Third Skandha · Chapter 11
Sourceसत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् लोमश उवाच न वेदाध्ययनं किञ्चिज्जानाति न जपं तथा । ध्यानं न देवतानाञ्च न चैवाराधनं तथा ॥ १ ॥ नासनं वेद विप्रोऽसो प्राणायामं तथा पुनः । प्रत्याहारं तु नो वेद भूतशुद्धिञ्च कारणम् ॥ २ ॥ न मन्त्रकीलकं जाप्यं गायत्रीञ्च न वेद सः । शौचं स्नानविधिञ्चैव तथाचमनकं पुनः ॥ ३ ॥ प्राणाग्निहोत्रं नो वेद बलिदानं न चातिथिम् । न सन्ध्यां समिधो होमं विवेद च तथा मुनिः ॥ ४ ॥ सोऽकरोत्प्रातरुत्थाय यत्किञ्चिद्दन्तधावनम् । स्नानं च शूद्रवत्तत्र गंगायां मन्त्रवर्जितम् ॥ ५ ॥ फलान्यादाय वन्यानि मध्यान्हेऽपि यदृच्छया । भक्ष्याभक्ष्यपरिज्ञानं न जानाति शठस्तथा ॥ ६ ॥ सत्यं ब्रूते स्थितस्तत्र नानृतं वदते पुनः । जनैः सत्यतपा नाम कृतमस्य द्विजस्य वै ॥ ७ ॥ नाहितं कस्यचित्कुर्यान्न तथाऽविहितं क्वचित् । सुखं स्वपिति तत्रैव निर्भयश्चिन्तयन्निति ॥ ८ ॥ कदा मे मरणं भावि दुःखं जीवामि कानने । जीवितं धिक्च मूर्खस्य तरसा मरणं ध्रुवम् ॥ ९ ॥ दैवेनाहं कृतो मूर्खो नान्योऽत्र कारणं मम । प्राप्य चैवोत्तमं जन्म वृथा जातं ममाधुना ॥ १० ॥ यथा वन्ध्या सुरूपा च यथा वा निष्फलो द्रुमः । अदुग्धदोहा धेनुश्च तथाऽहं निष्फलः कृतः ॥ ११ ॥ किं नु निन्दाम्यहं दैवं नूनं कर्म ममेदृशम् । न दत्तं पुस्तकं कृत्वा ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने ॥ १२ ॥ न वै विद्या मया दत्ता पूर्वजन्मनि निर्मला । तेनाहं कर्मयोगेन शठोऽस्मि च द्विजाधमः ॥ १३ ॥ न च तीर्थे तपस्तप्तं सेविता न च साधवः । न द्विजाः पूजिता द्रव्यैस्तेन जातोऽस्मि दुष्टधीः ॥ १४ ॥ वर्तन्ते मुनिपुत्राश्च वेदशास्त्रार्थपारगाः । अहं सुमूढः सञ्जातो दैवयोगेन केनचित् ॥ १५ ॥ न जानामि तपस्तप्तुं किं करोमि सुसाधनम् । मिथ्यायं मेऽत्र सङ्कल्पो न मे भाग्यं शुभं किल ॥ १६ ॥ दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पौरुषमनर्थकम् । वृथा श्रमकृतं कार्यं दैवाद्भवति सर्वथा ॥ १७ ॥ ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च शक्राद्याः किल देवताः । कालस्य वशगाः सर्वे कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः ॥ १८ ॥ एवंविधान्वितर्कांस्तु कुर्वाणोऽहर्निशं द्विजः । स्थितस्तत्राश्रमे तीरे जान्हव्याः पावने स्थले ॥ १९ ॥ विरक्तः स तु सञ्जातः स्थितस्तत्राश्रमे द्विजः । कालातिवाहनं शान्तश्चकार विजने वने ॥ २० ॥ एवं स्थितस्य तु वने विमलोदके वै वर्षाणि तत्र नवपञ्च गतानि कामम् । नाराधनं न च जपं न विवेद मन्त्रं कालातिवाहनमसौ कृतवान् वने वै ॥ २१ ॥ जानाति तस्य विततं व्रतमेव लोकः सत्यं वदत्यपि मुनिः किल नामजातम् । जातं यशश्च सकलेषु जनेषु कामं सत्यव्रतोऽयमनिशं न मृषाभिभाषी ॥ २२ ॥ तत्रैकदा तु मृगयां रममाण एव प्राप्तो निषादनिशठो धृतचापबाणः । क्रीडन् वनेऽतिविपुले यमतुल्यदेहः क्रूराकृतिर्हननकर्मणि चातिदक्षः ॥ २३ ॥ तेनातिकृष्टेन शरेण विद्धः कोलः किरातेन धनुर्धरेण । पलायमानो भयविह्वलश्च मुनेः समीपं विद्रुतो जगाम ॥ २४ ॥ विकंपमानो रुधिरार्द्रदेहो यदा जगामाश्रममण्डलं वै । कालस्तदातीव दयार्द्रभावं प्राप्तो मुनिस्तत्र समीक्ष्य दीनम् ॥ २५ ॥ अग्रे व्रजन्तं रुधिरार्द्रदेहं दृष्ट्वा मुनिः सूकरमाशु विद्धम् । दयाभिवेशादतिकम्पमानः सारस्वतं बीजमथोच्चचार ॥ २६ ॥ अज्ञातपूर्वं च तथाश्रुतञ्च दैवान्मुखे वै समुपागतञ्च । न ज्ञातवान्बीजमसौ विमूढो ममज्ज शोके स मुनिर्महात्मा ॥ २७ ॥ कोलः प्रविश्याश्रममण्डलं तद् गतो निकुञ्जे प्रविलीय गूढम् । अप्राप्तमार्गो दृढनिर्विण्णचेताः प्रवेपमानः शरपीडितत्वात् ॥ २८ ॥ ततः क्षणादाकरणान्तकृष्टं चापं दधानोऽतिकरालदेहः । प्राप्तस्तदन्ते स च मृग्यमाणो निषादराजः किल काल एव ॥ २९ ॥ दृष्ट्वा मुनिं तत्र कुशासने स्थितं नाम्ना तु सत्यव्रतमद्वितीयम् । व्याधः प्रणम्य प्रमुखे स्थितोऽसौ पप्रच्छ कोलः क्व गतो द्विजेश ॥ ३० ॥ जानामि तेऽहं सुव्रतं प्रसिद्धं तेनाद्य पृच्छे मम बाणविद्धः । क्षुधार्दितं मे सकलं कुटुम्बं विभर्तुकामः किल आगतोऽस्मि ॥ ३१ ॥ वृत्तिर्ममैषा विहिता विधात्रा नान्याऽस्ति विप्रेन्द्र ऋतं ब्रवीमि । भर्तव्यमेवेह कुटुम्बमञ्जसा केनाप्युपायेन शुभाशुभेन ॥ ३२ ॥ सत्यं ब्रवीत्वद्य सत्यव्रतोऽसि क्षुधातुरो वर्तते पोष्यवर्गः । क्वासो गतः सूकरो बाणविद्धः पृच्छाम्यहं वाडव ब्रूहि तूर्णम् ॥ ३३ ॥ तेनेति पृष्टः स मुनिर्महात्मा वितर्कमग्नः प्रबभूव कामम् । सत्यव्रतं मेऽद्य भवेन्न भग्नं न दृष्ट इत्युच्चरितेन किं वै ॥ ३४ ॥ गतोऽत्र कोलः शरविद्धदेहः कथं ब्रवीम्यद्य मृषाऽमृषा वा । क्षुधार्दितोऽयं परिपृच्छतीव दृष्ट्वा हनिष्यत्यपि सूकरं वै ॥ ३५ ॥ सत्यं न सत्यं खलु यत्र हिंसा दयान्वितं चानृतमेव सत्यम् । हितं नराणां भवतीह येन तदेव सत्यं न तथाऽन्यथैव ॥ ३६ ॥ हितं कथं स्यादुभयोर्विरुद्धयो- स्तदुत्तरं किं न यथा मृषा वचः । विचारयन्वाडव धर्मसङ्कटे न प्राप वक्तुं वचनं यथोचितम् ॥ ३७ ॥ बाणाहतं वीक्ष्य दयान्वितञ्च कोलं तदन्ते समुदाहृतं वचः । तेन प्रसन्ना निजबीजतः शिवा विद्यां दुरापां प्रददौ च तस्मै ॥ ३८ ॥ बीजोच्चारणतो देव्या विद्या प्रस्फुरिताखिला । वाल्मीकेश्च यथापूर्वं तथा स ह्यभवत्कविः ॥ ३९ ॥ तमुवाच द्विजो व्याधं सम्मुखस्थं धनुर्धरम् । सत्यकामस्तु धर्मात्मा श्लोकमेकं दयापरः ॥ ४० ॥ या पश्यति न सा ब्रूते या ब्रूते सा न पश्यति । अहो व्याध स्वकार्यार्थिन् किं पृच्छसि पुनः पुनः ॥ ४१ ॥ इत्युक्तस्तु तदा तेन गतोऽसौ पशुहा पुनः । निराशः सूकरे तस्मिन्परावृत्तो निजालये ॥ ४२ ॥ ब्राह्मणस्तु कविर्जातः प्राचेतस इवापरः । प्रसिद्धः सर्वलोकेषु नाम्ना सत्यव्रतो द्विजः ॥ ४३ ॥ सारस्वतं ततो बीजं जजाप विधिपूर्वकम् । पण्डितश्चातिविख्यातो द्विजोऽसौ धरणीतले ॥ ४४ ॥ प्रतिपर्वसु गायन्ति ब्राह्मणा यद्यशः सदा । आख्यानं चातिविस्तीर्ण स्तुवन्ति मुनयः किल ॥ ४५ ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा सदनं तस्य समागम्य तदाश्रमे । येन त्यक्तः पुरा तेन गृहं नीतोऽतिमानितः ॥ ४६ ॥ तस्माद्राजन्सदा सेव्या पूजनीया च भक्तितः । आदिशक्तिः परा देवी जगतां कारणं हि सा ॥ ४७ ॥ तस्या यज्ञं महाराज कुरु वेदविधानतः । सर्वकामप्रदं नित्यं निश्चयं कथितं पुरा ॥ ४८ ॥ स्मृता सम्पूजिता भक्त्या ध्याता चोच्चारिता स्तुता । ददाति वाञ्छितानर्थान्कार्यदा तेन कीर्त्यते ॥ ४९ ॥ अनुभावमिदं राजन् कर्तव्यं सर्वथा बुधैः । दृष्ट्वा रोगयुतान्दीनान्क्षुधितान्निर्धनाञ्छठान् ॥ ५० ॥ जनानार्तांस्तथा मूर्खान्पीडितान्वैरिभिः सदा । दासानाज्ञाकरान्क्षुद्रान्विकलान्विह्वलानथ ॥ ५१ ॥ अतृप्तान्भोजने भोगे सदार्तानजितेन्द्रियान् । तृष्णाधिकानशक्तांश्च सदाधिपरिपीडितान् ॥ ५२ ॥ तथा विभवसम्पन्नान् पुत्रपौत्रविवर्धनान् । पुष्टदेहांश्च सम्भोगैः संयुतान्वेदवादिनः ॥ ५३ ॥ राजलक्ष्म्या युताञ्छूरान्वशीकृतजनानथ । स्वजनैरवियुक्तांश्च सर्वलक्षणलक्षितान् ॥ ५४ ॥ व्यतिरेकान्वयाभ्यां च विचेतव्यं विचक्षणैः । एभिर्न पूजिता देवी सर्वार्थफलदा शिवा ॥ ५५ ॥ समाराधिता च तथा नृभिरेभिः सदाम्बिका । यतोऽमी सुखिनः सर्वे संसारेऽस्मिन्न संशयः ॥ ५६ ॥ व्यास उवाच इति राजञ्छ्रुतं तत्र मया मुनिसमागमे । लोमशस्य मुखात्कामं देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् ॥ ५७ ॥ इति सञ्चिन्त्य राजेन्द्र कर्तव्यं च सदार्चनम् । भक्त्या परमया देव्याः प्रीत्या च पुरुषर्षभ ॥ ५८ ॥ इति श्रीदेवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां तृतीयस्कन्धे सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनं नामैकादशोऽध्यायः ॥ ११ ॥
satyavratākhyānavarṇanam lomaśa uvāca na vedādhyayanaṃ kiñcijjānāti na japaṃ tathā | dhyānaṃ na devatānāñca na caivārādhanaṃ tathā || 1 || nāsanaṃ veda vipro'so prāṇāyāmaṃ tathā punaḥ | pratyāhāraṃ tu no veda bhūtaśuddhiñca kāraṇam || 2 || na mantrakīlakaṃ jāpyaṃ gāyatrīñca na veda saḥ | śaucaṃ snānavidhiñcaiva tathācamanakaṃ punaḥ || 3 || prāṇāgnihotraṃ no veda balidānaṃ na cātithim | na sandhyāṃ samidho homaṃ viveda ca tathā muniḥ || 4 || so'karotprātarutthāya yatkiñciddantadhāvanam | snānaṃ ca śūdravattatra gaṃgāyāṃ mantravarjitam || 5 || phalānyādāya vanyāni madhyānhe'pi yadṛcchayā | bhakṣyābhakṣyaparijñānaṃ na jānāti śaṭhastathā || 6 || satyaṃ brūte sthitastatra nānṛtaṃ vadate punaḥ | janaiḥ satyatapā nāma kṛtamasya dvijasya vai || 7 || nāhitaṃ kasyacitkuryānna tathā'vihitaṃ kvacit | sukhaṃ svapiti tatraiva nirbhayaścintayanniti || 8 || kadā me maraṇaṃ bhāvi duḥkhaṃ jīvāmi kānane | jīvitaṃ dhikca mūrkhasya tarasā maraṇaṃ dhruvam || 9 || daivenāhaṃ kṛto mūrkho nānyo'tra kāraṇaṃ mama | prāpya caivottamaṃ janma vṛthā jātaṃ mamādhunā || 10 || yathā vandhyā surūpā ca yathā vā niṣphalo drumaḥ | adugdhadohā dhenuśca tathā'haṃ niṣphalaḥ kṛtaḥ || 11 || kiṃ nu nindāmyahaṃ daivaṃ nūnaṃ karma mamedṛśam | na dattaṃ pustakaṃ kṛtvā brāhmaṇāya mahātmane || 12 || na vai vidyā mayā dattā pūrvajanmani nirmalā | tenāhaṃ karmayogena śaṭho'smi ca dvijādhamaḥ || 13 || na ca tīrthe tapastaptaṃ sevitā na ca sādhavaḥ | na dvijāḥ pūjitā dravyaistena jāto'smi duṣṭadhīḥ || 14 || vartante muniputrāśca vedaśāstrārthapāragāḥ | ahaṃ sumūḍhaḥ sañjāto daivayogena kenacit || 15 || na jānāmi tapastaptuṃ kiṃ karomi susādhanam | mithyāyaṃ me'tra saṅkalpo na me bhāgyaṃ śubhaṃ kila || 16 || daivameva paraṃ manye dhikpauruṣamanarthakam | vṛthā śramakṛtaṃ kāryaṃ daivādbhavati sarvathā || 17 || brahmā viṣṇuśca rudraśca śakrādyāḥ kila devatāḥ | kālasya vaśagāḥ sarve kālo hi duratikramaḥ || 18 || evaṃvidhānvitarkāṃstu kurvāṇo'harniśaṃ dvijaḥ | sthitastatrāśrame tīre jānhavyāḥ pāvane sthale || 19 || viraktaḥ sa tu sañjātaḥ sthitastatrāśrame dvijaḥ | kālātivāhanaṃ śāntaścakāra vijane vane || 20 || evaṃ sthitasya tu vane vimalodake vai varṣāṇi tatra navapañca gatāni kāmam | nārādhanaṃ na ca japaṃ na viveda mantraṃ kālātivāhanamasau kṛtavān vane vai || 21 || jānāti tasya vitataṃ vratameva lokaḥ satyaṃ vadatyapi muniḥ kila nāmajātam | jātaṃ yaśaśca sakaleṣu janeṣu kāmaṃ satyavrato'yamaniśaṃ na mṛṣābhibhāṣī || 22 || tatraikadā tu mṛgayāṃ ramamāṇa eva prāpto niṣādaniśaṭho dhṛtacāpabāṇaḥ | krīḍan vane'tivipule yamatulyadehaḥ krūrākṛtirhananakarmaṇi cātidakṣaḥ || 23 || tenātikṛṣṭena śareṇa viddhaḥ kolaḥ kirātena dhanurdhareṇa | palāyamāno bhayavihvalaśca muneḥ samīpaṃ vidruto jagāma || 24 || vikaṃpamāno rudhirārdradeho yadā jagāmāśramamaṇḍalaṃ vai | kālastadātīva dayārdrabhāvaṃ prāpto munistatra samīkṣya dīnam || 25 || agre vrajantaṃ rudhirārdradehaṃ dṛṣṭvā muniḥ sūkaramāśu viddham | dayābhiveśādatikampamānaḥ sārasvataṃ bījamathoccacāra || 26 || ajñātapūrvaṃ ca tathāśrutañca daivānmukhe vai samupāgatañca | na jñātavānbījamasau vimūḍho mamajja śoke sa munirmahātmā || 27 || kolaḥ praviśyāśramamaṇḍalaṃ tad gato nikuñje pravilīya gūḍham | aprāptamārgo