Ninth Skandha · Chapter 5
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच वाग्देवतायाः स्तवनं श्रूयतां सर्वकामदम् । महामुनिर्याज्ञवल्क्यो येन तुष्टाव तां पुरा ॥ १ ॥ गुरुशापाज्ज स मुनिर्हतविद्यो बभूव ह । तदा जगाम दुःखार्तो रविस्थानं सुपुण्यदम् ॥ २ ॥ सम्प्राप्य तपसा सूर्यं लोलार्के दृष्टिगोचरे । तुष्टाव सूर्यं शोकेन रुरोद च मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ३ ॥ सूर्यस्तं पाठयामास वेदं वेदाङ्गमीश्वरः । उवाच स्तौहि वाग्देवीं भक्त्या च स्मृतिहेतवे ॥ ४ ॥ तमित्युक्त्वा दीननाथोऽप्यन्तर्धानं चकार सः । मुनिः स्नात्वा च तुष्टाव भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरः ॥ ५ ॥ याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच कृपां कुरु जगन्मातर्मामेवं हततेजसम् । गुरुशापात्स्मृतिभ्रष्टं विद्याहीनं च दुःखितम् ॥ ६ ॥ ज्ञानं देहि स्मृतिं विद्यां शक्तिं शिष्यप्रबोधिनीम् । ग्रन्थकर्तृत्वशक्तिं च सुशिष्यं सुप्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ ७ ॥ प्रतिभां सत्सभायां च विचारक्षमतां शुभाम् । लुप्तं सर्वं दैवयोगान्नवीभूतं पुनः कुरु ॥ ८ ॥ यथाङ्कुरं भस्मनि च करोति देवता पुनः । ब्रह्मस्वरूपा परमा ज्योतीरूपा सनातनी ॥ ९ ॥ सर्वविद्याधिदेवी या तस्यै वाण्यै नमो नमः । विसर्गबिन्दुमात्रासु यदधिष्ठानमेव च ॥ १० ॥ तदधिष्ठात्री या देवी तस्यै नित्यै नमो नमः । व्याख्यास्वरूपा सा देवी व्याख्याधिष्ठातृरूपिणी ॥ ११ ॥ यया विना प्रसंख्यावान् संख्यां कर्तुं न शक्यते । कालसंख्यास्वरूपा या तस्यै देव्यै नमो नमः ॥ १२ ॥ भ्रमसिद्धान्तरूपा या तस्यै देव्यै नमो नमः । स्मृतिशक्तिज्ञानशक्तिबुद्धिशक्तिस्वरूपिणी ॥ १३ ॥ प्रतिभाकल्पनाशक्तिर्या च तस्यै नमो नमः । सनत्कुमारो ब्रह्माणं ज्ञानं पप्रच्छ यत्र वै ॥ १४ ॥ बभूव मूकवत्सोऽपि सिद्धान्तं कर्तुमक्षमः । तदाऽऽजगाम भगवानात्मा श्रीकृष्ण ईश्वरः ॥ १५ ॥ उवाच स तां स्तौहि वाणीमिष्टां प्रजापते । स च तुष्टाव तां ब्रह्मा चाज्ञया परमात्मनः ॥ १६ ॥ चकार तत्प्रसादेन तदा सिद्धान्तमुत्तमम् । यदाप्यनन्तं पप्रच्छ ज्ञानमेकं वसुन्धरा ॥ १७ ॥ बभूव मूकवत्सोऽपि सिद्धान्तं कर्तुमक्षमः । तदा तां स च तुष्टाव संत्रस्तः कश्यपाज्ञया ॥ १८ ॥ ततश्चकार सिद्धान्तं निर्मलं भ्रमभञ्जनम् । व्यासः पुराणसूत्रं च पप्रच्छ वाल्मिकिं यदा ॥ १९ ॥ मौनीभूतश्च सस्मार तामेव जगदम्बिकाम् । तदा चकार सिद्धान्तं तद्वरेण मुनीश्वरः ॥ २० ॥ सम्प्राप्य निर्मलं ज्ञानं भ्रमान्धध्वंसदीपकम् । पुराणसूत्रं श्रुत्वा च व्यासः कृष्णकलोद्भवः ॥ २१ ॥ तां शिवां वेद दध्यौ च शतवर्षं च पुष्करे । तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य सत्कवीन्द्रो बभूव ह ॥ २२ ॥ तदा वेदविभागं च पुराणं च चकार सः । यदा महेन्द्रः पप्रच्छ तत्त्वज्ञानं सदाशिवम् ॥ २३ ॥ क्षणं तामेव सञ्चिन्त्य तस्मै ज्ञानं ददौ विभुः । पप्रच्छ शब्दशास्त्रं च महेन्द्रश्च बृहस्पतिम् ॥ २४ ॥ दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं च स त्वां दध्यौ च पुष्करे । तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य दिव्यवर्षसहस्रकम् ॥ २५ ॥ उवाच शब्दशास्त्रं च तदर्थं च सुरेश्वरम् । अध्यापिताश्च ये शिष्या यैरधीतं मुनीश्वरैः ॥ २६ ॥ ते च तां परिसञ्चिन्त्य प्रवर्तन्ते सुरेश्वरीम् । त्वं संस्तुता पूजिता च मुनीन्द्रैर्मनुमानवैः ॥ २७ ॥ दैत्येन्द्रैश्च सुरैश्चापि ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिभिः । जडीभूतः सहस्रास्यः पञ्चवक्त्रश्चतुर्मुखः ॥ २८ ॥ यां स्तोतुं किमहं स्तौमि तामेकास्येन मानवः । इत्युक्त्वा याज्ञवल्क्यश्च भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरः ॥ २९ ॥ प्रणनाम निराहारो रुरोद च मुहुर्मुहुः । ज्योतीरूपा महामाया तेन दृष्टाप्युवाच तम् ॥ ३० ॥ सुकवीन्द्रो भवेत्युक्त्वा वैकुण्ठं च जगाम ह । याज्ञवल्क्यकृतं वाणीस्तोत्रमेतत्तु यः पठेत् ॥ ३१ ॥ स कवीन्द्रो महावाग्मी बृहस्पतिसमो भवेत् । महामूर्खश्च दुर्बुद्धिर्वर्षमेकं यदा पठेत् ॥ ३२ ॥ स पण्डितश्च मेधावी सुकवीन्द्रो भवे ध्रुवम् ॥ ३३ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca vāgdevatāyāḥ stavanaṃ śrūyatāṃ sarvakāmadam | mahāmuniryājñavalkyo yena tuṣṭāva tāṃ purā || 1 || guruśāpājja sa munirhatavidyo babhūva ha | tadā jagāma duḥkhārto ravisthānaṃ supuṇyadam || 2 || samprāpya tapasā sūryaṃ lolārke dṛṣṭigocare | tuṣṭāva sūryaṃ śokena ruroda ca muhurmuhuḥ || 3 || sūryastaṃ pāṭhayāmāsa vedaṃ vedāṅgamīśvaraḥ | uvāca stauhi vāgdevīṃ bhaktyā ca smṛtihetave || 4 || tamityuktvā dīnanātho'pyantardhānaṃ cakāra saḥ | muniḥ snātvā ca tuṣṭāva bhaktinamrātmakandharaḥ || 5 || yājñavalkya uvāca kṛpāṃ kuru jaganmātarmāmevaṃ hatatejasam | guruśāpātsmṛtibhraṣṭaṃ vidyāhīnaṃ ca duḥkhitam || 6 || jñānaṃ dehi smṛtiṃ vidyāṃ śaktiṃ śiṣyaprabodhinīm | granthakartṛtvaśaktiṃ ca suśiṣyaṃ supratiṣṭhitam || 7 || pratibhāṃ satsabhāyāṃ ca vicārakṣamatāṃ śubhām | luptaṃ sarvaṃ daivayogānnavībhūtaṃ punaḥ kuru || 8 || yathāṅkuraṃ bhasmani ca karoti devatā punaḥ | brahmasvarūpā paramā jyotīrūpā sanātanī || 9 || sarvavidyādhidevī yā tasyai vāṇyai namo namaḥ | visargabindumātrāsu yadadhiṣṭhānameva ca || 10 || tadadhiṣṭhātrī yā devī tasyai nityai namo namaḥ | vyākhyāsvarūpā sā devī vyākhyādhiṣṭhātṛrūpiṇī || 11 || yayā vinā prasaṃkhyāvān saṃkhyāṃ kartuṃ na śakyate | kālasaṃkhyāsvarūpā yā tasyai devyai namo namaḥ || 12 || bhramasiddhāntarūpā yā tasyai devyai namo namaḥ | smṛtiśaktijñānaśaktibuddhiśaktisvarūpiṇī || 13 || pratibhākalpanāśaktiryā ca tasyai namo namaḥ | sanatkumāro brahmāṇaṃ jñānaṃ papraccha yatra vai || 14 || babhūva mūkavatso'pi siddhāntaṃ kartumakṣamaḥ | tadā''jagāma bhagavānātmā śrīkṛṣṇa īśvaraḥ || 15 || uvāca sa tāṃ stauhi vāṇīmiṣṭāṃ prajāpate | sa ca tuṣṭāva tāṃ brahmā cājñayā paramātmanaḥ || 16 || cakāra tatprasādena tadā siddhāntamuttamam | yadāpyanantaṃ papraccha jñānamekaṃ vasundharā || 17 || babhūva mūkavatso'pi siddhāntaṃ kartumakṣamaḥ | tadā tāṃ sa ca tuṣṭāva saṃtrastaḥ kaśyapājñayā || 18 || tataścakāra siddhāntaṃ nirmalaṃ bhramabhañjanam | vyāsaḥ purāṇasūtraṃ ca papraccha vālmikiṃ yadā || 19 || maunībhūtaśca sasmāra tāmeva jagadambikām | tadā cakāra siddhāntaṃ tadvareṇa munīśvaraḥ || 20 || samprāpya nirmalaṃ jñānaṃ bhramāndhadhvaṃsadīpakam | purāṇasūtraṃ śrutvā ca vyāsaḥ kṛṣṇakalodbhavaḥ || 21 || tāṃ śivāṃ veda dadhyau ca śatavarṣaṃ ca puṣkare | tadā tvatto varaṃ prāpya satkavīndro babhūva ha || 22 || tadā vedavibhāgaṃ ca purāṇaṃ ca cakāra saḥ | yadā mahendraḥ papraccha tattvajñānaṃ sadāśivam || 23 || kṣaṇaṃ tāmeva sañcintya tasmai jñānaṃ dadau vibhuḥ | papraccha śabdaśāstraṃ ca mahendraśca bṛhaspatim || 24 || divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ ca sa tvāṃ dadhyau ca puṣkare | tadā tvatto varaṃ prāpya divyavarṣasahasrakam || 25 || uvāca śabdaśāstraṃ ca tadarthaṃ ca sureśvaram | adhyāpitāśca ye śiṣyā yairadhītaṃ munīśvaraiḥ || 26 || te ca tāṃ parisañcintya pravartante sureśvarīm | tvaṃ saṃstutā pūjitā ca munīndrairmanumānavaiḥ || 27 || daityendraiśca suraiścāpi brahmaviṣṇuśivādibhiḥ | jaḍībhūtaḥ sahasrāsyaḥ pañcavaktraścaturmukhaḥ || 28 || yāṃ stotuṃ kimahaṃ staumi tāmekāsyena mānavaḥ | ityuktvā yājñavalkyaśca bhaktinamrātmakandharaḥ || 29 || praṇanāma nirāhāro ruroda ca muhurmuhuḥ | jyotīrūpā mahāmāyā tena dṛṣṭāpyuvāca tam || 30 || sukavīndro bhavetyuktvā vaikuṇṭhaṃ ca jagāma ha | yājñavalkyakṛtaṃ vāṇīstotrametattu yaḥ paṭhet || 31 || sa kavīndro mahāvāgmī bṛhaspatisamo bhavet | mahāmūrkhaśca durbuddhirvarṣamekaṃ yadā paṭhet || 32 || sa paṇḍitaśca medhāvī sukavīndro bhave dhruvam || 33 ||
English translation
1-5 Narayana said O Narada! I now describe the Stotra (hymn) of Sarasvati Devi, yielding, all desires that Yajnavalkya, the best of the Risis recited in days of yore to Her. The Muni Yajnavalkya forgot all the Vedas out of the curse of Guru and with a very sad heart went to the Sun, the great merit-giving place. There he practised austerities for a time when the Lolakhya Sun became visible to him, when, being overpowered by great sorrow, he began to cry repeatedly; and then he sang hymns to him. Then Bhagavan Surya Deva became pleased and taught him all the Vedas with their Amgas (limbs) and said “O Child! Now sing hymns to Sarasvati Devi that you get back your memory.” Thus saying, the Sun disappeared. The Muni Yajnavalkya finished his bath and with his heart full of devotion began to sing hymns to the Vag Devi, the Goddess of Speech.
