Eighth Skandha · Chapter 18
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच अधस्तात्सवितुः प्रोक्तमयुतं राहुमण्डलम् । नक्षत्रवच्चरति च सैंहिकेयोऽतदर्हणः ॥ १ ॥ सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरेव मर्दनः सिंहिकासुतः । अमरत्वं च खेटत्वं लेभे यो विष्ण्वनुग्रहात् ॥ २ ॥ यददस्तरणेर्बिम्बं तपतो योजनायुतम् । तच्छादकोऽसुरो ज्ञेयोऽप्यर्कसाहस्रविस्तरम् ॥ ३ ॥ त्रयोदशसहस्रं तु सोमस्याच्छादको ग्रहः । यः पर्वसमये वैरानुबन्धी छादकोऽभवत् ॥ ४ ॥ सूर्याचन्द्रमसोर्दूराद्भवेच्छादनकारकः । तन्निशम्योभयत्रापि विष्णुना प्रेरितं स्वकम् ॥ ५ ॥ चक्रं सुदर्शनं नाम ज्वालामालातिभीषणम् । तत्तेजसा दुःसहेन समन्तात्परिवारितम् ॥ ६ ॥ मुहूर्तो द्विजमानस्तु दूराच्चकितमानसः । आरान्निवर्तते सोऽयमुपराग इतीव ह ॥ ७ ॥ उच्यते लोकमध्ये तु देवर्षे अवबुध्यताम् । ततोऽधस्तात्समाख्याता लोकाः परमपावनाः ॥ ८ ॥ सिद्धानां चारणानां च विद्याध्राणां च सत्तम । योजनायुतविख्याता लोकाः पुण्यनिषेविताः ॥ ९ ॥ ततोऽप्यधस्ताद्देवर्षे यक्षाणां च सरक्षसाम् । पिशाचप्रेतभूतानां विहाराजिरमुत्तमम् ॥ १० ॥ अन्तरिक्षं च तत्प्रोक्तं यावद्वायुः प्रवाति हि । यावन्मेघास्ततोद्यन्ति तत्प्रोक्तं ज्ञानकोविदैः ॥ ११ ॥ ततोऽधस्ताद्योजनानां शतं यावद् द्विजोत्तम । पृथिवी परिसंख्याता सुपर्णश्येनसारसाः ॥ १२ ॥ हंसादयः प्रोत्पतन्ति पार्थिवाः पृथिवीभवाः । भूसन्निवेशावस्थानं यथावदुपवर्णितम् ॥ १३ ॥ अधस्तादवनेः सप्त देवर्षे विवराः स्मृताः । एकैकशो योजनानामायामोच्छ्रायतः पुनः ॥ १४ ॥ अयुतान्तरविख्याताः सर्वर्तुसुखदायकाः । अतलं प्रथमं प्रोक्तं द्वितीयं वितलं तथा ॥ १५ ॥ तृतीयं सुतलं प्रोक्तं चतुर्थं वै तलातलम् । महातलं पञ्चमं च षष्ठं प्रोक्तं रसातलम् ॥ १६ ॥ सप्तमं विप्र पातालं सप्तैते विवराः स्मृताः । एतेषु बिलस्वर्गेषु दिवोऽप्यधिकमेव च ॥ १७ ॥ कामभोगैश्वर्यसुखसमृद्धभुवनेषु च । नित्योद्यानविहारेषु सुखास्वादः प्रवर्तते ॥ १८ ॥ दैत्याश्च काद्रवेयाश्च दानवा बलशालिनः । नित्यप्रमुदिता रक्ताः कलत्रापत्यबन्धुभिः ॥ १९ ॥ सुहृद्भिरनुजीवाद्यैः संयुताश्च गृहेश्वराः । ईश्वरादप्रतिहतकामा मायाविनश्च ते ॥ २० ॥ निवसन्ति सदा हृष्टाः सर्वर्तुसुखसंयुताः । मयेन मायाविभुना येषु येषु च निर्मिताः ॥ २१ ॥ पुरः प्रकामशो भक्ता मणिप्रवरशालिनः । विचित्रभवनाट्टालगोपुराद्याः सहस्रशः ॥ २२ ॥ सभाचत्वरचैत्यादिशोभाढ्याः सुरदुर्लभाः । नागासुराणां मिथुनैः सपारावतसारिकैः ॥ २३ ॥ कीर्णकृत्रिमभूमिश्च विवरेशगृहोत्तमैः । अलङ्कृताश्चकासन्ति उद्यानानि महान्ति च ॥ २४ ॥ मनःप्रसन्नकारीणि फलपुष्पविशालिभिः । ललनानां विलासार्हस्थानैः शोभितभाञ्जि च ॥ २५ ॥ नानाविहंगमव्रातसंयुक्तजलराशिभिः । स्वच्छार्णपूरितह्रदैः पाठीनसमलङ्कृतैः ॥ २६ ॥ जलजन्तुक्षुब्धनीरनीरजातैरनेकशः । कुमुदोत्पलकह्लारनीलरक्तोत्पलैस्तथा ॥ २७ ॥ तेषु कृतनिकेतानां विहारैः सङ्कुलानि च । इन्द्रियोत्सवकारैश्च तथैव विविधैः स्वरैः ॥ २८ ॥ अमराणां च परमां श्रियं चातिशयन्ति च । यत्र नैव भयं क्वापि कालाङ्गैर्दिनरात्रिभिः ॥ २९ ॥ यत्राहिप्रवराणां च शिरःस्थैर्मणिरश्मिभिः । नित्यं तमः प्रबाध्येत सदा प्रस्फुटकान्तिभिः ॥ ३० ॥ न वा एतेषु वसतां दिव्यौषधिरसायनैः । रसान्नपानस्नानाद्यैर्नाधयो न च व्याधयः ॥ ३१ ॥ वलीपलितजीर्णत्ववैवर्ण्यस्वेदगन्धताः । अनुत्साहवयोऽवस्था न बाधन्ते कदाचन ॥ ३२ ॥ कल्याणानां सदा तेषां न च मृत्युभयं कुतः । भगवत्तेजसोऽन्यत्र चक्राच्चैव सुदर्शनात् ॥ ३३ ॥ यस्मिन्प्रविष्टे दैतेयवधूनां गर्भराशयः । प्रायो भयात्पतन्त्येव स्रवन्ति ब्रह्मपुत्रक ॥ ३४ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca adhastātsavituḥ proktamayutaṃ rāhumaṇḍalam | nakṣatravaccarati ca saiṃhikeyo'tadarhaṇaḥ || 1 || sūryācandramasoreva mardanaḥ siṃhikāsutaḥ | amaratvaṃ ca kheṭatvaṃ lebhe yo viṣṇvanugrahāt || 2 || yadadastaraṇerbimbaṃ tapato yojanāyutam | tacchādako'suro jñeyo'pyarkasāhasravistaram || 3 || trayodaśasahasraṃ tu somasyācchādako grahaḥ | yaḥ parvasamaye vairānubandhī chādako'bhavat || 4 || sūryācandramasordūrādbhavecchādanakārakaḥ | tanniśamyobhayatrāpi viṣṇunā preritaṃ svakam || 5 || cakraṃ sudarśanaṃ nāma jvālāmālātibhīṣaṇam | tattejasā duḥsahena samantātparivāritam || 6 || muhūrto dvijamānastu dūrāccakitamānasaḥ | ārānnivartate so'yamuparāga itīva ha || 7 || ucyate lokamadhye tu devarṣe avabudhyatām | tato'dhastātsamākhyātā lokāḥ paramapāvanāḥ || 8 || siddhānāṃ cāraṇānāṃ ca vidyādhrāṇāṃ ca sattama | yojanāyutavikhyātā lokāḥ puṇyaniṣevitāḥ || 9 || tato'pyadhastāddevarṣe yakṣāṇāṃ ca sarakṣasām | piśācapretabhūtānāṃ vihārājiramuttamam || 10 || antarikṣaṃ ca tatproktaṃ yāvadvāyuḥ pravāti hi | yāvanmeghāstatodyanti tatproktaṃ jñānakovidaiḥ || 11 || tato'dhastādyojanānāṃ śataṃ yāvad dvijottama | pṛthivī parisaṃkhyātā suparṇaśyenasārasāḥ || 12 || haṃsādayaḥ protpatanti pārthivāḥ pṛthivībhavāḥ | bhūsanniveśāvasthānaṃ yathāvadupavarṇitam || 13 || adhastādavaneḥ sapta devarṣe vivarāḥ smṛtāḥ | ekaikaśo yojanānāmāyāmocchrāyataḥ punaḥ || 14 || ayutāntaravikhyātāḥ sarvartusukhadāyakāḥ | atalaṃ prathamaṃ proktaṃ dvitīyaṃ vitalaṃ tathā || 15 || tṛtīyaṃ sutalaṃ proktaṃ caturthaṃ vai talātalam | mahātalaṃ pañcamaṃ ca ṣaṣṭhaṃ proktaṃ rasātalam || 16 || saptamaṃ vipra pātālaṃ saptaite vivarāḥ smṛtāḥ | eteṣu bilasvargeṣu divo'pyadhikameva ca || 17 || kāmabhogaiśvaryasukhasamṛddhabhuvaneṣu ca | nityodyānavihāreṣu sukhāsvādaḥ pravartate || 18 || daityāśca kādraveyāśca dānavā balaśālinaḥ | nityapramuditā raktāḥ kalatrāpatyabandhubhiḥ || 19 || suhṛdbhiranujīvādyaiḥ saṃyutāśca gṛheśvarāḥ | īśvarādapratihatakāmā māyāvinaśca te || 20 || nivasanti sadā hṛṣṭāḥ sarvartusukhasaṃyutāḥ | mayena māyāvibhunā yeṣu yeṣu ca nirmitāḥ || 21 || puraḥ prakāmaśo bhaktā maṇipravaraśālinaḥ | vicitrabhavanāṭṭālagopurādyāḥ sahasraśaḥ || 22 || sabhācatvaracaityādiśobhāḍhyāḥ suradurlabhāḥ | nāgāsurāṇāṃ mithunaiḥ sapārāvatasārikaiḥ || 23 || kīrṇakṛtrimabhūmiśca vivareśagṛhottamaiḥ | alaṅkṛtāścakāsanti udyānāni mahānti ca || 24 || manaḥprasannakārīṇi phalapuṣpaviśālibhiḥ | lalanānāṃ vilāsārhasthānaiḥ śobhitabhāñji ca || 25 || nānāvihaṃgamavrātasaṃyuktajalarāśibhiḥ | svacchārṇapūritahradaiḥ pāṭhīnasamalaṅkṛtaiḥ || 26 || jalajantukṣubdhanīranīrajātairanekaśaḥ | kumudotpalakahlāranīlaraktotpalaistathā || 27 || teṣu kṛtaniketānāṃ vihāraiḥ saṅkulāni ca | indriyotsavakāraiśca tathaiva vividhaiḥ svaraiḥ || 28 || amarāṇāṃ ca paramāṃ śriyaṃ cātiśayanti ca | yatra naiva bhayaṃ kvāpi kālāṅgairdinarātribhiḥ || 29 || yatrāhipravarāṇāṃ ca śiraḥsthairmaṇiraśmibhiḥ | nityaṃ tamaḥ prabādhyeta sadā prasphuṭakāntibhiḥ || 30 || na vā eteṣu vasatāṃ divyauṣadhirasāyanaiḥ | rasānnapānasnānādyairnādhayo na ca vyādhayaḥ || 31 || valīpalitajīrṇatvavaivarṇyasvedagandhatāḥ | anutsāhavayo'vasthā na bādhante kadācana || 32 || kalyāṇānāṃ sadā teṣāṃ na ca mṛtyubhayaṃ kutaḥ | bhagavattejaso'nyatra cakrāccaiva sudarśanāt || 33 || yasminpraviṣṭe daiteyavadhūnāṃ garbharāśayaḥ | prāyo bhayātpatantyeva sravanti brahmaputraka || 34 ||
English translation
1-9. Narayana said O Devarsi! The Sphere of Rahu (the ascending node) is situated one Ayuta Yoyanas below the Sun.
