Ninth Skandha · Chapter 36
Sourceसावित्र्युवाच धर्मराज महाभाग वेदवेदाङ्गपारग । नानापुराणेतिहासे यत्सारं तत्प्रदर्शय ॥ १ ॥ सर्वेषु सारभूतं यत्सर्वेष्टं सर्वसम्मतम् । कर्मच्छेदबीजरूपं प्रशस्तं सुखदं नृणाम् ॥ २ ॥ सर्वप्रदं च सर्वेषां सर्वमङ्गलकारणम् । भयं दुःखं न पश्यन्ति येन वै सर्वमानवाः ॥ ३ ॥ कुण्डानि ते न पश्यन्ति तेषु नैव पतन्ति च । न भवेद्येन जन्मादि तत्कर्म वद साम्प्रतम् ॥ ४ ॥ किमाकाराणि कुण्डानि तानि वा निर्मितानि च । के च केनैव रूपेण तत्र तिष्ठन्ति पापिनः ॥ ५ ॥ स्वदेहे भस्मसाद्भूते याति लोकान्तरं नरः । केन देहेन वा भोगं करोति च शुभाशुभम् ॥ ६ ॥ सुचिरं क्लेशभोगेन कथं देहो न नश्यति । देहो वा किंविधो ब्रह्मंस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ ७ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच सावित्रीवचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो हरिं स्मरन् । कथां कथितुमारेभे कर्मबन्धनिकृन्तनीम् ॥ ८ ॥ धर्मराज उवाच वत्से चतुर्षु वेदेषु धर्मेषु संहितासु च । पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु पाञ्चरात्रादिकेषु च ॥ ९ ॥ अन्येषु धर्मशास्त्रेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च सुव्रते । सर्वेष्टं सारभूतं च पञ्चदेवानुसेवनम् ॥ १० ॥ जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकसन्तापनाशनम् । सर्वमङ्गलरूपं च परमानन्दकारणम् ॥ ११ ॥ कारणं सर्वसिद्धीनां नरकार्णवतारणम् । भक्तिवृक्षाङ्कुरकरं कर्मवृक्षनिकृन्तनम् ॥ १२ ॥ विमोक्षसोपानमिदमविनाशपदं स्मृतम् । सालोक्यसार्ष्टिसारूप्यसामीप्यादिप्रदं शुभम् ॥ १३ ॥ कुण्डानि यमदूतैश्च रक्षितानि सदा शुभे । न हि पश्यन्ति स्वप्ने च पञ्चदेवार्चका नराः ॥ १४ ॥ देवीभक्तिविहीना ये ते पश्यन्ति ममालयम् । यान्ति ये हरितीर्थं वा श्रयन्ति हरिवासरम् ॥ १५ ॥ प्रणमन्ति हरिं नित्यं हर्यर्चां कल्पयन्ति च । न यान्ति तेऽपि घोरां च मम संयमिनीं पुरीम् ॥ १६ ॥ त्रिसन्धिपूता विप्राश्च शुद्धाचारसमन्विताः । निवृत्तिं नैव लप्स्यन्ति देवीसेवां विना नराः ॥ १७ ॥ स्वधर्मनिरताचाराः स्वधर्मनिरतास्तथा । गच्छन्तो मृत्युलोकं च दुर्दृशा मम किङ्कराः ॥ १८ ॥ भीताः शिवोपासकेभ्यो वैनतेयादिवोरगाः । स्वदूतं पाशहस्तं च गच्छन्तं वारयाम्यहम् ॥ १९ ॥ यास्यन्ति ते च सर्वत्र हरिदासाश्रमं विना । कृष्णमन्त्रोपासकाच्च वैनतेयादिवोरगाः ॥ २० ॥ देवीमन्त्रोपासकानां नाम्नाञ्चैव निकृन्तनम् । करोति नखलेखन्या चित्रगुप्तश्च भीतवत् ॥ २१ ॥ मधुपर्कादिकं तेषां कुरुते च पुनः पुनः । विलङ्घ्य ब्रह्मलोकं च लोकं गच्छन्ति ते सति ॥ २२ ॥ दुरितानि च नश्यन्ति येषां संस्पर्शमात्रतः । ते महाभाग्यवन्तो हि सहस्रकुलपावनाः ॥ २३ ॥ यथा च प्रज्वलद्वह्नौ शुष्कानि च तृणानि च । प्राप्नोति मोहः सम्मोहं तांश्च दृष्ट्वा च भीतवत् ॥ २४ ॥ कामश्च कामिनं याति लोभक्रोधौ ततः सति । मृत्युः प्रलीयते रोगो जरा शोको भयं तथा ॥ २५ ॥ कालः शुभाशुभं कर्म हर्षो भोगस्तथैव च । ये ये न यान्ति तां पीडां कथितास्ते मया सति ॥ २६ ॥ शृणु देहविवरणं कथयामि यथागमम् । पृथिवी वायुराकाशस्तेजस्तोयमिति स्फुटम् ॥ २७ ॥ देहिनां देहबीजं च स्रष्टृसृष्टिविधौ परम् । पृथिव्यादिपञ्जभूतैर्यो देहो निर्मितो भवेत् ॥ २८ ॥ स कृत्रिमो नश्वरश्च भस्मसाच्च भवेदिह । बद्धोऽङ्गुष्ठप्रमाणश्च यो जीवः पुरुषः कृतः ॥ २९ ॥ बिभर्ति सूक्ष्मं देहं तं तद्रूपं भोगहेतवे । स देहो न भवेद्भस्म ज्वलदग्नौ ममालये ॥ ३० ॥ जलेन नष्टो देही वा प्रहारे सुचिरं कृते । न शस्त्रेण न वास्त्रेण सुतीक्ष्णकण्टके तथा ॥ ३१ ॥ तप्तद्रवे तप्तलोहे तप्तपाषाण एव च । प्रतप्तप्रतिमाश्लेषे यत्पूर्वपतनेऽपि च ॥ ३२ ॥ न दग्धो न च भग्नः स भुङ्क्ते सन्तापमेव च । कथितो देहवृत्तान्तः कारणं च यथागमम् । कुण्डानां लक्षणं सर्वं बोधाय कथयामि ते ॥ ३३ ॥
sāvitryuvāca dharmarāja mahābhāga vedavedāṅgapāraga | nānāpurāṇetihāse yatsāraṃ tatpradarśaya || 1 || sarveṣu sārabhūtaṃ yatsarveṣṭaṃ sarvasammatam | karmacchedabījarūpaṃ praśastaṃ sukhadaṃ nṛṇām || 2 || sarvapradaṃ ca sarveṣāṃ sarvamaṅgalakāraṇam | bhayaṃ duḥkhaṃ na paśyanti yena vai sarvamānavāḥ || 3 || kuṇḍāni te na paśyanti teṣu naiva patanti ca | na bhavedyena janmādi tatkarma vada sāmpratam || 4 || kimākārāṇi kuṇḍāni tāni vā nirmitāni ca | ke ca kenaiva rūpeṇa tatra tiṣṭhanti pāpinaḥ || 5 || svadehe bhasmasādbhūte yāti lokāntaraṃ naraḥ | kena dehena vā bhogaṃ karoti ca śubhāśubham || 6 || suciraṃ kleśabhogena kathaṃ deho na naśyati | deho vā kiṃvidho brahmaṃstanme vyākhyātumarhasi || 7 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca sāvitrīvacanaṃ śrutvā dharmarājo hariṃ smaran | kathāṃ kathitumārebhe karmabandhanikṛntanīm || 8 || dharmarāja uvāca vatse caturṣu vedeṣu dharmeṣu saṃhitāsu ca | purāṇeṣvitihāseṣu pāñcarātrādikeṣu ca || 9 || anyeṣu dharmaśāstreṣu vedāṅgeṣu ca suvrate | sarveṣṭaṃ sārabhūtaṃ ca pañcadevānusevanam || 10 || janmamṛtyujarāvyādhiśokasantāpanāśanam | sarvamaṅgalarūpaṃ ca paramānandakāraṇam || 11 || kāraṇaṃ sarvasiddhīnāṃ narakārṇavatāraṇam | bhaktivṛkṣāṅkurakaraṃ karmavṛkṣanikṛntanam || 12 || vimokṣasopānamidamavināśapadaṃ smṛtam | sālokyasārṣṭisārūpyasāmīpyādipradaṃ śubham || 13 || kuṇḍāni yamadūtaiśca rakṣitāni sadā śubhe | na hi paśyanti svapne ca pañcadevārcakā narāḥ || 14 || devībhaktivihīnā ye te paśyanti mamālayam | yānti ye haritīrthaṃ vā śrayanti harivāsaram || 15 || praṇamanti hariṃ nityaṃ haryarcāṃ kalpayanti ca | na yānti te'pi ghorāṃ ca mama saṃyaminīṃ purīm || 16 || trisandhipūtā viprāśca śuddhācārasamanvitāḥ | nivṛttiṃ naiva lapsyanti devīsevāṃ vinā narāḥ || 17 || svadharmaniratācārāḥ svadharmaniratāstathā | gacchanto mṛtyulokaṃ ca durdṛśā mama kiṅkarāḥ || 18 || bhītāḥ śivopāsakebhyo vainateyādivoragāḥ | svadūtaṃ pāśahastaṃ ca gacchantaṃ vārayāmyaham || 19 || yāsyanti te ca sarvatra haridāsāśramaṃ vinā | kṛṣṇamantropāsakācca