Seventh Skandha · Chapter 37
Sourceहिमालय उवाच स्वीयां भक्तिं वदस्वाम्ब येन ज्ञानं सुखेन हि । जायेत मनुजस्यास्य मध्यमस्याविरागिणः ॥ १ ॥ देव्युवाच मार्गास्त्रयो मे विख्याता मोक्षप्राप्तौ नगाधिप । कर्मयोगो ज्ञानयोगो भक्तियोगश्च सत्तम ॥ २ ॥ त्रयाणामप्ययं योग्यः कर्तुं शक्योऽस्ति सर्वथा । सुलभत्वान्मानसत्वात्कायचित्ताद्यपीडनात् ॥ ३ ॥ गुणभेदान्मनुष्याणां सा भक्तिस्त्रिविधा मता । परपीडां समुद्दिश्य दम्भं कृत्वा पुरःसरम् ॥ ४ ॥ मात्सर्यक्रोधयुक्तो यस्तस्य भक्तिस्तु तामसी । परपीडादिरहितः स्वकल्याणार्थमेव च ॥ ५ ॥ नित्यं सकामो हृदयं यशोऽर्थी भोगलोलुपः । तत्तत्फलसमावाप्त्यै मामुपास्तेऽतिभक्तितः ॥ ६ ॥ भेदबुद्ध्या तु मां स्वस्मादन्यां जानाति पामरः । तस्य भक्तिः समाख्याता नगाधिप तु राजसी ॥ ७ ॥ परमेशार्पणं कर्म पापसङ्क्षालनाय च । वेदोक्तत्वादवश्यं तत्कर्तव्यं तु मयानिशम् ॥ ८ ॥ इति निश्चितबुद्धिस्तु भेदबुद्धिमुपाश्रितः । करोति प्रीतये कर्म भक्तिः सा नग सत्त्विकी ॥ ९ ॥ परभक्तेः प्रापिकेयं भेदबुद्ध्यवलम्बनात् । पूर्वप्रोक्ते ह्युभे भक्ती न परप्रापिके मते ॥ १० ॥ अधुना परभक्तिं तु प्रोच्यमानां निबोध मे । मद्गुणश्रवणं नित्यं मम नामानुकीर्तनम् ॥ ११ ॥ कल्याणगुणरत्नानामाकरायां मयि स्थिरम् । चेतसो वर्तनं चैव तैलधारासमं सदा ॥ १२ ॥ हेतुस्तु तत्र को वापि न कदाचिद्भवेदपि । सामीप्यसार्ष्टिसायुज्यसालोक्यानां न चैषणा ॥ १३ ॥ मत्सेवातोऽधिकं किञ्चिन्नैव जानाति कर्हिचित् । सेव्यसेवकताभावात्तत्र मोक्षं न वाञ्छति ॥ १४ ॥ परानुरक्त्या मामेव चिन्तयेद्यो ह्यतन्द्रितः । स्वाभेदेनैव मां नित्यं जानाति न विभेदतः ॥ १५ ॥ मद्रूपत्वेन जीवानां चिन्तनं कुरुते तु यः । यथा स्वस्यात्मनि प्रीतिस्तथैव च परात्मनि ॥ १६ ॥ चैतन्यस्य समानत्वान्न भेदं कुरुते तु यः । सर्वत्र वर्तमानानां सर्वरूपां च सर्वदा ॥ १७ ॥ नमते यजते चैवाप्याचाण्डालान्तमीश्वर । न कुत्रापि द्रोहबुद्धिं कुरुते भेदवर्जनात् ॥ १८ ॥ मत्स्थानदर्शने श्रद्धा मद्भक्तदर्शने तथा । मच्छास्त्रश्रवणे श्रद्धा मन्त्रतन्त्रादिषु प्रभो ॥ १९ ॥ मायि प्रेमाकुलमती रोमाञ्चिततनुः सदा । प्रेमाश्रुजलपूर्णाक्षः कण्ठगद्गदनिस्वनः ॥ २० ॥ अनन्येनैव भावेन पूजयेद्यो नगाधिप । मामीश्वरीं जगद्योनिं सर्वकारणकारणम् ॥ २१ ॥ व्रतानि मम दिव्यानि नित्यनैमित्तिकान्यपि । नित्यं यः कुरुते भक्त्या वित्तशाठ्यविवर्जितः ॥ २२ ॥ मदुत्सवदिदृक्षा च मदुत्सवकृतिस्तथा । जायते यस्य नियतं स्वभावादेव भूधर ॥ २३ ॥ उच्चैर्गायंश्च नामानि ममैव खलु नृत्यति । अहङ्कारादिरहितो देहतादात्म्यवर्जितः ॥ २४ ॥ प्रारब्धेन यथा यच्च क्रियते तत्तथा भवेत् । न मे चिन्तास्ति तत्रापि देहसंरक्षणादिषु ॥ २५ ॥ इति भक्तिस्तु या प्रोक्ता परभक्तिस्तु सा स्मृता । यस्यां देव्यतिरिक्तं तु न किञ्चिदपि भाव्यते ॥ २६ ॥ इत्थं जाता परा भक्तिर्यस्य भूधर तत्त्वतः । तदैव तस्य चिन्मात्रे मद्रूपे विलयो भवेत् ॥ २७ ॥ भक्तेस्तु या परा काष्ठा सैव ज्ञानं प्रकीर्तितम् । वैराग्यस्य च सीमा सा ज्ञाने तदुभयं यतः ॥ २८ ॥ भक्तौ कृतायां यस्यापि प्रारब्धवशतो नग । न जायते मम ज्ञानं मणिद्वीपं स गच्छति ॥ २९ ॥ तत्र गत्वाखिलान्भोगाननिच्छन्नपि चर्च्छति । तदन्ते मम चिद्रूपज्ञानं सम्यग्भवेन्नग ॥ ३० ॥ तेन मुक्तः सदैव स्याज्ज्ञानान्मुक्तिर्न चान्यथा । इहैव यस्य ज्ञानं स्याद्धृद्गतप्रत्यगात्मनः ॥ ३१ ॥ मम संवित्परतनोस्तस्य प्राणा व्रजन्ति न । ब्रह्मैव संस्तदाप्नोति ब्रह्मैव ब्रह्म वेद यः ॥ ३२ ॥ कण्ठचामीकरसममज्ञानात्तु तिरोहितम् । ज्ञानादज्ञाननाशेन लब्धमेव हि लभ्यते ॥ ३३ ॥ विदिताविदितादन्यन्नगोत्तम वपुर्मम । यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा जले तथा पितृलोके ॥ ३४ ॥ छायातपौ यथा स्वच्छौ विविक्तौ तद्वदेव हि । मम लोके भवेज्ज्ञानं द्वैतभावविवर्जितम् ॥ ३५ ॥ यस्तु वैराग्यवानेव ज्ञानहीनो म्रियेत चेत् । ब्रह्मलोके वसेन्नित्यं यावत्कल्पं ततः परम् ॥ ३६ ॥ शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे भवेत्तस्य जनिः पुनः । करोति साधनं पश्चात्ततो ज्ञानं हि जायते ॥ ३७ ॥ अनेकजन्मभी राजञ्ज्ञानं स्यान्नैकजन्मना । ततः सर्वप्रयत्नेन ज्ञानार्थं यत्नमाश्रयेत् ॥ ३८ ॥ नोचेन्महान् विनाशः स्याज्जन्मैतद्दुर्लभं पुनः । तत्रापि प्रथमे वर्णे वेदप्राप्तिश्च दुर्लभा ॥ ३९ ॥ शमादिषट्कसम्पत्तिर्योगसिद्धिस्तथैव च । तथोत्तमगुरुप्राप्तिः सर्वमेवात्र दुर्लभम् ॥ ४० ॥ तथेन्द्रियाणां पटुता संस्कृतत्वं तनोस्तथा । अनेकजन्मपुण्यैस्तु मोक्षेच्छा जायते ततः ॥ ४१ ॥ साधने सफलेऽप्येवं जायमानेऽपि यो नरः । ज्ञानार्थं नैव यतते तस्य जन्म निरर्थकम् ॥ ४२ ॥ तस्माद्राजन्यथाशक्त्या ज्ञानार्थं यत्नमाश्रयेत् । पदे पदेऽश्वमेधस्य फलमाप्नोति निश्चितम् ॥ ४३ ॥ घृतमिव पयसि निगूढं भूते भूते च वसति विज्ञानम् । सततं मन्थयितव्यं मनसा मन्थानभूतेन ॥ ४४ ॥ ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा कृतार्थः स्यादिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः । सर्वमुक्तं समासेन किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ ४५ ॥
himālaya uvāca svīyāṃ bhaktiṃ vadasvāmba yena jñānaṃ sukhena hi | jāyeta manujasyāsya madhyamasyāvirāgiṇaḥ || 1 || devyuvāca mārgāstrayo me vikhyātā mokṣaprāptau nagādhipa | karmayogo jñānayogo bhaktiyogaśca sattama || 2 || trayāṇāmapyayaṃ yogyaḥ kartuṃ śakyo'sti sarvathā | sulabhatvānmānasatvātkāyacittādyapīḍanāt || 3 || guṇabhedānmanuṣyāṇāṃ sā bhaktistrividhā matā | parapīḍāṃ samuddiśya dambhaṃ kṛtvā puraḥsaram || 4 || mātsaryakrodhayukto yastasya bhaktistu tāmasī | parapīḍādirahitaḥ svakalyāṇārthameva ca || 5 || nityaṃ sakāmo hṛdayaṃ yaśo'rthī bhogalolupaḥ | tattatphalasamāvāptyai māmupāste'tibhaktitaḥ || 6 || bhedabuddhyā tu māṃ svasmādanyāṃ jānāti pāmaraḥ | tasya bhaktiḥ samākhyātā nagādhipa tu rājasī || 7 || parameśārpaṇaṃ karma pāpasaṅkṣālanāya ca | vedoktatvādavaśyaṃ tatkartavyaṃ tu mayāniśam || 8 || iti niścitabuddhistu bhedabuddhimupāśritaḥ | karoti prītaye karma bhaktiḥ sā naga sattvikī || 9 || parabhakteḥ prāpikeyaṃ bhedabuddhyavalambanāt | pūrvaprokte hyubhe bhaktī na paraprāpike mate || 10 || adhunā parabhaktiṃ tu procyamānāṃ nibodha me | madguṇaśravaṇaṃ nityaṃ mama nāmānukīrtanam || 11 || kalyāṇaguṇaratnānāmākarāyāṃ mayi sthiram | cetaso vartanaṃ caiva tailadhārāsamaṃ sadā || 12 || hetustu tatra ko vāpi na kadācidbhavedapi | sāmīpyasārṣṭisāyujyasālokyānāṃ na caiṣaṇā || 13 || matsevāto'dhikaṃ kiñcinnaiva jānāti karhicit | sevyasevakatābhāvāttatra mokṣaṃ na vāñchati || 14 || parānuraktyā māmeva cintayedyo hyatandritaḥ | svābhedenaiva māṃ nityaṃ jānāti na vibhedataḥ || 15 || madrūpatvena jīvānāṃ cintanaṃ kurute tu yaḥ | yathā svasyātmani prītistathaiva ca parātmani || 16 || caitanyasya samānatvānna bhedaṃ kurute tu yaḥ | sarvatra vartamānānāṃ sarvarūpāṃ ca sarvadā || 17 || namate yajate caivāpyācāṇḍālāntamīśvara | na kutrāpi drohabuddhiṃ kurute bhedavarjanāt || 18 || matsthānadarśane śraddhā madbhaktadarśane tathā | macchāstraśravaṇe śraddhā mantratantrādiṣu prabho || 19 || māyi premākulamatī romāñcitatanuḥ sadā | premāśrujalapūrṇākṣaḥ kaṇṭhagadgadanisvanaḥ || 20 || ananyenaiva bhāvena pūjayedyo nagādhipa | māmīśvarīṃ jagadyoniṃ sarvakāraṇakāraṇam || 21 || vratāni mama divyāni nityanaimittikānyapi | nityaṃ yaḥ kurute bhaktyā vittaśāṭhyavivarjitaḥ || 22 || madutsavadidṛkṣā ca madutsavakṛtistathā | jāyate yasya niyataṃ svabhāvādeva bhūdhara || 23 || uccairgāyaṃśca nāmāni mamaiva khalu nṛtyati | ahaṅkārādirahito dehatādātmyavarjitaḥ || 24 || prārabdhena yathā yacca kriyate tattathā bhavet | na me cintāsti tatrāpi dehasaṃrakṣaṇādiṣu || 25 || iti bhaktistu yā proktā parabhaktistu sā smṛtā | yasyāṃ devyatiriktaṃ tu na kiñcidapi bhāvyate || 26 || itthaṃ jātā parā bhaktiryasya bhūdhara tattvataḥ | tadaiva tasya cinmātre madrūpe vilayo bhavet || 27 || bhaktestu yā parā kāṣṭhā saiva jñānaṃ prakīrtitam | vairāgyasya ca sīmā sā jñāne tadubhayaṃ yataḥ || 28 || bhaktau kṛtāyāṃ yasyāpi prārabdhavaśato naga | na jāyate mama jñānaṃ maṇidvīpaṃ sa gacchati || 29 || tatra gatvākhilānbhogānanicchannapi carcchati | tadante mama cidrūpajñānaṃ samyagbhavennaga || 30 || tena muktaḥ sadaiva syājjñānānmuktirna cānyathā | ihaiva yasya jñānaṃ syāddhṛdgatapratyagātmanaḥ || 31 || mama saṃvitparatanostasya prāṇā vrajanti na | brahmaiva saṃstadāpnoti brahmaiva brahma veda yaḥ || 32 || kaṇṭhacāmīkarasamamajñānāttu tirohitam | jñānādajñānanāśena labdhameva hi labhyate || 33 || viditāviditādanyannagottama vapurmama | yathādarśe tathātmani yathā jale tathā pitṛloke || 34 || chāyātapau yathā svacchau viviktau tadvadeva hi | mama loke bhavejjñānaṃ dvaitabhāvavivarjitam || 35 || yastu vairāgyavāneva jñānahīno mriyeta cet | brahmaloke vasennityaṃ yāvatkalpaṃ tataḥ param || 36 || śucīnāṃ śrīmatāṃ gehe bhavettasya janiḥ punaḥ | karoti sādhanaṃ paścāttato jñānaṃ hi jāyate || 37 || anekajanmabhī rājañjñānaṃ syānnaikajanmanā | tataḥ sarvaprayatnena jñānārthaṃ yatnamāśrayet || 38 || nocenmahān vināśaḥ syājjanmaitaddurlabhaṃ punaḥ | tatrāpi prathame varṇe vedaprāptiśca durlabhā || 39 || śamādiṣaṭkasampattiryogasiddhistathaiva ca | tathottamaguruprāptiḥ sarvamevātra durlabham || 40 || tathendriyāṇāṃ paṭutā saṃskṛtatvaṃ tanostathā | anekajanmapuṇyaistu mokṣecchā jāyate tataḥ || 41 || sādhane saphale'pyevaṃ jāyamāne'pi yo naraḥ | jñānārthaṃ naiva yatate tasya janma nirarthakam || 42 || tasmādrājanyathāśaktyā jñānārthaṃ yatnamāśrayet | pade pade'śvamedhasya phalamāpnoti niścitam || 43 || ghṛtamiva payasi nigūḍhaṃ bhūte bhūte ca vasati vijñānam | satataṃ manthayitavyaṃ manasā manthānabhūtena || 44 || jñānaṃ labdhvā kṛtārthaḥ syāditi vedāntaḍiṇḍimaḥ | sarvamuktaṃ samāsena kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi || 45 ||
English translation
1. The Himalayas said "O Mother! Now describe your Bhaki Yoga, by which ordinary men who have no dispassion get the knowledge of Brahma easily.
