Fifth Skandha · Chapter 35
Sourceअथ पञ्चत्रिंशोऽध्यायः महिष उवाच। इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा दुःखितौ वैश्यपार्थिवौ । प्रणिपत्य मुनिं प्रीत्या प्रश्रयावनतौ भृशम् ॥१॥ हर्षेणोत्फुल्लनयनावूचतुर्वाक्यकोविदौ । कृताञ्जलिपुटौ शान्तौ भक्तिप्रवणचेतसौ ॥२॥ भगवन्पावितावद्य शान्तौ दीनौ शुचान्वितौ । तव सूक्तसरस्वत्या गङ्गयेव भगीरथः ॥ ३ ॥ साधवः सम्भवन्तीह परोपकृतितत्पराः । अकृत्रिमगुणारामाः सुखदाः सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥४॥ पूर्वपुण्यप्रसङ्गेन प्राप्तोऽयमाश्रयः शुभः । तवावाभ्यां महाभाग महादुःखविनाशकः ॥५॥ भवन्ति मानवा भूमौ बहवः स्वार्थतत्पराः । परार्थसाधने दक्षाः केचित्क्वापि भवादृशाः ॥ ६ ॥ दुःखितोऽहं मुनिश्रेष्ठ वैश्योऽयं चातिदुःखितः । उभौ संसारसंतप्तौ तवाश्रमपदे मुदा ॥७॥ दर्शनादेव हे विद्वन्गतं दुःखमिहावयोः । देहजं मानसं वाक्यश्रवणादेव साम्प्रतम् ॥८॥ धन्यावावां कृतकृत्यौ जातौ सूक्तिसुधारसात् । पावितौ भवता ब्रह्मन्कृपया करुणार्णव ॥ ९ ॥ गृहाणास्मत्करौ साधो नय पारं भवार्णवात् । मग्नौ श्रांताविति ज्ञात्वा मंत्रदानेन सांप्रतम् ॥ १० ॥ तपः कृत्वाऽतिविपुलं समाराध्य सुखप्रदाम् । संप्राप्य दर्शनं भूयो यास्यावो निजमंदिरम् ॥११। वदनात्तव सम्प्राप्य देवीमन्त्रं नवाक्षरम् । स्मरणं च करिष्यावो निराहारौ धृतव्रतौ ॥ १२ ॥ व्यास उवाच। इति सञ्चोदितस्ताभ्यां सुमेधा मुनिसत्तमः । ददौ मंत्रं शुभं ताभ्यां ध्यानबीजपुरःसरम् ॥१३। तौ च प्राप्य मुनेर्मंत्रं सम्मन्त्र्य गुरुदैवतौ । जग्मतुर्वैश्यराजानौ नदीतीरमनुत्तमम् ॥१४॥ एकांते विजने स्थाने कृत्वासनपरिग्रहम् । उपविष्टौ स्थिरप्रज्ञौ तावतीव कृशोदरौ ॥ १५ । मन्त्रजाप्यरतौ शान्तौ चरित्रत्रयपाठकौ । निन्यतुर्मासमेकं तु तत्र ध्यानपरायणौ ॥ १६ । तयोर्मासव्रतेनैव जाता प्रीतिरनुत्तमा । पदाम्बुजे भवान्यास्तु स्थिरा बुद्धिस्तथाप्यलम् ॥ १७॥ कदाचित्पादयोर्गत्वा मुनेस्तस्य महात्मनः । कृतप्रणामावागत्य तस्थतुश्च कुशासने ॥ १८॥ नान्यकार्य परौ क्वापि बभूवतुः कदाचन । देवीध्यानपरौ नित्यं जपमन्त्ररतौ सदा ॥१९॥ एवं जाते तदा पूर्णे तत्र संवत्सरे नृप । बभूवतुः फलाहारं त्यक्त्वा पर्णाशनौ नृप ॥ २० ॥ वर्षमेकं तपस्तत्र चक्रतुर्वैश्यपार्थिवौ । शुष्कपर्णाशनौ दान्तौ जपध्यानपरायणौ ॥२१॥ पूर्णे वर्षद्वये जाते कदाचिद्दर्शनं च तौ । प्रापतुः स्वप्नमध्ये तु भगवत्या मनोहरम् ॥२२॥ रक्ताम्बरधरां देवीं चारुभूषणभूषिताम् । कदाचिन्नृपतिः स्वप्नेऽप्यपश्यज्जगदम्बिकाम् २३॥ वीक्ष्य स्वप्ने च तौ देवीं प्रीतियुक्तौ बभूवतुः । जलाहारैस्तृतीये तु स्थितौ संवत्सरे तु तौ ॥२४॥ एवं वर्षत्रयं कृत्वा ततस्तौ वैश्यपार्थिवौ । चक्रतुस्तौ तदा चिंतां चित्ते दर्शनलालसौ ॥२५॥ प्रत्यक्षदर्शनं देव्या न प्राप्तं शांतिदं नृणाम् । देहत्यागं करिष्यावो दुःखितौ भृशमातुरौ ॥ २६॥ इति संचिन्त्य मनसा राजा कुण्डं चकार ह । त्रिकोणं सुस्थिरं सौम्यं हस्तमात्रप्रमाणतः ॥ २७ ॥ संस्थाप्य पावकं राजा तथा वैश्योऽतिभक्तिमान् । गुहावासो निजं मांसं छित्त्वा छित्त्वा पुनःपुनः ॥२८॥ तथा वैश्योऽपि दीप्तेऽग्नौ स्वमांसं प्रापक्षिपत्तदा । रुधिरेण बलिं चास्यै ददतुस्तौ कृतोद्यमौ ॥२९॥ तदा भगवती दत्त्वा प्रत्यक्षं दर्शनं तयोः । प्राह प्रीतिभरोद्भ्रांतौ दृष्ट्वा तौ दुःखितौ भृशम् ॥ श्रीदेव्युवाच। वरं वरय भो राजन् यत्ते मनसि वांछितम् । तुष्टाऽहं तपसा तेऽद्य भक्तोऽसि त्वं मतो मम ३१ ॥ वैश्यं प्राह तदा देवी प्रसन्नाऽहं महामते । किं तेऽभीष्टं ददाम्यद्य प्रार्थयाशु मनोगतम् ॥३२॥ व्यास उवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राजा तामुवाच मुदान्वितः । देहि मेऽद्य निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात् ॥ ३३ ॥ तमुवाच तदा देवी गच्छ राजन्निजं गृहम् । शत्रवः क्षीणसत्त्वास्ते गमिष्यंति पराजिताः ॥ ३४ ॥ मंत्रिणस्तु समागत्य ते पतिष्यंति पादयोः । कुरु राज्यं महाभाग नगरे स्वं यथासुखम् ॥३५॥ कृत्वा राज्यं सुविपुलं वर्षाणामयुतं नृप । देहान्ते जन्म संप्राप्य सूर्याच्च भविता मनुः ३६ ॥ व्यास उवाच। वैश्यस्तामप्युवाचेदं कृतांजलिपुट: शुचिः । न मे गृहेण कार्यं वै न पुत्रेण धनेन वा ॥ ३७ ॥ सर्वं बंधकरं मातः स्वप्नवन्नश्वरं स्फुटम् । ज्ञानं मे देहि विशदं मोक्षदं बंधनाशनम् ॥ ३८ ॥ असारेऽस्मिंश्च संसारे मूढा मज्जंति पामराः । पंडिता: संतरंतीह तस्मान्नेच्छन्ति संसृतिम् ३९ ॥ व्यास उवाच। तदाकर्ण्य महामाया वैश्यं प्राह पुरःस्थितम् । वैश्ववर्य तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति न संशयः ॥ ४० ॥ इति दत्त्वा वरं ताभ्यां तत्रैवांतरधीयत । अदर्शनं गतायां तु राजा तं मुनिसत्तमम् ॥ ४१ ॥ प्रणम्य हयमारुह्य गमनाय मनो दधे । तदैव तस्य सचिवास्तत्रागत्य नृपं प्रजाः ॥ ४२॥ प्रणेमुर्विनयोपेतास्तमूचुः प्रांजलिस्थिताः । राजंस्ते शत्रवः सर्वे पापाच्च निहता रणे ॥४३॥ राज्यं निष्कंटकं भूप कुरुष्व पुरमास्थितः । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं राजा नत्वा तं मुनिसत्तमम् ४४ ॥ आपृच्छ्य निर्ययौ तत्र मंत्रिभिः परिवारितः । संप्राप्य च निजं राज्यं दारान्स्वजनबांधवान् ४५ ॥ बुभुजे पृथिवीं सर्वां ततः सागरमेखलाम् । वैश्योऽपि ज्ञानमासाद्य मुक्तसंगः समंततः ॥ ४६ ॥ कालातिवाहनं तत्र मुक्तबंधश्चकार ह। तीर्थेषु विचरन्गायन्भगवत्या गुणानथ ॥ ४७॥ एतत्ते कथितं देव्याश्चरितं परमाद्भुतम् । आराधनफलप्राप्तिर्यथावद्भूपवैश्ययोः॥४८॥ दैत्यानां हननं प्रोक्तं प्रादुर्भावस्तथा शुभः । एवंप्रभावा सा देवी भक्तानामभयप्रदा ॥ ४९ ॥ यः शृणोति नरो नित्यमेतदाख्यानमुत्तमम् । संप्राप्नोति नरः सत्यं संसारसुखमद्भुतम् ॥५०॥ ज्ञानदं मोक्षदं चैव कीर्तिदं सुखदं तथा । पावनं श्रवणान्नूनमेतदाख्यानमद्भुतम् ॥ ५१ ॥ अखिलार्थप्रदं नॄणां सर्वधर्मसमावृतम् । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां कारणं परमं मतम् ॥५२॥ सूत उवाच। जनमेजयेन राज्ञाऽसौ पृष्टः सत्यवतीसुतः । उवाच संहितां दिव्यां व्यासः सर्वार्थतत्त्ववित् ॥५३॥ चरितं चंडिकायास्तु शुम्भदैत्यवधाश्रितम् । कथयामास भगवान्कृष्णः कारुणिको मुनिः ॥ इति वः कथितः सारः पुराणानां मुनीश्वराः ॥ ५४ ॥ इति श्रीदेवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चमस्कन्धे पञ्चत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥ ३५॥ व्योमांकाभ्रद्विसंख्यातः २०९० श्लोकैर्व्यासेन धीमता । देवीभागवतस्यास्य पञ्चमस्कन्ध ईरितः ॥५॥ समाप्तोऽयं पञ्चमः स्कन्धः
