Tenth Skandha · Chapter 9
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच अथातः श्रूयतां चित्रं देवीमाहाक्त्यमुत्तमम् । अङ्गपुत्रेण मनुना यथाऽऽप्तं राज्यमुत्तमम् ॥ १ ॥ अङ्गस्य राज्ञः पुत्रोऽभूच्चाक्षुषो मनुरुत्तमः । षष्ठः सुपुलहं नाम ब्रह्मर्षिं शरणं गतः ॥ २ ॥ ब्रह्मर्षे त्वामहं प्राप्तः शरणं प्रणतार्तिहन् । शाधि मां किङ्करंस्वामिन् येनाहं प्राप्नुयां श्रियम् ॥ ३ ॥ मेदिन्याश्चाधिपत्यं मे स्याद्यथावदखण्डितम् । अव्याहतं भुजबलं शस्त्रास्त्रनिपुणं क्षमम् ॥ ४ ॥ सन्ततिश्चिरकालीनाप्यखण्डं वय उत्तमम् । अन्तेऽपवर्गलाभश्च स्यात्तथोपदिशाद्य मे ॥ ५ ॥ इत्येवं वचनं तस्य मनोः कर्णपथेऽभवत् । प्रत्युवाच मुनिः श्रीमान् देव्याः संराधनं परम् ॥ ६ ॥ राजन्नाकर्णय वचो मम श्रोत्रसुखं महत् । शिवामाराधयाद्य त्वं तत्प्रसादादिदं भवेत् ॥ ७ ॥ चाक्षुष उवाच कीदृगाराधनं देव्यास्तस्याः परमपावनम् । केनाकारेण कर्तव्यं कारुण्याद्वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ ८ ॥ मुनिरुवाच राजन्नाकर्ण्यतां देव्याः पूजनं परमव्ययम् । वाग्भवं बीजमव्यक्तं सञ्जप्यमनिशं तथा ॥ ९ ॥ त्रिकालं सञ्जपन्मर्त्यो भुक्तिमुक्ती लभेत्तु हि । न बीजं वाग्भवादन्यदस्ति राजन्यनन्दन ॥ १० ॥ जपात्सिद्धिकरं वीर्यबलवृद्धिकरं परम् । एतस्य जापात्पाद्मोऽपि सृष्टिकर्ता महाबलः ॥ ११ ॥ विष्णुर्यज्जपतः सृष्टिपालकः परिकीर्तितः । महेश्वरोऽपि संहर्ता यज्जपादभवन्नृप ॥ १२ ॥ लोकपालास्तथान्येऽपि निग्रहानुग्रहक्षमाः । यदाश्रयादभूवंस्ते बलवीर्यमदोद्धताः ॥ १३ ॥ एवं त्वमपि राजन्य महेशीं जगदम्बिकाम् । समाराध्य महर्द्धिं च लप्स्यसेऽचिरकालतः ॥ १४ ॥ एवं स मुनिवर्येण पुलहेन प्रबोधितः । अङ्गपुत्रस्तपस्तप्तुं जगाम विरजां नदीम् ॥ १५ ॥ स च तेपे तपस्तीव्रं वाग्भवस्य जपे रतः । बीजस्य पृथिवीपालः शीर्णपर्णाशनो विभुः ॥ १६ ॥ प्रथमेऽब्दे पल्लवाशो द्वितीये तोयभक्षणः । तृतीयेऽब्दे पवनभुक् तस्थौ स्थाणुरिवाचलः ॥ १७ ॥ एवं द्वादश वर्षाणि त्यक्ताहारस्य भूभुजः । वाग्भवं जपतो नित्यं मतिरासीच्छुभान्विता ॥ १८ ॥ तथा च देव्याः परमं मन्त्रं सज्जपतो रहः । प्रादुरासीज्जगन्माता साक्षाच्छ्रीपरमेश्वरी ॥ १९ ॥ तेजोमयी दुराधर्षा सर्वदेवमयीश्वरी । उवाचाङ्गतनूजं तं प्रसन्ना ललिताक्षरम् ॥ २० ॥ देव्युवाच पृथिवीपाल ते यत्स्याच्चिन्तितं परमं वरम् । तद् ब्रूहि सम्प्रदास्यामि तपसा ते सुतोषिता ॥ २१ ॥ चाक्षुष उवाच जानासि देवदेवेशि यत्प्रार्थ्यं मनसेप्सितम् । अन्तर्यामिस्वरूपेण तत्सर्वं देवपूजिते ॥ २२ ॥ तथापि मम भाग्येन जातं यत्तव दर्शनम् । ब्रवीमि देवि मे देहि राज्यं मन्वन्तराश्रितम् ॥ २३ ॥ देव्युवाच दत्तं मन्वन्तरस्यास्य राज्यं राजन्यसत्तम । पुत्रा महाबलास्ते च भविष्यन्ति गुणाधिकाः ॥ २४ ॥ राज्यं निष्कण्टकं भावि मोक्षोऽन्ते चापि निश्चितः । एवं दत्त्वा परं देवी मनवे वरमुत्तमम् ॥ २५ ॥ जगामादर्शनं सद्यस्तेन भक्त्या च संस्तुता । सोऽपि राजा मनुः षष्ठः प्रसादात्तु तदाश्रयात् ॥ २६ ॥ बभूव मनुमान्योऽसौ सार्वभौमसुखैर्वृतः । पुत्रास्तस्य बलोद्युक्ताः कार्यभारसहादृताः ॥ २७ ॥ देवीभक्ताश्च शूराश्च महाबलपराक्रमाः । अन्यत्र माननीयाश्च महाराज्यसुखास्पदाः ॥ २८ ॥ एवं च चाक्षुषमनुर्देव्याराधनतः प्रभुः । बभूव मनुवर्योऽसौ जगामान्ते शिवापदम्॥ २९ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे देवीचरित्रे चाक्षुषमनुवृत्तवर्णनं नाम नवमोऽध्यायः ॥ ९ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca athātaḥ śrūyatāṃ citraṃ devīmāhāktyamuttamam | aṅgaputreṇa manunā yathā''ptaṃ rājyamuttamam || 1 || aṅgasya rājñaḥ putro'bhūccākṣuṣo manuruttamaḥ | ṣaṣṭhaḥ supulahaṃ nāma brahmarṣiṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ || 2 || brahmarṣe tvāmahaṃ prāptaḥ śaraṇaṃ praṇatārtihan | śādhi māṃ kiṅkaraṃsvāmin yenāhaṃ prāpnuyāṃ śriyam || 3 || medinyāścādhipatyaṃ me syādyathāvadakhaṇḍitam | avyāhataṃ bhujabalaṃ śastrāstranipuṇaṃ kṣamam || 4 || santatiścirakālīnāpyakhaṇḍaṃ vaya uttamam | ante'pavargalābhaśca syāttathopadiśādya me || 5 || ityevaṃ vacanaṃ tasya manoḥ karṇapathe'bhavat | pratyuvāca muniḥ śrīmān devyāḥ saṃrādhanaṃ param || 6 || rājannākarṇaya vaco mama śrotrasukhaṃ mahat | śivāmārādhayādya tvaṃ tatprasādādidaṃ bhavet || 7 || cākṣuṣa uvāca kīdṛgārādhanaṃ devyāstasyāḥ paramapāvanam | kenākāreṇa kartavyaṃ kāruṇyādvaktumarhasi || 8 || muniruvāca rājannākarṇyatāṃ devyāḥ pūjanaṃ paramavyayam | vāgbhavaṃ bījamavyaktaṃ sañjapyamaniśaṃ tathā || 9 || trikālaṃ sañjapanmartyo bhuktimuktī labhettu hi | na bījaṃ vāgbhavādanyadasti rājanyanandana || 10 || japātsiddhikaraṃ vīryabalavṛddhikaraṃ param | etasya jāpātpādmo'pi sṛṣṭikartā mahābalaḥ || 11 || viṣṇuryajjapataḥ sṛṣṭipālakaḥ parikīrtitaḥ | maheśvaro'pi saṃhartā yajjapādabhavannṛpa || 12 || lokapālāstathānye'pi