2-10. The Devi said:-"0 Chief of Mountains! There are three paths, widely known, leading to the final liberation (Moksa). These are Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. Of these three, Bhakti Yoga is the easiest in all respects; people can do it very well without incurring any suffering to the body, and bringing the mind to a perfect concentration. This Bhakti (devotion) again is of three kinds as the Gunas are three. His Bhakti is Tamasi who worships Me, to pain others, being filled with vanity and jealousy and anger. That Bhakti is Rajasic, when one worships Me for one's own welfare and does not intend to do harm to others. He has got some desire or end in view, some fame or to attain some objects of enjoyments and ignorantly, and thinking himself different from Me, worships Me with greatest devotion. Again that Bhakti is Sattviki when anybody worships Me to purify his sins, and offers to Me the result of all his Karmas, thinking that Jiva and Is'vara are separate and knowing that this action of his is authorized in the Vedas and therefore must be observed. This Sattviki Bhakti is different from the Supreme Bhakti as the worshippers think Me separate; but it leads to the Supreme Bhakti. The other two Bhaktis do not lead to Para Bhakti (the Supreme Bhakti or the Highest unselfish Love.)
11-20. Now hear attentively about the Para Bhakti that I am now describing to you. He who hears always My Glories and recites My Name and whose mind dwells always, like the incessant flow of oil, in Me Who is the receptacle of all auspicious qualities and Gunas.
But he has not the least trace of any desire to get the fruits of his Karma; yea he does not want Samipya, Sarsti, Sayujya, and Salokya and other forms of liberations! He becomes filled with devotion for Me alone, worships Me only; knows nothing higher than to serve Me
and he does not want final liberation even. He does not like to forsake this idea of Sevya (to he served) and Sevaka (servant who serves). He always meditates on Me with constant vigilance and actuated by a feeling of Supreme Devotion; he does not think himself separate from Me but rather thinks himself "that I am the Bhagavati." He considers all the JTvas as Myself and loves Me as he loves himself. He does not make any difference between the JTvas and myself as he finds the same Chaitanya everywhere and mainfested in all. He does not quarrel with anybody as he has abandoned all ideas about separateness; he bows down, and worships the Chandalas and all the JTvas. He who becomes filled with devotion to Me whenever he sees My place, My devotees, and hears the Sastras, describing My deeds, and whenever he meditates on My Mantras, he becomes filled with the highest love and his hairs stand on their ends out of love to Me and tears of love flow incessantly from both his eyes; he recites My name and My deeds in a voice, choked with feelings of love for Me. [A/. 8.--The Para Prema Bhakti is like the maddening rush of a river to the Ocean; thence in the shape of vapour to the highest; Himalayan Mountain peaks to be congealed into snow where various plays of bright colours take place.]
