Eighth Skandha · Chapter 9
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच हरिवर्षे च भगवान्नृहरिः पापनाशनः । वर्तते योगयुक्तात्मा भक्तानुग्रहकारकः ॥ १ ॥ तस्य तद्दयितं रूपं महाभागवतोऽसुरः । पश्यन्भक्तिसमायुक्तः स्तौति तद्गुणतत्त्ववित् ॥ २ ॥ प्रह्लाद उवाच ॐ नमो भगवते नरसिंहाय नमस्तेजस्तेजसे आविराविर्भव वज्रदंष्ट्र कर्माशयान् रन्धय रन्धय तमो ग्रस ग्रस ॐ स्वाहा । अभयं ममात्मनि भूयिष्ठाः ॥ ॐ क्षौं ॥ स्वस्त्यस्तु विश्वस्य खलः प्रसीदतां ध्यायन्तु भूतानि शिवं मिथो धिया । मनश्च भद्रं भजतादधोक्षजे आवेश्यतां नो मतिरप्यहैतुकी ॥ ३ ॥ मागारदारात्मजवित्तबन्धुषु सङ्गो यदि स्याद्भगवत्प्रियेषु नः । यः प्राणवृत्त्या परितुष्ट आत्मवान् सिद्ध्यत्यदूरान्न तथेन्द्रियप्रियः ॥ ४ ॥ यत्सङ्गलब्धं निजवीर्यवैभवं तीर्थं मुहुः संस्पृशतां हि मानसम् । हरत्यजोऽन्तः श्रुतिभिर्गतोऽङ्गजं को वै न सेवेत मुकुन्दविक्रमम् ॥ ५ ॥ यस्यास्ति भक्तिर्भगवत्यकिञ्चना सर्वैर्गुणैस्तत्र समासते सुराः । हरावभक्तस्य कुतो महद्गुणा मनोरथेनासति धावतो बहिः ॥ ६ ॥ हरिर्हि साक्षाद्भगवाञ्छरीरिणा- मात्मा झषाणामिव तोयमीप्सितम् । हित्वा महांस्तं यदि सज्जते गृहे तदा महत्त्वं वयसा दम्पतीनाम् ॥ ७ ॥ तस्माद्रजोरागविषादमन्यु- मानस्पृहाभयदैन्याधिमूलम् । हित्वा गृहं संसृतिचक्रवालं नृसिंहपादं भजतां कुतो भयम् ॥ ८ ॥ एवं दैत्यपतिः सोऽपि भक्त्यानुदिनमीडते । नृहरिं पापमातङ्गहरिं हृत्पद्मवासिनम् ॥ ९ ॥ केतुमाले च वर्षे हि भगवान्स्मररूपधृक् । आस्ते तद्वर्षनाथानां पूजनीयश्च सर्वदा ॥ १० ॥ एतेनोपासते स्तोत्रजालेन च रमाब्धिजा । तद्वर्षनाथा सततं महतां मानदायिका ॥ ११ ॥ रमोवाच ओं ह्रां ह्रीं ह्रूं स्म नमो भगवते हृषीकेशाय सर्वगुणविशेषैर्विलक्षितात्मने आकूतीनां चित्तीनां चेतसां विशेषाणां चाधिपतये षोडशकलाय छन्दोमयायान्नमयायामृतमयाय सर्वमयाय महसे ओजसे बलाय कान्ताय कामाय नमस्ते उभयत्र भूयात् । स्त्रियो व्रतैस्त्वां हृषीकेश्वरं स्वतो ह्याराध्य लोके पतिमाशासतेऽन्यम् । तासां न ते वै परिपान्त्यपत्यं प्रियं धनायूंषि यतोऽस्वतन्त्राः ॥ १२ ॥ स वै पतिः स्यादकुतोभयः स्वतः समन्ततः पाति भयातुरं जनम् । स एक एवेतरथा मिथो भयं नैवात्मलाभादधिमन्यते परम् ॥ १३ ॥ या तस्य ते पादसरोरुहार्हणं न कामयेत्साखिलकामलम्पटा । तदेव रासीप्सितमीप्सितोऽर्चितो यद्भग्नयाञ्चा भगवन् प्रतप्यते ॥ १४ ॥ मत्प्राप्तयेऽजेशसुरासुरादय- स्तप्यन्त उग्रं तप ऐन्द्रिये धियः । ऋते भवत्पादपरायणान्न मां विदन्त्यहं त्वद्धृदया यतोऽजित ॥ १५ ॥ स त्वं ममाप्यच्युत शीर्ष्णि वन्दितं कराम्बुजं यत्त्वदधायि सात्वताम् । बिभर्षि मां लक्ष्य वरेण्य मायया क ईश्वरस्येहितमूहितुं विभुः ॥ १६ ॥ एवं कामं स्तुवन्त्येव लोकबन्धुस्वरूपिणम् । प्रजापतिमुखा वर्षनाथाः कामस्य सिद्धये ॥ १७ ॥ रम्यके नामवर्षे च मूर्तिं भगवतः पराम् । मात्स्यां देवासुरैर्वन्द्यां मनुः स्तौति निरन्तरम् ॥ १८ ॥ मनुरुवाच ॐ नमो भगवते मुख्यतमाय नमः सत्त्वाय प्राणायौजसे बलाय महामत्स्याय नमः । अन्तर्बहिश्चाखिललोकपालकै- रदृष्टरूपो विचरस्युरुस्वनः । स ईश्वरस्त्वं य इदं वशे नय- न्नाम्ना यथा दारुमयीं नरः स्त्रियम् ॥ १९ ॥ यं लोकपालाः किल मत्सरज्वरा हित्वा यतन्तोऽपि पृथक् समेत्य च । पातुं न शेकुर्द्विपदश्चतुष्पदः सरीसृपं स्थाणु यदत्र दृश्यते ॥ २० ॥ भवान् युगान्तार्णव ऊर्मिमालिनि क्षोणीमिमामोषधिवीरुधां निधिम् । मया सहोरुक्रम तेऽज ओजसा तस्मै जगत्प्राणगणात्मने नमः ॥ २१ ॥ एवं स्तौति च देवेशं मनुः पार्थिवसत्तमः । मत्स्यावतारं देवेशं संशयच्छेदकारणम् ॥ २२ ॥ ध्यानयोगेन देवस्य निर्धूताशेषकल्मषः । आस्ते परिचरन्भक्त्या महाभागवतोत्तमः ॥ २३ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca harivarṣe ca bhagavānnṛhariḥ pāpanāśanaḥ | vartate yogayuktātmā bhaktānugrahakārakaḥ || 1 || tasya taddayitaṃ rūpaṃ mahābhāgavato'suraḥ | paśyanbhaktisamāyuktaḥ stauti tadguṇatattvavit || 2 || prahlāda uvāca oṃ namo bhagavate narasiṃhāya namastejastejase āvirāvirbhava vajradaṃṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa oṃ svāhā | abhayaṃ mamātmani bhūyiṣṭhāḥ || oṃ kṣauṃ || svastyastu viśvasya khalaḥ prasīdatāṃ dhyāyantu bhūtāni śivaṃ mitho dhiyā | manaśca bhadraṃ bhajatādadhokṣaje āveśyatāṃ no matirapyahaitukī || 3 || māgāradārātmajavittabandhuṣu saṅgo yadi syādbhagavatpriyeṣu naḥ | yaḥ prāṇavṛttyā parituṣṭa ātmavān siddhyatyadūrānna tathendriyapriyaḥ || 4 || yatsaṅgalabdhaṃ nijavīryavaibhavaṃ tīrthaṃ muhuḥ saṃspṛśatāṃ hi mānasam | haratyajo'ntaḥ śrutibhirgato'ṅgajaṃ ko vai na seveta mukundavikramam || 5 || yasyāsti bhaktirbhagavatyakiñcanā sarvairguṇaistatra samāsate surāḥ | harāvabhaktasya kuto mahadguṇā manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ || 6 || harirhi sākṣādbhagavāñcharīriṇā- mātmā jhaṣāṇāmiva toyamīpsitam | hitvā mahāṃstaṃ yadi sajjate gṛhe tadā mahattvaṃ vayasā dampatīnām || 7 || tasmādrajorāgaviṣādamanyu- mānaspṛhābhayadainyādhimūlam | hitvā gṛhaṃ saṃsṛticakravālaṃ nṛsiṃhapādaṃ bhajatāṃ kuto bhayam || 8 || evaṃ daityapatiḥ so'pi bhaktyānudinamīḍate | nṛhariṃ pāpamātaṅgahariṃ hṛtpadmavāsinam || 9 || ketumāle ca varṣe hi bhagavānsmararūpadhṛk | āste tadvarṣanāthānāṃ pūjanīyaśca sarvadā || 10 || etenopāsate