Sixth Skandha · Chapter 29
Sourceनारद उवाच इत्युक्तोऽहं तदा तेन राज्ञा तालध्वजेन च । विमृश्य मनसात्यर्थं तमुवाच विशाम्पते ॥ १ ॥ राजन्नाहं विजानामि पुत्री कस्येति निश्चयम् । पितरौ क्व च मे केन स्थापिता च सरोवरे ॥ २ ॥ किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कथं मे सुकृतं भवेत् । निराधारास्मि राजेन्द्र चिन्तयामि चिकीर्षितम् ॥ ३ ॥ दैवमेव परं राजन्नास्त्यत्र पौरुषं मम । धर्मज्ञोऽसि महीपाल यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ ४ ॥ तवाधीनास्म्यहं भूप न मे कोऽप्यस्ति पालकः । न पिता न च माता च न स्थानं न च बान्धवाः ॥ ५ ॥ इत्युक्तोऽसौ मया राजा बभूव मदनातुरः । मां निरीक्ष्य विशालाक्षीं सेवकानित्युवाच ह ॥ ६ ॥ नरयानमानयध्वं चतुर्वाह्यं मनोहरम् । आरोहणार्थमस्यास्तु कौशेयाम्बरवेष्टितम् ॥ ७ ॥ मृद्वास्तरणसंयुक्तं मुक्ताजालविभूषितम् । चतुरस्रं विशालं च सुवर्णरचितं शुभम् ॥ ८ ॥ तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भृत्याः सत्वरगामिनः । आनिन्युः शिबिकां दिव्यां मदर्थे वस्त्रवेष्टिताम् ॥ ९ ॥ आरूढाऽहं तदा तस्यां तस्य प्रियचिकीर्षया । मुदितोऽसौ गृहे नीत्वा मां तदा पृथिवीपतिः ॥ १० ॥ विवाहविधिना राजा शुभे लग्ने शुभे दिने । उपयेमे च मां तत्र हुतभुक्सन्निधौ ततः ॥ ११ ॥ तस्याहं वल्लभा जाता प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । सौभाग्यसुन्दरीत्येवं नाम तत्र कृतं मम ॥ १२ ॥ रममाणो मया सार्धं सुखमाप महीपतिः । नानाभोगविलासैश्च कामशास्त्रोदितैस्तथा ॥ १३ ॥ राजकार्याणि सन्त्यज्य क्रीडासक्तो दिवानिशम् । नासौ विवेद गच्छन्तं कालं कामकलारतः ॥ १४ ॥ उद्यानेषु च रम्येषु वापीषु च गृहेषु च । हर्म्येषु वरशैलेषु दीर्घिकासु वरासु च ॥ १५ ॥ वारुणीमदमत्तोऽसौ विहरन्कानने शुभे । विसृज्य सर्वकार्याणि मदधीनो बभूव ह ॥ १६ ॥ व्यासाहं तेन संसक्ता क्रीडारसवशीकृता । स्मृतवान्पूर्वदेहं न पुंभावं मुनिजन्म च ॥ १७ ॥ ममैवायं पतिर्योषाहं पत्नीषु प्रिया सती । पट्टराज्ञी विलासज्ञा सफलं जीवितं मम ॥ १८ ॥ इति चिन्तयती तस्मिन्प्रेमबद्धा दिवानिशम् । क्रीडासक्ता सुखे लुब्धा तं स्थिता वशवर्तिनी ॥ १९ ॥ विस्मृतं ब्रह्मविज्ञानं ब्रह्मज्ञानं च शाश्वतम् । धर्मशास्त्रपरिज्ञानं तदासक्तमना स्थिता ॥ २० ॥ एवं विहरतस्तत्र वर्षाणि द्वादशैव तु । गतानि क्षणवत्कामक्रीडासक्तस्य मे मुने ॥ २१ ॥ जाता गर्भवती चाहं मुदं प्राप नृपस्तदा । कारयामास विधिवद्गर्भसंस्कारकर्म च ॥ २२ ॥ अपृच्छद्दोहदं राजा प्रीणयन्मां पुनः पुनः । नाब्रवं लज्जमानाहं नृपं प्रीतमना भृशम् ॥ २३ ॥ सम्पूर्णे दशमे मासि पुत्रो जातस्ततो मम । शुभेऽह्नि ग्रहनक्षत्रलग्नताराबलान्विते ॥ २४ ॥ बभूव नृपतेर्गेहे पुत्रजन्ममहोत्सवः । राजा परमसन्तुष्टो बभूव सुतजन्मतः ॥ २५ ॥ सूतकान्ते सुतं वीक्ष्य राजा मुदमवाप ह । अहं भूमिपतेश्चासं प्रिया भार्या परन्तप ॥ २६ ॥ ततो वर्षद्वयान्ते वै पुनर्गर्भो मया धृतः । द्वितीयस्तु सुतो जातः सर्वलक्षणसंयुतः ॥ २७ ॥ सुधन्वेति सुतस्याथ नाम चक्रे नृपस्तदा । वीरवर्मेति ज्येष्ठस्य ब्राह्मणैः प्रेरितस्त्वयम् ॥ २८ ॥ एवं द्वादश पुत्राश्च प्रसूता भूपसम्मताः । मोहितोऽहं तदा तेषां प्रीत्या पालनलालने ॥ २९ ॥ पुनरष्ट सुताः काले काले जाताः स्वरूपिणः । गार्हस्थ्यं मे ततः पूर्णं सम्पन्नं सुखसाधनम् ॥ ३० ॥ तेषां दारक्रियाः काले कृता राज्ञा यथोचिताः । स्नुषाभिश्च तथा पुत्रैः परिवारो महानभूत् ॥ ३१ ॥ ततः पौत्रादिसम्भूतास्तेऽपि क्रीडारसान्विताः । आसन्नानारसोपेता मोहवृद्धिकरा भृशम् ॥ ३२ ॥ कदाचित्सुखमैश्वर्यं कदाचिद्दुःखमद्भुतम् । पुत्रेषु रोगजनितं देहसन्तापकारकम् ॥ ३३ ॥ परस्परं कदाचित्तु विरोधोऽभूत्सुदारुणः । पुत्राणां वा वधूनां च तेन सन्तापसम्भवः ॥ ३४ ॥ सुखदुःखात्मके घोरे मिथ्याचारकरे भृशम् । सङ्कल्पजनिते क्षुद्रे मग्नोऽहं मुनिसत्तम ॥ ३५ ॥ विस्मृतं पूर्वविज्ञानं शास्त्रज्ञानं तथा गतम् । योषाभावे विलीनोऽहं गृहकार्येषु सर्वथा ॥ ३६ ॥ अहङ्कारस्तु सञ्जातो भृशं मोहविवर्धकः । एते मे बलिनः पुत्राः स्नुषाः सुकुलसम्भवाः ॥ ३७ ॥ एते पुत्राः सुसन्नद्धाः क्रीडन्ति मम वेश्मसु । धन्याहं खलु नारीणां संसारेऽस्मिन्नहो भृशम् ॥ ३८ ॥ नारदोऽहं भगवता वञ्चितो मायया किल । न कदाचिन्मयाप्येवं चिन्तितं मनसा किल ॥ ३९ ॥ राजपत्नी शुभाचारा बहुपुत्रा पतिव्रता । धन्याहं किल संसारे कृष्णैवं मोहितस्त्वहम् ॥ ४० ॥ अथ कश्चिन्नृपः कामं दूरदेशाधिपो महान् । अरातिभावमापन्नः पतिना सह मानद ॥ ४१ ॥ कृत्वा सैन्यसमायोगं रथैश्च वारणैर्युतम् । आजगाम कान्यकुब्जे पुरे युद्धमचिन्तयत् ॥ ४२ ॥ वेष्टितं नगरं तेन राज्ञा सैन्ययुतेन च । मम पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च निर्गता नगरात्तदा ॥ ४३ ॥ संग्रामस्तुमुलस्तत्र कृतस्तैस्तेन पुत्रकैः । हता रणे सुताः सर्वे वैरिणा कालयोगतः ॥ ४४ ॥ राजा भग्नस्तु संग्रामादागतः स्वगृहं पुनः । श्रुतं मया मृताः पुत्राः संग्रामे भृशदारुणे ॥ ४५ ॥ स हत्वा मे सुतान्पौत्रान्गतो राजा बलान्वितः । क्रन्दमाना ह्यहं तत्र गता समरमण्डले ॥ ४६ ॥ दृष्ट्वा तान्पतितान्पुत्रान्पौत्रांश्चदुःखपीडिता । विललापाहमायुष्मञ्छोकसागरसंप्लवे ॥ ४७ ॥ हा पुत्राः क्व गता मेऽद्य हा हतास्मि दुरात्मना । दैवेनातिबलिष्ठेन दुर्वारेणातिपापिना ॥ ४८ ॥ एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तत्र भगवान्मधुसूदनः । कृत्वा रूपं द्विजस्यागाद्वृद्धः परमशोभनः ॥ ४९ ॥ सुवासा वेदवित्कामं मत्समीपं समागतः । मामुवाचातिदीनां स क्रन्दमानां रणाजिरे ॥ ५० ॥ ब्राह्मण उवाच किं विषीदसि तन्वङ्गि भ्रमोऽयं प्रकटीकृतः । मोहेन कोकिलालापे पतिपुत्रगृहात्मके ॥ ५१ ॥ का त्वं कस्याः सुताः केऽमी चिन्तयात्मगतिं पराम् । उत्तिष्ठ रोदनं त्यक्त्वा स्वस्था भव सुलोचने ॥ ५२ ॥ स्नानं च तिलदानं च पुत्राणां कुरु कामिनि । परलोकगतानां च मर्यादारक्षणाय वै ॥ ५३ ॥ कर्तव्यं सर्वथा तीर्थे स्नानं तु न गृहे क्वचित् । मृतानां किल बन्धूनां धर्मशास्त्रविनिर्णयः ॥ ५४ ॥ नारद उवाच इत्युक्त्वा तेन विप्रेण वृद्धेन प्रतिबोधिता । उत्थिताहं नृपेणाथ युक्ता बन्धुभिरावृता ॥ ५५ ॥ अग्रतो द्विजरूपेण भगवान्भूतभावनः । चलिताहं ततस्तूर्णं तीर्थं परमपावनम् ॥ ५६ ॥ हरिर्मां कृपया तत्र पुंतीर्थे सरसि प्रभुः । नीत्वाह भगवान्विष्णुर्द्विजरूपी जनार्दनः ॥ ५७ ॥ स्नानं कुरु तडागेऽस्मिन्पावने गजगामिनि । त्यज शोकं क्रियाकालः पुत्राणां च निरर्थकम् ॥ ५८ ॥ कोटिशस्ते मृताः पुत्रा जन्मजन्मसमुद्भवाः । पितरः पतयश्चैव भ्रातरो जामयस्तथा ॥ ५९ ॥ केषां दुःखं त्वया कार्यं भ्रमेऽस्मिन्मानसोद्भवे । वितथे स्वप्नसदृशे तापदे देहिनामिह ॥ ६० ॥ नारद उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तीर्थे पुरुषसंज्ञके । प्रविष्टा स्नातुकामाहं प्रेरिता तत्र विष्णुना ॥ ६१ ॥ मज्जनादेव तीर्थेषु पुमाञ्जातः क्षणादपि । हरिर्वीणां करे कृत्वा स्थितस्तीरे स्वदेहवान् ॥ ६२ ॥ उन्मज्ज्य च मया तीरे दृष्टः कमललोचनः । प्रत्यभिज्ञा तदा जाता मम चित्ते द्विजोत्तम ॥ ६३ ॥ सञ्चिन्तितं मया तत्र नारदोऽहमिहागतः । हरिणा सह स्त्रीभावं प्राप्तो मायाविमोहितः ॥ ६४ ॥ इति चिन्तापरश्चाहं यदा जातस्तदा हरिः । मामाह नारदागच्छ किं करोषि जले स्थितः ॥ ६५ ॥ विस्मितोऽहं तदा स्मृत्वा स्त्रीभावं दारुणं भृशम् । पुनः पुरुषभावश्च सम्पन्नः केन हेतुना ॥ ६६ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठस्कन्धे नारदस्य पुनः स्वरूपप्राप्तिवर्णनं नामेकोनत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २९ ॥
nārada uvāca ityukto'haṃ tadā tena rājñā tāladhvajena ca | vimṛśya manasātyarthaṃ tamuvāca viśāmpate || 1 || rājannāhaṃ vijānāmi putrī kasyeti niścayam | pitarau kva ca me kena sthāpitā ca sarovare || 2 || kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kathaṃ me sukṛtaṃ bhavet | nirādhārāsmi rājendra cintayāmi cikīrṣitam || 3 || daivameva paraṃ rājannāstyatra pauruṣaṃ mama | dharmajño'si mahīpāla yathecchasi tathā kuru || 4 || tavādhīnāsmyahaṃ bhūpa na me ko'pyasti pālakaḥ | na pitā na ca mātā ca na sthānaṃ na ca bāndhavāḥ || 5 || ityukto'sau mayā rājā babhūva madanāturaḥ | māṃ nirīkṣya viśālākṣīṃ sevakānityuvāca ha || 6 || narayānamānayadhvaṃ caturvāhyaṃ manoharam | ārohaṇārthamasyāstu kauśeyāmbaraveṣṭitam || 7 || mṛdvāstaraṇasaṃyuktaṃ muktājālavibhūṣitam | caturasraṃ viśālaṃ ca suvarṇaracitaṃ śubham || 8 || tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhṛtyāḥ satvaragāminaḥ | āninyuḥ śibikāṃ divyāṃ madarthe vastraveṣṭitām || 9 || ārūḍhā'haṃ tadā tasyāṃ tasya priyacikīrṣayā | mudito'sau gṛhe nītvā māṃ tadā pṛthivīpatiḥ || 10 || vivāhavidhinā rājā śubhe lagne śubhe dine | upayeme ca māṃ tatra hutabhuksannidhau tataḥ || 11 || tasyāhaṃ vallabhā jātā prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī | saubhāgyasundarītyevaṃ nāma tatra kṛtaṃ mama || 12 || ramamāṇo mayā sārdhaṃ sukhamāpa mahīpatiḥ | nānābhogavilāsaiśca kāmaśāstroditaistathā || 13 || rājakāryāṇi santyajya krīḍāsakto divāniśam | nāsau viveda gacchantaṃ kālaṃ kāmakalārataḥ || 14 || udyāneṣu ca ramyeṣu vāpīṣu ca gṛheṣu ca | harmyeṣu varaśaileṣu dīrghikāsu varāsu ca || 15 || vāruṇīmadamatto'sau viharankānane śubhe | visṛjya sarvakāryāṇi madadhīno babhūva ha || 16 || vyāsāhaṃ tena saṃsaktā krīḍārasavaśīkṛtā | smṛtavānpūrvadehaṃ na puṃbhāvaṃ munijanma ca || 17 || mamaivāyaṃ patiryoṣāhaṃ patnīṣu priyā satī | paṭṭarājñī vilāsajñā saphalaṃ jīvitaṃ mama || 18 || iti cintayatī tasminpremabaddhā divāniśam | krīḍāsaktā sukhe lubdhā taṃ sthitā vaśavartinī || 19 || vismṛtaṃ brahmavijñānaṃ brahmajñānaṃ ca śāśvatam | dharmaśāstraparijñānaṃ tadāsaktamanā sthitā || 20 || evaṃ viharatastatra varṣāṇi dvādaśaiva tu | gatāni kṣaṇavatkāmakrīḍāsaktasya me mune || 21 || jātā garbhavatī cāhaṃ mudaṃ prāpa nṛpastadā | kārayāmāsa vidhivadgarbhasaṃskārakarma ca || 22 || apṛcchaddohadaṃ rājā prīṇayanmāṃ punaḥ punaḥ | nābravaṃ lajjamānāhaṃ nṛpaṃ prītamanā bhṛśam || 23 || sampūrṇe daśame māsi putro jātastato mama | śubhe'hni grahanakṣatralagnatārābalānvite || 24 || babhūva nṛpatergehe putrajanmamahotsavaḥ | rājā paramasantuṣṭo babhūva sutajanmataḥ || 25 || sūtakānte sutaṃ vīkṣya rājā mudamavāpa ha | ahaṃ bhūmipateścāsaṃ priyā bhāryā parantapa || 26 || tato varṣadvayānte vai punargarbho mayā dhṛtaḥ | dvitīyastu suto jātaḥ sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyutaḥ || 27 || sudhanveti sutasyātha nāma cakre nṛpastadā | vīravarmeti jyeṣṭhasya brāhmaṇaiḥ preritastvayam || 28 || evaṃ dvādaśa putrāśca prasūtā bhūpasammatāḥ | mohito'haṃ tadā teṣāṃ prītyā pālanalālane || 29 || punaraṣṭa sutāḥ kāle kāle jātāḥ svarūpiṇaḥ | gārhasthyaṃ me tataḥ pūrṇaṃ sampannaṃ sukhasādhanam || 30 || teṣāṃ dārakriyāḥ kāle kṛtā rājñā yathocitāḥ | snuṣābhiśca tathā putraiḥ parivāro mahānabhūt || 31 || tataḥ pautrādisambhūtāste'pi krīḍārasānvitāḥ | āsannānārasopetā mohavṛddhikarā bhṛśam || 32 || kadācitsukhamaiśvaryaṃ kadācidduḥkhamadbhutam | putreṣu rogajanitaṃ dehasantāpakārakam || 33 || parasparaṃ kadācittu virodho'bhūtsudāruṇaḥ | putrāṇāṃ vā vadhūnāṃ ca tena santāpasambhavaḥ || 34 || sukhaduḥkhātmake ghore mithyācārakare bhṛśam | saṅkalpajanite kṣudre magno'haṃ munisattama || 35 || vismṛtaṃ pūrvavijñānaṃ śāstrajñānaṃ tathā gatam | yoṣābhāve vilīno'haṃ gṛhakāryeṣu sarvathā || 36 || ahaṅkārastu sañjāto bhṛśaṃ mohavivardhakaḥ | ete me balinaḥ putrāḥ snuṣāḥ sukulasambhavāḥ || 37 || ete putrāḥ susannaddhāḥ krīḍanti mama veśmasu | dhanyāhaṃ khalu nārīṇāṃ saṃsāre'sminnaho bhṛśam || 38 || nārado'haṃ bhagavatā vañcito māyayā kila | na kadācinmayāpyevaṃ cintitaṃ manasā kila || 39 || rājapatnī śubhācārā bahuputrā pativratā | dhanyāhaṃ kila saṃsāre kṛṣṇaivaṃ mohitastvaham || 40 || atha kaścinnṛpaḥ kāmaṃ dūradeśādhipo mahān | arātibhāvamāpannaḥ patinā saha mānada || 41 || kṛtvā sainyasamāyogaṃ rathaiśca vāraṇairyutam | ājagāma kānyakubje pure yuddhamacintayat || 42 || veṣṭitaṃ nagaraṃ tena rājñā sainyayutena ca | mama putrāśca pautrāśca nirgatā nagarāttadā || 43 || saṃgrāmastumulastatra kṛtastaistena putrakaiḥ | hatā raṇe sutāḥ sarve vairiṇā kālayogataḥ || 44 || rājā bhagnastu saṃgrāmādāgataḥ svagṛhaṃ punaḥ | śrutaṃ mayā mṛtāḥ putrāḥ saṃgrāme bhṛśadāruṇe || 45 || sa hatvā me sutānpautrāngato rājā balānvitaḥ | krandamānā hyahaṃ tatra gatā samaramaṇḍale || 46 || dṛṣṭvā tānpatitānputrānpautrāṃścaduḥkhapīḍitā | vilalāpāhamāyuṣmañchokasāgarasaṃplave || 47 || hā putrāḥ kva gatā me'dya hā hatāsmi durātmanā | daivenātibaliṣṭhena durvāreṇātipāpinā || 48 || etasminnantare tatra bhagavānmadhusūdanaḥ | kṛtvā rūpaṃ dvijasyāgādvṛddhaḥ paramaśobhanaḥ || 49 || suvāsā vedavitkāmaṃ matsamīpaṃ samāgataḥ | māmuvācātidīnāṃ sa krandamānāṃ raṇājire || 50 || brāhmaṇa uvāca kiṃ viṣīdasi tanvaṅgi bhramo'yaṃ prakaṭīkṛtaḥ | mohena kokilālāpe patiputragṛhātmake || 51 || kā tvaṃ kasyāḥ sutāḥ ke'mī cintayātmagatiṃ parām | uttiṣṭha rodanaṃ tyaktvā svasthā bhava sulocane || 52 || snānaṃ ca tiladānaṃ ca putrāṇāṃ kuru kāmini | paralokagatānāṃ ca maryādārakṣaṇāya vai || 53 || kartavyaṃ sarvathā tīrthe snānaṃ tu na gṛhe kvacit | mṛtānāṃ kila bandhūnāṃ dharmaśāstravinirṇayaḥ || 54 || nārada uvāca ityuktvā tena vipreṇa vṛddhena pratibodhitā | utthitāhaṃ nṛpeṇātha yuktā bandhubhirāvṛtā || 55 || agrato dvijarūpeṇa bhagavānbhūtabhāvanaḥ | calitāhaṃ tatastūrṇaṃ tīrthaṃ paramapāvanam || 56 || harirmāṃ kṛpayā tatra puṃtīrthe sarasi prabhuḥ | nītvāha bhagavānviṣṇurdvijarūpī janārdanaḥ || 57 || snānaṃ kuru taḍāge'sminpāvane gajagāmini | tyaja śokaṃ kriyākālaḥ putrāṇāṃ ca nirarthakam || 58 || koṭiśaste mṛtāḥ putrā janmajanmasamudbhavāḥ | pitaraḥ patayaścaiva bhrātaro jāmayastathā || 59 || keṣāṃ duḥkhaṃ tvayā kāryaṃ bhrame'sminmānasodbhave | vitathe svapnasadṛśe tāpade dehināmiha || 60 || nārada uvāca iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā tīrthe puruṣasaṃjñake | praviṣṭā snātukāmāhaṃ preritā tatra viṣṇunā || 61 || majjanādeva tīrtheṣu pumāñjātaḥ kṣaṇādapi | harirvīṇāṃ kare kṛtvā sthitastīre svadehavān || 62 || unmajjya ca mayā tīre dṛṣṭaḥ kamalalocanaḥ | pratyabhijñā tadā jātā mama citte dvijottama || 63 || sañcintitaṃ mayā tatra nārado'hamihāgataḥ | hariṇā saha strībhāvaṃ prāpto māyāvimohitaḥ || 64 || iti cintāparaścāhaṃ yadā jātastadā hariḥ | māmāha nāradāgaccha kiṃ karoṣi jale sthitaḥ || 65 || vismito'haṃ tadā smṛtvā strībhāvaṃ dāruṇaṃ bhṛśam | punaḥ puruṣabhāvaśca sampannaḥ kena hetunā || 66 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ ṣaṣṭhaskandhe nāradasya punaḥ svarūpaprāptivarṇanaṃ nāmekonatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 29 ||
English translation
1-11. Narada said O Dvaipayana! When the King Taladhvaja asked me thus, I thought over earnestly and said thus “I do not know whose daughter I am; nor do I know quite certainly where are my father and mother; one man placed me here on this tank and has gone away, whither I do not know. O King! I am now an helpless orphan; what shall I do now? Where to go? What to do by which I can have my welfare? I am all the while thinking on these. O King! The Destiny is powerful; I have not the least control over it; you know Dharma and you are a King. Do now as you like. O King! Do nourish me; I have no father, no mother, nor any acquaintances and friends; there is no place for me also to stand on; therefore I am now your dependent.” When I spoke thus, the King looked at my face and became love-stricken for me; he then told his attendants to bring an excellent rectangular and spacious palanquin to be carried on four men’s shoulders, gilt and adorned with jewels and pearls, where soft sheets were spread inside and covered all over with silken cloths. Instantly the servants went away and brought for me a beautiful palanquin. I got on it to serve the best wishes of the King. The King also gladly took me home. In an auspicious day and in an auspicious moment he married me in accordance with due rites and ceremonies in the presence of the Holy Fire.
12. I became dearer to him than even his own life and the King, with great fondness, kept my name as Saubhagya Sundari.
13-20. The King then began to sport with me amorously according to the rules of the Kama S’astra in various ways and with great enjoyments and pleasures. He then left all his kingly duties and state