atha pañcatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ mahiṣa uvāca| iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā duḥkhitau vaiśyapārthivau | praṇipatya muniṃ prītyā praśrayāvanatau bhṛśam ||1|| harṣeṇotphullanayanāvūcaturvākyakovidau | kṛtāñjalipuṭau śāntau bhaktipravaṇacetasau ||2|| bhagavanpāvitāvadya śāntau dīnau śucānvitau | tava sūktasarasvatyā gaṅgayeva bhagīrathaḥ || 3 || sādhavaḥ sambhavantīha paropakṛtitatparāḥ | akṛtrimaguṇārāmāḥ sukhadāḥ sarvadehinām ||4|| pūrvapuṇyaprasaṅgena prāpto'yamāśrayaḥ śubhaḥ | tavāvābhyāṃ mahābhāga mahāduḥkhavināśakaḥ ||5|| bhavanti mānavā bhūmau bahavaḥ svārthatatparāḥ | parārthasādhane dakṣāḥ kecitkvāpi bhavādṛśāḥ || 6 || duḥkhito'haṃ muniśreṣṭha vaiśyo'yaṃ cātiduḥkhitaḥ | ubhau saṃsārasaṃtaptau tavāśramapade mudā ||7|| darśanādeva he vidvangataṃ duḥkhamihāvayoḥ | dehajaṃ mānasaṃ vākyaśravaṇādeva sāmpratam ||8|| dhanyāvāvāṃ kṛtakṛtyau jātau sūktisudhārasāt | pāvitau bhavatā brahmankṛpayā karuṇārṇava || 9 || gṛhāṇāsmatkarau sādho naya pāraṃ bhavārṇavāt | magnau śrāṃtāviti jñātvā maṃtradānena sāṃpratam || 10 || tapaḥ kṛtvā'tivipulaṃ samārādhya sukhapradām | saṃprāpya darśanaṃ bhūyo yāsyāvo nijamaṃdiram ||11| vadanāttava samprāpya devīmantraṃ navākṣaram | smaraṇaṃ ca kariṣyāvo nirāhārau dhṛtavratau || 12 || vyāsa uvāca| iti sañcoditastābhyāṃ sumedhā munisattamaḥ | dadau maṃtraṃ śubhaṃ tābhyāṃ dhyānabījapuraḥsaram ||13| tau ca prāpya munermaṃtraṃ sammantrya gurudaivatau | jagmaturvaiśyarājānau nadītīramanuttamam ||14|| ekāṃte vijane sthāne kṛtvāsanaparigraham | upaviṣṭau sthiraprajñau tāvatīva kṛśodarau || 15 | mantrajāpyaratau śāntau caritratrayapāṭhakau | ninyaturmāsamekaṃ tu tatra dhyānaparāyaṇau || 16 | tayormāsavratenaiva jātā prītiranuttamā | padāmbuje bhavānyāstu sthirā buddhistathāpyalam || 17|| kadācitpādayorgatvā munestasya mahātmanaḥ | kṛtapraṇāmāvāgatya tasthatuśca kuśāsane || 18|| nānyakārya parau kvāpi babhūvatuḥ kadācana | devīdhyānaparau nityaṃ japamantraratau sadā ||19|| evaṃ jāte tadā pūrṇe tatra saṃvatsare nṛpa | babhūvatuḥ phalāhāraṃ tyaktvā parṇāśanau nṛpa || 20 || varṣamekaṃ tapastatra cakraturvaiśyapārthivau | śuṣkaparṇāśanau dāntau japadhyānaparāyaṇau ||21|| pūrṇe varṣadvaye jāte kadāciddarśanaṃ ca tau | prāpatuḥ svapnamadhye tu bhagavatyā manoharam ||22|| raktāmbaradharāṃ devīṃ cārubhūṣaṇabhūṣitām | kadācinnṛpatiḥ svapne'pyapaśyajjagadambikām 23|| vīkṣya svapne ca tau devīṃ prītiyuktau babhūvatuḥ | jalāhāraistṛtīye tu sthitau saṃvatsare tu tau ||24|| evaṃ varṣatrayaṃ kṛtvā tatastau vaiśyapārthivau | cakratustau tadā ciṃtāṃ citte darśanalālasau ||25|| pratyakṣadarśanaṃ devyā na prāptaṃ śāṃtidaṃ nṛṇām | dehatyāgaṃ kariṣyāvo duḥkhitau bhṛśamāturau || 26|| iti saṃcintya manasā rājā kuṇḍaṃ cakāra ha | trikoṇaṃ susthiraṃ saumyaṃ hastamātrapramāṇataḥ || 27 || saṃsthāpya pāvakaṃ rājā tathā vaiśyo'tibhaktimān | guhāvāso