vainateyādivoragāḥ || 20 || devīmantropāsakānāṃ nāmnāñcaiva nikṛntanam | karoti nakhalekhanyā citraguptaśca bhītavat || 21 || madhuparkādikaṃ teṣāṃ kurute ca punaḥ punaḥ | vilaṅghya brahmalokaṃ ca lokaṃ gacchanti te sati || 22 || duritāni ca naśyanti yeṣāṃ saṃsparśamātrataḥ | te mahābhāgyavanto hi sahasrakulapāvanāḥ || 23 || yathā ca prajvaladvahnau śuṣkāni ca tṛṇāni ca | prāpnoti mohaḥ sammohaṃ tāṃśca dṛṣṭvā ca bhītavat || 24 || kāmaśca kāminaṃ yāti lobhakrodhau tataḥ sati | mṛtyuḥ pralīyate rogo jarā śoko bhayaṃ tathā || 25 || kālaḥ śubhāśubhaṃ karma harṣo bhogastathaiva ca | ye ye na yānti tāṃ pīḍāṃ kathitāste mayā sati || 26 || śṛṇu dehavivaraṇaṃ kathayāmi yathāgamam | pṛthivī vāyurākāśastejastoyamiti sphuṭam || 27 || dehināṃ dehabījaṃ ca sraṣṭṛsṛṣṭividhau param | pṛthivyādipañjabhūtairyo deho nirmito bhavet || 28 || sa kṛtrimo naśvaraśca bhasmasācca bhavediha | baddho'ṅguṣṭhapramāṇaśca yo jīvaḥ puruṣaḥ kṛtaḥ || 29 || bibharti sūkṣmaṃ dehaṃ taṃ tadrūpaṃ bhogahetave | sa deho na bhavedbhasma jvaladagnau mamālaye || 30 || jalena naṣṭo dehī vā prahāre suciraṃ kṛte | na śastreṇa na vāstreṇa sutīkṣṇakaṇṭake tathā || 31 || taptadrave taptalohe taptapāṣāṇa eva ca | prataptapratimāśleṣe yatpūrvapatane'pi ca || 32 || na dagdho na ca bhagnaḥ sa bhuṅkte santāpameva ca | kathito dehavṛttāntaḥ kāraṇaṃ ca yathāgamam | kuṇḍānāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ sarvaṃ bodhāya kathayāmi te || 33 ||
English translation
1-7. Savitn said “O Dharmarajan! O Highly Fortunate One! O Thou! Expert in the Vedas and the Amgas thereof! Now kindly describe that which is the essence of the various Puranas and Itihasas, which is the quintessence, which is dear to all, approved of by all, which is the seed by which the Karmic ties are cut asunder, which is high, noble and happy is this life. Kindly describe the above by which man can acquire all his desires, and what is the only source of all the good and auspicious things. All by knowing which man has not to face any dangers or troubles, nor has he to go to the dreadful hells that thou hast severally just now described and that by which men can be freed of those various wombs. Kindly now describe all these. O Bhagavan! What is the size of the several kundas or hells that Thou hast just now enumerated? How do the sinners dwell there? When a man departs, his body is reduced to ashes. Then of what sort is that other body by which the sinners enjoy the effects of their Karmas and why do not those bodies get destroyed when they suffer so much pains for so long a time? What sort of body is that? Kindly describe all these to me.”