affairs and he began to remain day and night with me deeply immersed in amorous sports; so much his mind was merged in me in these plays that he could not notice the long time that passed away in the interval. He used to drink the Varuni wine and, forsaking all the state affairs, began to enjoy me in nice gardens, beautiful lakes, lovely palaces, beautified houses, excellent mountains and enviable forests and became completely subservient to me. O Dvaipayana! Being incessantly engaged with the King in amorous sports and remaining obedient to him, my previous body, male ideas, or the birth of Muni, nothing whatsoever came in my memory. I remained always attached to him, being obedient to him with a view to be happy and I constantly thought over “that this King is very much attached to me, I am his dearest wife to all others; always he thinks of me, I am his chief consort, capable to give him enjoyment.” My mind became entirely his and I completely forgot the eternal Brahmajhan and the knowledge of the Dharma S’astras.
21-31. O Muni! Thus engaged in various amorous sports, twelve years passed away as if a moment and I could not perceive that. Then I became pregnant; and the King became very glad and performed all the ceremonies pertaining to my impregnation and holding of the child in my womb. In order to satisfy me, the King used to ask me always what things I liked; I used to be very much abashed; seeing this, the King used to be still more glad. Ten months thus passed away and in an auspicious Lagna and when the asterism was favourably strong, I gave birth to a son; the King became very glad and great festivities were held on the birth ceremony of the child. O Dvaipayana! When the period of the birth- impurity was over, the King saw the face of the child and was greatly delighted; I then became the dearest wife of the King. Two years after again I became impregnated; the second auspicious son was born. The King gave the name Sudhanva to the second son and on the authority of the Brahmins, kept the name of the eldest son as Viravarma. Thus I gave birth to twelve sons, in due course of time, to
the King’s great liking; and I was engaged in rearing up those children and thus I remained enchanted. Again in due course, I gave birth to eight sons; thus my household was filled with happiness. The King performed the marriage ceremonies of all those children duly and befittingly; and our family became very large with sons and their wives.