stotrajālena ca ramābdhijā | tadvarṣanāthā satataṃ mahatāṃ mānadāyikā || 11 || ramovāca oṃ hrāṃ hrīṃ hrūṃ sma namo bhagavate hṛṣīkeśāya sarvaguṇaviśeṣairvilakṣitātmane ākūtīnāṃ cittīnāṃ cetasāṃ viśeṣāṇāṃ cādhipataye ṣoḍaśakalāya chandomayāyānnamayāyāmṛtamayāya sarvamayāya mahase ojase balāya kāntāya kāmāya namaste ubhayatra bhūyāt | striyo vrataistvāṃ hṛṣīkeśvaraṃ svato hyārādhya loke patimāśāsate'nyam | tāsāṃ na te vai paripāntyapatyaṃ priyaṃ dhanāyūṃṣi yato'svatantrāḥ || 12 || sa vai patiḥ syādakutobhayaḥ svataḥ samantataḥ pāti bhayāturaṃ janam | sa eka evetarathā mitho bhayaṃ naivātmalābhādadhimanyate param || 13 || yā tasya te pādasaroruhārhaṇaṃ na kāmayetsākhilakāmalampaṭā | tadeva rāsīpsitamīpsito'rcito yadbhagnayāñcā bhagavan pratapyate || 14 || matprāptaye'jeśasurāsurādaya- stapyanta ugraṃ tapa aindriye dhiyaḥ | ṛte bhavatpādaparāyaṇānna māṃ vidantyahaṃ tvaddhṛdayā yato'jita || 15 || sa tvaṃ mamāpyacyuta śīrṣṇi vanditaṃ karāmbujaṃ yattvadadhāyi sātvatām | bibharṣi māṃ lakṣya vareṇya māyayā ka īśvarasyehitamūhituṃ vibhuḥ || 16 || evaṃ kāmaṃ stuvantyeva lokabandhusvarūpiṇam | prajāpatimukhā varṣanāthāḥ kāmasya siddhaye || 17 || ramyake nāmavarṣe ca mūrtiṃ bhagavataḥ parām | mātsyāṃ devāsurairvandyāṃ manuḥ stauti nirantaram || 18 || manuruvāca oṃ namo bhagavate mukhyatamāya namaḥ sattvāya prāṇāyaujase balāya mahāmatsyāya namaḥ | antarbahiścākhilalokapālakai- radṛṣṭarūpo vicarasyurusvanaḥ | sa īśvarastvaṃ ya idaṃ vaśe naya- nnāmnā yathā dārumayīṃ naraḥ striyam || 19 || yaṃ lokapālāḥ kila matsarajvarā hitvā yatanto'pi pṛthak sametya ca | pātuṃ na śekurdvipadaścatuṣpadaḥ sarīsṛpaṃ sthāṇu yadatra dṛśyate || 20 || bhavān yugāntārṇava ūrmimālini kṣoṇīmimāmoṣadhivīrudhāṃ nidhim | mayā sahorukrama te'ja ojasā tasmai jagatprāṇagaṇātmane namaḥ || 21 || evaṃ stauti ca deveśaṃ manuḥ pārthivasattamaḥ | matsyāvatāraṃ deveśaṃ saṃśayacchedakāraṇam || 22 || dhyānayogena devasya nirdhūtāśeṣakalmaṣaḥ | āste paricaranbhaktyā mahābhāgavatottamaḥ || 23 ||
English translation
1-2. Narayana said In Harivarsa, the Bhagavan Hari is shining splendid as a Yogi in the form of Narasimha. The Maha Bhagavat (most devoted) Prahlada, who knows the attributes of God worships and chants hymns with his whole hearted devotion, seeing that beautiful form, gladdening to all the people.
