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Devi Bhagavatam (Devi
Puranam)
THE TENTH BOOK
Chapter I
On the story of Svāyambhuva Manu
1-6. Nārada said :-- O Nārāyana! O Thou, the Supporter of this whole world!
The Preserver of all! Thou hast described the glorious characters of the
Devī, that take away all the sins. Kindly describe now to me the several
forms that the Devī assumed in every Manvantara in this world as well as Her
Divine Greatness. O Thou, full of mercy! Describe also how and by whom She
was worshipped and praised; how She, so kind to the devotees, having been
thus pleased, fulfilled their desires. I am very eager to hear these, the
very best and blissful characters of the Devī. Srī Nārāyana said :-- Hear,
O Maharsi! The glories and greatness of the Devī Bhagavatī leading to the
devotion of the devotees, capable of giving all sorts of wealth and
destroying all sins. From the navel lotus of Visnu, the holder of the Chakra
(discus), was born Brahmā, the Creator of this universe, the great Energetic
One, and the Grand Sire of all the worlds.
7-14. The four faced Brahmā, on being born, produced from His mind
Svāyambhuva Manu and his wife Satarūpā, the embodiment of all virtues. For
this very reason, Svāyambbuva Manu has been known as the mind-born son of
Brahmā. Svāyambhuva Manu got from Brahmā the task to create and multiply; he
made an earthen image of the Devī Bhagavatī, the Bestower of all fortunes,
on the beach of the sanctifying Ksīra Samudra (ocean of milk) and he engaged
himself in worshipping Her and began to repeat the principal mystic mantra
of Vāgbhava (the Deity of Speech). Thus engaged in worship, Svāyambhuva Manu
conquered by and by his breath and food and observed Yama, Niyama and other
vows and became lean and thin. For one hundred years he remained standing
always on one leg and became successful in controlling his six passions
lust, anger, etc. He meditated on the feet of that Ādyā S'akti (the
Primordial S'akti) so much that he became inert like a vegetable or mineral
matter. By his Tapas the Devī, the World Mother appeared before him and said
:-- O King! Ask divine boons from Me. Hearing these joyous words, the King
wanted his long cherished and heart-felt boon, so very rare to the Devas.
15-22. Manu said :-- O Large eyed Devī! Victory to Thee, residing in the
hearts of all! O Thou honoured, worshipped! O Thou! the Upholdress of the
world! O Thou, the Auspicious of all auspicious!
By Thy Gracious Look, it is that the Lotus born has been able to create the
worlds; Visnu is perserving and Rudra Deva is destroying in a minute. By Thy
command it is that Indra, the Lord of S'achī, has got the charge of
controlling the three Lokas; and Yama, the Lord of the departed, is awarding
fruits and punishing according, to their merits or demerits, the deceased
ones. O Mother! By Thy Grace, Varuna, the holder of the noose, has become
the lord of all aquatic creatures and is preserving them; and Kuvera, the
lord of the Yaksas, has become the lord of wealth. Agni (fire), Nairrit,
Vāyu (wind), Īs'āna and Ananta Deva are Thy parts and have grown by Thy
power. Then, O Devī! If Thou desirest to grant me my desired boon, then, O
Thou! the Auspicious One! Let all the great obstacles to my work of
procreating in this universe and increasing my dominions die away. And if
anybody worships this great Vāgbhava Mantra or anybody hears with devotion
this history or makes others hear this, they all shall be crowned with
success and enjoyment and Mukti be easy to them.
23-24. Specially they would get the power to remember their past lives,
acquire eloquence in speaking, all round beauty, success in obtaining
knowledge, success in their deeds and especially in the increase of their
posterity and children. O Bhagavatī! This is what I want most.
Here ends the First Chapter of the Tenth Book on the story of Svāyambhuva
Manu in the Mahāpurānam Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi
Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter II
On the conversation between Nārada and the Bindhya Mountain
1-6. The Devī said :-- O King! O Mighty armed One! All these I grant unto
you. Whatever you have asked for, I give them to you. I am very much pleased
with your hard Tapasyā and with your Japam of the Vāgbhava Mantra. Know Me
that My power is infallible in killing the Lords of the Daityas. O Child!