8-33. Narayana spoke Hearing the questions put forward by Savitri, Dharmaraja remembered S’ri Hari and began to speak on subject that sever the bonds of Karma O Child! O One of good vows! In the four Vedas, in all the books on Dharma, (Smritis) in all the Samhitas, all the Itihasas, all the Puranas, in the Narada Pahcharatram, in the other Dharma S’astras and in the Vedangas, it is definitely stated that the worship of the Pahcha Devatas (the five Devatas) S’iva, S’akti Visnu, Ganes’a, and Surya is the best, the highest, the destroyer of the old age, disease, death, evils and
sorrows, the most auspicious and leading to the highest bliss. In fact, the worship of these Pahcha Devatas is the source of acquiring all the Siddhis (the success) and saves one from going to the hells. From their worship springs the Bhaktic Tree and then and then only the Root of the Tree of all Karmic bonds is severed for ever and ever. This is the step to Mukti (final liberation) and is the indestructible state. By this one can get Salokya, Sarsti, Sarupya, and Samipya, the different state of beatitudes in which the soul (1) resides in the same world with the Deity, (2) possesses the same station, condition, or rank, or equality with the Supreme Being in power and all the Divine attributes (the last of the four grades of Mukti), (3) possesses the sameness of form or gets assimilated to the Deity or (4) gets intimately united, identified or absorbed into the Deity. O Auspicious One! The worshipper of these five Devatas has never to see any of the hells, watched by My messengers. Those who are devoid of the devotion to the Devi see My abode; but those who go to the Tirthas of Hari, who hold Harivasaras (festivities on the days of Hari) who bow down at the feet of Hari and worship Hari, never come to My abode named Samyamana. Those Brahmanas that are purified by their performing the three Sandhyas and by the following the pure Acharas (customs and observances), those that find no pleasure until they worship the Devi, those that are attached to their own Dharmas and their own Acharas, never come to My abode.
My terrible messengers, seeing the devotees of S’iva, run away out of terror as snakes run away terrified by Garuda. I also order My messengers with nooses in their hands never to go to them. My messengers go mostly to other persons than the servants of Hari. No sooner do My Messengers see the worshippers of the Krisna Mantra, than they run away as snakes get terrified at the sight of Garuda. Chitragupta, too, one of the beings in Yama’s world, recording the vices and virtues of mankind, strike off the names of the Devi worshippers, out of fear and prepare Madhuparka, etc., for them (a mixture of honey; respectful offering made to a guest or to
the bridegroom on his arrival at the door of the father of the bride). They rise higher than the Brahma Lokas and go to the Devi’s abode, i.e., to Manidvipa. Those that are the worshippers of the S’akti Mantra and are highly fortunate, whose contact removes the sins of others, they deliver the thousand generations (from the downward course). As bundles and bundles of dry grasses become burnt to ashes, no sooner they are thrown into fire, so the delusion at once becomes itself deluded at the sight of the forms of those devotees.
At their sight, lust, anger, greed, disease, sorrow, old age, death, fear, Kala (time that takes away the life of persons), the good and bad karmas, pleasures and enjoyments drop off to a great distance. O Fair One! Now I have described to you the states of those persons that are not under the control of Kala, good and bad karmas, pleasures and enjoyments, etc., and those that do not suffer those pains. Now I am speaking of this visible body. Listen. Earth, water, fire, air, and ether are the five Maha Bhutas (the great elements); these are the seeds of this visible body of the person and are the chief factors in the work of creation. The body that is made up of earth and other elements is transient and artificial, i.e., that body becomes burnt to ashes. Within this visible body, bound, is there a Purusa of the size of a thumb; that is called the Jiva Purusa; the subtle JTva assumes those subtle bodies for enjoying the effects of karmas. In My world, that subtle body is not burnt by the burning fire. If that subtle body be immersed in water, if that be beaten incessantly or if it be struck by a weapon or pierced by a sharp thorn, that body is not destroyed. That body is not burnt nor broken by the burning hot and molten material, by the red hot iron, by hot stones by embracing a hot image or by falling into a burning cauldron. That body has to suffer incessant pains. O Fair One! Thus I have dwelt on the subject of the several bodies and the causes thereof according to the S’astras. Now I will describe to you the characters of all the other Kundas. Listen.
Here ends the Thirty-sixth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the destruction of the fear of the Yama of those who are the worshippers of the Five Devatas, in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24531, revision 75181 (2016-07-27T14:01:34Z). 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/bk09ch36.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.