3-11. Prahlada spoke I bow down to Thee, the Bhagavan Nrisingha Deva. Thou art the Light of all Lights. Thy big teeth are like thunderbolts. Let Thee manifest in Thy most terrible form. Let Thee destroy the desires of the people to do Karma and let Thou devour the great Ignorance (Ajhana) the Moha (delusion) of the people.
Thou art the receptacle of the Sattva, Raja and Tamo Gunas. Let myself be always free from any fear by Thy Grace. “Om Khraum!”
Let this whole world rest completely in peace and happiness. Let the cheats quit their guiles and be pure and simple. Let all the people quit completely their animosities towards each other and think of their welfare. Let all the people be free from making injuries to others and be peaceful; and let them have their control over their passions. Let our mind be completely free from desires and rest entirely and devotedly to Thy lotus-feet. Let us not be attached to sons, wives, wealth, house or to any other worldly objects. If there be any attachment, let it be to the objects dear to the Bhagavan. He who barely sustains his body and soul and controls himself completely, success is very near to him; not so to the persons that are attached to the senses. The dirt of the mind, that is not washed away by bathing in the Ganges or by taking recourse to the Tirthas, etc., is removed by the company of the devotees to the God and by their influence, hearing, thinking, and meditating on the attributes of the Bhagavan. So who is there that does not serve the Bhagavan! He who has got Niskama Bhakti (devotion without regard to any fruits
thereof) to the Bhagavan, to him come always the Devata, Dharma and Jhana and other higher qualities. But he who indulges in various mental phantasms, without any Bhakti to the Bhagavan, he follows the worldly happiness that is certainly to be hated and never he gets Vairagyan and other higher qualities. As water is life to the fish, so the Bhagavan Hah is the self of all embodied beings and so He is to be specially prayed for. So if a high-souled person be attached to household happiness, without thinking of God, then his greatness dwindles into a trifling insignificance like the ordinary pleasures of man and woman when they are full of youth. So leave, at once, the home that is the source of Birth and Death and leave Trisna (thirst, desire), clinging to life, low-spiritedness, name, and fame, egoism, shame, fear, poverty and loss of one's honour and worship the Lotus-Feet of the Bhagavan Nrisingha Deva and be entirely fearless. Thus Prahlada, the Lord of the Daityas, daily worships devotedly the Bhagavan Nrisingha, resplendent in his lotus heart, the death blow, the lion to all the elephant sins. In the Ketumala Varsa, the Bhagavan Narayana is reigning in the form of the Kama Deva, the God of Love. The people there always worship Him. The daughter of Ocean, the Indira Devi, who confers honour and glory to the Mahatmas, is the presiding Deity of the Varsa. She always worships the Kama Deva with the following verses
12-18. The Laksmi Devi spoke “Om, Hram, Hrim, Hrum, Om name Bhagavate Hrisikesaya! Thou art the Bhagavan of the nature of Om. Thou are the Director, the Lord of the senses: Thy Atman is the Highest and the Receptacle of all the good things. All the Karma Vrittis, all the Jhana Vrittis, and effort and resolution and other faculties of the mind, act in their respective channels by Thy looking and by their being constantly practised in Thee. And the elements over which they get their masteries are subservient to Thy Laws. The mind and the other eleven Indriyas, and touch, taste and other five senses are but Thy parts. All the rites and ceremonies observed in the Vedas are found in Thee. Thou art the infinite store of all the