6-32. Yajnavalkya said “Mother! Have mercy on me. By Guru's curse, my memory is lost; I am now void of learning and have become powerless; my sorrow knows no bounds. Give me knowledge, learning, memory, power to impart knowledge to disciples, power to compose books, and also good disciples endowed with genius and Pratibha (ready wit). So that in the council of good and learned men my intelligence and power of argument and judgment be fully known. Whatever I lost by my bad luck, let all that come back to my heart and be renewed as if the sprouts come again out of the heaps of ashes. O Mother! Thou art of the nature of Brahma, superior to all; Thou art of the nature of Light, Eternal; Thou art the presiding Deity of all the branches of learning. So I bow down again and again to Thee. O Mother! The letters Anusvara, Visarga and Chandravindu that are affixed. Thou art those letters. So obeisance to Thee! O Mother! Thou art the exposition (Vyakhya) of the S'astras; Thou art the presiding Deity of all the expositions and annotations. Without Thee no mathematician can count anything. So
Thou art the numbers to count time; Thou art the S'akti by which Siddhantas (definite conclusions) are arrived at; Thus Thou dost remove the errors of men. So again and again obeisance to Thee. O Mother! Thou art the S'akti, memory, knowledge, intelligence, Pratibha, and imagination (Kalpana). So I bow down again and again to Thee. Sanatkumara fell into error and asked Brahma for solution. He became unable to solve the difficulties and remained speechless like a dumb person. Then S'ri Krisna, the Highest Self arriving there, said O Prajapati! Better praise and sing hymns to the Goddess of speech; then your desires will be fulfilled. Then the four-faced Brahma advised by the Lord, praised the Devi Sarasvati; and, by Her grace, arrived at a very nice Siddhanta (conclusion). One day the goddess Earth questioned one doubt of Her to Ananta Deva, when He being unable to answer, remained silent like a dumb person. At last He became afraid; and advised by Kas'yapa, praised Thee when He resolved the doubt and came to a definite conclusion. Veda Vyasa once went to Valmiki and asked him about some Sutras of the Puranas when the Muni Valmiki got confounded and remembered Thee, the Mother of the world. When by Thy Grace, the Light flashed within him and his error vanished. Thereby he became able to solve the question. Then Vyasadeva, born of the parts of S'ri Krisna, heard about the Purana Sutras from Valmiki's mouth and came to know about Thy glory. He then went to Puskara Tirtha and became engaged in worshipping Thee, the Giver of Peace, for one hundred years. Then Thou didst become pleased and grant him the boon when he ascended to the rank of the Kavindra (Indra amongst the poets). He then made the classification of the Vedas and composed the eighteen Puranas. When Sada S'iva was questioned on some spiritual knowledge by Mahendra, He thought of Thee for a moment and then answered. Once Indra asked Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devas, about S'abda S'astra (Scriptures on sound). He became unable to give any answer. So he went to Puskara Tirtha and worshipped Thee for a thousand years according to the Deva Measure and he became afterwards able to give instructions on S'abda S'astra for one thousand divine years to Mahendra. O Sures'vari! Those Munis that give education to their disciples or
those that commence their own studies remember Thee before they commence their works respectively. The Munindras, Manus, men, Daityendras, and Immortals, Brahma, Visnu and Mahes’a all worship Thee and Sing hymns to Thee. Visnu ultimately becomes inert when He goes on praising Thee by His thousand mouths. So Maha Deva becomes when he praises by His five mouths; and so Brahma by His four mouths. When great personages so desist, then what to speak of me, who is an ordinary mortal having one mouth only!” Thus saying, the Maharsi Yajhavalkya, who had observed fasting, bowed down to the Devi Sarasvati with great devotion and began to cry frequently. Then the Mahamaya Sarasvati, of the nature of Light could not hide Herself away. She became visible to him and said “O Child! You be good Kavmdra (Indra of the poets).” Granting him this boon. She went to Vaikuntha. He becomes a good poet, eloquent, and intelligent like Brihaspati who reads this stotra of Sarasvati by Yajhavalkya. Even if a great illiterate reads this Sarasvati stotra for one year, he becomes easily a good Pundit, intelligent, and a good poet.
Here ends the Fifth Chapter of the Ninth Book on Sarasvati stotra by Yajhavalkya in S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24490, revision 75060 (2016-07-24T05:54:01Z). 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/bk09ch05.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.