Eighth Skandha · Chapter 20
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच ततोऽधस्ताद्विवरकं तलातलमुदीरितम् । दानवेन्द्रो मयो नाम त्रिपुराधिपतिर्महान् ॥ १ ॥ त्रिलोक्याः शङ्करेणायं पालितो दग्धपूस्त्रयः । देवदेवप्रसादात्तु लब्धराज्यसुखास्पदः ॥ २ ॥ आचार्यो मायिनां सोऽयं नानामायाविशारदः । पूज्यते राक्षसैर्घोरैः सर्वकार्यसमृद्धये ॥ ३ ॥ ततोऽधस्तास्तुविख्यातं महातलमिति स्फुटम् । सर्पाणां काद्रवेयाणां गणः क्रोधवशो महान् ॥ ४ ॥ अनेकशिरसां विप्र प्रधानान्कीर्तयामि ते । कुहकस्तक्षकश्चैव सुषेणः कालियस्तथा ॥ ५ ॥ महाभोगा महासत्त्वाः क्रूराः क्रूरस्वजातयः । पतत्रिराजाधिपतेरुद्विग्नाः सर्व एव ते ॥ ६ ॥ स्वकलत्रापत्यसुहृत्कुटुम्बस्य च सङ्गताः । प्रमत्ता विहरन्त्येव नानाक्रीडाविशारदाः ॥ ७ ॥ ततोऽधस्ताच्च विवरे रसातलसमाह्वये । दैतेया निवसन्त्येव पणयो दानवाश्च ये ॥ ८ ॥ निवातकवचा नाम हिरण्यपुरवासिनः । कालेया इति च प्रोक्ताः प्रत्यनीका हविर्भुजाम् ॥ ९ ॥ महौजसश्चोत्पत्त्यैव महासाहसिनस्तथा । सकलेशस्य च हरेस्तेजसा हतविक्रमाः ॥ १० ॥ बिलेशया इव सदा विवरे निवसन्ति हि । ये वै वाग्भिः सरमया शक्रदूत्या निरन्तरम् ॥ ११ ॥ मन्त्रवर्णाभिरसुरास्ताडिता बिभ्यति स्म ह । ततोऽप्यधस्तात्पाताले नागलोकाधिपालकाः ॥ १२ ॥ वासुकिप्रमुखाः शङ्खः कुलिकः श्वेत एव च । धनञ्जयो महाशङ्खो धृतराष्ट्रस्तथैव च ॥ १३ ॥ शङ्खचूडः कम्बलाश्वतरो देवोपदत्तकः । महामर्षा महाभोगा निवसन्ति विषोल्बणाः ॥ १४ ॥ पञ्चमस्तकवन्तश्च फणासप्तकभूषिताः । केचिद्दशफणाः केचिच्छतशीर्षास्तथापरे ॥ १५ ॥ सहस्रशिरसः केऽपि रोचिष्णुमणिधारकाः । पातालरन्ध्रतिमिरनिकरं स्वमरीचिभिः ॥ १६ ॥ विधमन्ति च देवर्षे सदा सञ्जातमन्यवः । अस्य मूलप्रदेशे हि त्रिंशत्साहस्रकेऽन्तरे ॥ १७ ॥ योजनैः परिसंख्याते तामसी भगवत्कला । अनन्ताख्या समास्ते हि सर्वदेवप्रपूजिता ॥ १८ ॥ अहमित्यभिमानस्य लक्षणं यं प्रचक्षते । सङ्कर्षणं सात्वतीयाः कर्षणं द्रष्ट्टदृश्ययोः ॥ १९ ॥ इदं भूमण्डलं यस्य सहस्रशिरसः प्रभोः । अनन्तमूर्तेः शेषस्य ध्रियमाणं च शीर्षके ॥ २० ॥ पृध्वीगोलमशेषं हि सिद्धार्थ इव लक्ष्यते । यस्य कालेन देवस्य सञ्जिहीर्षोः समं विभोः ॥ २१ ॥ चराचरं भ्रुवोरन्तर्विवरादुदपद्यत । साङ्कर्षणो नाम रुद्रो व्यूहैकादशशोभितः ॥ २२ ॥ त्रिलोचनश्च त्रिशिखं शूलमुत्तम्भयन्स्वयम् । उदतिष्ठन्महासत्त्वो महाभूतक्षयङ्करः ॥ २३ ॥ यस्याङ्घ्रिकमलद्वन्द्वशोणाच्छनखमण्डले । विराजन्मणिबिम्बेषु महाहिपतयोऽनिशम् ॥ २४ ॥ एकान्तभक्तियोगेन सह सात्त्वतपुङ्गवैः । प्रणमन्तः स्वमूर्ध्ना ते स्वमुखानि समीक्षते ॥ २५ ॥ स्फुरत्कुण्डलमाणिक्यप्रभामण्डलभाञ्ज्यपि । सुकपोलानि चारूणि गण्डस्थलद्युमन्ति च ॥ २६ ॥ नागराजकुमार्योऽपि चार्वङ्गविलसत्त्विषः । विशदैर्विपुलैस्तद्वद्धवलैः सुभगैस्तथा ॥ २७ ॥ रुचिरैर्भुजदण्डैश्च शोभमाना इतस्ततः । चन्दनागुरुकाश्मीरपङ्कलेपेन भूषिताः ॥ २८ ॥ तदभिमर्षसञ्जातकामावेशसमायुताः । ललितस्मितसंयुक्ताः सव्रीडं लोकयन्ति च ॥ २९ ॥ अनुरागमदोन्मत्तविघूर्णारुणलोचनम् । करुणावलोकनेत्रं च आशासानास्तथाशिषः ॥ ३० ॥ सोऽनन्तो भगवान्देवोऽनन्तसत्त्वो महाशयः । अनन्तगुणवार्धिश्च आदिदेवो महाद्युतिः ॥ ३१ ॥ संहृतामर्षरोषादिवेगो लोकशुभाय च । आस्ते महासत्त्वनिधिः सर्वदेवप्रपूजितः ॥ ३२ ॥ ध्यायमानः सुरैः सिद्धैरसुरैश्चोरगैस्तथा । विद्याधरैश्च गन्धर्वैर्मुनिसङ्घैश्च नित्यशः ॥ ३३ ॥ अनारतमदोन्मत्तलोकविह्वललोचनः । वाक्यामृतेन विबुधान्स्वपार्षदगणानपि ॥ ३४ ॥ आप्यायमानः स विभुर्वैजयन्तीं स्रजं दधत् । अम्लानाभिनवैः स्वच्छैस्तुलसीदलसञ्चयैः ॥ ३५ ॥ माद्यन्मधुकरव्रातघोषश्रीसंयुतां सदा । नीलवासा देवदेव एककुण्डलभूषितः ॥ ३६ ॥ हलस्य ककुदि न्यस्तसुपीवरभुजोऽव्ययः । महेन्द्रः काञ्चनीं यद्वद्वरत्रां च मतङ्गमः । उदारलीलो देवेशो वर्णितः सात्त्वतर्षभैः ॥ ३७ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायामष्टमस्कन्धे तलातलादिलोकवर्णनेऽनन्तवर्णनं नाम विंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २० ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca tato'dhastādvivarakaṃ talātalamudīritam | dānavendro mayo nāma tripurādhipatirmahān || 1 || trilokyāḥ śaṅkareṇāyaṃ pālito dagdhapūstrayaḥ | devadevaprasādāttu labdharājyasukhāspadaḥ || 2 || ācāryo māyināṃ so'yaṃ nānāmāyāviśāradaḥ | pūjyate rākṣasairghoraiḥ sarvakāryasamṛddhaye || 3 || tato'dhastāstuvikhyātaṃ mahātalamiti sphuṭam | sarpāṇāṃ kādraveyāṇāṃ gaṇaḥ krodhavaśo mahān || 4 || anekaśirasāṃ vipra pradhānānkīrtayāmi te | kuhakastakṣakaścaiva suṣeṇaḥ kāliyastathā || 5 || mahābhogā mahāsattvāḥ krūrāḥ krūrasvajātayaḥ | patatrirājādhipaterudvignāḥ sarva eva te || 6 || svakalatrāpatyasuhṛtkuṭumbasya ca saṅgatāḥ | pramattā viharantyeva nānākrīḍāviśāradāḥ || 7 || tato'dhastācca vivare rasātalasamāhvaye | daiteyā nivasantyeva paṇayo dānavāśca ye || 8 || nivātakavacā nāma hiraṇyapuravāsinaḥ | kāleyā iti ca proktāḥ pratyanīkā havirbhujām || 9 || mahaujasaścotpattyaiva mahāsāhasinastathā | sakaleśasya ca harestejasā hatavikramāḥ || 10 || bileśayā iva sadā vivare nivasanti hi | ye vai vāgbhiḥ saramayā śakradūtyā nirantaram || 11 || mantravarṇābhirasurāstāḍitā bibhyati sma ha | tato'pyadhastātpātāle nāgalokādhipālakāḥ || 12 || vāsukipramukhāḥ śaṅkhaḥ kulikaḥ śveta eva ca | dhanañjayo mahāśaṅkho dhṛtarāṣṭrastathaiva ca || 13 || śaṅkhacūḍaḥ kambalāśvataro devopadattakaḥ | mahāmarṣā mahābhogā nivasanti viṣolbaṇāḥ || 14 || pañcamastakavantaśca phaṇāsaptakabhūṣitāḥ | keciddaśaphaṇāḥ kecicchataśīrṣāstathāpare || 15 || sahasraśirasaḥ ke'pi rociṣṇumaṇidhārakāḥ | pātālarandhratimiranikaraṃ svamarīcibhiḥ || 16 || vidhamanti ca devarṣe sadā sañjātamanyavaḥ | asya mūlapradeśe hi triṃśatsāhasrake'ntare || 17 || yojanaiḥ parisaṃkhyāte tāmasī bhagavatkalā | anantākhyā samāste hi sarvadevaprapūjitā || 18 || ahamityabhimānasya lakṣaṇaṃ yaṃ pracakṣate | saṅkarṣaṇaṃ sātvatīyāḥ karṣaṇaṃ draṣṭṭadṛśyayoḥ || 19 || idaṃ bhūmaṇḍalaṃ yasya sahasraśirasaḥ prabhoḥ | anantamūrteḥ śeṣasya dhriyamāṇaṃ ca śīrṣake || 20 || pṛdhvīgolamaśeṣaṃ hi siddhārtha iva lakṣyate | yasya kālena devasya sañjihīrṣoḥ samaṃ vibhoḥ || 21 || carācaraṃ bhruvorantarvivarādudapadyata | sāṅkarṣaṇo nāma rudro vyūhaikādaśaśobhitaḥ || 22 || trilocanaśca triśikhaṃ śūlamuttambhayansvayam | udatiṣṭhanmahāsattvo mahābhūtakṣayaṅkaraḥ || 23 || yasyāṅghrikamaladvandvaśoṇācchanakhamaṇḍale | virājanmaṇibimbeṣu mahāhipatayo'niśam || 24 || ekāntabhaktiyogena saha sāttvatapuṅgavaiḥ | praṇamantaḥ svamūrdhnā te svamukhāni samīkṣate || 25 || sphuratkuṇḍalamāṇikyaprabhāmaṇḍalabhāñjyapi | sukapolāni cārūṇi gaṇḍasthaladyumanti ca || 26 || nāgarājakumāryo'pi cārvaṅgavilasattviṣaḥ | viśadairvipulaistadvaddhavalaiḥ subhagaistathā || 27 || rucirairbhujadaṇḍaiśca śobhamānā itastataḥ | candanāgurukāśmīrapaṅkalepena bhūṣitāḥ || 28 || tadabhimarṣasañjātakāmāveśasamāyutāḥ | lalitasmitasaṃyuktāḥ savrīḍaṃ lokayanti ca || 29 || anurāgamadonmattavighūrṇāruṇalocanam | karuṇāvalokanetraṃ ca āśāsānāstathāśiṣaḥ || 30 || so'nanto bhagavāndevo'nantasattvo mahāśayaḥ | anantaguṇavārdhiśca ādidevo mahādyutiḥ || 31 || saṃhṛtāmarṣaroṣādivego lokaśubhāya ca | āste mahāsattvanidhiḥ sarvadevaprapūjitaḥ || 32 || dhyāyamānaḥ suraiḥ siddhairasuraiścoragaistathā | vidyādharaiśca gandharvairmunisaṅghaiśca nityaśaḥ || 33 || anāratamadonmattalokavihvalalocanaḥ | vākyāmṛtena vibudhānsvapārṣadagaṇānapi || 34 || āpyāyamānaḥ sa vibhurvaijayantīṃ srajaṃ dadhat | amlānābhinavaiḥ svacchaistulasīdalasañcayaiḥ || 35 || mādyanmadhukaravrātaghoṣaśrīsaṃyutāṃ sadā | nīlavāsā devadeva ekakuṇḍalabhūṣitaḥ || 36 || halasya kakudi nyastasupīvarabhujo'vyayaḥ | mahendraḥ kāñcanīṃ yadvadvaratrāṃ ca mataṅgamaḥ | udāralīlo deveśo varṇitaḥ sāttvatarṣabhaiḥ || 37 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmaṣṭamaskandhe talātalādilokavarṇane'nantavarṇanaṃ nāma viṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 20 ||
English translation
1-37. Narayana said O Narada! The cave lower down than Sutala is Talatala! The Lord of Tripura, (the three cities) the great Maya Danava is the Ruler of this region. MahesVara, the Doer of good to the three Bhuvanas, burnt his three cities; but at last, being pleased with his devotion. He rescued him. Thus Maya, by the favour of that God, has regained his own kingdom and the enjoyments thereof. This Maya Danava is the Teacher (Acharya) of the Mayavi sect and the cult thereof; and he is skilled in various Mayas or all sorts of the magic powers. All the fierce demons, of cruel temper, worship him for their prosperities in their various enterprises. Next to this Talatala is the most renowned Mahatala. The sons of Kadru, the very angry Snakes, live here. They are many headed. O Vipra! I now mention to you the names of the famous amongst them Kuhaka, Taksaka, Susena, and Kaliya. These all have very wide hoods and they all are very strong; they all are of cruel temper. Their kinsmen also are so. They are always afraid of Garuda, the King of birds. Surrounded with their sons, wives, friends and acquaintances, they live happily, well skilled in various sports and pleasures. Lower down this Mahatala is Rasatala. The Daityas, Danavas and Pani Asuras live here. Besides these, there live the Nivata Kavachas of the Hiranyapura city and the Asuras named Kaleyas, the enemies of the Devas. These all are naturally very energetic and brave; their powers are baffled by the Tejas of the Bhagavan and they live like snakes in this region. The other Asuras that were driven and were afraid of the Mantras, uttered by Sarama, the messenger of Indra, live here too. O Narada! Lower down is Patala, where live Vasuki, the Chief of the snakes, and others named S’ankha, Kulika, SVeta, Dhananjaya, Mahas’ankha, Dhritarastra, S’ankhachuda, Kamvala, AsVatara, and Devopadattaka, all very angry, of wide hoods, and virulently poisonous. Some of these have five heads, some seven hoods, some ten; some hundred, some others have thousand heads, while some others have on their crests exceedingly luminous jewels. By