foodings of the Jivas. From Thee flows the Paramananda, the Highest Bliss. Thou art All, Thou art the Substance, Purity incarnate; Thou art the Energy, the Strength manifest in all. Thou art the Finish of all the happiness and Thou art the Only One Substance, that can be desired by the people. So obeisance to Thee! This Thy Lordship is not dependent on any other body. The women that know Thee, the Lord of all and worship other bodies for their husbands, those husbands can never save them, their lives, their wealth, progeny or other dear things as those are controlled by Kala (Time) and Karma. So they cannot be termed husbands at all; Thou art the Real Husband; and no other. For Thou art naturally fearless and Thou protectest in every way the persons that become afraid. Thou art the Lord of all wealth; so no other is superior to Thee. How can then, they be independent whose happiness depends on others! The lady that desires to worship Thy lotus feet only and becomes subservient to no others, she attains all the desires. Again the lady who, desiring other desires than to get Thee, does not worship Thy lotus-feet.
Thou fulfillest the desires of her too. But, O Bhagavan! When the period of enjoyment of these things ceases and when the objects of these enjoyments are destroyed, then she repents much due to the loss of those things. Brahma, Mahadeva, the Suras and the Asuras practise hard Tapasyas to get me, impelled by their desires to attain the objects of sense enjoyments; but he only really gets me who worships and takes refuge of Thy lotus feet only, for my heart is entirely attached to Thee. So, O Achyuta! Kindly shew Thy Grace and put, on my head. Thy lotus palm, praised by the universal people that Thou placest on Thy Bhaktas. O Bhagavan! That Thou takest me in Thy Bosom is a sign of Thy Grace. No one can fathom the deeds of Thee, the Only Controller of all. Thus the Prajapati and the Lords of that Varsa, worship the Bhagavan, the Friend of all, with a view to attain their respective desires and Siddhis. In Ramyak Varsa, the Matsya form of the Bhagavan is set up and consecrated. The Suras and the Asuras worship Him. The highly intelligent Manu always chant hymns to that Excellent Form thus “Obeisance to Him who is the Life of all, the Essence and Strength of all, to that
Great Fish Form, the Body Incarnate of Sattva Guna, who is of the nature of Om and Bliss.”
19-23. Thou art the Lord of all the Lokapalas and of the form of the Vedas. Thou art within and without all this universe, moving and non¬ moving; still all the beings are unable to see Thy form. As the people bring under their control the wooden dolls, so Thou controllest the universe by the rules and prohibitions under the names of the Brahmanas, etc. Thou art the God. The Lokapalas, being overcome by the fever of jealousy and pride, become quite unable, either individually or collectively, to quit their jealousies and to protect the tripeds, quadrupeds, reptiles and snakes; so Thou art the God. Thou hadst upheld this earth along with me and with the medicinal plants and creepers; and Thou shewedest the highest luminous light in the great ocean, at the time of Pralaya, tossed with surging waves and didst roam there. Thou art the Self of all the beings in the universe. So we bow down to Thee. Thus the Manu, the best of the mortal beings, used to praise the Bhagavan, who took His incarnation in the shape of the Fish, the Remover of all doubts. Manu, the foremost of the Bhagavatas (the devotees) is reigning there in the service of the Fish Incarnation of the Bhagavan, with intense meditation and expurging all sins and with great devotion.
Here ends the Ninth Chapter of the Eighth Book on the narration of the division of the continents in the Maha Puranam S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23833, revision 73375 (2016-07-03T03:04:12Z). 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/bk08ch09.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.