dṛḍhanirviṇṇacetāḥ pravepamānaḥ śarapīḍitatvāt || 28 || tataḥ kṣaṇādākaraṇāntakṛṣṭaṃ cāpaṃ dadhāno'tikarāladehaḥ | prāptastadante sa ca mṛgyamāṇo niṣādarājaḥ kila kāla eva || 29 || dṛṣṭvā muniṃ tatra kuśāsane sthitaṃ nāmnā tu satyavratamadvitīyam | vyādhaḥ praṇamya pramukhe sthito'sau papraccha kolaḥ kva gato dvijeśa || 30 || jānāmi te'haṃ suvrataṃ prasiddhaṃ tenādya pṛcche mama bāṇaviddhaḥ | kṣudhārditaṃ me sakalaṃ kuṭumbaṃ vibhartukāmaḥ kila āgato'smi || 31 || vṛttirmamaiṣā vihitā vidhātrā nānyā'sti viprendra ṛtaṃ bravīmi | bhartavyameveha kuṭumbamañjasā kenāpyupāyena śubhāśubhena || 32 || satyaṃ bravītvadya satyavrato'si kṣudhāturo vartate poṣyavargaḥ | kvāso gataḥ sūkaro bāṇaviddhaḥ pṛcchāmyahaṃ vāḍava brūhi tūrṇam || 33 || teneti pṛṣṭaḥ sa munirmahātmā vitarkamagnaḥ prababhūva kāmam | satyavrataṃ me'dya bhavenna bhagnaṃ na dṛṣṭa ityuccaritena kiṃ vai || 34 || gato'tra kolaḥ śaraviddhadehaḥ kathaṃ bravīmyadya mṛṣā'mṛṣā vā | kṣudhārdito'yaṃ paripṛcchatīva dṛṣṭvā haniṣyatyapi sūkaraṃ vai || 35 || satyaṃ na satyaṃ khalu yatra hiṃsā dayānvitaṃ cānṛtameva satyam | hitaṃ narāṇāṃ bhavatīha yena tadeva satyaṃ na tathā'nyathaiva || 36 || hitaṃ kathaṃ syādubhayorviruddhayo- staduttaraṃ kiṃ na yathā mṛṣā vacaḥ | vicārayanvāḍava dharmasaṅkaṭe na prāpa vaktuṃ vacanaṃ yathocitam || 37 || bāṇāhataṃ vīkṣya dayānvitañca kolaṃ tadante samudāhṛtaṃ vacaḥ | tena prasannā nijabījataḥ śivā vidyāṃ durāpāṃ pradadau ca tasmai || 38 || bījoccāraṇato devyā vidyā prasphuritākhilā | vālmīkeśca yathāpūrvaṃ tathā sa hyabhavatkaviḥ || 39 || tamuvāca dvijo vyādhaṃ sammukhasthaṃ dhanurdharam | satyakāmastu dharmātmā ślokamekaṃ dayāparaḥ || 40 || yā paśyati na sā brūte yā brūte sā na paśyati | aho vyādha svakāryārthin kiṃ pṛcchasi punaḥ punaḥ || 41 || ityuktastu tadā tena gato'sau paśuhā punaḥ | nirāśaḥ sūkare tasminparāvṛtto nijālaye || 42 || brāhmaṇastu kavirjātaḥ prācetasa ivāparaḥ | prasiddhaḥ sarvalokeṣu nāmnā satyavrato dvijaḥ || 43 || sārasvataṃ tato bījaṃ jajāpa vidhipūrvakam | paṇḍitaścātivikhyāto dvijo'sau dharaṇītale || 44 || pratiparvasu gāyanti brāhmaṇā yadyaśaḥ sadā | ākhyānaṃ cātivistīrṇa stuvanti munayaḥ kila || 45 || tacchrutvā sadanaṃ tasya samāgamya tadāśrame | yena tyaktaḥ purā tena gṛhaṃ nīto'timānitaḥ || 46 || tasmādrājansadā sevyā pūjanīyā ca bhaktitaḥ | ādiśaktiḥ parā devī jagatāṃ kāraṇaṃ hi sā || 47 || tasyā yajñaṃ mahārāja kuru vedavidhānataḥ | sarvakāmapradaṃ nityaṃ niścayaṃ kathitaṃ purā || 48 || smṛtā sampūjitā bhaktyā dhyātā coccāritā stutā | dadāti vāñchitānarthānkāryadā tena kīrtyate || 49 || anubhāvamidaṃ rājan kartavyaṃ sarvathā budhaiḥ | dṛṣṭvā rogayutāndīnānkṣudhitānnirdhanāñchaṭhān || 50 || janānārtāṃstathā mūrkhānpīḍitānvairibhiḥ sadā | dāsānājñākarānkṣudrānvikalānvihvalānatha || 51 || atṛptānbhojane bhoge sadārtānajitendriyān | tṛṣṇādhikānaśaktāṃśca sadādhiparipīḍitān || 52 || tathā vibhavasampannān putrapautravivardhanān | puṣṭadehāṃśca sambhogaiḥ saṃyutānvedavādinaḥ || 53 || rājalakṣmyā yutāñchūrānvaśīkṛtajanānatha | svajanairaviyuktāṃśca sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitān || 54 || vyatirekānvayābhyāṃ ca vicetavyaṃ vicakṣaṇaiḥ | ebhirna pūjitā devī sarvārthaphaladā śivā || 55 || samārādhitā ca tathā nṛbhirebhiḥ sadāmbikā | yato'mī sukhinaḥ sarve saṃsāre'sminna saṃśayaḥ || 56 || vyāsa uvāca iti rājañchrutaṃ tatra mayā munisamāgame | lomaśasya mukhātkāmaṃ devīmāhātmyamuttamam || 57 || iti sañcintya rājendra kartavyaṃ ca sadārcanam | bhaktyā paramayā devyāḥ prītyā ca puruṣarṣabha || 58 || iti śrīdevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ tṛtīyaskandhe satyavratākhyānavarṇanaṃ nāmaikādaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 11 ||
English translation
1-5. Lomas’a said O Munis! Utatthya, the son of Devadatta, was quite ignorant of anything of the Vedas, Japann (muttering of mantra) meditation of the deity, worship of the Devas, Asana (Posture), Pranayama (withholding the breath by way of religious austerity), Pratyahara (restraint of mind), Bhutas’uddhi (purification of the elements of the body by respiratory attraction and replacement), mantra (a mystical formula regarding some deity), Kilaka (chanting of a mantra to serve as a pin of protection), Gayattri (the famous mantra of the Brahmins), Saucha (cleanliness, external and internal) rules how to bathe, Achamana (sipping of water and reciting mantrams before worship), Pranagnihotra (offering of oblations to the fire of Prana or to the fire of life), the offering of a sacrifice, hospitality, Sandhya (the morning, mid-day or evening prayer), collecting fuels for oblations, and offering of oblations. Daily he rose in the morning and somehow rinsed his mouth and washed his teeth and bathed in the Ganges river without any mantrams (like a Sudra).
6. That stupid fellow ate indiscriminately, did not know what to eat and what not to eat. During the mid-day he collected the fruits from the forest and used to eat them.
7. But he always spoke truth while he stayed there; never did he say any untruth. The people of that place, seeing this, named him Satyatapa.
8-9. That Utatthya did no good or bad to anybody; he slept peacefully and blissfully; but be used to think when he would die;
thus his troubles would be ended; he felt that the life of an illiterate Brahman is a curse; his death would be a better alternative.
10. He used to think thus Fate has made me a fool; I do not find any other cause for it. Oh! I got the exceedingly good birth amongst men; but all this has been rendered in vain by Fate.
11. Oh! As a fair woman, if barren, a cow if giving no milk, and a tree without any fruits are all useless, so Fate has rendered my life, too, quite useless.
12. Why am I cursing Fate? This is all the fruits of my past Karma. In my previous life I never wrote a book and presented to a good Brahmin; hence I am illiterate in this birth.
13. In my former birth I did not impart any knowledge to my favourite pupils; hence I am wicked and a cursed Brahmin in this birth.
14. I never performed any religious asceticism in any holy place, I did not serve the saints, I never worshipped the Brahmins with any offerings. For all these reasons I am now born of perverted intellect in the present birth.
15. Many a son of the Munis have learnt the meanings of the Vedas and the S’astras; and I am whiling away my time thus in a quite illiterate condition by some wretched combinations of incidents.
16. I do not know how to perform Tapasya; what is the use, then, of my attempting to do so? I am of very bad luck, and thus my good resolve will not be crowned with success.
17. I consider Fate to be the strongest of all; Fie on one’s own prowess! For actions done with effort and hard labour are frustrated entirely by Fate.
18. Time can never be overstepped; Seel Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Indra, and others are all under the influence of the Great Time.
19. O Risis! Thus arguing in his mind, that Brahmin son Utatthya stayed there in that hermitage on the bank of the holy Ganges.
20. And gradually he became thoroughly unattached to all the things and, being peaceful, passed away his time in that forest without any habitations and men, with great difficulty.
21. Thus passed away fourteen years in that forest where the Ganges was flowing. Still he did not learn how to worship the Supreme Deity, how to make Japam, nor did he learn any mantrams. Simply he lived there and whiled away his time.
22. People surrounding that place knew this much only of him that this Muni spoke truth only and hence his name was Satyavrata. This one name made him celebrated that he is Satyavrata; never did he say any untruth.
23. Once on a time, a hunter named Nisada, exceedingly clever in hunting, came accidentally with bows and arms in his hands, while hunting a deer in that wide forest. He looked like a second God of Death (Yama) and seemed to be very cruel.
24. That savage mountaineer, drawing his bow so as to touch the ear, pierced a boar with his sharp arrows. The boar, being very much terrified, fled with enormous rapidity to the Muni Satyavrata.
25. On seeing the distressed condition of the boar trembling with fear and his body besmeared with blood, the Muni was moved with mercy.
26. While the boar, pierced with arrows and besmeared with blood, was running away in front of him, mercy took possession of the Muni, therefore the Muni began to tremble and agreeably to the human nature exclaimed “Ai” “Ai” (go to that direction), the seed mantram of the Goddess of learning with “m” left out (Aim, Aim).
27. That illiterate Brahmin son never heard before that “Ai” was the seed mantram of the Sarasvati Devi; nor did he come to know of it by any other means. Accidentally it came out of his mouth, and he uttered. And afterwards that Mahatma seeing the boar's distressed condition was merged in deep sorrow.
28. The boar entered trembling into the Muni's hermitage very much distracted and being very much pained with arrows. Being unable to find any other way the boar hid himself in the dense bushes.
29. Instantly there appeared then, before the Muni, the terrible savage hunter, like a second God of Death, with string stretched to his ear, in pursuit of that boar.
