Ninth Skandha · Chapter 44
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि स्वधोपाख्यानमुत्तमम् । पितॄणां च तृप्तिकरं श्राद्धान्तफलवर्धनम् ॥ १ ॥ सृष्टेरादौ पितृगणान्ससर्ज जगतां विधिः । चतुरश्च मूर्तिमतस्त्रींश्च तेजःस्वरूपिणः ॥ २ ॥ दृष्ट्वा सप्तपितृगणान् सुखरूपान्मनोहरान् । आहारं ससृजे तेषां श्राद्धं तर्पणपूर्वकम् ॥ ३ ॥ स्नानं तर्पणपर्यन्तं श्राद्धं तु देवपूजनम् । आह्निकं च त्रिसन्ध्यान्तं विप्राणां च श्रुतौ श्रुतम् ॥ ४ ॥ नित्यं न कुर्याद्यो विप्रस्त्रिसन्ध्यं श्राद्धतर्पणम् । बलिं वेदध्वनिं सोऽपि विषहीनो यथोरगः ॥ ५ ॥ देवीसेवाविहीनश्च श्रीहरेरनिवेद्यभुक् । भस्मान्तं सूतकं तस्य न कर्मार्हश्च नारद ॥ ६ ॥ ब्रह्मा श्राद्धादिकं सृष्ट्वा जगाम पितृहेतवे । न प्राप्नुवन्ति पितरो ददति ब्राह्मणादयः ॥ ७ ॥ सर्वे च जग्मुः क्षुधिताः खिन्नास्तु ब्रह्मणः सभाम् । सर्वं निवेदनं चक्रुस्तमेव जगतां विधिम् ॥ ८ ॥ ब्रह्मा च मानसीं कन्यां ससृजे च मनोहराम् । रूपयौवनसम्पन्नां शतचन्द्रनिभाननाम् ॥ ९ ॥ विद्यावतीं गुणवतीमतिरूपवतीं सतीम् । श्वेतचम्पकवर्णाभां रत्नभूषणभूषिताम् ॥ १० ॥ विशुद्धां प्रकृतेरंशां सस्मितां वरदां शुभाम् । स्वधाभिधां च सुदतीं लक्ष्मीलक्षणसंयुताम् ॥ ११ ॥ शतपद्मपदन्यस्तपादपद्मं च बिभ्रतीम् । पत्नीं पितॄणां पद्मास्यां पद्मजां पद्मलोचनाम् ॥ १२ ॥ पितृभ्यश्च ददौ ब्रह्मा तुष्टेभ्यस्तुष्टिरूपिणीम् । ब्राह्मणानां चोपदेशं चकार गोपनीयकम् ॥ १३ ॥ स्वधान्तं मन्त्रमुच्चार्य पितृभ्यो देयमित्यपि । क्रमेण तेन विप्राश्च पित्रे दानं ददुः पुरा ॥ १४ ॥ स्वाहा शस्ता देवदाने पितृदाने स्वधा स्मृता । सर्वत्र दक्षिणा शस्ता हतं यज्ञमदक्षिणम् ॥ १५ ॥ पितरो देवता विप्रा मुनयो मनवस्तथा । पूजां चक्रुः स्वधां शान्तां तुष्टुवुः परमादरात् ॥ १६ ॥ देवादयश्च सन्तुष्टाः परिपूर्णमनोरथाः । विप्रादयश्च पितरः स्वधादेवीवरेण च ॥ १७ ॥ इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं स्वधोपाख्यानमेव च । सर्वेषां च तुष्टिकरं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ १८ ॥ नारद उवाच स्वधापूजाविधानं च ध्यानं स्तोत्रं महामुने । श्रोतुमिच्छामि यत्नेन वद वेदविदांवर ॥ १९ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच ध्यानं च स्तवनं ब्रह्मन् वेदोक्तं सर्वमङ्गलम् । सर्वं जानासि च कथं ज्ञातुमिच्छसि वृद्धये ॥ २० ॥ शरत्कृष्णत्रयोदश्यां मघायां श्राद्धवासरे । स्वधां सम्पूज्य यत्नेन ततः श्राद्धं समाचरेत् ॥ २१ ॥ स्वधां नाभ्यर्च्य यो विप्रः श्राद्धं कुर्यादहंमतिः । न भवेत्फलभाक्सत्यं श्राद्धस्य तर्पणस्य च ॥ २२ ॥ ब्रह्मणो मानसीं कन्यां शश्वत्सुस्थिरयौवनाम् । पूज्यां वै पितृदेवानां श्राद्धानां फलदां भजे ॥ २३ ॥ इति ध्यात्वा शिलायां वा ह्यथवा मङ्गले घटे । दद्यात्पाद्यादिकं तस्यै मूलेनेति श्रुतौ श्रुतम् ॥ २४ ॥ ओं ह्रीं श्रीं क्लीं स्वधादेव्यै स्वाहेति च महामुने । समुच्चार्य तु सम्पूज्य स्तुत्वा तां प्रणमेद् द्विजः ॥ २५ ॥ स्तोत्रं शृणु मुनिश्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मपुत्र विशारद । सर्ववाञ्छाप्रदं नॄणां ब्रह्मणा यत्कृतं पुरा ॥ २६ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच स्वधोच्चारणमात्रेण तीर्थस्नायी भवेन्नरः । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो वाजपेयफलं लभेत् ॥ २७ ॥ स्वधा स्वधा स्वधेत्येवं यदि वारत्रयं स्मरेत् । श्राद्धस्य फलमाप्नोति बलेश्च तर्पणस्य च ॥ २८ ॥ श्राद्धकाले स्वधास्तोत्रं यः शृणोति समाहितः । स लभेच्छ्राद्धसम्भूतं फलमेव न संशयः ॥ २९ ॥ स्वधा स्वधा स्वधेत्येवं त्रिसन्ध्यं यः पठेन्नरः । प्रियां विनीतां स लभेत्साध्वीं पुत्रगुणान्विताम् ॥ ३० ॥ पितॄणां प्राणतुल्या त्वं द्विजजीवनरूपिणी । श्राद्धाधिष्ठातृदेवी च श्राद्धादीनां फलप्रदा ॥ ३१ ॥ नित्या त्वं सत्यरूपासि पुण्यरूपासि सुव्रते । आविर्भावतिरोभावौ सृष्टौ च प्रलये तव ॥ ३२ ॥ ॐ स्वस्तिश्च नमः स्वाहा स्वधा त्वं दक्षिणा तथा । निरूपिताश्चतुर्वेदैः प्रशस्ताः कर्मिणां पुनः ॥ ३३ ॥ कर्मपूर्त्यर्थमेवैता ईश्वरेण विनिर्मिताः । इत्येवमुक्त्वा स ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मलोके स्वसंसदि ॥ ३४ ॥ तस्थौ च सहसा सद्यः स्वधा साऽऽविर्बभूव ह । तदा पितृभ्यः प्रददौ तामेव कमलाननाम् ॥ ३५ ॥ तां सम्प्राप्य ययुस्ते च पितरश्च प्रहर्षिताः । स्वधास्तोत्रमिदं पुण्यं यः शृणोति समाहितः । स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु वाञ्छितं फलमाप्नुयात् ॥ ३६ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca śṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi svadhopākhyānamuttamam | pitṝṇāṃ ca tṛptikaraṃ śrāddhāntaphalavardhanam || 1 || sṛṣṭerādau pitṛgaṇānsasarja jagatāṃ vidhiḥ | caturaśca mūrtimatastrīṃśca tejaḥsvarūpiṇaḥ || 2 || dṛṣṭvā saptapitṛgaṇān sukharūpānmanoharān | āhāraṃ sasṛje teṣāṃ śrāddhaṃ tarpaṇapūrvakam || 3 || snānaṃ tarpaṇaparyantaṃ śrāddhaṃ tu devapūjanam | āhnikaṃ ca trisandhyāntaṃ viprāṇāṃ ca śrutau śrutam || 4 || nityaṃ na kuryādyo viprastrisandhyaṃ śrāddhatarpaṇam | baliṃ vedadhvaniṃ so'pi viṣahīno yathoragaḥ || 5 || devīsevāvihīnaśca śrīhareranivedyabhuk | bhasmāntaṃ sūtakaṃ tasya na karmārhaśca nārada || 6 || brahmā śrāddhādikaṃ sṛṣṭvā jagāma pitṛhetave | na prāpnuvanti pitaro dadati brāhmaṇādayaḥ || 7 || sarve ca jagmuḥ kṣudhitāḥ khinnāstu brahmaṇaḥ sabhām | sarvaṃ nivedanaṃ cakrustameva jagatāṃ vidhim || 8 || brahmā ca mānasīṃ kanyāṃ sasṛje ca manoharām | rūpayauvanasampannāṃ śatacandranibhānanām || 9 || vidyāvatīṃ guṇavatīmatirūpavatīṃ satīm | śvetacampakavarṇābhāṃ ratnabhūṣaṇabhūṣitām || 10 || viśuddhāṃ prakṛteraṃśāṃ sasmitāṃ varadāṃ śubhām | svadhābhidhāṃ ca sudatīṃ lakṣmīlakṣaṇasaṃyutām || 11 || śatapadmapadanyastapādapadmaṃ ca bibhratīm | patnīṃ pitṝṇāṃ padmāsyāṃ padmajāṃ padmalocanām || 12 || pitṛbhyaśca dadau brahmā tuṣṭebhyastuṣṭirūpiṇīm | brāhmaṇānāṃ copadeśaṃ cakāra gopanīyakam || 13 || svadhāntaṃ mantramuccārya pitṛbhyo deyamityapi | krameṇa tena viprāśca pitre dānaṃ daduḥ purā || 14 || svāhā śastā devadāne pitṛdāne svadhā smṛtā | sarvatra dakṣiṇā śastā hataṃ yajñamadakṣiṇam || 15 || pitaro devatā viprā munayo manavastathā | pūjāṃ cakruḥ svadhāṃ śāntāṃ tuṣṭuvuḥ paramādarāt || 16 || devādayaśca santuṣṭāḥ paripūrṇamanorathāḥ | viprādayaśca pitaraḥ svadhādevīvareṇa ca || 17 || ityevaṃ kathitaṃ sarvaṃ svadhopākhyānameva ca | sarveṣāṃ ca tuṣṭikaraṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi || 18 || nārada uvāca svadhāpūjāvidhānaṃ ca dhyānaṃ stotraṃ mahāmune | śrotumicchāmi yatnena vada vedavidāṃvara || 19 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca dhyānaṃ ca stavanaṃ brahman vedoktaṃ sarvamaṅgalam | sarvaṃ jānāsi ca kathaṃ jñātumicchasi vṛddhaye || 20 || śaratkṛṣṇatrayodaśyāṃ maghāyāṃ śrāddhavāsare | svadhāṃ sampūjya yatnena tataḥ śrāddhaṃ samācaret || 21 || svadhāṃ nābhyarcya yo vipraḥ śrāddhaṃ kuryādahaṃmatiḥ | na bhavetphalabhāksatyaṃ śrāddhasya tarpaṇasya ca || 22 || brahmaṇo mānasīṃ kanyāṃ śaśvatsusthirayauvanām | pūjyāṃ vai pitṛdevānāṃ śrāddhānāṃ phaladāṃ bhaje || 23 || iti dhyātvā śilāyāṃ vā hyathavā maṅgale ghaṭe | dadyātpādyādikaṃ tasyai mūleneti śrutau śrutam || 24 || oṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ klīṃ svadhādevyai svāheti ca mahāmune | samuccārya tu sampūjya stutvā tāṃ praṇamed dvijaḥ || 25 || stotraṃ śṛṇu muniśreṣṭha brahmaputra viśārada | sarvavāñchāpradaṃ nṝṇāṃ brahmaṇā yatkṛtaṃ purā || 26 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca svadhoccāraṇamātreṇa tīrthasnāyī bhavennaraḥ | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo vājapeyaphalaṃ labhet || 27 || svadhā svadhā svadhetyevaṃ yadi vāratrayaṃ smaret | śrāddhasya phalamāpnoti baleśca tarpaṇasya ca || 28 || śrāddhakāle svadhāstotraṃ yaḥ śṛṇoti samāhitaḥ | sa labhecchrāddhasambhūtaṃ phalameva na saṃśayaḥ || 29 || svadhā svadhā svadhetyevaṃ trisandhyaṃ yaḥ paṭhennaraḥ | priyāṃ vinītāṃ sa labhetsādhvīṃ putraguṇānvitām || 30 || pitṝṇāṃ prāṇatulyā tvaṃ dvijajīvanarūpiṇī | śrāddhādhiṣṭhātṛdevī ca śrāddhādīnāṃ phalapradā || 31 || nityā tvaṃ satyarūpāsi puṇyarūpāsi suvrate | āvirbhāvatirobhāvau sṛṣṭau ca pralaye tava || 32 || oṃ svastiśca namaḥ svāhā svadhā tvaṃ dakṣiṇā tathā | nirūpitāścaturvedaiḥ praśastāḥ karmiṇāṃ punaḥ || 33 || karmapūrtyarthamevaitā īśvareṇa vinirmitāḥ | ityevamuktvā sa brahmā brahmaloke svasaṃsadi || 34 || tasthau ca sahasā sadyaḥ svadhā sā''virbabhūva ha | tadā pitṛbhyaḥ pradadau tāmeva kamalānanām || 35 || tāṃ samprāpya yayuste ca pitaraśca praharṣitāḥ | svadhāstotramidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ śṛṇoti samāhitaḥ | sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu vāñchitaṃ phalamāpnuyāt || 36 ||
English translation
1-18. Narayana said said O Narada! I will tell you now the excellent anecdote of Svadha, pleasing to the Piths and enhancing the fruits of the S’radh ceremony when foods are offered to the Pitris. Listen. Before the creation, the Creator created seven Pitris. Four out of them are with forms and the other three are of the nature of Teja (light).
Note Kavyavahoanalah Some Yamaschaivaryama tatha, Agnisvattah Barhisadah Somapa Pitri Devatah. These seven Pitris are according to the other Puranas. Seeing the beautiful and lovely forms of the Pitris, He made arrangements for their food in the form of S’raddhas and Tarpanas, etc. (funeral ceremony and peace- offerings), etc. (S’radh, solemn obsequies performed in honour of the manes of deceased ancestors.)
