Seventh Skandha · Chapter 11
Sourceजनमेजय उवाच - वसिष्ठेन च शप्तोऽसौ त्रिशङ्कुर्नृपतेः सुतः । कथं शापाद्विनिर्मुक्तस्तन्मे ब्रूहि महामते ॥ १ ॥ व्यास उवाच - सत्यव्रतस्तथा शप्तः पिशाचत्वमवाप्तवान् । तस्मिन्नेवाश्रमे तस्थौ देवीभक्तिपरायणः ॥ २ ॥ कदाचिन्नृपतिस्तत्र जप्त्वा मन्त्रं नवाक्षरम् । होमार्थं ब्राह्मणान्गत्वा प्रणम्योवाच भक्तितः ॥ ३ ॥ भूमिदेवाः शृणुध्वं वै वचनं प्रणतस्य मे । ऋत्विजो मम सर्वेऽत्र भवन्तः प्रभवन्तु ह ॥ ४ ॥ जपस्य च दशांशेन होमः कार्यो विधानतः । भवद्भिः कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं वेदविद्भिः कृपापरैः ॥ ५ ॥ सत्यव्रतोऽहं नृपतेः पुत्रो ब्रह्मविदांवराः । कार्यं मम विधातव्यं सर्वथा सुखहेतवे ॥ ६ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणास्तत्र तमूचुर्नृपतेः सुतम् । शप्तस्त्वं गुरुणा प्राप्तं पिशाचत्वं त्वयाधुना ॥ ७ ॥ न यागार्होऽसि तस्मात्त्वं वेदेष्वनधिकारतः । पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्तं सर्वलोकेषु गर्हितम् ॥ ८ ॥ व्यास उवाच - तन्निशम्य वचस्तेषां राजा दुःखमवाप ह । धिग्जीवितमिदं मेऽद्य किं करोमि वने स्थितः ॥ ९ ॥ पित्रा चाहं परित्यक्तः शप्तश्च गुरुणा भृशम् । राज्याद्भ्रष्टः पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्तः करोमि किम् ॥ १० ॥ तदा पृथुतरां कृत्वा चितां काष्ठैर्नृपात्मजः । सस्मार चण्डिकां देवीं प्रवेशमनुचिन्तयन् ॥ ११ ॥ स्मृता देवीं महामायां चितां प्रज्वलितां पुरः । कृत्वा स्नात्वा प्रवेशार्थं स्थितः प्राञ्जलिरग्रतः ॥ १२ ॥ ज्ञात्वा भगवती तं तु मर्तुकामं महीपतिम् । आजगाम तदाऽऽकाशं प्रत्यक्षं तस्य चाग्रतः ॥ १३ ॥ दत्त्वाथ दर्शनं देवी तमुवाच नृपात्मजम् । सिंहारूढा महाराज मेघगम्भीरया गिरा ॥ १४ । देव्युवाच - किं ते व्यवसितं साधो हुताशे मा तनुं त्यज । स्थिरो भव महाभाग पिता ते जरसान्वितः ॥ १५ ॥ राज्यं दत्त्वा वने तुभ्यं गन्तास्ति तपसे किल । विषादं त्यज हे वीर परश्वोऽहनि भूपते ॥ १६ ॥ नेतुं त्वामागमिष्यन्ति सचिवाश्व पितुस्तव । मत्प्रसादात्पिता च त्वामभिषिच्य नृपासने ॥ १७ ॥ जित्वा कामं ब्रह्मलोकं गमिष्येत्येष निश्चयः । व्यास उवाच - इत्युक्त्वा तं तदा देवी तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥ १८ ॥ राजपुत्रो विरमितो मरणात्पावकात्ततः । अयोध्यायां तदाऽऽगत्य नारदेन महात्मना ॥ १९ ॥ वृत्तान्तः कथितः सर्वो राज्ञे सत्वरमादितः । श्रुत्वा राजाथ पुत्रस्य तं तथा मरणोद्यमम् ॥ २० ॥ खेदमाधाय मनसि शुशोच बहुधा नृपः । सचिवानाह धर्मात्मा पुत्रशोकपरिप्लुतः ॥ २१ ॥ ज्ञातं भवद्भिरत्युग्रं पुत्रस्य मम चेष्टितम् । त्यक्तो मया वने धीमान्पुत्रः सत्यव्रतो मम ॥ २२ ॥ आज्ञयासौ गतः सद्यो राज्यार्हः परमार्थवित् । स्थितस्तत्रैव विज्ञाने धनहीनः क्षमान्वितः ॥ २३ ॥ वसिष्ठेन तथा शप्तः पिशाचसदृशः कृतः । सोऽद्य दुःखेन सन्तप्तः प्रवेष्टुञ्च हुताशनम् ॥ २४ ॥ उद्यतः श्रीमहादेव्या निषिद्धः संस्थितः पुनः । तस्माद् गच्छन्तु तं शीघ्रं ज्येष्ठपुत्रं महाबलम् ॥ २५ ॥ आश्वास्य वचनैरत्र तरसैवानयन्त्विह । अभिषिच्य सुतं राज्ये औरसं पालनक्षमम् ॥ २६ ॥ वनं यास्यामि शान्तोऽहं तपसे कृतनिश्चयः । इत्युक्त्वा मन्त्रिणः सर्वान्प्रेषयामास पार्थिवः ॥ २७ ॥ तस्यैवानयनार्थं हि प्रीतिप्रवणमानसः । ते गत्वा तं समाश्वास्य मन्त्रिणः पार्थिवात्मजम् ॥ २८ ॥ अयोध्यायां महात्मानं मानपूर्वं समानयन् । दृष्ट्वा सत्यव्रतं राजा दुर्बलं मलिनाम्बरम् ॥ २९ ॥ जटाजूटधरं क्रूरं चिन्तातुरमचिन्तयत् । किं कृतं निष्ठुरं कर्म मया पुत्रो विवासितः ॥ ३० ॥ राज्यार्हश्चातिमेधावी जानता धर्मनिश्चयम् । इति सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा तमालिङ्य महीपतिः ॥ ३१ ॥ आसने स्वसमीपशे समाश्वास्योपवेशयत् । उपविष्टं सुतं राजा प्रेमपूर्वमुवाच ह ॥ ३२ ॥ प्रेमगद्गदया वाचा नीतिशास्त्रविशारदः । राजोवाच - पुत्र धर्मे मतिः कार्या माननीया मुखोद्भवाः ॥ ३३ ॥ न्यायागतं धनं ग्राह्यं रक्षणीयाः सदा प्रजाः । नासत्यं क्वापि वक्तव्यं नामार्गे गमनं क्वचित् ॥ ३४ ॥ शिष्टप्रोक्तं प्रकर्तव्यं पूजनीयास्तपस्विनः । हन्तव्या दस्यवः क्रूरा इन्द्रियाणां तथा जयः ॥ ३५ ॥ कर्तव्यं कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं राज्ञा पुत्र सदैव हि । मन्त्रस्तु सर्वथा गोप्यः कर्तव्यः सचिवैः सह ॥ ३६ ॥ नोपेक्ष्योऽल्पोऽपि कृतिना रिपुः सर्वात्मना सुत । न विश्वसेत्परासक्तं सचिवं च तथा नतम् ॥ ३७ ॥ चाराः सर्वत्र योक्तव्याः शत्रुमित्रेषु सर्वथा । धर्मे मतिः सदा कार्या दानं दद्याच्च नित्यशः ॥ ३८ ॥ शुष्कवादो न कर्तव्यो दुष्टसङ्गं च वर्जयेत् । यष्टव्या विविधा यज्ञाः पूजनीया महर्षयः ॥ ३९ ॥ न विश्वसेत्स्त्रियं क्वापि स्त्रैणं द्यूतरतं नरम् । अत्यादरो न कर्तव्यो मृगयायां कदाचन ॥ ४० ॥ द्यूते मद्ये तथा गेये नूनं वारवधूषु च । स्वयं तद्विमुखो भूयात् प्रजास्तेभ्यश्च रक्षयेत् ॥ ४१ ॥ ब्राह्मे मुहूर्ते कर्तव्यमुत्थानं सर्वथा सदा । स्नानादिकं सर्वविधिं विधाय विधिवद्यथा ॥ ४२ ॥ पराशक्तेः परां पूजां भक्त्या कुर्यात्सुदीक्षितः । पुत्रैतज्जन्मसाफल्यं पराशक्तेः पदार्चनम् ॥ ४३ ॥ सकृत्कृत्वा महापूजां दैवीपादजलं पिबन् । न जातु जननीगर्भे गच्छेदिति विनिश्चयः ॥ ४४ ॥ सर्वं दृश्यं महादेवी द्रष्टा साक्षी च सैव हि । इति तद्भावभरितस्तिष्ठेन्निर्भयचेतसा ॥ ४५ ॥ कृत्वा नित्यविधिं सम्यग्गन्तव्यं सदसि द्विजान् । समाहूय च प्रष्टव्यो धर्मशास्त्रविनिर्णयः ॥ ४६ ॥ सम्पूज्य ब्राह्मणान्पूज्यान्वेदवेदान्तपारगान् । गोभूहिरण्यादिकं च देयं पात्रेषु सर्वदा ॥ ४७ ॥ अविद्वान्ब्राह्मणः कोऽपि नैव पूज्यः कदाचन । आहारादधिकं नैव देयं मूर्खाय कर्हिचित् ॥ ४८ ॥ न वा लोभात्त्वया पुत्र कर्तव्यं धर्मलङ्घनम् । अतः परं न कर्तव्यं क्वचिद्विप्रावमाननम् ॥ ४९ ॥ ब्राह्मणा भूमिदेवाश्च माननीयाः प्रयत्नतः । कारणं क्षत्रियाणां च द्विजा एव न संशयः ॥ ५० ॥ अद्भ्योऽग्निर्ब्रह्मणः क्षत्रमश्मनो लोहमुत्थितम् । तेषां सर्वत्रगं तेजः स्वासु योनिषु शाम्यति ॥ ५१ ॥ तस्माद्राज्ञा विशेषेण माननीया मुखोद्भवाः । दानेन विनयेनैव सर्वथा भूतिमिच्छता ॥ ५२ ॥ दण्डनीतिः सदा कार्या धर्मशास्त्रानुसारतः । कोशस्य संग्रहः कार्यो नूनं न्यायागतस्य ह ॥ ५३ ॥
