Ninth Skandha · Chapter 39
Sourceनारद उवाच श्रीमूलप्रकृतेर्देव्या गायत्र्यास्तु निराकृतेः । सावित्रीयमसंवादे श्रुतं वै निर्मलं यशः ॥ १ ॥ तद्गुणोत्कीर्तनं सत्यं मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् । अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि लक्ष्म्युपाख्यानमीश्वर ॥ २ ॥ केनादौ पूजिता सापि किंभूता केन वा पुरा । तद्गुणोत्कीर्तनं मह्यं वद वेदविदांवर ॥ ३ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच सृष्टेरादौ पुरा ब्रह्मन् कृष्णस्य परमात्मनः । देवी वामांससम्भूता बभूव रासमण्डले ॥ ४ ॥ अतीव सुन्दरी श्यामा न्यग्रोधपरिमण्डिता । यथा द्वादशवर्षीया शश्वत्सुस्थिरयौवना ॥ ५ ॥ श्वेतचम्पकवर्णाभा सुखदृश्या मनोहरा । शरत्पार्वणकोटीन्दुप्रभाप्रच्छादनानना ॥ ६ ॥ शरन्मध्याह्नपद्मानां शोभामोचनलोचना । सा देवी द्विविधा भूता सह सर्वेश्वरेच्छया ॥ ७ ॥ स्वीयरूपेण वर्णेन तेजसा वयसा त्विषा । यशसा वाससा कृत्या भूषणेन गुणेन च ॥ ८ ॥ स्मितेन वीक्षणेनैव प्रेम्णा वानुनयेन च । तद्वामांसान्महालक्ष्मीर्दक्षिणासांच्च राधिका ॥ ९ ॥ राधाऽऽदौ वरयामास द्विभुजञ्च परात्परम् । महालक्ष्मीश्च तत्पश्चाच्चकमे कमनीयकम् ॥ १० ॥ कृष्णस्तद्गौरवेणैव द्विधारूपो बभूव ह । दक्षिणांसश्च द्विभुजो वामांसश्च चतुर्भुजः ॥ ११ ॥ चतुर्भुजाय द्विभुजो महालक्ष्मीं ददौ पुरा । लक्ष्यते दृश्यते विश्वं स्निग्धदृष्ट्या ययानिशम् ॥ १२ ॥ देवीभूता च महती महालक्ष्मीश्च सा स्मृता । राधाकान्तश्च द्विभुजो लक्ष्मीकान्तश्चतुर्भुजः ॥ १३ ॥ शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा च गोपैर्गोपीभिरावृता । चतुर्भुजश्च वैकुण्ठं प्रययौ पद्मया सह ॥ १४ ॥ सर्वांशेन समौ तौ द्वौ कृष्णनारायणौ परौ । महालक्ष्मीश्च योगेन नानारूपा बभूव सा ॥ १५ ॥ वैकुण्ठे च महालक्ष्मीः परिपूर्णतमा रमा । शुद्धसत्त्वस्वरूपा च सर्वसौभाग्यसंयुता ॥ १६ ॥ प्रेम्णा सा च प्रधाना च सर्वासु रमणीषु च । स्वर्गेषु स्वर्गलक्ष्मीश्च शक्रसम्पत्स्वरूपिणी ॥ १७ ॥ पाताले नागलक्ष्मीश्च राजलक्ष्मीश्च राजसु । गृहलक्ष्मीर्गृहेष्वेव गृहिणां च कलांशतः ॥ १८ ॥ सम्पत्स्वरूपा गृहिणां सर्वमङ्गलमङ्गला । गवां प्रसूतिः सुरभिर्दक्षिणा यज्ञकामिनी ॥ १९ ॥ क्षीरोदसिन्धुकन्या सा श्रीरूपा पद्मिनीषु च । शोभास्वरूपा चन्द्रे च सूर्यमण्डलमण्डिता ॥ २० ॥ विभूषणेषु रत्नेषु फलेषु च जलेषु च । नृपेषु नृपपत्नीषु दिव्यस्त्रीषु गृहेषु च ॥ २१ ॥ सर्वसस्येषु वस्त्रेषु स्थानेषु संस्कृतेषु च । प्रतिमासु च देवानां मङ्गलेषु घटेषु च ॥ २२ ॥ माणिक्येषु च मुक्तासु माल्येषु च मनोहरा । मणीन्द्रेषु च हीरेषु क्षीरेषु चन्दनेषु च ॥ २३ ॥ वृक्षशाखासु रम्यासु नवमेघेषु वस्तुषु । वैकुण्ठे पूजिता साऽऽदौ देवी नारायणेन च ॥ २४ ॥ द्वितीये ब्रह्मणा भक्त्या तृतीये शङ्करेण च । विष्णुना पूजिता सा च क्षीरोदे भारते मुने ॥ २५ ॥ स्वायम्भुवेन मनुना मानवेन्द्रेश्च सर्वतः । ऋषीन्द्रैश्च मुनीन्द्रैश्च सद्भिश्च गृहिभिर्भवे ॥ २६ ॥ गन्धर्वैश्चैव नागाद्यैः पातालेषु च पूजिता । शुक्लाष्टम्यां भाद्रपदे कृता पूजा च ब्रह्मणा ॥ २७ ॥ भक्त्या च पक्षपर्यन्तं त्रिषु लोकेषु नारद । चैत्रे पौषे च भाद्रे च पुण्ये मङ्गलवासरे ॥ २८ ॥ विष्णुना पूजिता सा च त्रिषु लोकेषु भक्तितः । वर्षान्ते पौषसङ्क्रान्त्यां माध्यामावाह्य मङ्गले ॥ २९ ॥ मनुस्तां पूजयामास सा भूता भुवनत्रये । पूजिता सा महेन्द्रेण मङ्गलेनैव मङ्गला ॥ ३० ॥ केदारेणैव नीलेन सुबलेन नलेन च । ध्रुवेणोत्तानपादेन शक्रेण बलिना तथा ॥ ३१ ॥ कश्यपेन च दक्षेण कर्दमेन विवस्वता । प्रियव्रतेन चन्द्रेण कुबेरेणैव वायुना ॥ ३२ ॥ यमेन वह्निना चैव वरुणेनैव पूजिता । एवं सर्वत्र सर्वेषु पूजिता वन्दिता सदा । सर्वेश्वर्याधिदेवी सा सर्वसम्पत्स्वरूपिणी ॥ ३३ ॥
nārada uvāca śrīmūlaprakṛterdevyā gāyatryāstu nirākṛteḥ | sāvitrīyamasaṃvāde śrutaṃ vai nirmalaṃ yaśaḥ || 1 || tadguṇotkīrtanaṃ satyaṃ maṅgalānāṃ ca maṅgalam | adhunā śrotumicchāmi lakṣmyupākhyānamīśvara || 2 || kenādau pūjitā sāpi kiṃbhūtā kena vā purā | tadguṇotkīrtanaṃ mahyaṃ vada vedavidāṃvara || 3 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca sṛṣṭerādau purā brahman kṛṣṇasya paramātmanaḥ | devī vāmāṃsasambhūtā babhūva rāsamaṇḍale || 4 || atīva sundarī śyāmā nyagrodhaparimaṇḍitā | yathā dvādaśavarṣīyā śaśvatsusthirayauvanā || 5 || śvetacampakavarṇābhā sukhadṛśyā manoharā | śaratpārvaṇakoṭīnduprabhāpracchādanānanā || 6 || śaranmadhyāhnapadmānāṃ śobhāmocanalocanā | sā devī dvividhā bhūtā saha sarveśvarecchayā || 7 || svīyarūpeṇa varṇena tejasā vayasā tviṣā | yaśasā vāsasā kṛtyā bhūṣaṇena guṇena ca || 8 || smitena vīkṣaṇenaiva premṇā vānunayena ca | tadvāmāṃsānmahālakṣmīrdakṣiṇāsāṃcca rādhikā || 9 || rādhā''dau varayāmāsa dvibhujañca parātparam | mahālakṣmīśca tatpaścāccakame kamanīyakam || 10 || kṛṣṇastadgauraveṇaiva dvidhārūpo babhūva ha | dakṣiṇāṃsaśca dvibhujo vāmāṃsaśca caturbhujaḥ || 11 || caturbhujāya dvibhujo mahālakṣmīṃ dadau purā | lakṣyate dṛśyate viśvaṃ snigdhadṛṣṭyā yayāniśam || 12 || devībhūtā ca mahatī mahālakṣmīśca sā smṛtā | rādhākāntaśca dvibhujo lakṣmīkāntaścaturbhujaḥ || 13 || śuddhasattvasvarūpā ca gopairgopībhirāvṛtā | caturbhujaśca vaikuṇṭhaṃ prayayau padmayā saha || 14 || sarvāṃśena