Rahu, the son of Simhika is moving there like a Naksattra. This Rahu swallows up both the Sun and the Moon and He has got immortality and capability to travel in the sky. The Sun’s rays go up to one Ayuta Yoyanas. The Asura Rahu thus covers his rays. So the sphere of the Moon extends upto the twelve thousand Yoyanas. Rahu covers the field of the thirteen thousand Yoyanas. So he covers both the Sun and the Moon. Desire to take the vengeance of the previous enmity, he covers them during the time of Parva (the festivals). This planet wants to cover them from a distance. Hearing this, the Bhagavan Visnu hurls His Sudars’an Chakra against Rahu. This Chakra (disc) is encircled with the fiery flames and is very terrible. When all the quarters were filled with its violent flames, Rahu became instantly alarmed and fled away from the distance. O Devarsi! This is known as the eclipse known amongst the mortals. Below the sphere of Rahu, there are the other pure Lokas situated. O Sattama! The Siddhas, Charanas, and Vidyadharas live in those Lokas. Their dimensions are one Ayuta Yoyanas.
10. O Devarsi! Below them live the Yaksas, Raksasas, Pis’achas, Pretas and Bhutas with their excellent Viharas (residences).
11-34. The learned people call this Antariksa. It extends upto where the wind blows violently and where the clouds appear. O Best of the twice-born! Below this Antariksa is this earth, measuring one hundred Yoyanas. All the articles and things of the earth are found here; birds herons, cranes and ducks all fly over the earth. The earth
extends upto this. Now is described the configuration of the earth. O Devarsi! At the lower part of this earth there are seven places (caves or nether regions). Their diameter is one Ayuta Yoyanas. In all the seasons, all sorts of enjoyments can be had at these places. The first is Atala; the second is Vitala. Next come in orderSutala, Talatala, Mahatala. Rasatala, and lastly (the seventh) the Patala. O Vipra! Thus the seven holes or regions are reckoned. These are termed the Vila-Svargas and they yield the happinesses, greater than those of the Heavens. These are all filled with lovely amorous enjoyments, prosperity and happiness. They are crowded with gardens and Viharas (the places of enjoyments). And these Viharas are all decorated tastefully so as to furnish special tastes of enjoyments. The powerful Daityas, Danavas, and Snakes enjoy here great happiness incessantly, united lovingly with their sons, wives and friends. The householders also pass their time in ease and enjoyments, surrounded by their friends and attendants. They are all Mayavis (Magicians) and their resolves are not thwarted; they are more than God in this respect and they are filled with desires. They all live with joy and in enjoyments and they find pleasure in all the seasons. Maya, the Lord of Maya had built separate cities, as he liked, in those nether regions. Besides he has created thousands of dwelling-houses, palaces, and town-gates, studded with gems and jewels.
The assembly halls, Chatvaras, and Chaityas are elaborately decorated and rare even to the Suras. The Nagas and Asuras live in those houses with their consorts; doves and pigeons and female Mayina birds are hovering there. In those places many plots marked out artificially and excellent rows of palatial buildings of the Lords of those Vivaras adorn there. Very big gardens also exist there. All these cheer the minds; and, to add to their beauty, many places of fruits and flowers are close by, fit for the comfort and enjoyments of the ladies. The tanks and pools of water are crowded with various birds; the lakes are filled with clear waters and the Pathina fishes
abound there. The aquatic animals move in the waters, violently agitating them. Various kinds of lotuses, Kumud, Utpala, Kahlara, blue lotus, red lotus, are fully blown in these lakes or reservoirs of water. The gardens there are all overcrowded with the Viharas of the inhabitants there and echoed with the sweet melodious music, pleasing to the senses. For there, these places seem to vie with the Heavens. No fear is there, whether during the day or during the night. The gems on the crest of snakes constantly illumine the environments and there is no darkness there at any time. The food there is prepared with the divine medicines and they drink and bathe with these medicinal plants; so no disease attacks them. Old age, fever, indigestion, paleness, sweats, bad smells, or loss of energy or any other source of trouble cannot trouble them. The people are always happy and good. Only they fear the Teja of the Bhagavan and His Sudars’an disc; and they fear nothing else. When the Teja of the Bhagavan enters, the women’s abortions take place.
Here ends the Eighteenth Chapter of the Eighth Book on the narrative of Rahu Mandalam in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23820, revision 73368 (2016-07-03T02:47:33Z). 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/bk08ch18.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.