nijaṃ māṃsaṃ chittvā chittvā punaḥpunaḥ ||28|| tathā vaiśyo'pi dīpte'gnau svamāṃsaṃ prāpakṣipattadā | rudhireṇa baliṃ cāsyai dadatustau kṛtodyamau ||29|| tadā bhagavatī dattvā pratyakṣaṃ darśanaṃ tayoḥ | prāha prītibharodbhrāṃtau dṛṣṭvā tau duḥkhitau bhṛśam || śrīdevyuvāca| varaṃ varaya bho rājan yatte manasi vāṃchitam | tuṣṭā'haṃ tapasā te'dya bhakto'si tvaṃ mato mama 31 || vaiśyaṃ prāha tadā devī prasannā'haṃ mahāmate | kiṃ te'bhīṣṭaṃ dadāmyadya prārthayāśu manogatam ||32|| vyāsa uvāca| tacchrutvā vacanaṃ rājā tāmuvāca mudānvitaḥ | dehi me'dya nijaṃ rājyaṃ hataśatrubalaṃ balāt || 33 || tamuvāca tadā devī gaccha rājannijaṃ gṛham | śatravaḥ kṣīṇasattvāste gamiṣyaṃti parājitāḥ || 34 || maṃtriṇastu samāgatya te patiṣyaṃti pādayoḥ | kuru rājyaṃ mahābhāga nagare svaṃ yathāsukham ||35|| kṛtvā rājyaṃ suvipulaṃ varṣāṇāmayutaṃ nṛpa | dehānte janma saṃprāpya sūryācca bhavitā manuḥ 36 || vyāsa uvāca| vaiśyastāmapyuvācedaṃ kṛtāṃjalipuṭa: śuciḥ | na me gṛheṇa kāryaṃ vai na putreṇa dhanena vā || 37 || sarvaṃ baṃdhakaraṃ mātaḥ svapnavannaśvaraṃ sphuṭam | jñānaṃ me dehi viśadaṃ mokṣadaṃ baṃdhanāśanam || 38 || asāre'smiṃśca saṃsāre mūḍhā majjaṃti pāmarāḥ | paṃḍitā: saṃtaraṃtīha tasmānnecchanti saṃsṛtim 39 || vyāsa uvāca| tadākarṇya mahāmāyā vaiśyaṃ prāha puraḥsthitam | vaiśvavarya tava jñānaṃ bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 40 || iti dattvā varaṃ tābhyāṃ tatraivāṃtaradhīyata | adarśanaṃ gatāyāṃ tu rājā taṃ munisattamam || 41 || praṇamya hayamāruhya gamanāya mano dadhe | tadaiva tasya sacivāstatrāgatya nṛpaṃ prajāḥ || 42|| praṇemurvinayopetāstamūcuḥ prāṃjalisthitāḥ | rājaṃste śatravaḥ sarve pāpācca nihatā raṇe ||43|| rājyaṃ niṣkaṃṭakaṃ bhūpa kuruṣva puramāsthitaḥ | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ rājā natvā taṃ munisattamam 44 || āpṛcchya niryayau tatra maṃtribhiḥ parivāritaḥ | saṃprāpya ca nijaṃ rājyaṃ dārānsvajanabāṃdhavān 45 || bubhuje pṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ tataḥ sāgaramekhalām | vaiśyo'pi jñānamāsādya muktasaṃgaḥ samaṃtataḥ || 46 || kālātivāhanaṃ tatra muktabaṃdhaścakāra ha| tīrtheṣu vicarangāyanbhagavatyā guṇānatha || 47|| etatte kathitaṃ devyāścaritaṃ paramādbhutam | ārādhanaphalaprāptiryathāvadbhūpavaiśyayoḥ||48|| daityānāṃ hananaṃ proktaṃ prādurbhāvastathā śubhaḥ | evaṃprabhāvā sā devī bhaktānāmabhayapradā || 49 || yaḥ śṛṇoti naro nityametadākhyānamuttamam | saṃprāpnoti naraḥ satyaṃ saṃsārasukhamadbhutam ||50|| jñānadaṃ mokṣadaṃ caiva kīrtidaṃ sukhadaṃ tathā | pāvanaṃ śravaṇānnūnametadākhyānamadbhutam || 51 || akhilārthapradaṃ nṝṇāṃ sarvadharmasamāvṛtam | dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ paramaṃ matam ||52|| sūta uvāca| janamejayena rājñā'sau pṛṣṭaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ | uvāca