32-52. Then I had some grandsons and they increased my attachment and the consequent delusion with their all sorts of playful sports. Sometimes I felt happy and prosperous and sometimes I felt pain and sorrow when my sons fell ill. Then my body and mind became very much troubled with sorrows. Again the quarrels amongst my sons and my daughters-in- law, brought terrible pain and remorse in my mind. O Best of Munis! Thus I was greatly immersed in the terrible ocean of these imaginary thoughts, sometimes happy and sometimes painful, and I forgot my previous knowledge and the knowledge of the S’astras. I was merged in the thought of myself being a woman and lost myself entirely in doing the household affairs. I began to think “that I have so many daughters-in-law; so many powerful sons of mine are playing together in my house; Oh! I am fortunate and full of merits amongst women” and thus my egoistic pride increased. Not for a moment even occurred the thought that I had been Narada; the Bhagavan had deceived me by His Maya. O Krisna Dvaipayana! I was deluded by Maya and passed away my time in the thought “that I am the king’s wife, chaste and of good conduct following good Achara; I have so many sons and grandsons; I am blessed in this Samsara and that I am so happy and prosperous.” One powerful king of a distant country turned out an inveterate enemy of my husband and came to the city of Kanauj to fight with my husband, accompanied by chariots, and elephants and the fourfold army. That enemy besieged the city with his army; my sons and grandsons went out and fought valiantly with him but owing to the great Destiny, the enemies killed all my sons. The King retreated and returned to his palace. Next I
heard that powerful King killed all my sons and grandsons and had gone back to his country with his army. I then hurriedly went to the battlefield, crying loudly. O Long-lived One! Seeing my sons and grandsons lying on the ground, in that horrible and distressed state, I became merged in the ocean of sorrows and lamented and wept loudly and wildly, “O my Sons! Where have you gone leaving me thus? Alas! The pernicious Fate is very dominant, and very painsgiving and indomitable. It has killed me today.” By this time, the Bhagavan Madhusudana came to me there in the garb of a beautiful aged Brahmin. His dress was sacred and lovely; it seemed he was versed in the Vedas. Seeing me weeping distressedly in the battlefield he said “O Devi! O cuckoo-voiced One! It seems you are the mistress of a prosperous house and you have got husband and sons! O thin-bodied One! Why are you thus lamenting and feeling yourself distressed! All this is simply illusion caused by Moha; think; who are you? whose sons are these? Now think of your best hereafter; Don’t weep, get up and be comfortable, O Good-eyed one!
53-54. O Devi! To shew respect to your sons, etc., gone to the other worlds, offer them water and Til. The friends of the deceased ought to take their bath in a place of pilgrimage; never they should bathe in their houses. Know this as ordained by Dharma.
55-66. Narada said O Dvaipayan! When the old Brahmin thus addressed me, I and the King and other friends got up. The Bhagavan Madhusudana causing this creation, in the form of a Brahmana, led the way and I followed him quickly to that sacred place of pilgrimage. The Visnu Bhagavan, the Lord Janardana Hah, in the form of a Brahmin, kindly took me to the tank named Pumtirtha (male tirtha) and said “O One going like an elephant! Better take your bath in this tank; forego your sorrows that are of no use; now the time has arrived to offer water to your sons. Better think that you had millions of sons born to you in your previous births and for that
your millions of sons and daughters lost their lives; you had millions of fathers, husbands, and brothers and you lost them again; O Devi! Now tell me for whom you will now grieve? All these, then, are merely mental phenomena; this world is full of delusion, false like a mirage and dream-like; the embodied souls, simply get pains and sorrows and nothing else.” Narada said On hearing his words, I went to bathe in that Pumtirtha, as ordered by him. Taking a dip, I found that, in an instant, I became a man; the Bhagavan Hah, in his own proper form, was standing on the edge with a lute in his hand. O Brahmin! When getting out of the water, I came to the bank and saw the lotus-eyed Krisna, pure consciousness then flashed in my heart. Then I thought “that I am Narada; I have come to this place and being deluded by the Maya of Hah, I got the female form.” When I was thinking thus. Hah exclaimed, “O Narada! Get up; what are you doing, standing in the water?” I was astonished; and, recollecting my feminine nature, very severe indeed, began to think why I was again transformed into a male form.
Here ends the Twenty-ninth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the Narada’s getting again his male form in the Mahapuranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 53183, revision 118189 (2017-08-23T21:23:52Z). 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/bk06ch29.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.