Eighth Skandha · Chapter 8
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच तेषु वर्षेषु देवेशाः पूर्वोक्तैः स्तवनैः सदा । पूजयन्ति महादेवीं जपध्यानसमाधिभिः ॥ १ ॥ सर्वर्तुकुसुमश्रेणी शोभिता वनराजयः । फलानां पल्लवानां च यत्र शोभा निरन्तरम् ॥ २ ॥ तेषु काननवर्षेषु वर्षपर्वतसानुषु । गिरिद्रोणीषु सर्वासु निर्मलोदकराशिषु ॥ ३ ॥ विकचोत्पलमालासु हंससारससञ्चयैः । विमिश्रितेषु तेष्वेव पक्षिभिः कूजितेषु च ॥ ४ ॥ जलक्रीडादिभिश्चित्रविनोदैः क्रीडयन्ति च । सुन्दरीललितभ्रूणां विलासायतनेषु च ॥ ५ ॥ तत्रत्या विहरन्त्यत्र स्वैरं युवतिभिः सह । नवस्वपि च वर्षेषु भगवानादिपूरुषः ॥ ६ ॥ (नारायणाख्यो लोकानामनुग्रहरसैकदृक् ।) देवीमाराधयन्तास्ते स च सर्वैश्च पूज्यते । आत्मव्यूहेनेज्ययासौ सन्निधत्ते समाहितः ॥ ७ ॥ इलावृते तु भगवान् पद्मजाक्षिसमुद्भवः । एक एव भवो देवो नित्यं वसति साङ्गनः ॥ ८ ॥ तत्क्षेत्रे नापरः कश्चित्प्रवेशं वितनोति च । भवान्याः शापतस्तत्र पुमान्तस्त्री भवति स्फुटम् ॥ ९ ॥ भवानीनाथकैः स्वीणामसंख्यैर्गणकोटिभिः । संरुध्यमानो देवेशो देवं सङ्कर्षणं भजन् ॥ १० ॥ आत्मना ध्यानयोगेन सर्वभूतहितेच्छया । तां तामसीं तुरीयां च मूर्तिं प्रकृतिमात्मनः ॥ ११ ॥ उपधावते चैकाग्रमनसा भगवानजः । श्रीभगवानुवाच ॐनमो भगवते महापुरुषाय सर्वगुणसंख्यानायानन्तायाव्यक्ताय नम इति ॥ १२ ॥ भजे भजन्यारणपादपङ्कजं भगस्य कृत्स्नस्य परं परायणम् । भक्तेष्वलं भावितभूतभावनं भवापहं त्वा भव भावमीश्वरम् ॥ १३ ॥ न यस्य मायागुणकर्मवृत्तिभि- र्निरीक्षितो ह्यण्वपि दृष्टिरज्यते । ईशे यथा नो स्त्रतमन्युरंहसा कस्तं न मन्येत जिगीषुरात्मनः ॥ १४ ॥ असद्दृशो यः प्रतिभाति मायया क्षीबेव मध्वासवताग्रलोचनः । न नागवध्वोऽर्हण ईशिरे ह्रिया यत्पादयोः स्पर्शनधर्षितेन्द्रियाः ॥ १५ ॥ यमाहुरस्य स्थितिजन्मसंयमं त्रिभिर्विहीनं यमनन्तमॄषयः । न वेद सिद्धार्थमिव क्यचित्स्थितं भूमण्डलं मूर्धसहस्रधामसु ॥ १६ ॥ यस्याद्य आसीद् गुणविग्रहो महान् विज्ञानधिष्ण्यो भगवानजः किल । यत्सवतोऽहं त्रिवृता स्वतेजसा वैकारिकं तामसमैन्द्रियं सृजे ॥ १७ ॥ एते वयं यस्य वशे महात्मनः स्थिताः शकुन्ता इव सूत्रयन्त्रिताः । महानहंवैकृततामसेन्द्रियाः सृजाम सर्वे यदनुग्रहादिदम् ॥ १८ ॥ यन्निर्मितां कर्ह्यपि कर्मपर्वणीं मायां जनोऽयं गुरुसर्गमोहितः । न वेद निस्तारणयोगमञ्जसा तस्मै नमस्ते विलयोदयात्मने ॥ १९ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच एवं स भगवान् रुद्रो देवं सङ्कर्षणं प्रभुम् । इलावृतमुपासीत देवीगणसमाहितः ॥ २० ॥ तथैव धर्मपुत्रोऽसौ नाम्ना भद्रश्रवा इति । तत्कुलस्यापि पतयः पुरुषा भद्रसेवकाः ॥ २१ ॥ भद्राश्ववर्षे तां मूर्तिं वासुदेवस्य विश्रुताम् । हयमूर्तिभिदा तां तु हयग्रीवपदाङ्किताम् ॥ २२ ॥ परमेण समाध्यन्यवारकेण नियन्त्रिताम् । एवमेव च तां मूर्तिं गृणन्त उपयान्ति च ॥ २३ ॥ भद्रश्रवस ऊचुः ॐ नमो भगवते धर्मायात्मविशोधनाय नम इति । अहो विचित्रं भगवद्विचेष्टितं घ्नन्तं जनोऽयं हि मिषन्न पश्यति । ध्यायन्न सद्यर्हि विकर्म सेवितुं निर्हृत्य पुत्रं पितरं जिजीवुषुः ॥ २४ ॥ वदन्ति विश्वं कवयः स्म नश्वरं पश्यन्ति चाध्यात्मविदो विपश्चितः । तथापि मुह्यन्ति तवाज मायया सुविस्मितं कृत्यमजं नतोऽस्मि तम् ॥ २५ ॥ विश्वोद्भवस्थाननिरोधकर्म ते ह्यकर्तुरङ्गीकृतमप्यपावृतः । युक्तं न चित्रं त्वयि कार्यकारणे सर्वात्मनि व्यतिरिक्ते च वस्तुतः ॥ २६ ॥ वेदान् युगान्ते तमसा तिरस्कृतान् रसातलाद्यो नृतुरङ्गविग्रहः । प्रत्याददे वै कवयेऽभियाचते तस्मै नमस्ते वितथेहिताय ते ॥ २७ ॥ एवं स्तुवन्ति देवेशं हयशीर्षं हरिं च ते । भद्रश्रवसनामानो वर्णयन्ति च तद्गुणान् ॥ २८ ॥ एषां चरितमेतद्धि यः पठेच्छ्रावयेच्च यः । पापकंचुकमुत्सृज्य देवीलोकं व्रजेच्च सः ॥ २९ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca teṣu varṣeṣu deveśāḥ pūrvoktaiḥ stavanaiḥ sadā | pūjayanti mahādevīṃ japadhyānasamādhibhiḥ || 1 || sarvartukusumaśreṇī śobhitā vanarājayaḥ | phalānāṃ pallavānāṃ ca yatra śobhā nirantaram || 2 || teṣu kānanavarṣeṣu varṣaparvatasānuṣu | giridroṇīṣu sarvāsu nirmalodakarāśiṣu || 3 || vikacotpalamālāsu haṃsasārasasañcayaiḥ | vimiśriteṣu teṣveva pakṣibhiḥ kūjiteṣu ca || 4 || jalakrīḍādibhiścitravinodaiḥ krīḍayanti ca | sundarīlalitabhrūṇāṃ vilāsāyataneṣu ca || 5 || tatratyā viharantyatra svairaṃ yuvatibhiḥ saha | navasvapi ca varṣeṣu bhagavānādipūruṣaḥ || 6 || (nārāyaṇākhyo lokānāmanugraharasaikadṛk |) devīmārādhayantāste sa ca sarvaiśca pūjyate | ātmavyūhenejyayāsau sannidhatte samāhitaḥ || 7 || ilāvṛte tu bhagavān padmajākṣisamudbhavaḥ | eka eva bhavo devo nityaṃ vasati sāṅganaḥ || 8 || tatkṣetre nāparaḥ kaścitpraveśaṃ vitanoti ca | bhavānyāḥ śāpatastatra pumāntastrī bhavati sphuṭam || 9 || bhavānīnāthakaiḥ svīṇāmasaṃkhyairgaṇakoṭibhiḥ | saṃrudhyamāno deveśo devaṃ saṅkarṣaṇaṃ bhajan || 10 || ātmanā dhyānayogena sarvabhūtahitecchayā | tāṃ tāmasīṃ turīyāṃ ca mūrtiṃ prakṛtimātmanaḥ || 11 || upadhāvate caikāgramanasā bhagavānajaḥ | śrībhagavānuvāca oṃnamo bhagavate mahāpuruṣāya sarvaguṇasaṃkhyānāyānantāyāvyaktāya nama iti || 12 || bhaje bhajanyāraṇapādapaṅkajaṃ bhagasya kṛtsnasya paraṃ parāyaṇam | bhakteṣvalaṃ bhāvitabhūtabhāvanaṃ bhavāpahaṃ tvā bhava bhāvamīśvaram || 13 || na yasya māyāguṇakarmavṛttibhi- rnirīkṣito hyaṇvapi dṛṣṭirajyate | īśe yathā no stratamanyuraṃhasā kastaṃ na manyeta jigīṣurātmanaḥ || 14 || asaddṛśo yaḥ pratibhāti māyayā kṣībeva madhvāsavatāgralocanaḥ | na nāgavadhvo'rhaṇa īśire hriyā yatpādayoḥ sparśanadharṣitendriyāḥ || 15 || yamāhurasya sthitijanmasaṃyamaṃ tribhirvihīnaṃ yamanantamṝṣayaḥ | na veda siddhārthamiva kyacitsthitaṃ bhūmaṇḍalaṃ mūrdhasahasradhāmasu || 16 || yasyādya āsīd guṇavigraho mahān vijñānadhiṣṇyo bhagavānajaḥ kila | yatsavato'haṃ trivṛtā svatejasā vaikārikaṃ tāmasamaindriyaṃ sṛje || 17 || ete vayaṃ yasya vaśe mahātmanaḥ sthitāḥ śakuntā iva sūtrayantritāḥ | mahānahaṃvaikṛtatāmasendriyāḥ sṛjāma sarve yadanugrahādidam || 18 || yannirmitāṃ karhyapi karmaparvaṇīṃ māyāṃ jano'yaṃ gurusargamohitaḥ | na veda nistāraṇayogamañjasā tasmai namaste vilayodayātmane || 19 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca evaṃ sa bhagavān rudro devaṃ saṅkarṣaṇaṃ prabhum | ilāvṛtamupāsīta devīgaṇasamāhitaḥ || 20 || tathaiva dharmaputro'sau nāmnā bhadraśravā iti | tatkulasyāpi patayaḥ puruṣā bhadrasevakāḥ || 21 || bhadrāśvavarṣe tāṃ mūrtiṃ vāsudevasya viśrutām | hayamūrtibhidā tāṃ tu hayagrīvapadāṅkitām || 22 || parameṇa samādhyanyavārakeṇa niyantritām | evameva ca tāṃ mūrtiṃ gṛṇanta upayānti ca || 23 || bhadraśravasa ūcuḥ oṃ namo bhagavate dharmāyātmaviśodhanāya nama iti | aho vicitraṃ bhagavadviceṣṭitaṃ ghnantaṃ jano'yaṃ hi miṣanna paśyati | dhyāyanna sadyarhi vikarma sevituṃ nirhṛtya putraṃ pitaraṃ jijīvuṣuḥ || 24 || vadanti viśvaṃ kavayaḥ sma naśvaraṃ paśyanti cādhyātmavido vipaścitaḥ | tathāpi muhyanti tavāja māyayā suvismitaṃ kṛtyamajaṃ nato'smi tam || 25 || viśvodbhavasthānanirodhakarma te hyakarturaṅgīkṛtamapyapāvṛtaḥ | yuktaṃ na citraṃ tvayi kāryakāraṇe sarvātmani vyatirikte ca vastutaḥ || 26 || vedān yugānte tamasā tiraskṛtān rasātalādyo nṛturaṅgavigrahaḥ | pratyādade vai kavaye'bhiyācate tasmai namaste vitathehitāya te || 27 || evaṃ stuvanti deveśaṃ hayaśīrṣaṃ hariṃ ca te | bhadraśravasanāmāno varṇayanti ca tadguṇān || 28 || eṣāṃ caritametaddhi yaḥ paṭhecchrāvayecca yaḥ | pāpakaṃcukamutsṛjya devīlokaṃ vrajecca saḥ || 29 ||
English translation