saṃhitāṃ divyāṃ vyāsaḥ sarvārthatattvavit ||53|| caritaṃ caṃḍikāyāstu śumbhadaityavadhāśritam | kathayāmāsa bhagavānkṛṣṇaḥ kāruṇiko muniḥ || iti vaḥ kathitaḥ sāraḥ purāṇānāṃ munīśvarāḥ || 54 || iti śrīdevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcamaskandhe pañcatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 35|| vyomāṃkābhradvisaṃkhyātaḥ 2090 ślokairvyāsena dhīmatā | devībhāgavatasyāsya pañcamaskandha īritaḥ ||5|| samāpto'yaṃ pañcamaḥ skandhaḥ
English translation
1-12. Vyasa said O King! Hearing thus the Risi’s words, the king Suratha and Vais’ya, who were very distressed in their minds, became very much comforted and bowed down to the Muni with great humility and modesty. Their eyes expressed their gladness and their hearts were filled with loving devotion. Both of them, then, clever in speaking and of calm and quiet temper, began to address him with their folded hands. O Bhagavan! We were passing our days in a very humble and distressed spot; we are today purified by your good words, just as the country was rendered pure by Bhagiratha when he brought down the river Ganges here. The saints, adorned with purely good qualities, are incessantly engaged in doing good to others and how the people can be made happy. O Intelligent One! Surely we have come to this auspicious As’rama owing to our past good deeds (in previous births) and all our miseries are therefore brought to their ends today. There are good many persons that roam in this world for their selfish ends; very few there exist like you who are always ready to do good to others. O Muni! True that I am very much distressed but this Vais’ya is more distressed than me. Both of us, very much afflicted by the miseries of the world, have come gladly to your As’rama and are relieved of our bodily sufferings by your sight; and now, hearing your words, we are relieved also of our mental pain and sufferings. O Brahmana! We are very much blessed and our objects have been gained by your nectar-like words; O Thou, the Ocean of mercy! You have purified us, out of your unbounded mercy. We are quite tired of this world; knowing this, do you lead us beyond this world by holding our hands and by initiating us with Mantrams. O Best of Munis! We will first of all practise a very hard Tapasya (asceticism) and worship Bhagavati, the Awarder of happiness; then, seeing Her, we will go to our respective abodes. Now we expect the nine-lettered Mantram of the Devi from your
mouth and practising the Navaratra varam we will fast and meditate on the Mantram.
[Note The nine-lettered Mantram is “Om Mahisamardinyai Svaha.” Instead of Om, any of the following may be used Hrim, Klim, Aim, Strim, or Hum mentioned in Sarada Tilaka, Narayani Tantra, or in VisVasara Tantra (see page 125 of Tantra Sara ).]