21-30. O Lord of the mountains! He worships Me with intense feeling as the Mother of this Universe and the Cause of all causes. He performs the daily and occasional duties and all My vows and sacrifices without showing any miserly feeling in his expenditure of money. He naturally longs to perform My festivities and to visit places where My Utsabs are held. He sings My name loudly and dances, being intoxicated with My love, and has no idea of egoism and is devoid of his body-idea, thinking that the body is not his. He thinks that whatever is Prarabdha (done in his previoas lives) must come to pass and therefore does not become agitated as to the preservation of his body and soul. This sort of Bhakti is called the Para Bhakti or the Highest Devotion. Here the predominent idea is the idea of the DevT and no other idea takes its place. O Mountain!
He gets immediately dissolved in My Nature of Consciousness whose heart is really filled with such Para Bhakti or All Love. The
sages call the limiting stage of this devotion and dispassion as Jhana (knowledge). When this Jhana arises, Bhakti and dispassion get their ends satisfied. Yea! He goes then to the Mani Dvipa, when his Ahamkara does not crop up by his Prarabdba Karma, though he did not fail to give up his life in devotion. O Mountain! That man enjoys there all the objects of enjoyments, though unwilling and at the end of the period, gets the knowledge of My Consciousness. By that he attains the Final Liberation for ever. Without this Jhana, the Final Liberation is impossible.
31-33. He realises Para Brahma who gets in this body of his the above Jhana of the Pratyak Atma in his heart; when his Prana leaves his body, he does not get re-birth. The S'ruti says "He, who knows Brahma, becomes Brahma." In the logic of Kantha, Chamikara, (gold on the neck) the ignorance vanishes. When this ignorance is destroyed by knowledge, he attains all his knowledge the object to be attained, when he recoginises the gold on his neck.
34-37. O Best of Mountains! This My consciousness is different from the perceived pots, etc., and unperceived Maya. The image of this Paramatma is seen in bodies other than the Atma as the image falls in a mirror; as the image falls in water, so this Paramatma is seen in the Pitrilokas. As the shadow and light are quite distinct, so in My ManidvTpa, the knowledge of oneness without a second arises. That man resides in the Brahma Loka for the period of a Kalpa who leaves his body without attaining Jhana, though he had his Vairagyam. Then he takes his birth in the family of a pure prosperous family and practising again his Yoga habits, gets My Consciousness.
38-45. O King of Mountains! This Jhana arises after many births it does not come in one birth; so one should try one's best to get this Jhana. If, attaining this rare human birth, one does not attain this Jhana, know that a great calamity has befallen to him. For this human birth is very hard to attain; and then the birth in a Brahmin family is rarer; moreover amongst the Brahmins, the knowledge of the Veda (the Consciousness is exceedingly rare.) The
attaining of the six qualities (which are considered as six wealth), restraint of passions, etc.; the success in Yoga and the acquisition of a pure real Guru, all these are very hard to be attained in this life. O Mountain! The maturity and the activities of the organs of the senses, and the purification of the body according to the Vedic rites are all very difficult to attain. Know this again that to get a desire for final liberation is acquired by the merits acquired in many births. That man's birth is entirely futile, who attaining all the above qualifications does not try his best to attain this Jhana, So one should try one's best to acquire the Jhana. Then, at every moment, he gets the fruits of the As'vamedha sacrifice. There is no doubt in this.
As ghee (clarified butter) resides potentially in milk, so the Vijhana Brahma resides in every body. So make the mind the churning rod and always churn with it. Then, by slow degrees, the knowledge of Brahma will be attained.
Man attains blessedness when he gets this Jhana; so the Vedanta says: Thus I have described to you in brief, O King of Mountains! all that you wanted to hear. Now what more do you want?
Here ends the Thirty-seventh Chapter of the Seventh Book on the glories of Bhakti in the Maha Puranam, S'ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 Verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 25176, revision 76326 (2016-08-19T07:28:31Z). 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/bk07ch37.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.