Seventh Skandha · Chapter 28
Sourceजनमेजय उवाच - विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं हरिश्चन्द्रस्य कीर्तितम् । शताक्षीपादभक्तस्य राजर्षेर्धार्मिकस्य च ॥ १ ॥ शताक्षी सा कुतो जाता देवी भगवती शिवा । तत्कारणं वद मुने सार्थकं जन्म मे कुरु ॥ २ ॥ को हि देव्या गुणाञ्छृण्वंस्तृप्तिं यास्यति शुद्धधीः । पदे पदेऽश्वमेधस्य फलमक्षय्यमश्नुते ॥ ३ ॥ व्यास उवाच - शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि शताक्षीसम्भवं शुभम् । तवावाच्यं न मे किञ्चिद्देवीभक्तस्य विद्यते ॥ ४ ॥ दुर्गमाख्यो महादैत्यः पूर्वं परमदारुणः । हिरण्याक्षान्वये जातो रुरुपुत्रो महाखलः ॥ ५ ॥ देवानां तु बलं वेदो नाशे तस्य सुरा अपि नंक्ष्यन्त्येव न संदेहो विधेयं तावदेव तत् ॥ ६ ॥ विमृश्यैतत्तपश्चर्यां गतः कर्तुं हिमालये । ब्रह्माणं मनसा ध्यात्वा वायुभक्षो व्यतिष्ठत ॥ ७ ॥ सहस्रवर्षपर्यन्तं चकार परमं तपः । तेजसा तस्य लोकास्तु सन्तप्ताः ससुरासुराः ॥ ८ ॥ ततः प्रसन्नो भगवान् हंसारूढश्चतुर्मुखः । ययौ तस्मै वरं दातुं प्रसन्नमुखपङ्कजः ॥ ९ ॥ समाधिस्थं मीलिताक्षं स्फुटमाह चतुर्मुखः । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्तते ॥ १० ॥ तवाद्य तपसा तुष्टो वरदेशोऽहमागतः । श्रुत्वा ब्रह्ममुखाद्वाणीं व्युत्थितः स समाधितः ॥ ११ ॥ पूजयित्वा वरं वव्रे वेदान्देहि सुरेश्वर । त्रिषु लोकेषु ये मन्त्रा ब्राह्मणेषु सुरेष्वपि ॥ १२ ॥ विद्यन्ते ते तु सान्निध्ये मम सन्तु महेश्वर । बलं च देहि येन स्याद्देवानां च पराजयः ॥ १३ ॥ इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तथास्त्विति वचो वदन् । जगाम सत्यलोकं तु चतुर्वेदेश्वरः परः ॥ १४ ॥ ततः प्रभृति विप्रैस्तु विस्मृता वेदराशयः । स्नानसन्ध्यानित्यहोमश्राद्धयज्ञजपादयः ॥ १५ ॥ विलुप्ता धरणीपृष्ठे हाहाकारो महानभूत् । किमिदं किमिदं चेति विप्रा ऊचुः परस्परम् ॥ १६ ॥ वेदाभावात्तदस्माभिः कर्तव्यं किमतः परम् । इति भूमौ महानर्थे जाते परमदारुणे ॥ १७ ॥ निर्जराः सजरा जाता हविर्भागाद्यभावतः । रुरोध स तदा दैत्यो नगरीममरावतीम् ॥ १८ ॥ अशक्तास्तेन ते योद्धुं वज्रदेहासुरेण च । पलायनं तदा कृत्वा निर्गता निर्जराः क्वचित् ॥ १९ ॥ निलयं गिरिदुर्गेषु रत्नसानुगुहासु च । संस्थिताः परमां शक्तिं ध्यायन्तस्ते पराम्बिकाम् ॥ २० ॥ अग्नौ होमाद्यभावात्तु वृष्ट्यभावोऽप्यभून्नृप । वृष्टेरभावे संशुष्कं निर्जलं चापि भूतलम् ॥ २१ ॥ कूपवापीतडागाश्च सरितः शुष्कतां गताः । अनावृष्टिरियं राजन्नभूच्च शतवार्षिकी ॥ २२ ॥ मृताः प्रजाश्च बहुधा गोमहिष्यादयस्तथा । गृहे गृहे मनुष्याणामभवच्छवसंग्रहः ॥ २३ ॥ अनर्थे त्वेवमुद्भूते ब्राह्मणाः शान्तचेतसः । गत्वा हिमवतः पार्श्वे रिराधयिषवः शिवम् ॥ २४ ॥ समाधिध्यानपूजाभिर्देवीं तुष्टुवुरन्वहम् । निराहारास्तदासक्तास्तामेव शरणं ययुः ॥ २५ ॥ दयां कुरु महेशानि पामरेषु जनेषु हि । सर्वापराधयुक्तेषु नैतच्छ्लाघ्यं तवाम्बिके ॥ २६ ॥ कोपं संहर देवेशि सर्वान्तर्यामिरूपिणि । त्वया यथा प्रेर्यतेऽयं करोति स तथा जनः ॥ २७ ॥ नान्या गतिर्जनस्यास्य किं पश्यसि पुनः पुनः । यथेच्छसि तथा कर्तुं समर्थासि महेश्वरि ॥ २८ ॥ समुद्धर महेशानि संकटात्परमोत्थितात् । जीवनेन विनास्माकं कथं स्यात्स्थितिरम्बिके ॥ २९ ॥ प्रसीद त्वं महेशानि प्रसीद जगदम्बिके । अनन्तकोटिब्रह्माण्डनायिके ते नमो नमः ॥ ३० ॥ नमः कूटस्थरूपायै चिद्रूपायै नमो नमः । नमो वेदान्तवेद्यायै भुवनेश्यै नमो नमः ॥ ३१ ॥ नेति नेतीति वाक्यैर्या बोध्यते सकलागमैः । तां सर्वकारणां देवीं सर्वभावेन सन्नताः ॥ ३२ ॥ इति सम्प्रार्थिता देवी भुवनेशी महेश्वरी । अनन्ताक्षिमयं रूपं दर्शयामास पार्वती ॥ ३३ ॥ नीलाञ्जनसमप्रख्यं नीलपद्मायतेक्षणम् । सुकर्कशसमोत्तुङ्गवृत्तपीनघनस्तनम् ॥ ३४ ॥ बाणमुष्टिं च कमलं पुष्पपल्लवमूलकान् । शाकादीन्फलसंयुक्ताननन्तरससंयुतान् ॥ ३५ ॥ क्षुत्तृड्जरापहान् हस्तैर्बिभ्रती च महाधनुः । सर्वसौन्दर्यसारं तद्रूपं लावण्यशोभितम् ॥ ३६ ॥ कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं करुणारससागरम् । दर्शयित्वा जगद्धात्री सानन्तनयनोद्भवा ॥ ३७ ॥ मोचयामास लोकेषु वारिधारां सहस्रशः । नवरात्रं महावृष्टिरभून्नेत्रोद्भवैर्जलैः ॥ ३८ ॥ दुःखितान्वीक्ष्य सकलान्नेत्राश्रूणि विमुञ्चती । तर्पितास्तेन ते लोका ओषध्यः सकला अपि ॥ ३९ ॥ नदीनदप्रवाहास्तैर्जलैः समभवन्नृप । निलीय संस्थिताः पूर्वं सुरास्ते निर्गता बहिः ॥ ४० ॥ मिलित्वा ससुरा विप्रा देवीं समभितुष्टुवुः । नमो वेदान्तवेद्ये ते नमो ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणि ॥ ४१ ॥ स्वमायया सर्वजगद्विधात्र्यै ते नमो नमः । भक्तकल्पद्रुमे देवि भक्तार्थं देहधारिणि ॥ ४२ ॥ नित्यतृप्ते निरुपमे भुवनेश्वरि ते नमः । अस्मच्छान्त्यर्थमतुलं लोचनानां सहस्रकम् ॥ ४३ ॥ त्वया यतो धृतं देवि शताक्षी त्वं ततो भव । क्षुधया पीडिता मातः स्तोतुं शक्तिर्न चास्ति नः ॥ ४४ ॥ कृपां कुरु महेशानि वेदानप्याहराम्बिके । व्यास उवाच - इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा शाकान्स्वकरसंस्थितान् ॥ ४५ ॥ स्वादूनि फलमूलानि भक्षणार्थं ददौ शिवा । नानाविधानि चान्नानि पशुभोज्यानि यानि च ॥ ४६ ॥ काम्यानन्तरसैर्युक्तान्यानवीनोद्भवं ददौ । शाकम्भरीति नामापि तद्दिनात्समभून्नृप ॥ ४७ ॥ ततः कोलाहले जाते दूतवाक्येन बोधितः । ससैन्यः सायुधो योद्धुं दुर्गमाख्योऽसुरो ययौ ॥ ४८ ॥ सहस्राक्षौहिणीयुक्तः शरान्मुञ्चंस्त्वरान्वितः । रुरोध देवसैन्यं तद्यद्देव्यग्रे स्थितं पुरा ॥ ४९ ॥ तथा विप्रगणं चैव रोधयामास सर्वतः । ततः किलकिला शब्दः समभूद्देवमण्डले ॥ ५० ॥ त्राहि त्राहीति वाक्यानि प्रोचुः सर्वे द्विजामराः । ततस्तेजोमयं चक्रं देवानां परितः शिवा ॥ ५१ ॥ चकार रक्षणार्थाय स्वयं तस्माद् बहिः स्थिता । ततः समभवद्युद्धं देव्या दैत्यस्य चोभयोः ॥ ५२ ॥ शरवर्षसमाच्छन्नं सूर्यमण्डलमद्भुतम् । परस्परशरोद्घर्षसमुद्भूताग्निसुप्रभम् ॥ ५३ ॥ कठोरज्याटणत्कारबधिरीकृतदिक्तटम् । ततो देवीशरीरात्तु निर्गतास्तीव्रशक्तयः ॥ ५४ ॥ कालिका तारिणी बाला त्रिपुरा भैरवी रमा । बगला चैव मातङ्गी तथा त्रिपुरसुन्दरी ॥ ५५ ॥ कामाक्षी तुलजा देवी जम्भिनी मोहिनी तथा । छिन्नमस्ता गुह्यकाली दशसाहस्रबाहुका ॥ ५६ ॥ द्वात्रिंशच्छक्तयश्चान्याश्चतुष्षष्टिमिताः पराः । असंख्यातास्ततो देव्यः समुद्भूतास्तु सायुधाः ॥ ५७ ॥ मृदङ्गशङ्खवीणादिनादितं सङ्गरस्थलम् । शक्तिभिर्दैत्यसैन्ये तु नाशितेऽक्षौहिणीशते ॥ ५८ ॥ अग्रेसरः समभवद्दुर्गमो वाहिनीपतिः । शक्तिभिः सह युद्धं च चकार प्रथमं रिपुः ॥ ५९ ॥ महद्युद्धं समभवद्यत्राभूद्रक्तवाहिनी । अक्षौहिण्यस्तु ताः सर्वा विनष्टा दशभिर्दिनैः ॥ ६० ॥ तत एकादशे प्राप्ते दिने परमदारुणे । रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरो रक्तगन्धानुलेपनः ॥ ६१ ॥ कृत्वोत्सवं महान्तं तु युद्धाय रथसंस्थितः । संरम्भेणैव महता शक्तीः सर्वा विजित्य च ॥ ६२ ॥ महादेवीरथाग्रे तु स्वरथं संन्यवेशयत् । ततोऽभवन्महद्युद्धं देव्या दैत्यस्य चोभयोः ॥ ६३ ॥ प्रहरद्वयपर्यन्तं हृदयत्रासकारकम् । ततः पञ्चदशात्युग्रबाणान्देवी मुमोच ह ॥ ६४ ॥ चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहान्बाणेनैकेन सारथिम् । द्वाभ्यां नेत्रे भुजौ द्वाभ्यां ध्वजमेकेन पत्रिणा ॥ ६५ ॥ पञ्चभिर्हृदयं तस्य विव्याध जगदम्बिका । ततो वमन् स रुधिरं ममार पुर ईशितुः ॥ ६६ ॥ तस्य तेजस्तु निर्गत्य देवीरूपे विवेश ह । हते तस्मिन्महावीर्ये शान्तमासीज्जगत्त्रयम् ॥ ६७ ॥ ततो ब्रह्मादयः सर्वे तुष्टुवुर्जगदम्बिकाम् । पुरस्कृत्य हरीशानौ भक्त्या गद्गदया गिरा ॥ ६८ ॥ देवा ऊचुः जगद्भ्रमविवर्तैककारणे परमेश्वरि । नमः शाकम्भरि शिवे नमस्ते शतलोचने ॥ ६९ ॥ सर्वोपनिषदुद्घुष्टे दुर्गमासुरनाशिनि । नमो मायेश्वरि शिवे पञ्चकोशान्तरस्थिते ॥ ७० ॥ चेतसा निर्विकल्पेन यां ध्यायन्ति मुनीश्वराः । प्रणवार्थस्वरूपां तां भजामो भुवनेश्वरीम् ॥ ७१ ॥ अनन्तकोटिब्रह्माण्डजननीं दिव्यविग्रहाम् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिजननीं सर्वभावैर्नता वयम् ॥ ७२ ॥ कः कुर्यात्पामरान्दृष्ट्वा रोदनं सकलेश्वरः । सदयां परमेशानीं शताक्षीं मातरं विना ॥ ७३ ॥ व्यास उवाच - इति स्तुता सुरैर्देवी ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिभिर्वरैः । पूजिता विविधैर्द्रव्यैः सन्तुष्टाभूच्च तत्क्षणे ॥ ७४ ॥ प्रसन्ना सा तदा देवी वेदानाहृत्य सा ददौ । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेण प्रोवाच पिकभाषिणी ॥ ७५ ॥ ममेयं तनुरुत्कृष्टा पालनीया विशेषतः । यया विनानर्थ एष जातो दृष्टोऽधुनैव हि ॥ ७६ ॥ पूज्याहं सर्वदा सेव्या युष्माभिः सर्वदैव हि । नातः परतरं किञ्चित्कल्याणायोपदिश्यते ॥ ७७ ॥ पठनीयं ममैतद्धि माहात्म्यं सर्वदोत्तमम् । तेन तुष्टा भविष्यामि हरिष्यामि तथापदः ॥ ७८ ॥ दुर्गमासुरहन्त्रीत्वाद्दुर्गेति मम नाम यः । गृह्णाति च शताक्षीति मायां भित्त्वा व्रजत्यसौ ॥ ७९ ॥ किमुक्तेनात्र बहुना सारं वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः । संसेव्याहं सदा देवाः सर्वैरपि सुरासुरैः ॥ ८० ॥ इत्युक्त्वान्तर्हिता देवी देवानां चैव पश्यताम् । सन्तोषं जनयन्त्येवं सच्चिदनन्दरूपिणी ॥ ८१ ॥ एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं रहस्यं परमं महत् । गोपनीयं प्रयत्नेन सर्वकल्याणकारकम् ॥ ८२ ॥ य इमं शृणुयान्नित्यमध्यायं भक्तितत्परः । सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति देवीलोके महीयते ॥ ८३ ॥
janamejaya uvāca - vicitramidamākhyānaṃ hariścandrasya kīrtitam | śatākṣīpādabhaktasya rājarṣerdhārmikasya ca || 1 || śatākṣī sā kuto jātā devī bhagavatī śivā | tatkāraṇaṃ vada mune sārthakaṃ janma me kuru || 2 || ko hi devyā guṇāñchṛṇvaṃstṛptiṃ yāsyati śuddhadhīḥ | pade pade'śvamedhasya phalamakṣayyamaśnute || 3 || vyāsa uvāca - śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi śatākṣīsambhavaṃ śubham | tavāvācyaṃ na me kiñciddevībhaktasya vidyate || 4 || durgamākhyo mahādaityaḥ pūrvaṃ paramadāruṇaḥ | hiraṇyākṣānvaye jāto ruruputro mahākhalaḥ || 5 || devānāṃ tu balaṃ vedo nāśe tasya surā api naṃkṣyantyeva na saṃdeho vidheyaṃ tāvadeva tat || 6 || vimṛśyaitattapaścaryāṃ gataḥ kartuṃ himālaye | brahmāṇaṃ manasā dhyātvā vāyubhakṣo vyatiṣṭhata || 7 || sahasravarṣaparyantaṃ cakāra paramaṃ tapaḥ | tejasā tasya lokāstu santaptāḥ sasurāsurāḥ || 8 || tataḥ prasanno bhagavān haṃsārūḍhaścaturmukhaḥ | yayau tasmai varaṃ dātuṃ prasannamukhapaṅkajaḥ || 9 || samādhisthaṃ mīlitākṣaṃ sphuṭamāha caturmukhaḥ | varaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te yaste manasi vartate || 10 || tavādya tapasā tuṣṭo varadeśo'hamāgataḥ | śrutvā brahmamukhādvāṇīṃ vyutthitaḥ sa samādhitaḥ || 11 || pūjayitvā varaṃ vavre vedāndehi sureśvara | triṣu lokeṣu ye mantrā brāhmaṇeṣu sureṣvapi || 12 || vidyante te tu sānnidhye mama santu maheśvara | balaṃ ca dehi yena syāddevānāṃ ca parājayaḥ || 13 || iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā tathāstviti vaco vadan | jagāma satyalokaṃ tu caturvedeśvaraḥ paraḥ || 14 || tataḥ prabhṛti vipraistu vismṛtā vedarāśayaḥ | snānasandhyānityahomaśrāddhayajñajapādayaḥ || 15 || viluptā dharaṇīpṛṣṭhe hāhākāro mahānabhūt | kimidaṃ kimidaṃ ceti viprā ūcuḥ parasparam || 16 || vedābhāvāttadasmābhiḥ kartavyaṃ kimataḥ param | iti bhūmau mahānarthe jāte paramadāruṇe || 17 || nirjarāḥ sajarā jātā havirbhāgādyabhāvataḥ | rurodha sa tadā daityo nagarīmamarāvatīm || 18 || aśaktāstena te yoddhuṃ vajradehāsureṇa ca | palāyanaṃ tadā kṛtvā nirgatā nirjarāḥ kvacit || 19 || nilayaṃ giridurgeṣu ratnasānuguhāsu ca | saṃsthitāḥ paramāṃ śaktiṃ dhyāyantaste parāmbikām || 20 || agnau homādyabhāvāttu vṛṣṭyabhāvo'pyabhūnnṛpa | vṛṣṭerabhāve saṃśuṣkaṃ nirjalaṃ cāpi bhūtalam || 21 || kūpavāpītaḍāgāśca saritaḥ śuṣkatāṃ gatāḥ | anāvṛṣṭiriyaṃ rājannabhūcca śatavārṣikī || 22 || mṛtāḥ prajāśca bahudhā gomahiṣyādayastathā | gṛhe gṛhe manuṣyāṇāmabhavacchavasaṃgrahaḥ || 23 || anarthe tvevamudbhūte brāhmaṇāḥ śāntacetasaḥ | gatvā himavataḥ pārśve rirādhayiṣavaḥ śivam || 24 || samādhidhyānapūjābhirdevīṃ tuṣṭuvuranvaham | nirāhārāstadāsaktāstāmeva śaraṇaṃ yayuḥ || 25 || dayāṃ kuru maheśāni pāmareṣu janeṣu hi | sarvāparādhayukteṣu naitacchlāghyaṃ tavāmbike || 26 || kopaṃ saṃhara deveśi sarvāntaryāmirūpiṇi | tvayā yathā preryate'yaṃ karoti sa tathā janaḥ || 27 || nānyā gatirjanasyāsya kiṃ paśyasi punaḥ punaḥ | yathecchasi tathā kartuṃ samarthāsi maheśvari || 28 || samuddhara maheśāni saṃkaṭātparamotthitāt | jīvanena vināsmākaṃ kathaṃ syātsthitirambike || 29 || prasīda tvaṃ maheśāni prasīda jagadambike | anantakoṭibrahmāṇḍanāyike te namo namaḥ || 30 || namaḥ kūṭastharūpāyai cidrūpāyai namo namaḥ | namo vedāntavedyāyai bhuvaneśyai namo namaḥ || 31 || neti netīti vākyairyā bodhyate sakalāgamaiḥ | tāṃ sarvakāraṇāṃ devīṃ sarvabhāvena sannatāḥ || 32 || iti samprārthitā devī bhuvaneśī maheśvarī | anantākṣimayaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa pārvatī || 33 || nīlāñjanasamaprakhyaṃ nīlapadmāyatekṣaṇam | sukarkaśasamottuṅgavṛttapīnaghanastanam || 34 || bāṇamuṣṭiṃ ca kamalaṃ puṣpapallavamūlakān | śākādīnphalasaṃyuktānanantarasasaṃyutān || 35 || kṣuttṛḍjarāpahān hastairbibhratī ca mahādhanuḥ | sarvasaundaryasāraṃ tadrūpaṃ lāvaṇyaśobhitam || 36 || koṭisūryapratīkāśaṃ karuṇārasasāgaram | darśayitvā jagaddhātrī sānantanayanodbhavā || 37 || mocayāmāsa lokeṣu vāridhārāṃ sahasraśaḥ | navarātraṃ mahāvṛṣṭirabhūnnetrodbhavairjalaiḥ || 38 || duḥkhitānvīkṣya sakalānnetrāśrūṇi vimuñcatī | tarpitāstena te lokā oṣadhyaḥ sakalā api || 39 || nadīnadapravāhāstairjalaiḥ samabhavannṛpa | nilīya saṃsthitāḥ pūrvaṃ surāste nirgatā bahiḥ || 40 || militvā sasurā viprā devīṃ samabhituṣṭuvuḥ | namo vedāntavedye te namo brahmasvarūpiṇi || 41 || svamāyayā sarvajagadvidhātryai te namo namaḥ | bhaktakalpadrume devi bhaktārthaṃ dehadhāriṇi || 42 || nityatṛpte nirupame bhuvaneśvari te namaḥ | asmacchāntyarthamatulaṃ locanānāṃ sahasrakam || 43 || tvayā yato dhṛtaṃ devi śatākṣī tvaṃ tato bhava | kṣudhayā pīḍitā mātaḥ stotuṃ śaktirna cāsti naḥ || 44 || kṛpāṃ kuru maheśāni vedānapyāharāmbike | vyāsa uvāca - iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā śākānsvakarasaṃsthitān || 45 || svādūni phalamūlāni bhakṣaṇārthaṃ dadau śivā | nānāvidhāni cānnāni paśubhojyāni yāni ca || 46 || kāmyānantarasairyuktānyānavīnodbhavaṃ dadau | śākambharīti nāmāpi taddinātsamabhūnnṛpa || 47 || tataḥ kolāhale jāte dūtavākyena bodhitaḥ | sasainyaḥ sāyudho yoddhuṃ durgamākhyo'suro yayau || 48 || sahasrākṣauhiṇīyuktaḥ śarānmuñcaṃstvarānvitaḥ | rurodha devasainyaṃ tadyaddevyagre sthitaṃ purā || 49 || tathā vipragaṇaṃ caiva rodhayāmāsa sarvataḥ | tataḥ kilakilā śabdaḥ samabhūddevamaṇḍale || 50 || trāhi trāhīti vākyāni procuḥ sarve dvijāmarāḥ | tatastejomayaṃ cakraṃ devānāṃ paritaḥ śivā || 51 || cakāra rakṣaṇārthāya svayaṃ tasmād bahiḥ sthitā | tataḥ samabhavadyuddhaṃ devyā daityasya cobhayoḥ || 52 || śaravarṣasamācchannaṃ sūryamaṇḍalamadbhutam | parasparaśarodgharṣasamudbhūtāgnisuprabham || 53 || kaṭhorajyāṭaṇatkārabadhirīkṛtadiktaṭam | tato devīśarīrāttu nirgatāstīvraśaktayaḥ || 54 || kālikā tāriṇī bālā tripurā bhairavī ramā | bagalā caiva mātaṅgī tathā tripurasundarī || 55 || kāmākṣī tulajā devī jambhinī mohinī tathā | chinnamastā guhyakālī daśasāhasrabāhukā || 56 || dvātriṃśacchaktayaścānyāścatuṣṣaṣṭimitāḥ parāḥ | asaṃkhyātāstato devyaḥ samudbhūtāstu sāyudhāḥ || 57 || mṛdaṅgaśaṅkhavīṇādināditaṃ saṅgarasthalam | śaktibhirdaityasainye tu nāśite'kṣauhiṇīśate || 58 || agresaraḥ samabhavaddurgamo vāhinīpatiḥ | śaktibhiḥ saha yuddhaṃ ca cakāra prathamaṃ ripuḥ || 59 || mahadyuddhaṃ samabhavadyatrābhūdraktavāhinī | akṣauhiṇyastu tāḥ sarvā vinaṣṭā daśabhirdinaiḥ || 60 || tata ekādaśe prāpte dine paramadāruṇe | raktamālyāmbaradharo raktagandhānulepanaḥ || 61 || kṛtvotsavaṃ mahāntaṃ tu yuddhāya rathasaṃsthitaḥ | saṃrambheṇaiva mahatā śaktīḥ sarvā vijitya ca || 62 || mahādevīrathāgre tu svarathaṃ saṃnyaveśayat | tato'bhavanmahadyuddhaṃ devyā daityasya cobhayoḥ || 63 || praharadvayaparyantaṃ hṛdayatrāsakārakam | tataḥ pañcadaśātyugrabāṇāndevī mumoca ha || 64 || caturbhiścaturo vāhānbāṇenaikena sārathim | dvābhyāṃ netre bhujau dvābhyāṃ dhvajamekena patriṇā || 65 || pañcabhirhṛdayaṃ tasya vivyādha jagadambikā | tato vaman sa rudhiraṃ mamāra pura īśituḥ || 66 || tasya tejastu nirgatya devīrūpe viveśa ha | hate tasminmahāvīrye śāntamāsījjagattrayam || 67 || tato brahmādayaḥ sarve tuṣṭuvurjagadambikām | puraskṛtya harīśānau bhaktyā gadgadayā girā || 68 || devā ūcuḥ jagadbhramavivartaikakāraṇe parameśvari | namaḥ śākambhari śive namaste śatalocane || 69 || sarvopaniṣadudghuṣṭe durgamāsuranāśini | namo māyeśvari śive pañcakośāntarasthite || 70 || cetasā nirvikalpena yāṃ dhyāyanti munīśvarāḥ | praṇavārthasvarūpāṃ tāṃ bhajāmo bhuvaneśvarīm || 71 || anantakoṭibrahmāṇḍajananīṃ divyavigrahām | brahmaviṣṇvādijananīṃ sarvabhāvairnatā vayam || 72 || kaḥ kuryātpāmarāndṛṣṭvā rodanaṃ sakaleśvaraḥ | sadayāṃ parameśānīṃ śatākṣīṃ mātaraṃ vinā || 73 || vyāsa uvāca - iti stutā surairdevī brahmaviṣṇvādibhirvaraiḥ | pūjitā vividhairdravyaiḥ santuṣṭābhūcca tatkṣaṇe || 74 || prasannā sā tadā devī vedānāhṛtya sā dadau | brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣeṇa provāca pikabhāṣiṇī || 75 || mameyaṃ tanurutkṛṣṭā pālanīyā viśeṣataḥ | yayā vinānartha eṣa jāto dṛṣṭo'dhunaiva hi || 76 || pūjyāhaṃ sarvadā sevyā yuṣmābhiḥ sarvadaiva hi | nātaḥ parataraṃ kiñcitkalyāṇāyopadiśyate || 77 || paṭhanīyaṃ mamaitaddhi māhātmyaṃ sarvadottamam | tena tuṣṭā bhaviṣyāmi hariṣyāmi tathāpadaḥ || 78 || durgamāsurahantrītvāddurgeti mama nāma yaḥ | gṛhṇāti ca śatākṣīti māyāṃ bhittvā vrajatyasau || 79 || kimuktenātra bahunā sāraṃ vakṣyāmi tattvataḥ | saṃsevyāhaṃ sadā devāḥ sarvairapi surāsuraiḥ || 80 || ityuktvāntarhitā devī devānāṃ caiva paśyatām | santoṣaṃ janayantyevaṃ saccidanandarūpiṇī || 81 || etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ rahasyaṃ paramaṃ mahat | gopanīyaṃ prayatnena sarvakalyāṇakārakam || 82 || ya imaṃ śṛṇuyānnityamadhyāyaṃ bhaktitatparaḥ | sarvānkāmānavāpnoti devīloke mahīyate || 83 ||
English translation
1-3. Janamejaya said “O Risi! Wonderful is the story of the religious Rajarsi Haris’chandra that you have described, the great Bhakta of S’ataksi Devi! Why is that auspicious S’iva, the wife of S’iva, called S’ataksT? Explain to nne, the cause of it, O Muni! And thus make my birth full of use and success. Who is there amongst the clear-minded that gets fully satisfied, when he hears the good deeds of the Devi? Each sentence, describing the good deeds of the Devi, gives the undecaying fruits of AsVamedha Sacrifice.”