13-30. Vyasa said O King! When the king and Vais’ya prayed thus to the Muni Sumedha, the best of the Munis, gave them the auspicious Mantram with its seed (Vija) and as well what is to be meditated (Dhyan). On getting the Mantram (with Risi, Chhanda, seed S’akti, and Devata) duly, they welcomed the Muni and with his permission went to the holy bank of a river. Both of them were of delicate frames and both of them were fully determined; they went to a very solitary place and selected their place and took their seats there. There they spent one month in repeating silently the Mantram and in chanting the three glorious deeds of Chandi. In this short period of one month, they became very much attached to the lotus- feet of Bhavani and their minds were also much pacified. They attended to no other business; only they used to go to the Muni once a day and bowing down before him they returned to their own seats of Kus’a grass and gave themselves up to the meditation of the Devi and always repeated silently their Mantrams. O King! One year thus passed away; they then abstained from taking fruits and subsisted on the leaves of trees. Thus engaged in meditation and asceticism they passed away another year sustaining themselves with dry leaves only. O King! When the two years thus passed, they got in their dreams the beautiful vision of the Goddess Bhagavati. They were very much delighted to see in their dreams the Ambika Devi in red robes and decorated with various ornaments. They practised tapasya in the third year with water as their only food. Thus when they found that, after practising the tapas for three years, they could
not see face to face the Devi they became very anxious to see the Devi and thought thus “When we have not been so fortunate as to see the Devi, Who art the Bestower of peace and happiness to the human beings, we will then leave our bodies, in deep distress and sorrow!” Thus thinking, the King prepared a beautiful triangular Kunda (pit), firm and of one hand measure. Lighting a fire in that pit, the King began to cut off slices of flesh from his own body and offered them as oblations to the fire. The Vais’ya, too, then did the same. O King! Both of them were very much excited and began to offer their blood as oblation to the Devi. The Devi Bhagavati, then, seeing them thus grieved, and that their hearts were over flown with devotion towards Her, appeared direct before them and said thus
31-32. O King! You are my favourite devotees; I am pleased with your Tapasya; now ask whatever you desire; I will grant you that boon. Then She spoke to the Vais’ya >- “O Highly Fortunate One! I am pleased; ask without any delay any boon; I will grant that just now.”