janamejaya uvāca - vasiṣṭhena ca śapto'sau triśaṅkurnṛpateḥ sutaḥ | kathaṃ śāpādvinirmuktastanme brūhi mahāmate || 1 || vyāsa uvāca - satyavratastathā śaptaḥ piśācatvamavāptavān | tasminnevāśrame tasthau devībhaktiparāyaṇaḥ || 2 || kadācinnṛpatistatra japtvā mantraṃ navākṣaram | homārthaṃ brāhmaṇāngatvā praṇamyovāca bhaktitaḥ || 3 || bhūmidevāḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ vai vacanaṃ praṇatasya me | ṛtvijo mama sarve'tra bhavantaḥ prabhavantu ha || 4 || japasya ca daśāṃśena homaḥ kāryo vidhānataḥ | bhavadbhiḥ kāryasiddhyarthaṃ vedavidbhiḥ kṛpāparaiḥ || 5 || satyavrato'haṃ nṛpateḥ putro brahmavidāṃvarāḥ | kāryaṃ mama vidhātavyaṃ sarvathā sukhahetave || 6 || tacchrutvā brāhmaṇāstatra tamūcurnṛpateḥ sutam | śaptastvaṃ guruṇā prāptaṃ piśācatvaṃ tvayādhunā || 7 || na yāgārho'si tasmāttvaṃ vedeṣvanadhikārataḥ | piśācatvamanuprāptaṃ sarvalokeṣu garhitam || 8 || vyāsa uvāca - tanniśamya vacasteṣāṃ rājā duḥkhamavāpa ha | dhigjīvitamidaṃ me'dya kiṃ karomi vane sthitaḥ || 9 || pitrā cāhaṃ parityaktaḥ śaptaśca guruṇā bhṛśam | rājyādbhraṣṭaḥ piśācatvamanuprāptaḥ karomi kim || 10 || tadā pṛthutarāṃ kṛtvā citāṃ kāṣṭhairnṛpātmajaḥ | sasmāra caṇḍikāṃ devīṃ praveśamanucintayan || 11 || smṛtā devīṃ mahāmāyāṃ citāṃ prajvalitāṃ puraḥ | kṛtvā snātvā praveśārthaṃ sthitaḥ prāñjaliragrataḥ || 12 || jñātvā bhagavatī taṃ tu martukāmaṃ mahīpatim | ājagāma tadā''kāśaṃ pratyakṣaṃ tasya cāgrataḥ || 13 || dattvātha darśanaṃ devī tamuvāca nṛpātmajam | siṃhārūḍhā mahārāja meghagambhīrayā girā || 14 | devyuvāca - kiṃ te vyavasitaṃ sādho hutāśe mā tanuṃ tyaja | sthiro bhava mahābhāga pitā te jarasānvitaḥ || 15 || rājyaṃ dattvā vane tubhyaṃ gantāsti tapase kila | viṣādaṃ tyaja he vīra paraśvo'hani bhūpate || 16 || netuṃ tvāmāgamiṣyanti sacivāśva pitustava | matprasādātpitā ca tvāmabhiṣicya nṛpāsane || 17 || jitvā kāmaṃ brahmalokaṃ gamiṣyetyeṣa niścayaḥ | vyāsa uvāca - ityuktvā taṃ tadā devī tatraivāntaradhīyata || 18 || rājaputro viramito maraṇātpāvakāttataḥ | ayodhyāyāṃ tadā''gatya nāradena mahātmanā || 19 || vṛttāntaḥ kathitaḥ sarvo rājñe satvaramāditaḥ | śrutvā rājātha putrasya taṃ tathā maraṇodyamam || 20 || khedamādhāya manasi śuśoca bahudhā nṛpaḥ | sacivānāha dharmātmā putraśokapariplutaḥ || 21 || jñātaṃ bhavadbhiratyugraṃ putrasya mama ceṣṭitam | tyakto mayā vane dhīmānputraḥ satyavrato mama || 22 || ājñayāsau gataḥ sadyo rājyārhaḥ paramārthavit | sthitastatraiva vijñāne dhanahīnaḥ kṣamānvitaḥ || 23 || vasiṣṭhena tathā śaptaḥ piśācasadṛśaḥ kṛtaḥ | so'dya duḥkhena santaptaḥ praveṣṭuñca hutāśanam || 24 || udyataḥ śrīmahādevyā niṣiddhaḥ saṃsthitaḥ punaḥ | tasmād gacchantu taṃ śīghraṃ jyeṣṭhaputraṃ mahābalam || 25 || āśvāsya vacanairatra tarasaivānayantviha | abhiṣicya sutaṃ rājye aurasaṃ pālanakṣamam || 26 || vanaṃ yāsyāmi śānto'haṃ tapase kṛtaniścayaḥ | ityuktvā mantriṇaḥ sarvānpreṣayāmāsa pārthivaḥ || 27 || tasyaivānayanārthaṃ hi prītipravaṇamānasaḥ | te gatvā taṃ samāśvāsya mantriṇaḥ pārthivātmajam || 28 || ayodhyāyāṃ mahātmānaṃ mānapūrvaṃ samānayan | dṛṣṭvā satyavrataṃ rājā durbalaṃ malināmbaram || 29 || jaṭājūṭadharaṃ krūraṃ cintāturamacintayat | kiṃ kṛtaṃ niṣṭhuraṃ karma mayā putro vivāsitaḥ || 30 || rājyārhaścātimedhāvī jānatā dharmaniścayam | iti sañcintya manasā tamāliṅya mahīpatiḥ || 31 || āsane svasamīpaśe samāśvāsyopaveśayat | upaviṣṭaṃ sutaṃ rājā premapūrvamuvāca ha || 32 || premagadgadayā vācā nītiśāstraviśāradaḥ | rājovāca - putra dharme matiḥ kāryā mānanīyā mukhodbhavāḥ || 33 || nyāyāgataṃ dhanaṃ grāhyaṃ rakṣaṇīyāḥ sadā prajāḥ | nāsatyaṃ kvāpi vaktavyaṃ nāmārge gamanaṃ kvacit || 34 || śiṣṭaproktaṃ prakartavyaṃ pūjanīyāstapasvinaḥ | hantavyā dasyavaḥ krūrā indriyāṇāṃ tathā jayaḥ || 35 || kartavyaṃ kāryasiddhyarthaṃ rājñā putra sadaiva hi | mantrastu sarvathā gopyaḥ kartavyaḥ sacivaiḥ saha || 36 || nopekṣyo'lpo'pi kṛtinā ripuḥ sarvātmanā suta | na viśvasetparāsaktaṃ sacivaṃ ca tathā natam || 37 || cārāḥ sarvatra yoktavyāḥ śatrumitreṣu sarvathā | dharme matiḥ sadā kāryā dānaṃ dadyācca nityaśaḥ || 38 || śuṣkavādo na kartavyo duṣṭasaṅgaṃ ca varjayet | yaṣṭavyā vividhā yajñāḥ pūjanīyā maharṣayaḥ || 39 || na viśvasetstriyaṃ kvāpi straiṇaṃ dyūtarataṃ naram | atyādaro na kartavyo mṛgayāyāṃ kadācana || 40 || dyūte madye tathā geye nūnaṃ vāravadhūṣu ca | svayaṃ tadvimukho bhūyāt prajāstebhyaśca rakṣayet || 41 || brāhme muhūrte kartavyamutthānaṃ sarvathā sadā | snānādikaṃ sarvavidhiṃ vidhāya vidhivadyathā || 42 || parāśakteḥ parāṃ pūjāṃ bhaktyā kuryātsudīkṣitaḥ | putraitajjanmasāphalyaṃ parāśakteḥ padārcanam || 43 || sakṛtkṛtvā mahāpūjāṃ daivīpādajalaṃ piban | na jātu jananīgarbhe gacchediti viniścayaḥ || 44 || sarvaṃ dṛśyaṃ mahādevī draṣṭā sākṣī ca saiva hi | iti tadbhāvabharitastiṣṭhennirbhayacetasā || 45 || kṛtvā nityavidhiṃ samyaggantavyaṃ sadasi dvijān | samāhūya ca praṣṭavyo dharmaśāstravinirṇayaḥ || 46 || sampūjya brāhmaṇānpūjyānvedavedāntapāragān | gobhūhiraṇyādikaṃ ca deyaṃ pātreṣu sarvadā || 47 || avidvānbrāhmaṇaḥ ko'pi naiva pūjyaḥ kadācana | āhārādadhikaṃ naiva deyaṃ mūrkhāya karhicit || 48 || na vā lobhāttvayā putra kartavyaṃ dharmalaṅghanam | ataḥ paraṃ na kartavyaṃ kvacidviprāvamānanam || 49 || brāhmaṇā bhūmidevāśca mānanīyāḥ prayatnataḥ | kāraṇaṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ ca dvijā eva na saṃśayaḥ || 50 || adbhyo'gnirbrahmaṇaḥ kṣatramaśmano lohamutthitam | teṣāṃ sarvatragaṃ tejaḥ svāsu yoniṣu śāmyati || 51 || tasmādrājñā viśeṣeṇa mānanīyā mukhodbhavāḥ | dānena vinayenaiva sarvathā bhūtimicchatā || 52 || daṇḍanītiḥ sadā kāryā dharmaśāstrānusārataḥ | kośasya saṃgrahaḥ kāryo nūnaṃ nyāyāgatasya ha || 53 ||