1-11. Narayana said In those Varsas, Visnu and the other Devas used to worship always the Great Devi with Japann and meditation and to chant hymns to Her. The forests there are ornamented with all sorts of fruits, flowers and leaves, in all the seasons. In those excellent forests, and on the mountains, in those Varsas and on the clear waters interspersed with full blewn lotuses and S'arasas (cranes) and in those countries where varieties of mountain trees are standing and where varieties of birds frequent and echo all around, the people play in waters and engage themselves with a great many pleasant occupations; and the beautiful women, as well, roam there with the knitting of their eyebrows. The people there enjoy as they like, surrounded by young women; Narayana, the Adipurusa Bhagavan Himself, worships the Devi there, to shew his extreme grace to all the inhabitants of the Navavarsa. The people also worship the Deity. By worshipping the Devi only, the Bhagavan remains there in Samadhi, surrounded with Aniruddha and his other Vyuhachatustaya (the four forms). But in Ilavrita Varsa, the Bhagavan Rudra, originated from the eye-brows of Brahma, resides only with women. No other person can enter there; for the Bhavani, the S'akti of Rudra has cursed that any male entering there would be transformed into a female. The Lord of Bhavani, surrounded by innumerable women, remains here engaged in the worship of the unmanifested unborn Bhagavan Samkarsana. For the good of humanity, with intense meditation. He worships His Own Turiya Form of the nature of Tamas, thus
12-19. S'ri Bhagavana said “Obeisance to Thee! the Bhagavan, the Great Purusa, endowed with all the qualities (the principal six AisVaryas or prosperities), the Ananta (the Infinite) and to the Unmanifested I We worship Thee, Whose lotus feet are the refuge of all. Thou art the great storehouse of all the superhuman powers and
the divine faculties of omnipotence, etc. Thou art always present to the Bhaktas. Thou art creating all these beings. Thou givest Moksa to the Bhaktas and destroyest their attachment to the world and Thou bindest Thy non-devotees in bondage to this world. Thou art the Lord. We worship Thee. We are entirely under the control of the passions, anger, etc., and our minds are always attached to the senses; but though Thou art always looking at this world for its creation, etc.. Thy mind is not a bit attached to it. So who will not turn to Thee, desirous to conquer his self. Thou art appearing by Thy Maya as one whose sight is ignorant; Thou lookest dreadful with Thy eyes reddened with the drink of Madhu (wine). By the touch of Thy feet, the mental faculties are very much enchanted; hence the women folk of the Nagas cannot in any way worship Thee, out of bashfulness. The Risis say that though Thou art the Only One to create, preserve and destroy, yet Thou art quite unconcerned with them. Thou art Infinite and Thou hast innumerable heads. This vast universe is like the mustard seed resting somewhere on one of these heads, which Thou canst not feel even. The Mahat Tattva is Thy body manifested first. It is built of Sattva, Raja and Tamo Gunas. Brahma has come out of this and I again have sprung from this Brahma and am nurtured by the Sattva and the other Gunas and with the help of the Teja, created these elements and the senses. These Mahat Tattvas and we all are controlled by Thy Extraordinary Form. Thou hast kept us in