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Tenth Skandha · Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Unit 277 of 318Tenth Skandha · Chapter 10Tenth Skandha · Chapter 101 source entries

Tenth Skandha · Chapter 10

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श्रीनारायण उवाच सप्तमो मनुराख्यातो मनुर्वैवस्वतः प्रभुः । श्राद्धदेवः परानन्दभोक्ता मान्यस्तु भूभुजाम् ॥ १ ॥ स च वैवस्वतमनुः परदेव्याः प्रसादतः । तथा तत्तपसा चैव जातो मन्वन्तराधिपः ॥ २ ॥ अष्टमो मनुराख्यातः सावर्णिः प्रथितः क्षितौ । स जन्मान्तर आराध्य देवीं तद्वरलाभतः ॥ ३ ॥ जातो मन्वन्तरपतिः सर्वराजन्यपूजितः । महापराक्रमी धीरो देवीभक्तिपरायणः ॥ ४ ॥ नारद उवाव कथं जन्मान्तरे तेन मनुनाराधनं कृतम् । देव्याः पृथिव्युद्‍भवायास्तन्ममाख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ ५ ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच चैत्रवंशसमुद्‌भूतो राजा स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे । सुरथो नाम विख्यातो महाबलपराक्रमः ॥ ६ ॥ गुणग्राही धनुर्धारी मान्यः श्रेष्ठः कविः कृती । धनसंग्रहकर्ता च दाता याचकमण्डले ॥ ७ ॥ अरीणां मर्दनो मानी सर्वास्त्रकुशलो बली । तस्यैकदा बभूवुस्ते कोलाविध्वंसिनो नृपाः ॥ ८ ॥ शत्रवः सैन्यसहिताः परिवार्येनमूर्जिताः । रुरुधुर्नगरीं तस्य राज्ञो मानधनस्य हि ॥ ९ ॥ तदा स सुरथो नाम राजा सैन्यसमावृतः । निर्ययौ नगरात्स्वीयात्सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणः ॥ १० ॥ तदा स समरे राजा सुरथः शत्रुभिर्जितः । अमात्यैर्मन्त्रिभिश्चैव तस्य कोशगतं धनम् ॥ ११ ॥ हृतं सर्वमशेषेण तदातप्यत भूमिपः । निष्कासितश्च नगरात्स राजा परमद्युतिः ॥ १२ ॥ जगामाश्वमथारुह्य मृगयामिषतो वनम् । एकाकी विजनेऽरण्ये बभ्रामोद्‌भ्रान्तमानसः ॥ १३ ॥ मुनेः कस्यचिदागत्य स्वाश्रमं शान्तमानसः । प्रशान्तजन्तुसंयुक्तं मुनिशिष्यगणैर्युतम् ॥ १४ ॥ उवास कञ्चित्कालं स राजा परमशोभने । आश्रमे मुनिवर्यस्य दीर्घदृष्टेः सुमेधसः ॥ १५ ॥ एकदा स महीपालो मुनिं पूजावसानके । काले गत्वा प्रणम्याशु पप्रच्छ विनयान्वितः ॥ १६ ॥ मुने मम मनोदुःखं बाधते चाधिसम्भवम् । ज्ञाततत्त्वस्य भूदेव निष्प्रज्ञस्य च सन्ततम् ॥ १७ ॥ शत्रुभिर्निर्जितस्यापि हृतराज्यस्य सर्वशः । तथापि तेषु मनसि ममत्वं जायते स्फुटम् ॥ १८ ॥ किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कथं शर्म लभे मुने । त्वदनुग्रहमाशासे वद वेदविदां वर ॥ १९ ॥ मुनिरुवाच आकर्णय महीपाल महाश्चर्यकरं परम् । देवीमाहात्म्यमतुलं सर्वकामप्रदं परम् ॥ २० ॥ जगन्मयी महामाया विष्णुब्रह्महरोद्‍भवा । सा बलादपहृत्यैव जन्तूनां मानसानि हि ॥ २१ ॥ मोहाय प्रतिसंयच्छेदिति जानीहि भूमिप । सा सृजत्यखिलं विश्वं सा पालयति सर्वदा ॥ २२ ॥ संहारे हररूपेण संहरत्येव भूमिप । कामदात्री महामाया कालरात्रिर्दुरत्यया ॥ २३ ॥ विश्वसंहारिणी काली कमला कमलालया । तस्यां सर्वं जगज्जातं तस्यां विश्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ २४ ॥ लयमेष्यति तस्यां च तस्मात्सैव परात्परा । तस्या देव्याः प्रसादश्च यस्योपरि भवेन्नृप । स एव मोहमत्येति नान्यथा धरणीपते ॥ २५ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां दशमस्कन्धे सुरथनृपतिवृमत्तवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः ॥ १० ॥