33-52. Vyasa said O King! Hearing thus the words of the Devi, the king Suratha was very much delighted and said thus “O Devi! Grant me this boon that I be able today to conquer my enemies with my own power and that I may regain my kingdom.” The Devi then spoke to him thus “O King! Go to your own abode; your enemies are now enfeebled and will certainly be defeated.
(Note The Devi has now withdrawn Her own power from the enemies with which they were filled before. This is the result of the real sacrifice to the Devi.)
O Fortunate One! Your ministers will all come and prostrate themselves before your feet and will be obedient to you; you can now go back to your city and govern your subjects happily. O King! Thus reign for Ajuta years (10,000 years) over your widely extended dominion; then, when you quit your body, you will again be born from Surya, and be known widely as Savarni Manu.” Vyasa said O King! The pure-natured Vais’ya said with folded hands “O Devi! I have nothing to do with house, sons, nor wealth. O Mother! The house, wealth and sons, all these are so many sources of bondage to this world and are very transitory like dreams. Therefore give me knowledge so that my ties to this world be cut asunder. Persons who are devoid of knowledge, those fools are merged in this ocean of world. The wise never prefer this Samsara; therefore they can cross this world. Vyasa said O King! Hearing this, the Mahamaya said to the Vais’ya, that stood in front of Her thus “O Vais’ya! No doubt you will acquire knowledge.” Thus granting boons to them, the Devi then and there disappeared. After the Devi had disappeared, the King bowed down to the Muni, mounted on his horse and expressed a desire to go back to his kingdom. Just at that time all his ministers and subjects came humbly before him, bowed down to him and standing before him with folded hands, said “O King! Your enemies all had acted very sinfully; hence they were all slain in battle; you be pleased now to remain in your city, free from any enemy and govern your subjects.” The King, hearing thus, bowed down to the Muni and with his permission, started towards his kingdom, surrounded by his ministers. On regaining his own kingdom, wife, relatives and kinsmen he began to enjoy the sea-girt earth. On the other hand, the Vais’ya became illumined with the Spiritual Knowledge and all his connections and attachments being completely severed, became free from all bondages. He became liberated in his lifetime and travelled always from one place of pilgrimage to another and passed away his time in singing the glorious deeds of the Devi. O King! Thus I have described to you the most wonderful character of the Devi, what fruits were obtained by the King and the Vais’ya on their worshipping Her, how the Daityas were killed by Her and about Her auspicious appearances on this
earth. Oh! Such is the glory of the Devi, leading to fearlessness amongst Her devotees. The mortal who hears constantly this excellent pure narrative of the Devi Bhagavati, gets truly all the best and wonderful pleasures of this world. No doubt anybody who hears this wonderful incident, will obtain knowledge, liberation, fame, happiness and purity. The essence of all religions lies in this narration; therefore it leads, above all, to Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksa (religion, wealth, desire and liberation). It grants all desires to human beings.
53-54. Suta said O Risis! The Maharsi Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, versed in all the departments of knowledge, asked by the King Janamejaya, narrated to him this divine Samhita. The character of Chandika, the killing of the Daitya S’umbha, were thus narrated by the merciful Muni Veda Vyasa. O Munis! I, too, have described to you the main points of this Purana. Here ends the Fifth Book.
Here ends the Thirty-fifth Chapter of the Fifth Book on the receiving of the boons by the King Suratha and the Vais’ya Samadhi in the Devi Bhagavatam, the Maha Puranam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
The Fifth Book Completed.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 136701, revision 363291 (2022-12-16T20:58:25Z). 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/bk05ch35.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.