Seventh Skandha · Chapter 29
Sourceव्यास उवाच - इत्येवं सूर्यवंश्यानां राज्ञां चरितमुत्तमम् । सोमवंशोद्भवानां च वर्णनीयं मया कियत् ॥ १ ॥ पराशक्तिप्रसादेन महत्त्वं प्रतिपेदिरे । राजन् सुनिश्चितं विद्धि पराशक्तिप्रसादतः ॥ २ ॥ यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा । तत्तदेवावगच्छ त्वं पराशक्त्यंशसम्भवम् ॥ ३ ॥ एते चान्ये च राजानः पराशक्तेरुपासकाः । संसारतरुमूलस्य कुठारा अभवन्नृप ॥ ४ ॥ तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन संसेव्या भुवनेश्वरी । पलालमिव धान्यार्थी त्यजेदन्यमशेषतः ॥ ५ ॥ आमथ्य वेददुग्धाब्धिं प्राप्तं रत्नं मया नृप । पराशक्तिपदाम्भोजं कृतकृत्योऽस्म्यहं ततः ॥ ६ ॥ पञ्चब्रह्मासनारूढा नास्त्यन्या कापि देवता । तत एव महादेव्या पञ्चब्रह्मासनं कृतम् ॥ ७ ॥ पञ्चभ्यस्त्वधिकं वस्तु वेदेऽव्यक्तमितीर्यते । यस्मिन्नोतं च प्रोतं च सैव श्रीभुवनेश्वरी ॥ ८ ॥ तामविज्ञाय राजेन्द्र नैव मुक्तो भवेन्नरः । यदा चर्मवदाकाशं वेष्टयिष्यन्ति मानवाः ॥ ९ ॥ तदा शिवामविज्ञाय दुःखस्यान्तो भविष्यति । अत एव श्रुतौ प्राहुः श्वेताश्वतरशाखिनः ॥ १० ॥ ते ध्यानयोगानुगता अपश्य- न्देवात्मशक्तिं स्वगुणैर्निगूढाम् ॥ ११ ॥ तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन जन्मसाफल्यहेतवे । लज्जया वा भयेनापि भक्त्या वा प्रेमयुक्तया । सर्वसङ्गं परित्यज्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ॥ १२ ॥ तन्निष्ठस्तत्परो भूयादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । येन केन मिषेणापि स्वपंस्तिष्ठन्व्रजन्नपि ॥ १३ ॥ कीर्तयेत्सततं देवीं स वै मुच्येत बन्धनात् । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन भज राजन् महेश्वरीम् ॥ १४ ॥ विराड्रूपां सूत्ररूपां तथान्तर्यामिरूपिणीम् । सोपानक्रमतः पूर्वं ततः शुद्धे तु चेतसि ॥ १५ ॥ सच्चिदानन्दलक्ष्यार्थरूपां तां ब्रह्मरूपिणीम् । आराधय परां शक्तिं प्रपञ्चोल्लासवर्जिताम् ॥ १६ ॥ तस्यां चित्तलयो यः स तस्या आराधनं स्मृतम् । राजन् राज्ञां पराशक्तिभक्तानां चरितं मया ॥ १७ ॥ धार्मिकाणां सूर्यसोमवंशजानां मनस्विनाम् । पावनं कीर्तिदं धर्मबुद्धिदं सद्गतिप्रदम् ॥ १८ ॥ कथितं पुण्यदं पश्चात्किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि । जनमेजय उवाच - गौरीलक्ष्मीसरस्वत्यो दत्ताः पूर्वं पराम्बया ॥ १९ ॥ हराय हरये तद्वन्नाभिपद्मोद्भवाय च । तुषाराद्रेश्च दक्षस्य गौरी कन्येति विश्रुतम् ॥ २० ॥ क्षीरोदधेश्च कन्येति महालक्ष्मीरिति स्मृतम् । मूलदेव्युद्भवानां च कथं कन्यात्वमन्ययोः ॥ २१ ॥ असम्भाव्यमिदं भाति संशयोऽत्र महामुने । छिन्धि ज्ञानासिना तं त्वं संशयच्छेदतत्परः ॥ २२ ॥ व्यास उवाच - शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि रहस्यं परमाद्भुतम् । देवीभक्तस्य ते किञ्चिदवाच्यं न हि विद्यते ॥ २३ ॥ देवीत्रयं यदा देवत्रयायादात्पराम्बिका । तदाप्रभृति ते देवाः सृष्टिकार्याणि चक्रिरे ॥ २४ ॥ कस्मिंश्चित्समये राजन् दैत्या हालाहलाभिधाः । महापराक्रमा जातास्त्रैलोक्यं तैर्जितं क्षणात् ॥ २५ ॥ ब्रह्मणो वरदानेन दर्पिता रजताचलम् । रुरुधुर्निजसेनाभिस्तथा वैकुण्ठमेव च ॥ २६ ॥ कामारिः कैटभारिश्च युद्धोद्योगं च चक्रतुः । षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणामभूद्युद्धं महोत्कटम् ॥ २७ ॥ हाहाकारो महानासीद्देवदानवसेनयोः । महताथ प्रयत्नेन ताभ्यां ते दानवा हताः ॥ २८ ॥ स्वस्वस्थानेषु गत्वा तावभिमानं च चक्रतुः । स्वशक्त्योर्निकटे राजन् यद्वशादेव ते हताः ॥ २९ ॥ अभिमानं तयोर्ज्ञात्वा छलहास्यं च चक्रतुः । महालक्ष्मीश्च गौरी च हास्यं दृष्ट्वा तयोस्तु तौ ॥ ३० ॥ देवावतीव संकृद्धौ मोहितावादिमायया । दुरुत्तरं च ददतुरवमानपुरःसरम् ॥ ३१ ॥ ततस्ते देवते तस्मिन्क्षणे त्यक्त्वा तु तौ पुनः । अन्तर्हिते चाभवतां हाहाकारस्तदा ह्यभूत् ॥ ३२ ॥ निस्तेजस्कौ च निःशक्ती विक्षिप्तौ च विचेतनौ । अवमानात्तयोः शक्त्योर्जातौ हरिहरौ तदा ॥ ३३ ॥ ब्रह्मा चिन्तातुरो जातः किमेतत्समुपस्थितम् । प्रधानौ देवतामध्ये कथं कार्याक्षमावमू ॥ ३४ ॥ अकाण्डे किं निमित्तेन संकटं समुपस्थितम् । प्रलयो भविता किं वा जगतोऽस्य निरागसः ॥ ३५ ॥ निमित्तं नैव जानेऽहं कथं कार्या प्रतिक्रिया । इति चिन्तातुरोऽत्यर्थं दध्यौ मीलितलोचनः ॥ ३६ ॥ पराशक्तिप्रकोपात्तु जातमेतदिति स्म ह । जानंस्तदा सावधानः पद्मजोऽभून्नृपोत्तम ॥ ३७ ॥ ततस्तयोश्च यत्कार्यं स्वयमेवाऽकरोत्तदा । स्वशक्तेश्च प्रभावेण कियत्कालं तपोनिधिः ॥ ३८ ॥ ततस्तयोस्तु स्वस्त्यर्थं मन्वादीन्स्वसुतानथ । आह्वयामास धर्मात्मा सनकादींश्च सत्वरः ॥ ३९ ॥ उवाच वचनं तेभ्यः सन्नतेभ्यस्तपोनिधिः । कार्यासक्तोऽहमधुना तपः कर्तुं न च क्षमः ॥ ४० ॥ पराशक्तेस्तु तोषार्थं जगद्भारयुतोऽस्म्यहम् । शिवविष्णू च विक्षिप्तौ पराशक्तिप्रकोपतः ॥ ४१ ॥ तस्मात्तां परमां शक्तिं यूयं सन्तोषयन्त्वथ । अत्यद्भुतं तपः कृत्वा भक्त्या परमया युताः ॥ ४२ ॥ यथा तौ पूर्ववृत्तौ च स्यात शक्तियुतावपि ां। तथा कुरुत मत्पुत्रा यशोवृद्धिर्भवेद्धि वः ॥ ४३ ॥ कुले यस्य भवेज्जन्म तयोः शक्त्योस्तु तत्कुलम् । पावयेज्जगतीं सर्वां कृतकृत्यं स्वयं भवेत् ॥ ४४ ॥ व्यास उवाच - पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा गताः सर्वे वनान्तरे । रिराधयिषवः सर्वे दक्षाद्या विमलान्तराः ॥ ४५ ॥
vyāsa uvāca - ityevaṃ sūryavaṃśyānāṃ rājñāṃ caritamuttamam | somavaṃśodbhavānāṃ ca varṇanīyaṃ mayā kiyat || 1 || parāśaktiprasādena mahattvaṃ pratipedire | rājan suniścitaṃ viddhi parāśaktiprasādataḥ || 2 || yadyadvibhūtimatsattvaṃ śrīmadūrjitameva vā | tattadevāvagaccha tvaṃ parāśaktyaṃśasambhavam || 3 || ete cānye ca rājānaḥ parāśakterupāsakāḥ | saṃsāratarumūlasya kuṭhārā abhavannṛpa || 4 || tasmātsarvaprayatnena saṃsevyā bhuvaneśvarī | palālamiva dhānyārthī tyajedanyamaśeṣataḥ || 5 || āmathya vedadugdhābdhiṃ prāptaṃ ratnaṃ mayā nṛpa | parāśaktipadāmbhojaṃ kṛtakṛtyo'smyahaṃ tataḥ || 6 || pañcabrahmāsanārūḍhā nāstyanyā kāpi devatā | tata