30-33. On seeing the Muni Satyavrata sitting there alone and silent on the Kus’a grass seat, the hunter bowed down to him and asked “O Brahmin! Whither has that boar gone. I know very well everything about you that you never speak untruth; therefore I am enquiring about the boar pierced by my arrows. My family members are all very hungry; and to feed them, I am come out in this hunting. This is the living, ordained by the Fate; I have got no other means of maintaining the livelihood of my family. This I speak truly to you; whether it is bad or good, I will have to maintain my family with it. O Brahman! You are famous as Satyavrata; my family members are starving; kindly reply quickly where that boar has gone?”
34. Thus asked by the hunter, the Mahatma Satyavrata was merged in an ocean of doubt; he began to argue “If I say I have not seen the boar then my vow to speak the truth will certainly be broken.
35. The boar struck with arrows has gone this way, it is true. How can I tell a lie? Again this man is hungry and is therefore asking, he will instantly kill the boar no sooner he finds him. How then can I speak truth?
36. Where speaking out the truth causes injury and the loss of lives, that truth is no truth at all; moreover, even untruth, when tempered with mercy for the welfare of others, is recognised as truth. Really speaking, whatever leads to the welfare of all the beings in this world, that is truth; and every thing else is not truth.
37. O Jamadagni! Thus placed between the horns of a religious dilennnna what shall I do now so as to meet both the ends -- to save the life of the boar, to do the welfare, as well as not to speak untruth.”
38. When Satyavrata saw the boar wounded by the arrow of the hunter, he, moved with pity, uttered the seed mantra of the Goddess of Learning; and now that most auspicious Goddess, on account of his uttering Her seed mantram, was very pleased and gave him the knowledge, difficult to be attained otherwise.
39. The door of all his knowledge opened out at once, and he became at once instantly the seer, the poet like the ancient Muni Valmiki.
40. Then that religiously disposed, merciful Brahman, aiming at Truth, addressed that hunter before him with bows in his arms, thus
41. That force which sees (as witness) never speaks; and that force which speaks, never sees. O hunter! Why are you asking me repeatedly, impelled by your own selfish desire?
42. The hunter, the killer of the animals, on hearing this was disappointed in the matter of finding out the boar and went back to his home.
43. That Brahmin turned out a poet like Varuna and he became celebrated as Satyavrata, the speaker of truth, in all the worlds.
44. He began to recite the Satyavrata mantram duly, and, by its influence, became a Pundit, rivalled by none in this world.
45. During every festival the Brahmans chanted his praise and the Munis used to narrate his story in detail.
46. On hearing his fame spreading all around, his father Devadatta who forsook him before, recalled him to his hermitage and took him again in his family with great honour and affection.
47. Therefore O King! You should always worship and serve that Great Goddess, the Prime Energy, the Cause of all this Universe.
48. O King! With due Vedic rites you perform that sacrifice to that Goddess which will surely yield results at all times and all desires. I already spoke to you about this.
49. That Great Goddess is known as Kamada (the giver of all desires); for She grants all desires when men with devotion remember Her, worship Her, take Her name, meditate Her and eulogise Her.
50-56. O King! The wise sages ought to see the persons diseased, distressed, hungry, those without any wealth, the hypocrite, the cheat, the afflicted, the sensual, the covetous, the incapable, always suffering from mental troubles; again those who are wealthy with their children and grand-children, prosperous, healthy, with
enjoyments, versed in the Vedas, literary, kings, heroes, those who command over many, those attended with relations and kinsmen and endowed with all good qualities; and then judge for themselves that those people did not worship the Goddess and therefore they were sufferers and these people worshipped the Goddess and hence they were happy in this world.
57. Vyasa said Thus I heard from the mouth of Lomas'a Muni, in assembly of the sages, the good merits of the Great Goddess.
58. O King! Consider all these and you will find that the Highest Goddess, the Bhagavati is to be worshipped always with devotion and unselfish love.
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter on the merits of the Devi in the story of Satyavrata in the Third Skandha of the Maha Puranam S'ri mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 20651, revision 73055 (2016-07-02T06:30:56Z). 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/bk03ch11.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.