samau tau dvau kṛṣṇanārāyaṇau parau | mahālakṣmīśca yogena nānārūpā babhūva sā || 15 || vaikuṇṭhe ca mahālakṣmīḥ paripūrṇatamā ramā | śuddhasattvasvarūpā ca sarvasaubhāgyasaṃyutā || 16 || premṇā sā ca pradhānā ca sarvāsu ramaṇīṣu ca | svargeṣu svargalakṣmīśca śakrasampatsvarūpiṇī || 17 || pātāle nāgalakṣmīśca rājalakṣmīśca rājasu | gṛhalakṣmīrgṛheṣveva gṛhiṇāṃ ca kalāṃśataḥ || 18 || sampatsvarūpā gṛhiṇāṃ sarvamaṅgalamaṅgalā | gavāṃ prasūtiḥ surabhirdakṣiṇā yajñakāminī || 19 || kṣīrodasindhukanyā sā śrīrūpā padminīṣu ca | śobhāsvarūpā candre ca sūryamaṇḍalamaṇḍitā || 20 || vibhūṣaṇeṣu ratneṣu phaleṣu ca jaleṣu ca | nṛpeṣu nṛpapatnīṣu divyastrīṣu gṛheṣu ca || 21 || sarvasasyeṣu vastreṣu sthāneṣu saṃskṛteṣu ca | pratimāsu ca devānāṃ maṅgaleṣu ghaṭeṣu ca || 22 || māṇikyeṣu ca muktāsu mālyeṣu ca manoharā | maṇīndreṣu ca hīreṣu kṣīreṣu candaneṣu ca || 23 || vṛkṣaśākhāsu ramyāsu navamegheṣu vastuṣu | vaikuṇṭhe pūjitā sā''dau devī nārāyaṇena ca || 24 || dvitīye brahmaṇā bhaktyā tṛtīye śaṅkareṇa ca | viṣṇunā pūjitā sā ca kṣīrode bhārate mune || 25 || svāyambhuvena manunā mānavendreśca sarvataḥ | ṛṣīndraiśca munīndraiśca sadbhiśca gṛhibhirbhave || 26 || gandharvaiścaiva nāgādyaiḥ pātāleṣu ca pūjitā | śuklāṣṭamyāṃ bhādrapade kṛtā pūjā ca brahmaṇā || 27 || bhaktyā ca pakṣaparyantaṃ triṣu lokeṣu nārada | caitre pauṣe ca bhādre ca puṇye maṅgalavāsare || 28 || viṣṇunā pūjitā sā ca triṣu lokeṣu bhaktitaḥ | varṣānte pauṣasaṅkrāntyāṃ mādhyāmāvāhya maṅgale || 29 || manustāṃ pūjayāmāsa sā bhūtā bhuvanatraye | pūjitā sā mahendreṇa maṅgalenaiva maṅgalā || 30 || kedāreṇaiva nīlena subalena nalena ca | dhruveṇottānapādena śakreṇa balinā tathā || 31 || kaśyapena ca dakṣeṇa kardamena vivasvatā | priyavratena candreṇa kubereṇaiva vāyunā || 32 || yamena vahninā caiva varuṇenaiva pūjitā | evaṃ sarvatra sarveṣu pūjitā vanditā sadā | sarveśvaryādhidevī sā sarvasampatsvarūpiṇī || 33 ||
English translation
1-3 Narada said “O Lord! I have heard in the discourse on Savitri and Yama about the Formless Devi Mula Prakriti and the glories of Savitri, all true and leading to the endless good. Now I want to hear the story of the Devi Laksmi. O Thou, the Chief of the knowers of the Vedas! What is the nature of Laksmi? By whom was She first worshipped? and by what Mantra? Kindly describe Her glories to me.