eva mahādevyā pañcabrahmāsanaṃ kṛtam || 7 || pañcabhyastvadhikaṃ vastu vede'vyaktamitīryate | yasminnotaṃ ca protaṃ ca saiva śrībhuvaneśvarī || 8 || tāmavijñāya rājendra naiva mukto bhavennaraḥ | yadā carmavadākāśaṃ veṣṭayiṣyanti mānavāḥ || 9 || tadā śivāmavijñāya duḥkhasyānto bhaviṣyati | ata eva śrutau prāhuḥ śvetāśvataraśākhinaḥ || 10 || te dhyānayogānugatā apaśya- ndevātmaśaktiṃ svaguṇairnigūḍhām || 11 || tasmāt sarvaprayatnena janmasāphalyahetave | lajjayā vā bhayenāpi bhaktyā vā premayuktayā | sarvasaṅgaṃ parityajya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca || 12 || tanniṣṭhastatparo bhūyāditi vedāntaḍiṇḍimaḥ | yena kena miṣeṇāpi svapaṃstiṣṭhanvrajannapi || 13 || kīrtayetsatataṃ devīṃ sa vai mucyeta bandhanāt | tasmātsarvaprayatnena bhaja rājan maheśvarīm || 14 || virāḍrūpāṃ sūtrarūpāṃ tathāntaryāmirūpiṇīm | sopānakramataḥ pūrvaṃ tataḥ śuddhe tu cetasi || 15 || saccidānandalakṣyārtharūpāṃ tāṃ brahmarūpiṇīm | ārādhaya parāṃ śaktiṃ prapañcollāsavarjitām || 16 || tasyāṃ cittalayo yaḥ sa tasyā ārādhanaṃ smṛtam | rājan rājñāṃ parāśaktibhaktānāṃ caritaṃ mayā || 17 || dhārmikāṇāṃ sūryasomavaṃśajānāṃ manasvinām | pāvanaṃ kīrtidaṃ dharmabuddhidaṃ sadgatipradam || 18 || kathitaṃ puṇyadaṃ paścātkimanyacchrotumicchasi | janamejaya uvāca - gaurīlakṣmīsarasvatyo dattāḥ pūrvaṃ parāmbayā || 19 || harāya haraye tadvannābhipadmodbhavāya ca | tuṣārādreśca dakṣasya gaurī kanyeti viśrutam || 20 || kṣīrodadheśca kanyeti mahālakṣmīriti smṛtam | mūladevyudbhavānāṃ ca kathaṃ kanyātvamanyayoḥ || 21 || asambhāvyamidaṃ bhāti saṃśayo'tra mahāmune | chindhi jñānāsinā taṃ tvaṃ saṃśayacchedatatparaḥ || 22 || vyāsa uvāca - śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi rahasyaṃ paramādbhutam | devībhaktasya te kiñcidavācyaṃ na hi vidyate || 23 || devītrayaṃ yadā devatrayāyādātparāmbikā | tadāprabhṛti te devāḥ sṛṣṭikāryāṇi cakrire || 24 || kasmiṃścitsamaye rājan daityā hālāhalābhidhāḥ | mahāparākramā jātāstrailokyaṃ tairjitaṃ kṣaṇāt || 25 || brahmaṇo varadānena darpitā rajatācalam | rurudhurnijasenābhistathā vaikuṇṭhameva ca || 26 || kāmāriḥ kaiṭabhāriśca yuddhodyogaṃ ca cakratuḥ | ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇāmabhūdyuddhaṃ mahotkaṭam || 27 || hāhākāro mahānāsīddevadānavasenayoḥ | mahatātha prayatnena tābhyāṃ te dānavā hatāḥ || 28 || svasvasthāneṣu gatvā tāvabhimānaṃ ca cakratuḥ | svaśaktyornikaṭe rājan yadvaśādeva te hatāḥ || 29 || abhimānaṃ tayorjñātvā chalahāsyaṃ ca cakratuḥ | mahālakṣmīśca gaurī ca hāsyaṃ dṛṣṭvā tayostu tau || 30 || devāvatīva saṃkṛddhau mohitāvādimāyayā | duruttaraṃ ca dadaturavamānapuraḥsaram || 31 || tataste devate tasminkṣaṇe tyaktvā tu tau punaḥ | antarhite cābhavatāṃ hāhākārastadā hyabhūt || 32 || nistejaskau ca niḥśaktī vikṣiptau ca vicetanau | avamānāttayoḥ śaktyorjātau hariharau tadā || 33 || brahmā cintāturo jātaḥ kimetatsamupasthitam | pradhānau devatāmadhye kathaṃ kāryākṣamāvamū || 34 || akāṇḍe kiṃ nimittena saṃkaṭaṃ samupasthitam | pralayo bhavitā kiṃ vā jagato'sya nirāgasaḥ || 35 || nimittaṃ naiva jāne'haṃ kathaṃ kāryā pratikriyā | iti cintāturo'tyarthaṃ dadhyau mīlitalocanaḥ || 36 || parāśaktiprakopāttu jātametaditi sma ha | jānaṃstadā sāvadhānaḥ padmajo'bhūnnṛpottama || 37 || tatastayośca yatkāryaṃ svayamevā'karottadā | svaśakteśca prabhāveṇa kiyatkālaṃ taponidhiḥ || 38 || tatastayostu svastyarthaṃ manvādīnsvasutānatha | āhvayāmāsa dharmātmā sanakādīṃśca satvaraḥ || 39 || uvāca vacanaṃ tebhyaḥ sannatebhyastaponidhiḥ | kāryāsakto'hamadhunā tapaḥ kartuṃ na ca kṣamaḥ || 40 || parāśaktestu toṣārthaṃ jagadbhārayuto'smyaham | śivaviṣṇū ca vikṣiptau parāśaktiprakopataḥ || 41 || tasmāttāṃ paramāṃ śaktiṃ yūyaṃ santoṣayantvatha | atyadbhutaṃ tapaḥ kṛtvā bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ || 42 || yathā tau pūrvavṛttau ca syāta śaktiyutāvapi āṃ| tathā kuruta matputrā yaśovṛddhirbhaveddhi vaḥ || 43 || kule yasya bhavejjanma tayoḥ śaktyostu tatkulam | pāvayejjagatīṃ sarvāṃ kṛtakṛtyaṃ svayaṃ bhavet || 44 || vyāsa uvāca - pitāmahavacaḥ śrutvā gatāḥ sarve vanāntare | rirādhayiṣavaḥ sarve dakṣādyā vimalāntarāḥ || 45 ||
English translation
1-19. Vyasa said O King! Thus I have described the glory of the Devi. Now I will narrate, as far as I can, the excellent lives of the kings of the the Solar and the Lunar dynasties respectively. They all attained their excellent glories, simply because they were favoured by the Grace of the Highest S’akti; they were all the great devotees of the Supreme Deity. All their prowess, bravery, prosperity and all their glory, know that those all were derived from the mere parts of the Para S’akti. O King! Those Kings and others as well were able to out off the Tree of this World by the Axe of their Knowledge, simply because they were the devotees of the Para S’akti. So with all the care possible, the Lady of the Universe is to be worshipped and served. Men should avoid worshipping any other gods, as people avoid the husk to get the grain inside. O King! By churning the ocean of the Vedas, I have got the jewel as the lotus-feet of the Para S’akti; and I think that I have discharged all my duties and think myself satisfied