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Ninth Skandha · Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Unit 245 of 318Ninth Skandha · Chapter 28Ninth Skandha · Chapter 281 source entries

Ninth Skandha · Chapter 28

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श्रीनारायण उवाच यमस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सावित्री च पतिव्रता । तुष्टाव परया भक्त्या तमुवाच मनस्विनी ॥ १ ॥ सावित्र्युवाच किं कर्म तद्‍भवेत्केन को वा तद्धेतुरेव च । को वा देही च देहः कः को वात्र कर्मकारकः ॥ २ ॥ किं वा ज्ञानं च बुद्धिः का को वा प्राणः शरीरिणाम् । कानीन्द्रियाणि किं तेषां लक्षणं देवताश्च काः ॥ ३ ॥ भोक्ता भोजयिता को वा को वा भोगश्च निष्कृतिः । को जीवः परमात्मा कस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ ४ ॥ धर्म उवाच वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मः कर्म यन्मङ्‌गलं परम् । अवैदिकं तु यत्कर्म तदेवाशुभमेव च ॥ ५ ॥ अहैतुकी देवसेवा संकल्परहिता सती । कर्मनिर्मूलरूपा च सा एव परभक्तिदा ॥ ६ ॥ को वा कर्मफलं भुङ्‌क्ते को वा निर्लिप्त एव च । ब्रह्मभक्तो यो नरश्च स च मुक्तः श्रुतः श्रुतौ ॥ ७ ॥ जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकभीतिविवर्जितः । भक्तिश्च द्विविधा साध्वि श्रुत्युक्ता सर्वसम्मता ॥ ८ ॥ निर्वाणपददात्री च हरिरूपप्रदा नृणाम् । हरिरूपस्वरूपां च भक्तिं वाञ्छन्ति वैष्णवाः ॥ ९ ॥ अन्ये निर्वाणमिच्छन्ति योगिनो ब्रह्मवित्तमाः । कर्मणो बीजरूपश्च सततं तत्फलप्रदः ॥ १० ॥ कर्मरूपश्च भगवान्परात्मा प्रकृतिः परा । सोऽपि तद्धेतुरूपश्च देहो नश्वर एव च ॥ ११ ॥ पृथिवी वायुराकाशो जलं तेजस्तथैव च । एतानि सूत्ररूपाणि सृष्टिरूपविधौ सतः ॥ १२ ॥ कर्मकर्ता च देही च आत्मा भोजयिता सदा । भोगो विभवभेदश्च नित्कृतिर्मुक्तिरेव च ॥ १३ ॥ सदसद्‍भेदबीजं च ज्ञानं नानाविधं भवेत् । विषयाणां विभागानां भेदि बीजं च कीर्तितम् ॥ १४ ॥ बुद्धिर्विवेचना सा च ज्ञानबीजं श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । वायुभेदाश्च प्राणाश्च बलरूपाश्च देहिनाम् ॥ १५ ॥ इन्द्रियाणां च प्रवरमीश्वरांशमनूहकम् । प्रेरकं कर्मणां चैव दुर्निवार्यं च देहिनाम् ॥ १६ ॥ अनिरूप्यमदृश्यं च ज्ञानभेदो मनः स्मृतम् । लोचनं श्रवणं घ्राणं त्वक्च रसनमिन्द्रियम् ॥ १७ ॥ अङ्‌गिनामङ्‌गरूपं च प्रेरकं सर्वकर्मणाम् । रिपुरूपं मित्ररूपं सुखरूपं च दुःखदम् ॥ १८ ॥ सूर्यो वायुश्च पृथिवी ब्रह्माद्या देवताः स्मृताः । प्राणदेहादिभृद्यो हि स जीवः परिकीर्तितः ॥ १९ ॥ परमं व्यापकं ब्रह्म निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । कारणं कारणानां च परमात्मा स उच्यते ॥ २० ॥ इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं त्वया पृष्टं यथागमम् । ज्ञानिनां ज्ञानरूपं च गच्छ वत्से यथासुखम् ॥ २१ ॥ सावित्र्युवाच त्यक्त्वा क्व यामि कान्तं वा त्वां वा ज्ञानार्णवं ध्रुवम् । यद्यत्करोमि प्रश्नं च तद्‍भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥ २२ ॥ कां कां योनिं याति जीवः कर्मणा केन वा पुनः । केन वा कर्मणा स्वर्गं केन वा नरकं पितः ॥ २३ ॥ केन वा कर्मणा मुक्तिः केन भक्तिर्भवेद्‌ गुरौ । केन वा कर्मणा योगी रोगी वा केन कर्मणा ॥ २४ ॥ केन वा दीर्घजीवी च केनाल्पायुश्च कर्मणा । केन वा कर्मणा दुःखी सुखी वा केन कर्मणा ॥ २५ ॥ अङ्‌गहीनश्च काणश्च बधिरः केन कर्मणा । अन्धो वा पङ्‌गुरपि वा प्रमत्तः केन कर्मणा ॥ २६ ॥ क्षिप्तोऽतिलुब्धकश्चौरः केन वा कर्मणा भवेत् । केन सिद्धिमवाप्नोति सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम् ॥ २७ ॥ केन वा ब्राह्मणत्वं च तपस्वित्वं च केन वा । स्वर्गभोगादिकं केन वैकुण्ठं केन कर्मणा ॥ २८ ॥ गोलोकं केन वा ब्रह्मन् सर्वोत्कृष्टं निरामयम् । नरको वा कतिविधः किंसंख्यो नाम किं च वा ॥ २९ ॥ को वा कं नरकं याति कियन्तं तेषु तिष्ठति । पापिनां कर्मणा केन को वा व्याधिः प्रजायते । यद्यत्प्रियं मया पृष्टं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ ३० ॥

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca yamasya vacanaṃ śrutvā sāvitrī ca pativratā | tuṣṭāva parayā bhaktyā tamuvāca manasvinī || 1 || sāvitryuvāca kiṃ karma tad‍bhavetkena ko vā taddhetureva ca | ko vā dehī ca dehaḥ kaḥ ko vātra karmakārakaḥ || 2 || kiṃ vā jñānaṃ ca buddhiḥ kā ko vā prāṇaḥ śarīriṇām | kānīndriyāṇi kiṃ teṣāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ devatāśca kāḥ || 3 || bhoktā bhojayitā ko vā ko vā bhogaśca niṣkṛtiḥ | ko jīvaḥ paramātmā kastanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 4 || dharma uvāca vedapraṇihito dharmaḥ karma yanmaṅ‌galaṃ param | avaidikaṃ tu yatkarma tadevāśubhameva ca || 5 || ahaitukī devasevā saṃkalparahitā satī | karmanirmūlarūpā ca sā eva parabhaktidā || 6 || ko vā karmaphalaṃ bhuṅ‌kte ko vā nirlipta eva ca | brahmabhakto yo naraśca sa ca muktaḥ śrutaḥ śrutau || 7 || janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiśokabhītivivarjitaḥ | bhaktiśca dvividhā sādhvi śrutyuktā sarvasammatā || 8 || nirvāṇapadadātrī ca harirūpapradā nṛṇām | harirūpasvarūpāṃ ca bhaktiṃ vāñchanti vaiṣṇavāḥ || 9 || anye nirvāṇamicchanti yogino brahmavittamāḥ | karmaṇo bījarūpaśca satataṃ tatphalapradaḥ || 10 || karmarūpaśca bhagavānparātmā prakṛtiḥ parā | so'pi taddheturūpaśca deho naśvara eva ca || 11 || pṛthivī vāyurākāśo jalaṃ tejastathaiva ca | etāni sūtrarūpāṇi sṛṣṭirūpavidhau sataḥ || 12 || karmakartā ca dehī ca ātmā bhojayitā sadā | bhogo vibhavabhedaśca nitkṛtirmuktireva ca || 13 || sadasad‍bhedabījaṃ ca jñānaṃ nānāvidhaṃ bhavet | viṣayāṇāṃ vibhāgānāṃ bhedi bījaṃ ca kīrtitam || 14 || buddhirvivecanā sā ca jñānabījaṃ śrutau śrutam | vāyubhedāśca prāṇāśca balarūpāśca dehinām || 15 || indriyāṇāṃ ca pravaramīśvarāṃśamanūhakam | prerakaṃ karmaṇāṃ caiva durnivāryaṃ ca dehinām || 16 || anirūpyamadṛśyaṃ ca jñānabhedo manaḥ smṛtam | locanaṃ śravaṇaṃ ghrāṇaṃ tvakca rasanamindriyam || 17 || aṅ‌gināmaṅ‌garūpaṃ ca prerakaṃ sarvakarmaṇām | ripurūpaṃ mitrarūpaṃ sukharūpaṃ ca duḥkhadam || 18 || sūryo vāyuśca pṛthivī brahmādyā devatāḥ smṛtāḥ | prāṇadehādibhṛdyo hi sa jīvaḥ parikīrtitaḥ || 19 || paramaṃ vyāpakaṃ brahma nirguṇaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | kāraṇaṃ kāraṇānāṃ ca paramātmā sa ucyate || 20 || ityevaṃ kathitaṃ sarvaṃ tvayā pṛṣṭaṃ yathāgamam | jñānināṃ jñānarūpaṃ ca gaccha vatse yathāsukham || 21 || sāvitryuvāca tyaktvā kva yāmi kāntaṃ vā tvāṃ vā jñānārṇavaṃ dhruvam | yadyatkaromi praśnaṃ ca tad‍bhavānvaktumarhati || 22 || kāṃ kāṃ yoniṃ yāti jīvaḥ karmaṇā kena vā punaḥ | kena vā karmaṇā svargaṃ kena vā narakaṃ pitaḥ || 23 || kena vā karmaṇā muktiḥ kena bhaktirbhaved‌ gurau | kena vā karmaṇā yogī rogī vā kena karmaṇā || 24 || kena vā dīrghajīvī ca kenālpāyuśca karmaṇā | kena vā karmaṇā duḥkhī sukhī vā kena karmaṇā || 25 || aṅ‌gahīnaśca kāṇaśca badhiraḥ kena karmaṇā | andho vā paṅ‌gurapi vā pramattaḥ kena karmaṇā || 26 || kṣipto'tilubdhakaścauraḥ kena vā karmaṇā bhavet | kena siddhimavāpnoti sālokyādicatuṣṭayam || 27 || kena vā brāhmaṇatvaṃ ca tapasvitvaṃ ca kena vā | svargabhogādikaṃ kena vaikuṇṭhaṃ kena karmaṇā || 28 || golokaṃ kena vā brahman sarvotkṛṣṭaṃ nirāmayam | narako vā katividhaḥ kiṃsaṃkhyo nāma kiṃ ca vā || 29 || ko vā kaṃ narakaṃ yāti kiyantaṃ teṣu tiṣṭhati | pāpināṃ karmaṇā kena ko vā vyādhiḥ prajāyate | yadyatpriyaṃ mayā pṛṣṭaṃ tanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 30 ||