Let your kingdom be free from enemies and let your prosperity be increased.
Let your devotion be fixed on Me and in the end you will verily get Nirvāna
Mukti. O Nārada! Thus granting the boon to the highsouled Manu the Great
Devī disappeared before him and went to the Bindhya Range. O Devarsi! This
Bindhya mountain increased in height so much so that it was well nigh on the
way to prevent the course of the Sun when it was arrested by Mahārsi Agastya,
born of a kumbha (water jar). The younger sister of Visnu, Varades'varī, is
staying here as Bindhyavāsinī. O Best of the Munis! This Devī is an object
of worship of all.
7-8. Saunaka and the other Risis said :-- O Sūta! Who is that Bindhya
Mountain? And why did He intend to soar high up to the Heavens to resist the
Sun's course? And why was it that Agastya, the son of Mitrāvaruna quietened
that rising mountain? Kindly describe all these in detail.
9-15. O Saint! We are not as yet satisfied with hearing the Glories of the
Devī, the ambrosial nectar, that have come out of your mouth. Rather our
thirst has been increased. Sūta said :-- O Risis! There was the Bindhya
Mountain, highly honoured and reckoned as the chief of the mountains on the
earth. It was covered with big forests and big trees. Creeping plants and
shrubs flowered these and it looked very beautiful. On it were roaming deer,
wild boars, buffaloes, monkeys, hares, foxes, tigers and bears, stout and
cheerful, with full vigour and all very merrily. The Devas, Gandharbhas,
Apsarās, and Kinnaras come here and bathe in its rivers; all sorts of fruit
trees can be seen here. On such a beautiful Bindhya Mountain, came there one
day the ever joyful Devarsi Nārada on his voluntary tour round the world.
Seeing the Mahārsi Nārada, the Bindhya Mountain got up and worshipped him
with pādya and arghya and gave him a very good Āsana to sit. When the Muni
took his seat and found himself happy, the Mountain began to speak.
16-17. Bindhya said :-- O Devarsi! Now be pleased to say whence you are
coming; your coming here is so very auspicious! My house is sanctified today
by your coming. O Deva! Your wandering is, like the Sun, the cause of
inspiring the beings with freedom from fear. So, O Nārada! Kindly give out
your intention as to your coming here which seems rather wonderful.
18-28. Nārada said :-- O Bindhya! O Enemy of Indra! (Once the mountains had
a very great influence. Indra cut off their wings and so destroyed their
influence. Hence the mountains are enemies of Indra). I am coming from the
Sumeru Mountain. There I saw the nice abodes of Indra, Agni, Yama, and
Varuna. There I saw the houses of these Dikpālas (the Regents of the several
quarters), which abound in objects of all sorts of enjoyments. Thus saying,
Nārada gave out a heavy sigh. Bindhya, the king of mountains, seeing the
Muni heaving a long sigh, asked him again with great eagerness, O Devarsi!
Why have you heaved such a long sigh? Kindly say. Hearing this, Nārada said
:-- O Child! Hear the cause why I sighed. See! The Himālayā Mountain is the
father of Gaurī and the father-in-law of Mahādeva; therefore he is the most
worshipped of all the mountains. The Kailās'a Mountain again, is the
residence of Mahādeva; hence that is also worshipped and chanted as capable
of destroying all the sins. So the Nisadha, Nīla, and Gandhamādana and other
mountains are worshipped at their own places. What more than this, that the
Sumeru Mountain, round whom the thousand-rayed Sun, the Soul of the
universe, circumambulates along with the planets and stars, thinks himself
the supreme and greatest amongst the mountains, I am the supreme; there is
none like me in the three worlds. Remembering this self-conceit of Sumeru,
I sighed so heavily. O Bindhya! We are asceties and though we have no need
to discuss these things, yet by way of conversation I have told this to you.
Now I go to my own abode.