nigrahānugrahakṣamāḥ | yadāśrayādabhūvaṃste balavīryamadoddhatāḥ || 13 || evaṃ tvamapi rājanya maheśīṃ jagadambikām | samārādhya maharddhiṃ ca lapsyase'cirakālataḥ || 14 || evaṃ sa munivaryeṇa pulahena prabodhitaḥ | aṅgaputrastapastaptuṃ jagāma virajāṃ nadīm || 15 || sa ca tepe tapastīvraṃ vāgbhavasya jape rataḥ | bījasya pṛthivīpālaḥ śīrṇaparṇāśano vibhuḥ || 16 || prathame'bde pallavāśo dvitīye toyabhakṣaṇaḥ | tṛtīye'bde pavanabhuk tasthau sthāṇurivācalaḥ || 17 || evaṃ dvādaśa varṣāṇi tyaktāhārasya bhūbhujaḥ | vāgbhavaṃ japato nityaṃ matirāsīcchubhānvitā || 18 || tathā ca devyāḥ paramaṃ mantraṃ sajjapato rahaḥ | prādurāsījjaganmātā sākṣācchrīparameśvarī || 19 || tejomayī durādharṣā sarvadevamayīśvarī | uvācāṅgatanūjaṃ taṃ prasannā lalitākṣaram || 20 || devyuvāca pṛthivīpāla te yatsyāccintitaṃ paramaṃ varam | tad brūhi sampradāsyāmi tapasā te sutoṣitā || 21 || cākṣuṣa uvāca jānāsi devadeveśi yatprārthyaṃ manasepsitam | antaryāmisvarūpeṇa tatsarvaṃ devapūjite || 22 || tathāpi mama bhāgyena jātaṃ yattava darśanam | bravīmi devi me dehi rājyaṃ manvantarāśritam || 23 || devyuvāca dattaṃ manvantarasyāsya rājyaṃ rājanyasattama | putrā mahābalāste ca bhaviṣyanti guṇādhikāḥ || 24 || rājyaṃ niṣkaṇṭakaṃ bhāvi mokṣo'nte cāpi niścitaḥ | evaṃ dattvā paraṃ devī manave varamuttamam || 25 || jagāmādarśanaṃ sadyastena bhaktyā ca saṃstutā | so'pi rājā manuḥ ṣaṣṭhaḥ prasādāttu tadāśrayāt || 26 || babhūva manumānyo'sau sārvabhaumasukhairvṛtaḥ | putrāstasya balodyuktāḥ kāryabhārasahādṛtāḥ || 27 || devībhaktāśca śūrāśca mahābalaparākramāḥ | anyatra mānanīyāśca mahārājyasukhāspadāḥ || 28 || evaṃ ca cākṣuṣamanurdevyārādhanataḥ prabhuḥ | babhūva manuvaryo'sau jagāmānte śivāpadam|| 29 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ daśamaskandhe devīcaritre cākṣuṣamanuvṛttavarṇanaṃ nāma navamo'dhyāyaḥ || 9 ||
English translation
1-7. Narayana said O Narada! I will now narrate the suprenne glories of the Devi and the anecdote how Manu, the son of Anga, obtained excellent kingdom by worshipping the Devi Bhagavati. The son of the king Anga, named Chaksusa became the Sixth Manu.