4-33. Narayana said Of old, in the beginning of the Prakritik Creation, from the left side of Krisna, the Supreme Spirit, appeared in the Rasamandalam (the Figure Dance) a Devi. She looked exceedingly handsome, of a dark blue colour, of spacious hips, of thin waist, and with high breast, looking twelve years old, of steady youth, of a colour of white Champaka flower and very lovely. The beauty of Her face throws under shade millions and millions of autumnal full moons. Before Her wide expanded eyes, the midday lotus of the autumnal season becomes highly ashamed. By the Will of God, this Devi suddenly divided Herself into two parts. The two looked equal in every respect; whether in beauty, qualities, age, loveliness, colour, body, spirit, dress, ornaments, smile, glance, love, or humanity, they were perfectly equal.
Now she who appeared from the right side is named Radha and she who came from the left side is named Maha Laksmi. Radha wanted first the two armed S’ri Krisna, Who was Higher than the highest; then Maha Laksmi wanted Him. Radha came out of the right side and wanted first Krisna; so Krisna, too, divided himself at once into two parts. From His right side came out the two-armed and from his left side came out the four-armed. The two-armed person first made over to Maha Laksmi the four armed One; then the two armed
Person Himself took Radha. Laksmi looks on the whole universe with a cooling eye; hence She is named Laksmi and as She is great, She is called Maha Laksmi. And for that reason the Lord of Radha is two-armed and the Lord of Laksmi is four-armed. Radha is pure Apra kritic S’uddha Sattva (of the nature of pure Sattva Guna, the illuminating attribute) and surrounded by the Gopas and GopTs. The four-armed Purusa, on the other hand, took Laksmi (Padma) to Vaikuntha. The two-armed person is Krisna; and the four-armed is Narayana. They are equal in all respects. Maha Laksmi became many by Her Yogic powers (i.e.. She remained in full in Vaikuntha and assumed many forms in parts). Maha Laksmi of Vaikuntha is full, of pure Sattva Guna, and endowed with all sorts of wealth and prosperity. She is the crest of woman-kind as far as loving one’s husbands is concerned. She is the Svarga Laksmi in the Heavens; the Naga Laksmi of the serpents, the Nagas, in the nether regions; the Raja Laksmi of the kings and the Household Laksmi of the householders. She resides in the houses of house-holders as prosperity and the most auspicious of all good things. She is the progenetrix. She is the Surabhi of cows and She is the Daksina (the sacrificial fee) in sacrifices. She is the daughter of the milk ocean and she is Padmini, the beauty of the spheres of the Moon and the Sun. She is the lustre and beauty of the ornaments, gems, fruits, water, kings, queens, heavenly women, of all the houses, grains, clothings, cleansed places, images, auspicious jars, pearls, jewels, crest of jewels, garlands, diamonds, milk, sandal, beautiful twigs, fresh rain cloud, or of all other colours. She was first worhipped in Vaikuntha by Narayana. Next She was worshipped by Brahma and then by S’ankara with devotion. She was worshipped by Visnu in the Kshirode Samudra. Then she was worshipped by Svayambhuva Manu, then by Indras amongst men, then by Munis, Risis, good householders, by the Gandharbas, in the Gandharbaloka; by the Nagas in the Nagaloka. She was worshipped with devotion by Brahma for one fortnight commencing from the bright eighth day in the month of Bhadra and ending on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the three-worlds. She was worshipped by Visnu, with devotion in the three worlds on the meritorious Tuesday in the
months of Pausa, Chaitra, and Bhadra. Manu, also, worshipped Her on the Pausa Sankranti (the last day of the month of Pausa when the Sun enters another sign) and on the auspicious Tuesday in the month of Magha. Thus the worship of Maha Laksmi is made prevalent in the three worlds. She was worshipped by Indra, the Lord of the Devas and by Mangala (Mars) on Tuesday. She was then worshipped by Kedara, Nila, Subala, Dhruva, Uttanapada, S’akra, Bali, Kas’yapa, Daksa, Kardama, Surya, Priyavrata, Chandra, Vayu, Kuvera, Varuna, Yama, Hutasana and others. Thus Her worship extended by and by to all the places. She is the Presiding Deity of all wealth; so She is the wealth of all.
Here ends the Thirty-ninth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the story of Maha Laksmi in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24534, revision 75182 (2016-07-27T14:04:15Z). 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/bk09ch39.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.