Here ends the Second Chapter of the Tenth Book on the conversation between
Nārada and the Bindhya Mountain in the Mahā Purānam Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam
of 18,000 verses by Mahārsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter III
On the obstruction of the Suns course by the Bindhya Mountain
1-16. Sūta said :-- O Risis! Thus advising, the Devarsi, the great Jńanī and
Muni going wherever he likes, went to the Brahmaloka. After the Muni had
gone, the Bindhya became immersed in great anxiety and becoming always very
sorrowful, could not get peace. What shall I do now so as to overthrow Meru?
Until I do that, I won't be able to get the peace of my mind or my health.
The highsouled persons always praised me for my enthusiasm and energy. Fie
to my energy, honour, fame and family! Fie to my strength and heroism! O
Risis! With all these cogitations in his mind, Bindhya came finally to this
crooked conclusion :-- Daily the Sun, stars and planets circumambulate
round the Sumeru; hence Sumeru is always so arrogant; now if I can resist
the Sun's course in the heavens by my peaks, He will not be able to
circumambulate round the Sumeru. If I can do this, certainly I will be able
to curb the Sumeru in his pride. Thus coming to a conclusion, Bindhya
raised his arms that were the peaks high up to the heavens and blocking the
passage in the Heavens, remained so and passed that night with great
uneasiness and difficulty, thinking when the Sun would rise and he would
obstruct His passage. At last, when the morning broke out, all the quarters
were clear. The Sun, destroying the darkness, rose in Udaya Giri. The sky
looked clear with His rays; the lotus, seeing Him, blew out with joy; while
the excellent white water-lilies, at the bereavement of the Moon, contracted
their leaves and closed as if at the separation of one's lover, gone to a
distant place. The people began to do their own works on the appearance of
the day; the worship of the gods, the offerings to the Gods, the Homas and
the offerings to the Pitris were set a going on (in the morning, afternoon
and evening respectively). The Sun marched on in His course. He divided the
day into three parts, morning, midday, and afternoon. First of all he
consoled the eastern quarter which seemed like a woman suffering from the
bereavement of her lover; then he consoled the south eartern corner; then as
He wanted to go quickly towards the south, His horses could not go further.
The charioteer Aruna, seeing this, informed the Sun what had happened.
17. Aruna spoke :-- O Sun! The Bindhya has become very jealous of the
Sumeru as You circumambulate round the Sumeru Mountain daily. He has risen
very high and obstructed your course in the Heavens, hoping that you would
circumambulate round him. He is thus vying with the Sumeru Mountain.
18-26. Sūta said :-- O Risis! Hearing the words of Aruna, the charioteer,
the Sun began to think thus :-- Oh! The Bindhya is going to obstruct My
course! What can a great hero not do, when he is in the wrong path? Oh! My
horses' motions are stopped to-day! The fate is the strongest of all
(Because Bindhya is strong today by Daiva, therefore he is doing this). Even
when eclipsed by Rāhu (the ascending node) I do not stop for a moment even;
and now obstructed in My passage, I am waiting here for a long time. The
Daiva is powerful; what can I do? The Sun's course having been thus
obstructed, all from the Gods to the lowest became helpless and could not
make out what to do. Chitragupta and others ascertain their time through the
Sun's course; and that Sun is now rendered motionless by the Bindhya
mountain! What a great adverse fate is this! When the Sun was thus
obstructed by the Bindhya out of his arrogance, the sacrifices to the Devas,
the offerings to the Pitris all were stopped; the world was going to rack
and ruin. The people that lived on the west and south had their nights
prolonged and they remained asleep. The people of the east and the north
were scorched by the strong rays of the Sun and some of them died; some of
them lost their health and so forth. The whole earth became devoid of
S'rāddhas and worships and a cry of universal distress arose on all sides.
Indra and the other Devas became very anxious and began to think what they
should do at that moment.