our respective places by Thy Kriya S'akti as birds are kept duly by the strings through them. Mahat Tattva, Ahamkara, and the Devas, elements and the senses, before mentioned all united create this Universe by Thy Grace. Thy creation is very big and grand; for this reason the gross thinkers, deluded by Thy power, never understand it. This Maya is the only means to get the Samsara Nivritti, Moksa, the real Goal of man: and this Maya, again involves them in the Karma entanglements, very hard to get through. Coming in and going out, both of these are Thy forms; so we bow down to Thee.
20-23. Narayana said Thus the Bhagavan Rudra, with His Own persons in llavrita Varsa used to worship the Devi and the Sankarsana, the Controller of all the Lokas. The son of Dharma, well known by the name of Bhadras'rava and all the persons born of his family and his attendants, worship thus the Devi. This form is well known to all by the name of Hayagriva and worshipped thus. All the persons there worship Him with the intense meditation and Samadhi and realise Him thoroughly. Then they praise Him, according to due customs and get the thorough Siddhis (success in getting extraordinary powers).
24-29. The Bhadras'ravas said Obeisance to Thee, the Bhagavan, the Incarnate of Virtue, and to Him who destroys completely the desires, attachments, etc., to worldly objects! Ho!
How wonderful are the feats of the Bhagavan! Death always destroys all, but people, seeing this, seem not to see this. Seeing that the son meets with death, the father desires to live long not for a virtuous purpose but for sense enjoyments, what is called Vikarma. Those who are skilled in Jhana and Vijhana say that this Universe that is seen is very transient. Moreover those Pundits who are endowed with much Jhana, see vividly the transitoriness of this Universe. Still, O Unborn One! When practically they come to deal with this, they all become overpowered with the influence of Maya.
So Thy Pastime (Lila) is wonderfully variegated. (Instead of spending our time uselessly in discussing on S'astras) we bow down to Thee, and Thee alone. Thou art the Self-manifest Chaitanya. Thou are not the object to be covered by Maya. Thou dost not do anything in the sort of creation, etc. Thou remainest simply as the Witness thereof. Sill the Vedas declare that Thou createst, preservest and destroyest the Universe. It is quite reasonable and nothing to be wondered at. Thou art the Atman of all. When the Pralaya (the time of great dissolution) comes, the Vedas were stolen by the Daityas and taken to the nether regions, the Rasatala. Thou, in the form of Hayagriva (Horse-faced), rescued the Vedas and gave them to the Grandsire
Brahma who was very eager to get them back and understand their meanings. Thou art the true Sankalap (resolve); we bow down to Thee. Thus the Bhadras'ravas praise the Haiyagriva form of Hah and sing the glorious deeds of Him. He who reads these narratives of the Maha Purusa (the high-souled personage) or he who makes others hear these things, both of them, quitting their sinful bodies, go to the Devi Loka.
Here ends the Eighth Chapter of the Eighth Book on the description of llavrita in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 18740, revision 73382 (2016-07-03T03:18:03Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk08ch08.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.