One day he went to the Brahmarsi Pulaha Risi and taking his refuge said O Brahmarsi! Thou removest all the sorrows and afflictions of those that come under Thy refuge; I now take Thy refuge. Kindly advise Thy servant how he may become the Lord of an endless amount of wealth. O Muni! What can I do so that I may get the sole undisputed sway over the world? How my arms can wield the weapons and manipulate them so that they may not be baffled? How my race and line be constant and my youth remain ever the same, undecayed? And how can I, in the end, attain Mukti? O Muni! Kindly dost Thou give instructions to me on these points and oblige.
Hearing thus, the Muni wanted him to worship the Devi and said “O King! Listen attentively to what I say you today. Worship today the all auspicious S'akti; by Her grace, all your desires will be fulfilled.”
8. Chaksusa said “O Muni! What is that very holy worship of S’ri Bhagavati? How to do it? Kindly describe all these in detail.”
9-20. The Muni said O King! I will now disclose all about the excellent Puja of the Devi Bhagavati. Hear. You recite (mentally) always the seed mantra of Vakbhava (Speech) (The Deity being Maha Sarasvati). If any one makes japam (recites slowly) of the Vakbhava Vija thrice a day, one gets both the highest enjoyment here and, in the end, release (Mukti). O Son of a Ksattriya! There is no other Vija Mantra (word) better than this of Vak (the Word). Through the Japam of this Vija Mantra comes the increase of strength and prowess and all successes. By the Japam of this.
Brahma is so powerful and has become the Creator; Visnu preserves the Universe and MahesVara has become the Destroyer of the Universe. The other Dikpalas (the Regents of the quarters) and the other Siddhas have become very powerful by the power of this Mantra, and are capable of favouring or disfavouring others. So, O King! You, too, worship the Devi of the Devas, the World Mother and ere long you will become the Lord of unbounded wealth. There is no doubt in this. O Narada! Thus advised by Pulaha Risi, the son of the King Anga went to the banks of the Viraja river to practise austerities. There the king Chaksusa remained absorbed in making Japam of the Vakbhava Vija Mantra and took for his food the leaves of the trees that dropped on the ground and thus practised severe austerities.
The first year he ate leaves; the second year he drank water and in the third year he sustained his life by breathing air simply and thus remained steady like a pillar. Thus he remained without food for twelve years. He went on making Japam of the Vakbhava Mantra and his heart and mind became purified. While he was sitting alone, absorbed in the meditation of the Devi Mantra, there appeared before him suddenly the ParamesVari, the World Mother, the Incarnate of Laksmi. The Highest Deity, full of dauntless fire and the Embodiment of all the Devas, spoke graciously in sweet words to Chaksusa, the son of Anga.
21-29. O Regent of the earth! I am pleased with your Tapasya. Now ask any boon that you want. I will give that to you. Chaksusa said “O Thou, worshipped by the Devas! O Sovereign of the Deva of the Devas! Thou art the Controller Inside; Thou art the Controller Outside. Thou knowest everything what I desire in my mind. Still, O Devi! When I am so fortunate as to see Thee, I say Thou grantest me the kingdom for the Manvantara period.” The Devi said “O Best of the Ksattriyas! I grant unto you the kingdom of the whole
world for one manvantara. You will have many sons, very powerful, indeed, and well qualified. Your kingdom will be free from any danger till at last you will certainly get Mukti.” Thus granting the excellent boon to Manu, She disappeared then and there, after being praised by Manu, with deep devotion. The Sixth Manu, then favoured by the Devi, enjoyed the sovereignty of the earth and other pleasures and became the best of the Manus. His sons became the devotees of the Devi, very powerful and expert and became respected by all and enjoyed the pleasures of the kingdom. Thus getting the supremacy by the worship of the Devi, the Chaksusa Manu became merged in the end in the Holy Feet of the Devi.
Here ends the Ninth Chapter of the Tenth Book on the narrative of Chaksusa Manu in the Mahapuranam S’rimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 31957, revision 201137 (2019-05-07T23:20:30Z). 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/bk10ch09.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.