Here ends the Third Chapter of the Tenth Book on the obstruction of the
Sun's course by the Bindhya Mountain in the Mahā Purānam Srī Mad Devī
Bhāgavatam of 18000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter IV
On the Devas going to Mahā Deva
1-2. Sūta said :-- O Risis! Then Indra and all the other Devas taking Brahmā
along with them and placing Him at the front, went to Mahādeva and took His
refuge. They bowed down to Him and chanted sweet and great hymns to Him, Who
holds Moon on His forehead, Deva of the Devas, thus :--
3-5. O Thou, the Leader of the host of Gods! Victory to Thee! O Thou, Whose
lotus feet are served by Umā, Victory to Thee! O Thou, the Giver of the
eight Siddhis and Vibhūtis (extraordinary powers) to Thy devotees, Victory
to Thee! O Thou, the Background of this Great Theatrical Dance of this
Insurmountable Māyā! Thou art the Supreme Spirit in Thy True Nature! Thou
ridest on Thy vehicle, the Bull, and residest in Kāilās'a; yet Thou art the
Lord of all the Devas. O Thou, Whose ornament is snakes, Who art the
Honoured and the Giver of honours to persons! O Thou! the Unborn, yet
comprising all forms, O Thou S'ambhu! That findest pleasure in this Thy Own
Self! Victory toThee!
6-9. O Thou, the Lord of Thy attendants! O Thou, Giris'a! The Giver of the
great powers, praised by Mahā Visnu! O Thou, That livest in the heart lotus
of Visnu, and deeply absorbed in Mahā Yoga! Obeisance to Thee! O Thou that
can'st be known through Yoga, and nothing but the Yoga itself; Thou, the
Lord of the Yoga! We bow down to Thee. Thou awardest the fruits of yoga to
the Yogins. O Thou, the Lord of the helpless! The Incarnate of the ocean of
mercy! The Relief of the diseased and the most powerful! O Thou, whose forms
are the three gunas, Sattva, Rajo, Tamas! O Thou! Whose Emblem (carrier) is
the Bull (Dharma); Thou art verily the Great Kāla; yet Thou art the Lord of
Kāla! Obeisance to Thee! (The Bull represents the Dharma or Speech).
10. Thus praised by the Devas, who take the offerings in sacrifices the Lord
of the Devas, whose emblem is Bull, smilingly told the Devas in a deep voice
:--
11. O Thou, the excellent Devas! The residents of the Heavens! I am pleased
with the praises that you have sung of Me. I will fulfil the desires of you,
all the Devas.
12-15. The Devas said :-- O Lord of all the Devas! O Giris'a! Thou whose
forehead is adorned with Moon! O Thou, the Doer of good to the distressed. O
Thou, the Powerful! Dost Thou do good to us. O Thou, the Sinless One! The
Bindhya Mountain has become jealous of the Sumeru Mountain, and has risen
very high up in the Heavens and he has obstructed the Sun's course, thereby
causing great troubles to all. O Thou, the Doer of good to all! O Īs'āna!
Dost Thou check the mountain's abnormal rise. How can we fix time if the
Sun's course be obstructed! And when there is no knowledge, what is now the
time, the sacrifices to the Devas and the offerings to the Pitris are now
almost dead and gone. O Deva! Who will now protect us? We see Thee as the
Destroyer of the fear of us and of those who are terrified. O Deva! O Lord
of Giris'ā! Be pleased with us.
16-18. Srī Bhagavān said :-- O Devas! I have no power to curb the Bindhya
Mountain. Let us go to the Lord of Ramā and pay our respects to Him. He is
our Lord, fit to be worshipped. He is Gobinda, Bhagavān Visnu, the Cause of
all causes. We will go to Him and tell Him all our sorrows. He will remove
them.
19. Hearing thus the words of Girīs'a, Indra and the other Devas with Brahmā
placed Mahādeva at their front and went to the region of Vaikuntha,
trembling with fear.
Here ends the Fourth Chapter of the Tenth Book on the going of the Devas to
Mahādeva in the Mahā Purānam Srīmad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by
Mahārsi Veda Vyāsa.