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca saptamo manurākhyāto manurvaivasvataḥ prabhuḥ | śrāddhadevaḥ parānandabhoktā mānyastu bhūbhujām || 1 || sa ca vaivasvatamanuḥ paradevyāḥ prasādataḥ | tathā tattapasā caiva jāto manvantarādhipaḥ || 2 || aṣṭamo manurākhyātaḥ sāvarṇiḥ prathitaḥ kṣitau | sa janmāntara ārādhya devīṃ tadvaralābhataḥ || 3 || jāto manvantarapatiḥ sarvarājanyapūjitaḥ | mahāparākramī dhīro devībhaktiparāyaṇaḥ || 4 || nārada uvāva kathaṃ janmāntare tena manunārādhanaṃ kṛtam | devyāḥ pṛthivyud‍bhavāyāstanmamākhyātumarhasi || 5 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca caitravaṃśasamud‌bhūto rājā svārociṣe'ntare | suratho nāma vikhyāto mahābalaparākramaḥ || 6 || guṇagrāhī dhanurdhārī mānyaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ kaviḥ kṛtī | dhanasaṃgrahakartā ca dātā yācakamaṇḍale || 7 || arīṇāṃ mardano mānī sarvāstrakuśalo balī | tasyaikadā babhūvuste kolāvidhvaṃsino nṛpāḥ || 8 || śatravaḥ sainyasahitāḥ parivāryenamūrjitāḥ | rurudhurnagarīṃ tasya rājño mānadhanasya hi || 9 || tadā sa suratho nāma rājā sainyasamāvṛtaḥ | niryayau nagarātsvīyātsarvaśatrunibarhaṇaḥ || 10 || tadā sa samare rājā surathaḥ śatrubhirjitaḥ | amātyairmantribhiścaiva tasya kośagataṃ dhanam || 11 || hṛtaṃ sarvamaśeṣeṇa tadātapyata bhūmipaḥ | niṣkāsitaśca nagarātsa rājā paramadyutiḥ || 12 || jagāmāśvamathāruhya mṛgayāmiṣato vanam | ekākī vijane'raṇye babhrāmod‌bhrāntamānasaḥ || 13 || muneḥ kasyacidāgatya svāśramaṃ śāntamānasaḥ | praśāntajantusaṃyuktaṃ muniśiṣyagaṇairyutam || 14 || uvāsa kañcitkālaṃ sa rājā paramaśobhane | āśrame munivaryasya dīrghadṛṣṭeḥ sumedhasaḥ || 15 || ekadā sa mahīpālo muniṃ pūjāvasānake | kāle gatvā praṇamyāśu papraccha vinayānvitaḥ || 16 || mune mama manoduḥkhaṃ bādhate cādhisambhavam | jñātatattvasya bhūdeva niṣprajñasya ca santatam || 17 || śatrubhirnirjitasyāpi hṛtarājyasya sarvaśaḥ | tathāpi teṣu manasi mamatvaṃ jāyate sphuṭam || 18 || kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kathaṃ śarma labhe mune | tvadanugrahamāśāse vada vedavidāṃ vara || 19 || muniruvāca ākarṇaya mahīpāla mahāścaryakaraṃ param | devīmāhātmyamatulaṃ sarvakāmapradaṃ param || 20 || jaganmayī mahāmāyā viṣṇubrahmaharod‍bhavā | sā balādapahṛtyaiva jantūnāṃ mānasāni hi || 21 || mohāya pratisaṃyacchediti jānīhi bhūmipa | sā sṛjatyakhilaṃ viśvaṃ sā pālayati sarvadā || 22 || saṃhāre hararūpeṇa saṃharatyeva bhūmipa | kāmadātrī mahāmāyā kālarātrirduratyayā || 23 || viśvasaṃhāriṇī kālī kamalā kamalālayā | tasyāṃ sarvaṃ jagajjātaṃ tasyāṃ viśvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam || 24 || layameṣyati tasyāṃ ca tasmātsaiva parātparā | tasyā devyāḥ prasādaśca yasyopari bhavennṛpa | sa eva mohamatyeti nānyathā dharaṇīpate || 25 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ daśamaskandhe surathanṛpativṛmattavarṇanaṃ nāma daśamo'dhyāyaḥ || 10 ||