4-45. Vyasa said O King. Hear; I am describing the story of S’ataksT DevT. You are the great devotee of the DevT; so I have nothing that I cannot say to you. In olden times, there was a great Danava named Durgama: he was very cruel. He, the the son of Ruru, was born in the family of Hiranyaksa. Once be thought within himself thus “The Munis offer oblations by Mantras as ordained in the Vedas. And the Devas, eating the clarified butter (ghee) of these oblations, get nurtured and strengthened. The Vedas is the strength of the Devas; if the Vedas be destroyed, the Devas also would be destroyed. Thus it is advisable to destroy the Vedas. (There is no other easy way.)” Thus thinking, he went to the Himalayas to perform tapasya. He began to meditate Brahma in the space of his heart, and, taking air only, passed away his time. [Mark here that all the Devas reside in space, a magnitude of the Fourth Dimension.] He practised hard tapasya for one thousand years and the Devas and the Asuras and all the Lokas were agitated by the power of his Tejas (fiery lustre). Then the Bhagavan, the four-faced Brahma, became pleased with him and mounting on his carrier, the Swan came up there to grant him the boon. Brahma told clearly the Demon, sitting in Samadhi with his eyes closed, “Let all be well with you; now ask what you desire? Satisfied with your tapasya, I have come to grant you the boon.” Hearing thus, the Demon got up from his Samadhi
and worshipping Him duly, said “O Lord of the Devas! Give me all theVedas. O MahesVara! Let all the Vedic Mantrams, that are found in the three worlds, with the Brahmanas and the Devas, come to me and give me such strength as would enable me to conquer the Devas.” Hearing this, the God Brahma, the author of the four Vedas, replied, “Let it be as you wish,” and went away. From that time, the Brahmanas forgot all about the Vedas. So bathing, Sandhya, daily Homas, S’raddha, sacrifice, and Japam and other rites and performances, all became extinct. Then a cry of universal distress arose on the surface of this wide earth; the Brahmins began to say to each other“How has this happened! How has this come to pass! Now what are we to do? Where the Vedas have disappeared.” Thus when great calamities befell on the earth, the Devas became gradually weaker and weaker, not getting their share of the sacrificial Havis. At this time, that Demon invested the city of Amaravati. And the Devas, not being able to fight with the Asura, of a thunder-like body fled to various directions. They took refuge in the caves of the mountain Sumeru and the inaccessible passes of the mountain and began to meditate on the Highest Force, the Great Goddess. O King! When oblations of clarified butter are offered to the Fire, those get transferred to the Sun (Suryaloka) and get transformed as rains. So when the Homa ceremonies disappeared, there was the scarcity of rain. The earth became quite dry and not a drop of water was found anywhere. The wells, tanks, pools, rivers all were dried up. And this state of “no rains” lasted one hundred years. Countless people, hundreds and thou- sands of cows, buffaloes and other beasts went to the jaws of death. The dead bodies of persons remained in heaps in every house; persons would not be found to perform their burning ceremonies. When such calamities were seen, the calm and quiet body of the Brahmans, in their earnestness to worship the Supreme Goddess, went to the Himalayas. They with their whole heart and without taking any food began to worship the Devi daily with their Samadhi, meditation and worship. O Mahes’ani! Shew mercy on us. O Mother! It’s not praiseworthy to Thee to manifest Thy such anger on us, the low persons and guilty of all sins. So, O Deves’i! Forgive us. If Thou art angry on us for our faults, even then we may be