English translation

1-4. Narayana said O Narada! Hearing the words of Yama, the chaste intelligent Savitri, replied with great devotion “O Dharmarajan! What is Karma? Why and how is its origin? What is the cause of Karma? Who is the embodied soul (bound by Karma)? What is this body? And who is it that does Karma? What is Jhana? What is Buddhi? What is this Prana of this embodied JTva? What are the Indriyas? And what are their characteristics? And what are the Devatas thereof? Who is it that enjoys and who is it that makes one enjoy? What is this enjoyment (Bhoga)? And what is the means of escape from it? And what is the nature of that State when one escapes from enjoyment? What is the nature of Jivatma? And what of Paramatma? O Deva! Speak all these in detail to me.”

5-21. Dharma said Karma is of two kinds: good and bad. The Karma that is stated in the Vedas as leading to Dharma is good; all other actions are bad. The God’s service, without any selfish ends (Sankalpa) and without the hope of any fruits thereof (ahaituki), is of such a nature as to root out all the Karmas and gives rise to the highest devotion to God. A man who is such a Bhakta of Brahma becomes liberated, so the S’rutis say. Who then does the Karma and who is it that enjoys? (i.e., no such body). To such a Bhakta to Brahma, there is no birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow nor any fear. O Chaste One! Bhakti is two-fold. This is stated by all in the S’rutis. The one leads to Nirvana and the other leads to the nature of Hah. The Vaisnavas want the Bhakti to Hah, i.e., the Saguna Bhakti. The other Yogis and the best knowers of Brahma want the Nirguna Bhakti. He who is the Seed of Karma, and the Bestower for ever the fruits of Karma, Who is the Karma Incarnate and the Mula Prakriti, is the Bhagavan; He is the Highest Self. He is the Material Cause of Karma. Know this body to be by nature liable to dissolve and die. Earth, air, akas’a, water, and fire; these are the threads, as it were, of

the work of creation of Brahma, Who is of the nature of Being. “Dehi” or The Embodied Soul is the Doer of Karma, the Karta; he is the enjoyer; and Atma (self) is the prompter, the stimulator within to do the Karma and enjoy the fruits thereof. The experiencing of pleasures and pains and the varieties thereof is known as Bhoga (enjoyment). Liberation, Mukti is the escape therefrom.

The knowledge by which Atma (sat) and Maya (Asat) are discriminated is called Jhanam (Brahma Jhanam). The knowledge is considered as the root discriminator of various objects of enjoyments (i.e., by which the various objects are at once recognised as different from Atman). By Buddhi is meant the right seeing of things, (as certain) and is considered as the seed of Jhanam. By Prana is known as the different Vayus in the body. And this Prana is the strength of the embodied. Mind is the chief, the best, of the senses, it is a part of IsVara; its characteristic is its doubtful uncertain state. It impels to all actions, irresistible. It is inascertainable, invisible; it obstructs the Jhana. The senses are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. These are the several limbs, as it were, of the embodied and the impellers to all actions. They are both enemies and friends as they give pain (when attached to worldly objects) and happiness (when attached to virtuous objects) both. The Sun, Vayu, Earth, Brahma and others are their Devatas. The Jiva is the holder, the sustainer of Prana, body, etc. The Paramatma, the Highest Self, is the Best of all. Omnipresent, transcending the the Gunas, and beyond Prakriti. He is the Cause of all causes and He is the Brahma Itself. O Chaste One! I have replied, according to the S’astras to all your questions. These are Jhanas of the Jhanins. O Child! Now go back to your house at pleasure.

22-30. Savitri said Whither shall I go, leaving my Husband and Thee, the Ocean of Knowledge? Please oughtest to answer the queries that I now put to Thee. What wombs do the Jivas get in

response to which Karmas? What Karmas lead to the Heavens? And what Karnnas lead to various hells? Which Karmas lead to Mukti? And which Karmas give Bhakti? What Karmas make one Yogi and what Karmas inflict diseases? Which Karmas make one’s life long? or short? Which Karmas again make one happy? And what Karmas make one miserable? Which Karmas make one deformed in one’s limbs, one-eyed, blind, deaf, lame or idiotic? Which Karmas again make one mad? Make one very much avaricious or of a stealing habit? What Karmas make one possess Siddhis? Or make one earn the four Lokas Salokya, etc.? What Karmas make one a Brahmin or an ascetic? Or make one go to Heaven or Vaikuntha? What Karmas enable one to go to Goloka, the par excellence and free from all diseases? How many are the hells? What are their names and how do they appear? How long will one have to remain in each hell? and what Karmas lead to what diseases? O Deva, now tell me about these that I have asked to you and oblige.

Here ends the Twenty-Eighth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the story of Savitri in S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24516, revision 75100 (2016-07-25T03:34:29Z). 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/bk09ch28.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.