liberated in his lifetime and
travelled always from one place of pilgrimage to another and passed away his
time in singing the glorious deeds of the Devī. O King! Thus I have
described to you the most wonderful character of the Devī, what fruits were
obtained by the King and the Vaisya on their worshipping Her, how the
Daityas were killed by Her and about Her auspicious appearances on this
earth. Oh! Such is the glory of the Devī, leading to fearlessness amongst
Her devotees. The mortal who hears constantly this excellent pure narrative
of the Devī Bhagavatī, gets truly all the best and wonderful pleasures of
this world. No doubt anybody who hears this wonderful incident, will obtain
knowledge, liberation, fame, happiness and purity. The essence of all
religions lies in this narration; therefore it leads, above all, to Dharma,
Artha, Kama, and Moksa (religion, wealth, desire and liberation). It grants
all desires to human beings.
53-54. Sūta said :-- O Risis! The Maharsi Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī,
versed in all the departments of knowledge, asked by the King Janamejaya,
narrated to him this divine Samhitā. The character of Chandikā, the killing
of the Daitya Sumbha, were thus narrated by the merciful Muni Veda Vyāsa. O
Munis! I, too, have described to you the main points of this Purāna. Here
ends the Fifth Book.
Here ends the Thirty-fifth Chapter of the Fifth Book on the receiving of the
boons by the King Suratha and the Vaisya Samādhi in the Devī Bhāgavatam,
the Mahā Purānam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyāsa.
The Fifth Book Completed.
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