First Skandha · Chapter 10
Sourceऋषय ऊचुः सूत पूर्वं त्वया प्रोक्तं व्यासेनामिततेजसा । कृत्वा पुराणमखिलं शुकायाध्यापितं शुभम् ॥ १ ॥ व्यासेन तु तपस्तप्त्वा कथमुत्पादितः शुकः । विस्तरं ब्रूहि सकलं यच्छ्रुतं कृष्णतस्त्वया ॥ २ ॥ सूत उवाच प्रवक्ष्यामि शुकोत्पत्तिं व्यासात्सत्यवतीसुतात् । यथोत्पन्नः शुकः साक्षाद्योगिनां प्रवरो मुनिः ॥ ३ ॥ मेरुशृङ्गे महारम्ये व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । तपश्चचार सोऽत्युग्रं पुत्रार्थं कृतनिश्चयः ॥ ४ ॥ जपन्नेकाक्षरं मन्त्रं वाग्बीजं नारदाच्छ्रुतम् । ध्यायन्परां महामायां पुत्रकामस्तपोनिधिः ॥ ५ ॥ अग्नेर्भूमेस्तथा वायोरन्तरिक्षस्य चाप्ययम् । वीर्येण सम्मितः पुत्रो मम भूयादिति स्म ह ॥ ६ ॥ अतिष्ठत्स गताहारः शतसंवत्सरं प्रभुः । आराधयन्महादेवं तथैव च सदाशिवाम् ॥ ७ ॥ शक्तिः सर्वत्र पूज्येति विचार्य च पुनः पुनः । अशक्तो निन्द्यते लोके शक्तस्तु परिपूज्यते ॥ ८ ॥ यत्र पर्वतशृङ्गे वै कर्णिकारवनाद्भुते । क्रीडन्ति देवताः सर्वे मुनयश्च तपोऽधिकाः ॥ ९ ॥ आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा मरुतश्चाश्विनौ तथा । वसन्ति मुनयो यत्र ये चान्ये ब्रह्मवित्तमाः ॥ १० ॥ तत्र हेमगिरेः शृङ्गे संगीतध्वनिनादिते । तपश्चचार धर्मात्मा व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः ॥ ११ ॥ ततोऽस्य तेजसा व्याप्तं विश्वं सर्वं चराचरम् । अग्निवर्णा जटा जाता पाराशर्यस्य धीमतः ॥ १२ ॥ ततोऽस्य तेज आलक्ष्य भयमाप शचीपतिः । तुरासाहं तदा दृष्ट्वा भयत्रस्तं श्रमातुरम् ॥ १३ ॥ उवाच भगवान् रुद्रो मघवन्तं तथास्थितम् । शङ्कर उवाच कथमिन्द्राद्य भीतोऽसि किं दुःखं ते सुरेश्वर ॥ १४ ॥ अमर्षो नैव कर्तव्यस्तापसेषु कदाचन । तपश्चरन्ति मुनयो ज्ञात्वा मां शक्तिसंयुतम् ॥ १५ ॥ न त्वेतेऽहितमिच्छन्ति तापसाः सर्वथैव हि । इत्युक्तवचनः शक्रस्तमुवाच वृषध्वजम् ॥ १६ ॥ कस्मात्तपस्यति व्यासः कोऽर्थस्तस्य मनोगतः । शिव उवाच पाराशर्यस्तु पुत्रार्थी तपश्चरति दुश्चरम् ॥ १७ ॥ पूर्णवर्षशतं जातं ददाम्यद्य सुतं शुभम् । सूत उवाच इत्युक्त्या वासवं रुद्रो दयया मुदिताननः ॥ १८ ॥ गत्वा ऋषिसमीपं तु तमुवाच जगद्गुरुः । उत्तिष्ठ वासवीपुत्र पुत्रस्ते भविता शुभः ॥ १९ ॥ सर्वतेजोमयो ज्ञानी कीर्तिकर्ता तवानघ । अखिलस्य जनस्यात्र वल्लभस्ते सुतः सदा ॥ २० ॥ भविष्यति गुणैः पूर्णः सात्त्विकैः सत्यविक्रमः । सूत उवाच तदाकर्ण्य वचः श्लक्ष्णं कृष्णद्वैपायनस्तदा ॥ २१ ॥ शूलपाणिं नमस्कृत्य जगामाश्रममात्मनः । स गत्वाश्रममेवाशु बहुवर्षश्रमातुरः ॥ २२ ॥ अरणीसहितं गुह्यं ममन्थाग्निं चिकीर्षया । मन्थनं कुर्वतस्तस्य चित्ते चिन्ताभरस्तदा ॥ २३ ॥ प्रादुर्बभूव सहसा सुतोत्पत्तौ महात्मनः । मन्थानारणिसंयोगान्मन्थनाच्च समुद्भवः ॥ २४ ॥ पावकस्य यथा तद्वत्कथं मे स्यात्सुतोद्भवः । पुत्रारणिस्तु या ख्याता सा ममाद्य न विद्यते ॥ २५ ॥ तरुणी रूपसम्पन्ना कुलोत्पन्ता पतिव्रता । कथं करोमि कान्तां च पादयोः शृङ्खलासमाम् ॥ २६ ॥ पुत्रोत्पादनदक्षां च पातिव्रत्ये सदा स्थिताम् । पतिव्रतापि दक्षापि रूपवत्यपि कामिनी ॥ २७ ॥ सदा बन्धनरूपा च स्वेच्छासुखविधायिनी । शिवोऽपि वर्तते नित्यं कामिनीपाशसंयुतः ॥ २८ ॥ कथं करोम्यहं चात्र दुर्घटं च गृहाश्रमम् । एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य घृताची दिव्यरूपिणी ॥ २९ ॥ प्राप्ता दृष्टिपथं तत्र समीपे गगने स्थिता । तां दृष्ट्वा चञ्चलापाङ्गीं समीपस्थां वराप्सराम् ॥ ३० ॥ पञ्चबाणपरीताङ्गस्तूर्णमासीद्धृतव्रतः । चिन्तयामास च तदा किं करोम्यद्य संकटे ॥ ३१ ॥ धर्मस्य पुरतः प्राप्ते कामभावे दुरासदे । अङ्गीकरोमि यद्येनां वञ्चनार्थमिहागताम् ॥ ३२ ॥ हसिष्यन्ति महात्मानस्तापसा मां तु विह्वलम् । तपस्तप्त्वा महाघोरं पूर्णवर्षशतं त्विह ॥ ३३ ॥ दृष्ट्वाप्सरां च विवशः कथं जातो महातपाः । कामं निन्दापि भवतु यदि स्यादतुलं सुखम् ॥ ३४ ॥ गृहस्थाश्रमसम्भूतं सुखदं पुत्रकामदम् । स्वर्गदं च तथा प्रोक्तं ज्ञानिनां मोक्षदं तथा ॥ ३५ ॥ न भविष्यति तन्नूमनया देवकन्यया । नारदाच्च मया पूर्वं श्रुतमस्ति कथानकम् । यथोर्वशीवशो राजा पराभूतः पुरूरवाः ॥ ३६ ॥
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ sūta pūrvaṃ tvayā proktaṃ vyāsenāmitatejasā | kṛtvā purāṇamakhilaṃ śukāyādhyāpitaṃ śubham || 1 || vyāsena tu tapastaptvā kathamutpāditaḥ śukaḥ | vistaraṃ brūhi sakalaṃ yacchrutaṃ kṛṣṇatastvayā || 2 || sūta uvāca pravakṣyāmi śukotpattiṃ vyāsātsatyavatīsutāt | yathotpannaḥ śukaḥ sākṣādyogināṃ pravaro muniḥ || 3 || meruśṛṅge mahāramye vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ | tapaścacāra so'tyugraṃ putrārthaṃ kṛtaniścayaḥ || 4 || japannekākṣaraṃ mantraṃ vāgbījaṃ nāradācchrutam | dhyāyanparāṃ mahāmāyāṃ putrakāmastaponidhiḥ || 5 || agnerbhūmestathā vāyorantarikṣasya cāpyayam | vīryeṇa sammitaḥ putro mama bhūyāditi sma ha || 6 || atiṣṭhatsa gatāhāraḥ śatasaṃvatsaraṃ prabhuḥ | ārādhayanmahādevaṃ tathaiva ca sadāśivām || 7 || śaktiḥ sarvatra pūjyeti vicārya ca punaḥ punaḥ | aśakto nindyate loke śaktastu paripūjyate || 8 || yatra parvataśṛṅge vai karṇikāravanādbhute | krīḍanti devatāḥ sarve munayaśca tapo'dhikāḥ || 9 || ādityā vasavo rudrā marutaścāśvinau tathā | vasanti munayo yatra ye cānye brahmavittamāḥ || 10 || tatra hemagireḥ śṛṅge saṃgītadhvaninādite | tapaścacāra dharmātmā vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ || 11 || tato'sya tejasā vyāptaṃ viśvaṃ sarvaṃ carācaram | agnivarṇā jaṭā jātā pārāśaryasya dhīmataḥ || 12 || tato'sya teja ālakṣya bhayamāpa śacīpatiḥ | turāsāhaṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā bhayatrastaṃ śramāturam || 13 || uvāca bhagavān rudro maghavantaṃ tathāsthitam | śaṅkara uvāca kathamindrādya bhīto'si kiṃ duḥkhaṃ te sureśvara || 14 || amarṣo naiva kartavyastāpaseṣu kadācana | tapaścaranti munayo jñātvā māṃ śaktisaṃyutam || 15 || na tvete'hitamicchanti tāpasāḥ sarvathaiva hi | ityuktavacanaḥ śakrastamuvāca vṛṣadhvajam || 16 || kasmāttapasyati vyāsaḥ ko'rthastasya manogataḥ | śiva uvāca pārāśaryastu putrārthī tapaścarati duścaram || 17 || pūrṇavarṣaśataṃ jātaṃ dadāmyadya sutaṃ śubham | sūta uvāca ityuktyā vāsavaṃ rudro dayayā muditānanaḥ || 18 || gatvā ṛṣisamīpaṃ tu tamuvāca jagadguruḥ | uttiṣṭha vāsavīputra putraste bhavitā śubhaḥ || 19 || sarvatejomayo jñānī kīrtikartā tavānagha | akhilasya janasyātra vallabhaste sutaḥ sadā || 20 || bhaviṣyati guṇaiḥ pūrṇaḥ sāttvikaiḥ satyavikramaḥ | sūta uvāca tadākarṇya vacaḥ ślakṣṇaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanastadā || 21 || śūlapāṇiṃ namaskṛtya jagāmāśramamātmanaḥ | sa gatvāśramamevāśu bahuvarṣaśramāturaḥ || 22 || araṇīsahitaṃ guhyaṃ mamanthāgniṃ cikīrṣayā | manthanaṃ kurvatastasya citte cintābharastadā || 23 || prādurbabhūva sahasā sutotpattau mahātmanaḥ | manthānāraṇisaṃyogānmanthanācca samudbhavaḥ || 24 || pāvakasya yathā tadvatkathaṃ me syātsutodbhavaḥ | putrāraṇistu yā khyātā sā mamādya na vidyate || 25 || taruṇī rūpasampannā kulotpantā pativratā | kathaṃ karomi kāntāṃ ca pādayoḥ śṛṅkhalāsamām || 26 || putrotpādanadakṣāṃ ca pātivratye sadā sthitām | pativratāpi dakṣāpi rūpavatyapi kāminī || 27 || sadā bandhanarūpā ca svecchāsukhavidhāyinī | śivo'pi vartate nityaṃ kāminīpāśasaṃyutaḥ || 28 || kathaṃ karomyahaṃ cātra durghaṭaṃ ca gṛhāśramam | evaṃ cintayatastasya ghṛtācī divyarūpiṇī || 29 || prāptā dṛṣṭipathaṃ tatra samīpe gagane sthitā | tāṃ dṛṣṭvā cañcalāpāṅgīṃ samīpasthāṃ varāpsarām || 30 || pañcabāṇaparītāṅgastūrṇamāsīddhṛtavrataḥ | cintayāmāsa ca tadā kiṃ karomyadya saṃkaṭe || 31 || dharmasya purataḥ prāpte kāmabhāve durāsade | aṅgīkaromi yadyenāṃ vañcanārthamihāgatām || 32 || hasiṣyanti mahātmānastāpasā māṃ tu vihvalam | tapastaptvā mahāghoraṃ pūrṇavarṣaśataṃ tviha || 33 || dṛṣṭvāpsarāṃ ca vivaśaḥ kathaṃ jāto mahātapāḥ | kāmaṃ nindāpi bhavatu yadi syādatulaṃ sukham || 34 || gṛhasthāśramasambhūtaṃ sukhadaṃ putrakāmadam | svargadaṃ ca tathā proktaṃ jñānināṃ mokṣadaṃ tathā || 35 || na bhaviṣyati tannūmanayā devakanyayā | nāradācca mayā pūrvaṃ śrutamasti kathānakam | yathorvaśīvaśo rājā parābhūtaḥ purūravāḥ || 36 ||
English translation
1-37. The Risis said “O Suta! You told before, that Vyasa Deva, unrivalled spirit, composed all the Puranas and taught them to his own S’uka Deva; but how did Vyasadeva, who was incessantly engaged in tapasya, procreate S’uka? Describe to us in detail what you heard direct from Krisna Dvaipayana Vyasa”. Suta said “O Risis! Hear how S’uka Deva, the best of the Munis and the foremost of the Yogis, was born of Vyasa Deva, the Satyavati's son.