and successful. Brahma, Visnu Rudra, and Is’vara are the four feet and Sada S’iva is the plank overhead; thus these five form the seat on which the Devi is seated. There is no other deity superior to Her. To show this (to the ordinary ignorant people) the Maha Devi has taken this seat composed of the five Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Is’vara and Sada S’iva. Superior to these five, what is stated in the Vedas as Vyaktam and in which all this Universe is sewn, as it were, crosswise and lengthwise, lying in and through, that is Bhuvanes’vari, the Goddess of the Universe.
[Note: Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Is’vara and Sada S’iva are the Regents or the presiding Deities of earth, water, fire, air and Akas’a] No man can be free unless he until the Goddess. When men will be able to encircle the Akas’a, of the fourth dimension, as if it were an antelope skin, then they will be able to root out the miseries of the
world, without knowing the nature of the Devi (i.e., impossible). Thus the SVetasVataropanisada says “Those that were engaged in meditation, Dhyana Yoga, they saw the Devi covered by the Gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and the forces incarnate respectively of the several Devas.” So to make the human birth a success, first avoid all companies, be it out of shame, or fear, or devotion, or out of love; then bring the mind and keep it steady in your heart and then be devoted to Her and consider Her as the Supreme. This is the Vedanta Dindima (the declaration of the Vedanta). Whoever takes the name of the Devi, either in sleeping, going or resting or in any other condition, he is certainly freed from the bondage of the world, no doubt. O King! So worship the MahesVari with all the care that you can. Go on step by step; first worship Her Virat Rupa (cosmic form); then Suksma Rupa (subtle form) and then her Antaryami Rupa (inner form, ruling within). Thus when your heart is purified, worship the Para S’akti, of the nature of Brahma, beyond this Maya, this Prapancha Ullasa, of the nature of Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. When the Chitta (heart) melts in Para S’akti, then comes the real Aradhana (the real worship). So dilute your heart in Her. O King! Thus I have described to you the sanctifying deeds of the extremely devoted kings of the Para S’akti, who were noble minded and religious. One who will hear this will acquire fame, dharma, intelligence, good end, and merits that have no equal. Now what else do you like to hear?