English translation
1. Janamejaya said “O Intelligent One! Did the prince Tris’anku free himself afterwards of the curse inflicted on him by the Muni Vas’istha.”
2-8. Vyasa said O King! Satyavrata, cursed by Vas’istha, was transformed into a demoniacal state (Pis’achatva); but he became a great devotee of the Devi and passed away his time in that As’rama. One day he repeating slowly the nine-lettered Mantram of the Bhagavati, wished to perform the Puras’charana ceremony (repeating the name of a deity attended with burnt offerings, oblations, etc.) of the said Mantra, came to the Brahmins, bowed down to them with great devotion and purity and said “O venerable gods of the earth! Kindly hear me; I with my head bowed down pray to you, that you all be my priests (Ritt-vigs). You are all versed in the Vedas; so kindly do for me duly the Homa ceremony equal to one-tenth part of Japam, for my success. O Brahmanas! My name is Satyavrata; I am a prince; you ought to do this work for me for my welfare.” Thus hearing the prince’s words the Brahmanas said “O Prince! You are cursed by your Guru and you are now turned into a demoniacal state. You have now no right to the Vedas; especially you are now in the Pis’acha state; it is blamed by all the persons; so now you are not fit to be initiated into the ceremony.”
9-14. Vyasa said O King! Hearing them, the prince got very sad and dejected and thought “Fie on my life! What shall I do now in living even in the forest. My father has forsaken me; I am banished from the kingdom; again, by the Guru’s curse, I have got this Pis’acha state; I therefore can’t decide what to do.” The prince, then, collecting fuel, prepared the funeral pile for himself, remembered the Chandika Devi and repeating Her Mantram, resolved to jump into the
fire. Lighting the pyre in front, the prince bathed and standing, with clasped palms, began to chant the hymns to Maha Maya before entering into the fire. At this moment, the Devi Bhagavati, knowing that the prince was ready to burn himself, came instantly to the spot on the back of the lion, by the aerial route. She manifested Henself before him and spoke in a voice deep like a rain-cloud.
15-17. “O Virtuous One What is all this? What have you settled all these? Never throw yourself in fire; be patient. O Fortunate One!
Your father is now aged; he will give you his kingdom and will go to the forest for tapasya; therefore, O Hero! Do leave your depression of spirits. O King! Tomorrow the ministers of your father will came to you to take you there. By My Grace, your father will install you on the throne and, in due time, he will conquer his desires and will go undoubtedly to the Brahma loka.”