On the very beautiful summit of Mount Meru, Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, firmly determined, practised very severe austerities for the attainment of a son. Having heard from Narada, he, the great ascetic, repeated the one syllabled mantra of Vak and worshipped the Highest Mahamaya with the object of getting a son. He asked. Let a son be born to me as pure and as spirited and powerful as fire, air, earth, and Akas’a. He thought over in his mind that the man possessed of S’akti is worshipped in this world and the man devoid of S’akti is censured here, and thus came to the conclusion that S’akti is therefore worshipped every where; and, therefore,worshipped Bhagavan MahesVara coupled with the auspicious Adya S’akti and spent away one hundred years without any food. He began his tapasya on that mountain summit which was ornamented with the garden of Karnikar, where all the Devas play, and where live the Munis highly ascetic, the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Marut, the two As'vins, and the other mindful Risis, the knowers of Brahma and where the Kinnaras always resound the air with their songs of music, etc.; such a place Vyasa Deva preferred for his tapasya.”
The whole universe was pervaded with the spirit of asceticism of the intelligent Parasara's son Vyasa Deva; and the hairs of his head were clotted and looked tawny, of the colour of flames. Seeing the fire of his asceticism, Indra, the lord of S’achi became exceedingly terrified. Bhagavan Rudra, seeing Indra thus afraid, fatigued and
morose, asked him “O Indra, why do you look so fear-stricken to¬ day? O Lord of the Devas! What is the cause of your grief? Never show your jealousy and anger to the ascetics; for the mindful ascetics always practise severe asceticism with a noble object and worship Me, knowing Me to be possessed of the all powerful S’akti; they never want ill of any body”. When Bhagavan Rudra said this, Indra asked him “What is his object?” At this S’ankara said For the attainment of a son, Prasara's son is practising so severe austerities; now one-hundred years is being completed; I will go to him, and give him to-day the auspicious boon of a son. Thus speaking to Indra, Bhagavan Rudra, the Guru of the world, went to Vyasa Deva and, with merciful eyes, said “O sinless Vasavi's son! Get up; I grant to you the boon, that you will get a son very fiery, luminous and spirited like the five elements fire, air, earth, water and Akas'a, the supreme Jhani, the store of all auspicious qualities, of great renown, beloved to all, ornamented with all Sattvik qualities, truthful and valorous.
Hearing these sweet words of Bhagavan S’ulapani Maharsi Krisna Dvaipayana bowed down to Him and went back to his own hermitage. Tired with the labour of penance for many years, he wanted to kindle fire by rubbing two fuels (Arani) with each other. While doing this the high souled man suddenly began to think strongly in his mind about procreating a son. He thought“Will it be that my son will be born as this fire is produced by the friction of the two churning sticks? I have not got the wife, which the Pundits designate a “Putrarani”, the youthful wife endowed with beauty, born of a noble family, the chaste one I have not got with me. But the wife, though chaste and fit to beget a son, is undoubtedly a chain to both the legs so how can I get such a one for my wife? This is known to all that a chaste wife, though clever in doing all household duties, beautiful and giving happiness to one's desires, is yet always a sort of bondage. What more than this, that the ever Bhagavan Mahes'vara is always under the bondage of woman. How, then, knowing and hearing all these I can accept this difficult householder's life? While he was thinking thus, the extraordinarily
beautiful Apsara Ghritachi fell to his sight close to him in the celestial air.
Though Vyasa Deva was a Brahmachari (holding in control the secret power of generation) of a very high order, yet seeing suddenly the agile Apsara (a celestial nymph) coming close to him and looking askance at him, he became soon smitten with the arrows of cupid and feeling himself distressed, began to think what shall I do in this critical moment.
Unbearable amorous feelings now have come over me; now if I take this celestial nymph, knowing that Dharma is everywhere looking, and woman has come to take away my precious fire of spirit acquired by my tapasya, then I will be laughed at by the high souled ascetic Munis who will think that I have lost my senses altogether. Alas! Why I who have practised for one hundred years the most terrible ascetism, have become so powerless by the mere sight of this Apsara! The Pundits declare the household life as the source of getting son, one's heart’s desire and the source of all happiness; so much so that it leads all the virtuous souls to the pleasures of Heaven, and ordains Moksa (liberation) to those who are Jhanins; and if I get such unrivalled happiness from this householder's life, I can have this Deva Kanya (the celestial nymph) though blameable. But again that happiness will not occur to me through her; there is no doubt in this. So how can I take her. I heard from Narada how, in ancient days, a king name Pururava fell under the clutches of Urvas'i and ultimately felt great pain, being defeated by her.
Thus ends the tenth chapter on S’iva's granting boon in the Mahapurana S’rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyas.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24707, revision 222307 (2020-01-13T23:05:10Z). 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/bk01ch10.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.