their rays, they dispel the darkness of the nether regions; but they are awfully prone to anger. At the bottom of this Patala, and at a distance of the thirty Yoyanas; the Portion of Bhagavan in the shape of the infinite Darkness is reigning there. O Devarsi! All the Devas worship this Form. The devotees call Him by the name of Sanakarsana, as He is the manifested emblem of “Aham” and the common ground where the Seer and the Seen blend into one. He is the thousand-headed Controller of all, moving and non-moving; He is of infinite forms; He is S’esa; this whole universe is being held as a mustard bean on His head; He is of the Nature Intelligence and Bliss and He is Self-manifest. When he wants to destroy all this during the Pralaya, the very powerful Sankarsana Rudra, well arrayed with the eleven Vyuhas, military (squadrons) arrangements, springs up from Him. From His Central Eyebrow, looking wide with His Three Eyes and raising His Trident, resplendent with three flames. All the (prominent) principal snakes, ruling over many others, come to Him during the nights filled with devotion and surrounded with Bhaktas (devotees) and bow down to Him with their heads bent low and look at each other’s faces, enlightened with the lights from the jewels shining with clear lustre, on the nails of the red toes of His Lotus- Feet. At that time their faces become brilliant with the rays emitting from the jewels on the top of their very gay encircled hoods; and their cheeks look beautiful and shining. The daughters of the Naga Raja also do like this; when very beautiful rays come out of their perfectly excellent bodies. Their arms are wide extended; they look very clear and they are beautifully white. They use always Sandalpaste, Aguru and Kasmiri unguents. Being overpowered by the amorous passion, due to their contact with those scented things, they look at Him with bashful glances and sweet smiles and expect Asiss (benedictions) from Him. And then His eyes roll maddened with love and express signs of kindness and mercy. The Bhagavan Ananta Deva is of boundless strength; His attributes are infinite; He is the ocean of infinite qualities. He is the Adi Deva, of a very good nature and His Nature is highly luminous. He has abandoned anger and envy and He wants the welfare of all. All the Devas worship Him and He is the repository of all Sattvic qualities.
The Devas, Siddhas, Asuras, Uragas, Vidyadharas, Gandharbas, and Munis always meditate on Him. On account of His constant Mada Raga the enthusiasm and intoxication, His sight appears intoxicated and His eyes look perturbed with emotions. He is always pleasing to those who surround him and to the Devas by His sweet nectar-like words.
The Vaijayanti garland hangs from His neck; it never wanes and it is always decorated with the fresh and clear Tulasi leaves. The maddened bees make their humming noises incessantly and thus add to the beauty. He is the Deva of the Devas and He wears a blue coloured cloth and He is ornamented with only one earring. He (the God Visnu) Undecaying and Immutable; resting His fleshy arms on the Halakakuda (the lofty portion of the plough), He is upholding the golden girdle as the elephant Airavata of Indra upholds the golden girdle. O Narada! The devotees describe Him as the Source of this Leela of the Universe and the Controller of the Devas.
Here ends the Twentieth Chapter of the Eighth Book on the narrative of the Talatala in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23822, revision 328779 (2021-12-22T03:46:51Z). 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/bk08ch20.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.