excused, for Thou art the Internal Ruler within us all and we do whatever Thou impellest us to do. (The other Devas become pleased and give fruits when they are worshipped by Japam, and other Homa ceremonies; but that is not even possible due to the disappearance of the Vedic Mantrams from amongst us. But You are kind as mothers are towards their children whenever they remember.) So without Thee, there is no other rescue for these people. O MahesVari! Whatever Thou wiliest. Thou canst do that; so what art Thou seeing again and again? O Mahes’ari! How can we live without Water, what is called the Life. Now rescue us from this great difficulty. O Mother of the Worlds! O MahesVari! Be pleased. Oh the Ruler of the endless crores of Brahmandas! Obeisance to Thee! We bow down to Thee, the Unchangeable, of the nature of Intelligence. We again and again make obeisance to Thee, the Lady of the Universe and realisable by the Vedanta words (not this, not this). All the sayings of the Vedanta declare Thee, by negating (not this, not this) other transient objects as the Cause of all this Universe. We with all our hearts bow down to the Devi. When the body of the Brahmanas thus praised and chanted the hymns of MahesVari, She created innumerable eyes within Her body and became visible. Her colour was dark-blue (colour of the fourth dimension, space) like heaps of collyrium (eye-paint); eyes like the blue lotuses and expanded; breasts hard, regularly elevated round and so fleshy that they touched each other; four handed; with Her right hand, holding arrows; on the under hand holding lotus; on the upper-left hand holding a great bow and on the lower hand, carrying vegetables, fruits, flower and roots with abundance of juice, destroying hunger, thirst and fever. She was the Essence of all Beauty, lovely, luminous like the thousand Suns, and the ocean of mercy. That Upholder of the Universe, showed Her form and began to shed waters from Her eyes. For nine nights continuously, the heavy rains poured down out of the waters flowing from Her eyes. Seeing the misery of all the people, out of pity. She showered incessantly tears from Her eyes; and all the people and medicines were satisfied. What more than this, out of those tears, the rivers began to flow. The Devas that remained hidden in the mountain
caves, now came out. Then the Brahmins, united with the Devas, began to praise and sing hymns to the Devi. Thou art known by the Vedanta Mahavakyas. We bow down to Thee. Thou ordained everything to all the worlds by Thy Maya; so again and again we bow down to Thee. Our Obeisance to Thee! Who art a Kalpa tree to the Bhaktas yielding all their desires! Thou assumest the body for the Bhaktas! Thou art always satisfied; without any equal; the Lord of the Universe! We bow down to Thee. As Thou, O Devi! hast innumerable eyes only for our welfare and peace, therefore Thou wilt be called henceforth by the name “S’ataksT.” O Mother! We are very much hungry; so we have no power to chant hymns to Thee; therefore, O MahesVari? Shew mercy on us and deliver to us our Vedas.