Chapter V
On the Devas going to Visnu
1-5. Sūta said :-- Then the Devas, on arriving at Vaikuntha, saw the Lord of
Laksmī, the Deva of the Devas, the World-Teacher, with his eyes beautiful
like Padmā Palāsa (lotus-leaves), shining with brilliance and began to
praise Him in a voice choked with intense feelings of devotion, thus :--
Victory to Visnu! O Lord of Ramā! Thou art prior to the Virāt Purusa. O
Enemy of the Daityas! O Thou, the Generator of desires in all and the
Bestower of the fruits of those desires to all! O Gobinda! Thou art the
Great Boar and Thou art of the nature of Great Sacrifices! O Mahā Visnu! O
Lord of Dharma! Thou art the Cause of the origin of this world! Thou didst
support the earth in Thy Fish Incarnation for the deliverance of the Vedas!
O Thou Satyavrata of the form of a Fish! We bow down to Thee. O Thou! The
Enemy of the Daityas! The Ocean of mercy! Thou dost do the actions of the
Devas out of mercy. O Thou! the Tortoise Incarnation! That grantest Mukti to
others! Obeisance to Thee!
6-18. O Thou! That didst assume the form of a Boar for the destruction of
the Daityas Jaya and others and for raising the earth from the waters!
Obeisance to Thee! Thou didst assume that form - Half man and half Lion of
the Nrisimha Mūrti and tore asunder Hiranya Kas'ipu, proud of his boons, by
Thy nails. We bow down to Thee! Obeisance to Thee! That in Thy Dwarf
Incarnation, didst deceive Bali, whose head got crazed by the acquisition of
the kingdom over the three Lokas. We bow down to Thee, that in Thy Paras'u
Rāma Incarnation, didst slay Kārta Vīryāryuna, the thousand handed, and the
other wicked Ksattriyas! Obeisance to Thee! That wert born of the womb of
Renukā as the son of Jamadagni. Obeisance to Thee, of great prowess and
valour, that in Thy Rāma Incarnation as the son of Das'aratha, didst cut off
the heads of the wicked Rāksasa, the son of Pulastya! We bow down again and
again to Thee, the Great Lord, that in Thy Krisna incarnation, didst deliver
this earth from the clutches of the wicked King Duryodhana, Kamsa and others
and didst establish the religion by removing the then prevailing vicious
ideas and doctrines. We bow down to Thy Buddha Incarnation, that Great Deva
who didst come down here to put a stop to the slaughtering of the innocent
animals and to the performance of the wicked sacrificial ceremonies!
Obeisance to the Deva! When almost all the persons in this world will turn
out in future as Mlechchas and when the wicked Kings will oppress them,
right and left, Thou wilt then incarnate Thyself again as Kalki and redress
all the grievances! We bow down to Thy Kalki Form! O Deva! These are Thy Ten
Incarnations, for the preservation of Thy devotees, for the killing of the
wicked Daityas. Therefore Thou art called as the Great Reliever of all our
troubles. O Thou! Victory to Thee! The Deva Who assumest the forms of women
and water for destroying the ailings of the devotees! Who else can be so
kind! O Thou, the Ocean of mercy! O Risis! Thus praising the yellow robed
Visnu, the Lord of all the Devas, the whole host of the Devas bowed down to
Him and made Shāstāmgas. Then Visnu Gadādhara, hearing their hymns,
gladdened them and spoke :--
19-27. Srī Bhagavāna said :-- O Devas! I am pleased with your stotra. You
need not be sorrowful. I will remove all your troubles that have become
unbearable to you. O Devas! I am very glad to hear the praises that you have
offered on Me. Better ask boons from Me. I will grant them though very rare
even and obtained with difficulty. Any person who rises early in the morning
and recites with devotion this stotra sung by you, will never experience any
sorrow. O Devas! No poverty, no bad symptoms, no Vetālas nor planets nor
Brahmā Rāksasas nor any misfortunes will overtake him. No disease, due to
Vāta (windy temperament), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) nor untimely death
will visit him. His family will not be extinct and happiness will always
reign there. O Devas! This stotra can give everything. Both the enjoyment
and freedom will come within anyone's easy access. There is no doubt in
this. Nov what is your difficulty? Give out. I will remove it at once. There
is not a bit of doubt in this. Hearing these words of Srī Bhagavān, the
Devas became glad and spoke to Visnu.
Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Tenth Book on the Devas' going to Visnu,
in the Mahā Purānam Srī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahārsi
Veda Vyāsa.
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