20-22. Janamejaya said “O Bhagavan! In olden times, the World mother Para S’akti handed over Gauri to Hara, Laksmi to Hari, and Sarasvati to Brahma, born of the lotus from the navel of Hari. Now I hear that Gauri is the daughter of Himalaya as well of Daksa; and Maha Laksmi is the daughter of the Ksiroda ocean (ocean of milk). They were all originated from the Prime Devi; how, then, Gauri and Laksmi came to be the daughters of others? O great Muni! This is next to impossible; so my doubt arises. O Bhagavan! You are quite
competent to cut off all my doubts; so by your axe of knowledge, cut off my present doubt.”
23-44. Veda Vyasa said O King! Hear. I am telling you this wonderful secret. You are greatly devoted to the Devi; so nothing there can be that I cannot disclose to you. Since the time the Great Mother gave over to Hara, Hari and Brahma, Gauri, Laksmi and and Sarasvati, respectively, these three Devas, Hara, etc. were performing their tasks, preserving, etc. O King! Once on a time, certain Danavas, named Halahalas were born. In time, they became very powerful and in a short time conquered the three worlds. What more than this, that they being elated with the boon granted to them by Brahma, took their forces and invested the Mount Kailas’a and the Vaikuntha regions!
Seeing this, Maha Deva and Visnu both made preparations for war. A terrible fight ensued between both the parties. For sixty thousand years the battle lasted incessantly but the result was stalemate. Gradually there was a great cry of consternation in the two parties. When S’iva and Visnu with great effort destroyed the Danavas. O King! S’iva and Visnu then returned to their own houses and began to brag of their powers before their own S’aktis Gauri and Laksmi; whereas the Demons were killed on account of the S’aktis of Gauri and Laksmi. Seeing them boast, Gauri and Laksmi laughed not sincerely whereon the two gods were very much angry. They under the magic spell of the Prime Maya insulted them and even used offensive languages. Gauri and Laksmi quitted them and disappeared. A great uproar then arose in the worlds.
Both Hari and Hara became lustreless due to their insulting the two S’aktis. They become powerless and unconscious and turned out mad. Seeing this Brahma became very anxious. Hari and Hara are
the two chief Deities; how then these two have become unable to perform the actions of the world! What is the cause? Why this calamity has sprung up out of season? Will there be a Pralaya (a general dissolution) of the world out of some offence, when no actions are being done! I know nothing about this. So how can I find a remedy! Being thus very distressed, he began to meditate with his eyes closed in the fourth dimensional space in the heart. O King!
The Lotus born Brahma then found out by his meditation that this calamity was brought about by the great wrath of the Para S’akti. He then tried to find out the remedy until Hah and Hara did not regain the former natural position. Brahma began by his own S’akti to carry on the functions of them both, viz., that of preservation and destruction for some time. The religious-minded Prajapati quickly called his son Manu and Sanaka, etc., the Risis, for bringing peace on the two great Gods! When they came to him, the great ascetic four-faced Brahma told them “I am now busy with many more works; so I am unable carry on my tapasya? By the wrath of the Highest Force, Hari and Hara have become somewhat distracted; so for the satisfaction of the Para S'akti I am performing the three functions, i.e., those of Creation, Preservation and Destruction. So you both practise this hard tapasya with the greatest devotion and bring about Her satisfaction. O sons! Do such as Hari and Hara gain their former states and then be united with their own S’aktis respectively. Your fame will increase thereby, no doubt. Rather that family where the two S’aktis will take their birth, will purify the whole world and that man himself will be crowned with success.”
45. Vyasa said O King! The pure-hearted Daksa and other mind- born sons of Brahma, hearing the words of the Grandsire expressed their desire to worship the Para S’akti and went to the forest.
Here ends the Twenty-ninth Chapter of the Seventh Book on birth of the Bhagavati in the house of Daksa in the Mahapuranam S'ri Mad
Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25169, revision 76315 (2016-08-19T05:32:40Z). 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/bk07ch29.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.