46-68. Vyasa said O King! Hearing these words of the Devas and the Brahmins, the Auspicious One gave them the vegetables, delicious fruits and roots to them that were on Her Hand, for their eating. After She was prayed. She gave to men sufficient quantity of various articles of juicy food and to the beasts, grass, etc., until new crops came out. O King, from that day She became famous by the name of S’akambhari (because She nourished all by vegetables, etc.) Great tumult arose and the Demon Durgama heard all from the emissaries and started out to fight with his weapons and army. He took one thousand Aksauhini armies with him (one Aksauhini army equals large army consisting of 21,870 chariots, as many elephants, 65,610 horses, and 109,350 foot) and, shooting arrows, he came quickly before the Devi and invested Her and the Deva army and the Brahmins. At this, a great tumultuous uproar arose and the Devas and the Brahmins united exclaimed “O Devi! Save us; save us.” The Auspicious Devi, then, for the safety of the Devas and the Dvijas created round them a luminous circle and She Herself remained outside. The terrible fight, then, ensued between the Devi and the Danavas. The Sun was covered with their incessant hurling of arrows; and the shooters could not shoot accurately on account of
the darkness that then prevailed. Then by the collision of the arrows of both the parties, the arrows caught fire and the battlefield again became filled with light. The quarters on all aides resounded with harsh bow sounds and nothing could be heard. At this moment, came, out of the body of the Devi, the principal S’aktis (forces incarnate) Kalika, Tarini, Sodas’i, Tripura, Bhairabi, Kamala, Bagala, Matangi, Tripura Sundari, Kamaksi, Tulaja Devi, Jambhini, Mohini, Chchinnamasta, and ten thousand armed Guhya Kalis and others. Thirty-two S’aktis, sixty-four S’aktis, and then innumerable S’aktis, all armed, came out of the Devi successively. When the S’aktis destroyed one hundred Aksauhini forces, Mridangas, conch-shells, lutes and other musical instruments were sounded in the battle-field. At this time, the enemy of the Devas, Durgama, came in front and first fought with the S’aktis. The fight grew to such a terrible extent that, within ten days, all the Aksauhini troops were destroyed. So much so as the blood of the dead soldiers began to flow in torrents like rivers. When the fatal eleventh day arrive the Danava, wearing red clothes on his waist, red garlands on his neck and annointing his body all over with red sandal paste, celebrated a very grand festivity and mounted on his chariot and went out to fight. With the strenuous effort, he defeated all the S’aktis and placed his chariot before the Devi. Then a terrible fight ensued for two Praharas (six hours). The hearts of all shivered with horror. At this time, the Devi shot fifteen very awful arrows at the Danava. His four horses (Vahanas) were pierced by Her four arrows; the charioteer was pierced by one arrow; his two eyes were pierced by two arrows; his arms by two arrows, his flag by one arrow and his heart was pierced by five arrows. He then left his body before the Devi, vomitting blood. The vital spirit, the luminous counterpart, emitting from his body, merged in the space-like body of the Devi. The three worlds, then, assumed a peaceful appearance when that greatly powerful Danava was killed. Then Hah, Hara, Brahma and the other Devas began to praise and chant hymns to the World Mother with great devotion and in voices, choked with feelings.
69-73. The Devas said “O Auspicious One! Thou art the only Cause of this Illusion of this world, presenting an unreal appearance (while Brahnna is the Only Reality). So Thou art the Lady of all the beings (otherwise why it would be that Thou hast nourished all the beings with vegetables, etc). So, Obeisance to Thee, the S’akambharT! Hundred-eyed! O Auspicious One! Thou art sung in all the Upanisadas; The Destroyer of the Durganna Asura! We bow down to Thee, the Lord of Maya, the Dweller in the five sheaths Anna, Rasa, etc. We meditate upon Thee, the Lady of the universe, as demonstrated by Pranava Aum, whom the chief Munis meditate with their Nirvikalpa hearts (hearts free from any Vikalpa, doubts or ignorance). Thou art the Mother of the endless crores of universe! Thou assumest the Divine Bodies at times for our welfare! Thou art the Mother of Brahma, Visnu and others; we bow down to Thee with all our heart.
Thou art the Mother of all; so, out of mercy. Thou hast shed tears from the hundred eyes, to remove the miseries of the low humble persons. Thou art the Ruler of all!”
74-80. Vyasa said O King! Thus when Brahma, Visnu, Hara and the other Devas praised and chanted various hymns to the Devi and worshipped Her with various excellent articles. She became instantly pleased. Then the Devi, graciously pleased, handed over the Vedas to the Brahmanas. At last. She, the Cuckoo-voiced, made a special address to them. “These Vedas are the excellent parts of My body. So preserve these with your greatest care. The more so, when you all have seen with your own eyes what a great calamity befell on you when these Vedas went away out of your hands! You should all worship and serve Me (the Controller of the Space) always; there is no other thing higher than this that I can advise you for your welfare. Read always these My excellent glorious deeds. I will be pleased thereby and will destroy all your bad calamities and misfortunes. My
name is Durga, because I have killed this demon Durgama; so he, who will take My name Durga and S’ataksi, he will be able to unveil my Maya and walk freely. No use in telling more than this that I tell you now, O Devas, the Essence of all essences Both the Suras and the Asuras would always serve Me and Me, alone.”
81-83. Vyasa said O King! Thus giving pleasures to the Devas by these words, the Devi of the nature of Existence, Intelligence and Bliss disappeared before them. O King! This Grand Mystery I have described to you in detail; but this is the source of good to all; so keep it secret with every care. The person that hears daily with great devotion this Chapter, gets all that he wants and at last gets the worship in the Devi Loka.
Here ends the Twenty-eighth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the glory of the S'ataksi Devi in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25168, revision 76314 (2016-08-19T05:29:10Z). 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/bk07ch28.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.