18-32. Vyasa said O Fortunate One! Thus saying, the Devi vanished at that spot; the prince, too, desisted from his purpose of entering into the fire. In the meanwhile, the highsouled Narada went to Ayodhya and at once informed everything to the King. The King became very sad and began to repent very much, hearing the son’s resolve to burn himself. The virtuous King, grieved at heart, for his son, said to his ministers “You all are aware of the turning out of my son. I have forsaken my intelligent son Satyavrata; though he was very spiritual and worthy to get the kingdom; yet, at my command, he instantaneously went away to the forest. Void of wealth, he, practising forgiveness, passed his time in study, particularly in spiritual knowledge; but Vas’istha Deva, cursed him and made him like a Pis’acha. Very much distressed by pain and sorow, he was ready to burn himself but the Maha Devi preventing him, he desisted from this purpose. So go hurriedly and, consoling my powerful eldest son, bring him at once to me. I am now calm and quiet and of a retiring disposition; so I am determined to practise
tapasya. My son is now capable to govern the subjects; I will now install nny son on the throne and retire to the forest.” So he gladly sent his ministers to his son. The ministers, too, gladly went there and consoled the prince and, with respect, brought him to the Ayodhya city. Seeing Satyavrata with matted hair on his head, with dirty clothes, and thin and worn out with cares, the King began to think within himself “Oh! What a cruel act have I done, though I know everything about religion, in banishing my intelligent son, quite fit to govern my kingdom.” Thus thinking, he embraced his son by his arms and consoling him, made him sit by his throne. The King, versed in politics, then began to speak gladly with suffocated feelings of love to his son sitting by the side of him.
33-53. O Son! Your highest duty is to keep your mind always on religion and to respect the Brahmins. Never speak falsely anywhere nor follow any bad course in any way. Rather the words of the spiritual good persons ought to be fully observed; the ascetics ought to be worshipped. Senses must be controlled and the wicked cruel robbers are certainly to be slain. O Son! For one’s success, one should consult with one’s ministers and keep that as secret by all means. Any enemy howsoever insignificant he may be, a clever King should never overlook him. The ministers, if they be attached to other masters and if they come round afterwards, don’t trust them. Spies should be kept to watch friends and foes alike. Show your living regards to the religion always, and make charitable gifts. One ought not to argue in vain and always avoid the company of the wicked. O Son! You should worship the Maharsis and perform various sacrifices. Never trust women, those who are inordinately addicted to women, and the gamblers. Never is it advisable to be addicted too much to hunting. Always shew your back to gambling, drinking, music and to the prostitutes and try to make your subjects follow the same. Early in the morning at the Brahma Muhurta everyday you should get up from your bed and bathe and perform other analogous duties. O Son! Be initiated by the Guru in the Devi
Mantra, and worship with devotion the Suprenne Force, the Bhagavati. Human birth is crowned with success by worshipping Her Lotus Feet, O Son!
He who performs once the great Puja of the Maha Devi and drinks the Charanamrita water (water with which Her feet are worshipped) has never to enter again in the womb of his mother; know this as certain. That Maha Devi is all that is seen and She Herself is again the Seer and Witness, of the nature of Intelligence. Filled with these ideas, rest fearless like the Universal Soul. Do your daily Naimittik (occasional) duties, go to the Brahmin’s assembly and calling on them ask the conclusions of the Dharma S’astras. The Brahmins, versed in the Vedas and Vedantas, are objects of venerations and must be worshipped. Give, then, them always according to merits, cows, lands, gold, etc. Don’t worship any Brahmin who is illiterate. Don’t give to illiterates more than their belliful wants. O Child! Never trespass Dharma, out of covetousness, and remember always not to insult ever afterwards any Brahmanas. The Brahmins are the cause of the Ksattriyas, the more so they are the terrestrial gods; honour them with all your care! In this never flinch from your duties. Fire comes out of water; the Ksattriyas come out of the Brahmanas; iron comes out of stones. The powers of these flow everywhere. But if there be any clash between one thing and its source, then that clash dies away in the source. Know this as quite certain. The King who wants his own welfare and improvement must by gift and humility shew his respect especially to the Brahmins. Follow the maxims of morality as dictated in the Dharma S’astras. Amass wealth according to rules of justice and fill the treasury.
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Seventh Book about the story of Tris’anku in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25107, revision 76173 (2016-08-17T00:03:10Z). 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/bk07ch11.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.