Taking bath, performing S’radh ceremony upto Tarpanam (peace- offerings), worshipping the Devas and doing Sandhya thrice a day; these are the daily duties of the Brahmanas. If any Brahmana does not perform daily the Trisandhyas, S’raddha, Tarpanam, worship and the reciting of the Vedas, he becomes devoid of fire like a snake without any poison. He who does not perform the devotional service of the Devi, who eats food not offered to S’ri Hari, who remains impure till death, is not entitled to do any karma whatsoever. Thus, introducing the S’raddhas, etc., for the Pitris, Brahma went to His own abode. The Brahmanas went on doing the S’raddhas for the Pitris, but the Pitris could not enjoy them and so they remained without food and were not satisfied. They all, being hungry and sad, went to the Council of Brahma and informed Him everything from
beginning to end. Brahma then created out of His mind one daughter very beautiful, full of youth and having a face lovely, as if equal to one hundred moons. That woman was best in all respects whether in form, beauty, qualities or in learning. Her colour was white like the white Champaka flower and her body was adorned all over with jewel ornaments. This form was very pure, ready to grant boons, auspicious and the part of Prakriti. Her face was beaming with smiles; her teeth were very beautiful and her body showed signs of Laksmi (i.e., of wealth and prosperity). Her name was Svadha. Her lotus-feet were situated on one hundred lotuses. She was the wife of the Pitris. Her face resembled that of a lotus and Her eyes looked like water lilies. She was born of the lotus born Brahma. The Grand¬ father Brahma made over that daughter of the nature of Tusti (Contentment) to the hands of the Pitris and they were satisfied. Brahma advised the Brahmanas privately that whenever they would offer anything to the Pitris, they should offer duly with the mantra Svadha pronounced at the end. Since then the Brahmanas are offering everything to the Pitris, with the Mantra Svadha uttered in the end. Svaha is laudable, when offerings are presented to the Gods and Svadha is commendable when offerings are made to the Pitris. But in both the cases, Daksina is essential. Without Daksina (sacrificial fee), all sacrifices are useless and worthless. The Pitris, Devatas, Brahmanas, the Munis, the Manus worshipped the peaceful Svadha and chanted hymns to Her with great love. The Devas, Pitris, Brahmanas, all were pleased and felt their ends achieved when they got the boon from Svadha Devi. Thus I have told you everything about Svadha. It is pleasing to all. What more do you want to hear? Say. I will answer all your questions.
19. Narada said “O Thou, the Best of the knowers of the Vedas! O Muni Sattama! I want now to hear the method of worship, the meditation and the hymns of Svadha Devi. Kindly tell me all about this.”
20-27. Narayana said You know everything about the all- auspicious Dhyan, Stotra, as stated in the Vedas; then why do you ask me again? However I will speak out this for the enhancement of knowledge. On the thirteenth day of the Dark Fortnight in autumn when the Magha asterism is with the Moon and on the S’raddha day. One should worship with care Svadha Devi; then one should perform S’raddha. If, out of vanity, a Brahmin performs S’radh without first worshipping Svadha Devi then he will never get the fruits of Tarpanam or S’radh. “O Devi Svadhe! Thou art the mind-born daughter of Brahma, always young and worshipped by the Piths. Thou bestowest the fruits of S’raddh. So I meditate on Thee.” Thus meditating, the Brahmin is to pronounce the motto (mula mantra) and offer the Padyam, etc., on the S’alagrama stone or on the auspicious earthen jar. This is the ruling of the Vedas. The motto is “Om Hrim, S’rim, Klim, Svadha Devyai Svaha.” She should be worshipped with this Mantra. After reciting hymns to the Devi, one is to bow down to the Svadha Devi. O Son of Brahma! O Best of Munis! O Skilled in hearing! I now describe the stotra which Brahma composed at the beginning for the bestowal of the desired fruits to mankind. Listen.
Narayana said The instant the Mantra Svadha is pronounced, men get at once the fruits of bathing in the holy places of pilgrimages. No trace of sin exists in him at that time; rather the religious merits of performing the Vajapeya sacrifice accrue to him.
28-36. “Svadha,” “Svadha,” “Svadha,” thrice this word if one calls to mind, one gets the fruits of S’radh, Tarpanam, and Bali (offering sacrifices). So much so, if one hears with devotion during the S’radh time the recitation of the hymn to Svadha, one gets, no doubt, the fruit of S’radh. If one recites the Svadha mantra thrice every time in the morning, midday and evening, every day, one gets an obedient, chaste wife begetting sons. The following is the hymn (Stotra) to
Svadha “O Devi Svadhe! Thou art dear to the Pitris as their vital breaths and thou art the lives of the Brahmanas. Thou art the Presiding Deity of the S’radh ceremonies and bestowest the fruits thereof. O Thou of good vows! Thou art eternal, true, and of the nature of religious merits. Thou appearest in creation and disappearest in dissolution. And this appearing and disappearing go on forever. Thou art Om, thou art Svasti, Thou art Namas Kara (salutation); Thou art Svadha, Thou art Daksina, Thou art the various works as designated in the Vedas. These the Lord of the world has created for the success of actions.” No sooner Brahma, seated in His assembly in the Brahma Loka, reciting this stotra remained silent, than Svadha Devi appeared there all at once. When Brahma handed over the lotus-faced Svadha Devi over to the hands of the Pitris, and they gladly took Her to their own abodes. He who hears with devotion and attention this stotra of Svadha, gets all sorts of rich fruits that are desired and the fruits of bathing in all the Tirthas.
Here ends the Forty-fourth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the story of Svadha Devi in the discourse between Narada and Narayana in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24539, revision 75188 (2016-07-27T14:14:39Z). 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/bk09ch44.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.