English translation

1-4. Narayana said Now the Seventh Manu is the Right Hon'ble His Excellency the Lord Vaivasvata Manu S'raddha Deva, honoured by all the kings, and the Enjoyer of the Highest Bliss, Brahnnananda.

I will now speak of this seventh Manu. He, too, practised austerities before the Highest Devi and by Her Grace, got the sovereignty of the earth for one Manvantara.

The Eighth Manu is the Sun's son, known as Savarni. This personage, a devotee of the Devi, honoured by the kings, gentle, patient and powerful king Savarni worshipped the Devi in his previous births and, by Her boon, became the Lord of the Manvantara.

5. Narada said O Bhagavan! How did this Savarni Manu worship in his previous birth the earthen image of the Devi. Kindly describe this to me.

6-13. Narayana said O Narada! This Eighth Manu had been, before, in the time of Svarochisa Manu (the second Manu), a famous king, known by the name of Suratha, born of the family of Chaitra, and very powerful. He could well appreciate merits, clever in the science of archery, amassed abundance of wealth, a generous donor, a very liberal man and he was a celebrated poet and honoured by all. He was skilled in all arts of warfare with weapons and indomitable in crushing his foes. Once on a time, some of his powerful enemies destroyed the city of Kola, belonging to the revered king and succeeded in besieging his capital wherein he

remained. Then the king Suratha, the conqueror of all his foes went out to fight with the enemies but he was defeated by them. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the king's ministers robbed him of all his wealth. The illustrious king then went out of the city and with a sorrowful heart rode alone on his horse on the plea of having a game and walked to and fro, as if, absent-minded.

14-25. The king, then, went to the hermitage of the Muni Sumedha, who could see far-reaching things (a Man of the Fourth Dimension). It was a nice, quiet As'rama, surrounded by quiet and peaceful animals and filled with disciples. There in that very sacred As'rama, his heart became relieved and he went on living there.

One day, when the Muni finished his worship, etc., the king went to him and saluted him duly and humbly asked him the following “O Muni! I am suffering terribly from my mental pain. O Deva on the earth! Why I am suffering so much though I know everything, as if I am quite an ignorant man. After my defeat from my enemies, why does my mind become now compassionate towards those who stole away my kingdom. O Best of the knowers of the Vedas! What am I to do now? Where to go? How can I make me happy? Please speak on these. O Muni! Now I am in want of your good grace.” The Muni said “O Lord of the earth! Hear the extremely wonderful glories of the Devi that have no equal and that can fructify all desires.

She, the Maha Maya, Who is all this world, is the Mother of Brahma, Visnu and Mahes'a. O King! Know verily that it is She and She alone, that can forcibly attract the hearts of all the Jivas and throw them in dire utter delusion.

She is always the Creatrix, Preservrix and Destructrix of the Universe in the form of Hara. This Maha Maya fulfills the desires of all the JTvas and She is known as the insurmountable Kalaratri. She is Kali, the Destructrix of all this universe and She is Kamala residing

in the lotus. Know that this whole world rests on Her and it will become dissolved in Her.

She is therefore, the Highest and Best. O King! Know, verily, that he alone can cross the delusion (Moha) on whom the Grace of the Devi falls and otherwise no one can escape from this Anadi Moha.”

Here ends the Tenth Chapter of the Tenth Book on the anecdote of the King Suratha in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 31958, revision 201136 (2019-05-07T23:19:38Z). 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/bk10ch10.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.