Twelfth Skandha · Chapter 13
Sourceजनमेजयेनाम्बामखकरण-देवीभागवतश्रवणपूर्वकं स्वपित्रुद्धारवर्णनम् व्यास उवाच इति ते कथितं भूप यद्यत्पृष्टं त्वयानघ । नारायणेन यत्प्रोक्तं नारदाय महात्मने ॥ १ ॥ श्रुत्वैतत्तु महादेव्याः पुराणं परमाद्भुतम् । कृतकृत्यो भवेन्मर्त्यो देव्याः प्रियतमो हि सः ॥ २ ॥ कुरु चाम्बामखं राजन् स्वपित्रुद्धरणाय वै । खिन्नोऽसि येन राजेन्द्र पितुर्ज्ञात्वा तु दुर्गतिम् ॥ ३ ॥ गृहाण त्वं महादेव्या मन्त्रं सर्वोत्तमोत्तमम् । यथाविधिविधानेन जन्मसाफल्यदायकम् ॥ ४ ॥ सूत उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा नृपशार्दूलः प्रार्थयित्वा मुनीश्वरम् । तस्मादेव महामन्त्रं देवीप्रणवसंज्ञकम् ॥ ५ ॥ दीक्षाविधिं विधानेन जग्राह नृपसत्तमः । तत आहूय धौम्यादीन्नवरात्रसमागमे ॥ ६ ॥ अम्बायज्ञं चकाराशु वित्तशाढ्यविवर्जितः । ब्राह्मणैः पाठयामास पुराणं त्वेतदुत्तमम् ॥ ७ ॥ श्रीदेव्यग्रेऽम्बिकाप्रीत्यै देवीभागवतं परम् । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयामासाप्यसंख्यातान्सुवासिनीः ॥ ८ ॥ कुमारीर्वटुकादींश्च दीनानाथांस्तथैव च । द्रव्यप्रदानैस्तान्सर्वान् सन्तोष्य वसुधाधिपः ॥ ९ ॥ समाप्य यज्ञं संस्थाने संस्थितो यावदेव हि । तावदेव हि चाकाशान्नारदः समवातरत् ॥ १० ॥ रणयन्महतीं वीणां ज्वलदग्निशिखोपमः । ससम्भमः समुत्थाय दृष्ट्वा तं नारदं मुनिम् ॥ ११ ॥ आसनाद्युपचारैश्च पूजयामास भूमिपः । कृत्वा तु कुशलप्रश्नं पप्रच्छागमकारणम् ॥ १२ ॥ राजोवाच कुत आगमनं साधो ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते । सनाथोऽहं कृतार्थोऽहं त्वदागमनकारणात् ॥ १३ ॥ इति राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच मुनिसत्तमः । अद्याश्चर्यं मया दृष्टं देवलोके नृपोत्तम ॥ १४ ॥ तन्निवेदयितुं प्राप्तस्त्वत्सकाशे सुविस्मितः । पिता ते दुर्गतिं प्राप्तो निजकर्मविपर्ययात् ॥ १५ ॥ स एवायं दिव्यरूपवपुर्भूत्वाधुनैव हि । देवदेवैः स्तुतः सम्यगप्सरोभिः समन्ततः ॥ १६ ॥ विमानवरमारुह्य मणिद्वीपं गतोऽभवत् । देवीभागवतस्यास्य श्रवणोत्थफलेन च ॥ १७ ॥ अम्बामखफलेनापि पिता ते सुगतिं गतः । धन्योऽसि कृतकृत्योऽसि जीवितं सफलं तव ॥ १८ ॥ नरकादुद्धृतस्तातस्त्वया तु कुलभूषण । देवलोके स्फीतकीर्तिस्तवाद्य विपुलाभवत् ॥ १९ ॥ सूत उवाच नारदोक्तं समाकर्ण्य प्रेमगद्गदितान्तरः । पपात पादाम्बुजयोर्व्यासस्याद्भुतकर्मणः ॥ २० ॥ तवानुग्रहतो देव कृतार्थोऽहं महामुने । किं मया प्रतिकर्तव्यं नमस्कारादृते तव ॥ २१ ॥ अनुग्राह्यः सदैवाहमेवमेव त्वया मुने । इति राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वाप्याशीर्भिरभिनन्द्य च ॥ २२ ॥ उवाच वचनं श्लक्ष्णं भगवान् बादरायणः । राजन्सर्वं परित्यज्य भज देवीपदाम्बुजम् ॥ २३ ॥ देवीभागवतं चैव पठ नित्यं समाहितः । अम्बामखं सदा भक्त्या कुरु नित्यमतन्द्रितः ॥ २४ ॥ अनायासेन तेन त्वं मोक्ष्यसे भवबन्धनात् । सन्त्यन्यानि पुराणानि हरिरुद्रमुखानि च ॥ २५ ॥ देवीभागवतस्यास्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् । सारमेतत्पुराणानां वेदानां चैव सर्वशः ॥ २६ ॥ मूलप्रकृतिरेवैषा यत्र तु प्रतिपाद्यते । समं तेन पुराणं स्यात्कथमन्यन्नृपोत्तम ॥ २७ ॥ पाठे वेदसमं पुण्यं यस्य स्याज्जनमेजय । पठितव्यं प्रयत्नेन तदेव विबुधोत्तमैः ॥ २८ ॥ इत्युक्त्वा नृपवर्यं तं जगाम मुनिराट् ततः । जग्मुश्चैव यथास्थानं धौम्यादिमुनयोऽमलाः ॥ २९ ॥ देवीभागवतस्यैव प्रशंसां चक्रुरुत्तमाम् । राजा शशास धरणीं ततः सन्तुष्टमानसः । देवीभागवतं चैव पठच्छृण्वन्तिरन्तरम् ॥ ३० ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादलसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वादशस्कन्धे जनमेजयेनाम्बामखकरण-देवीभागवतश्रवणपूर्वकं स्वपित्रुद्धारवर्णनं नाम त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १३ ॥
janamejayenāmbāmakhakaraṇa-devībhāgavataśravaṇapūrvakaṃ svapitruddhāravarṇanam vyāsa uvāca iti te kathitaṃ bhūpa yadyatpṛṣṭaṃ tvayānagha | nārāyaṇena yatproktaṃ nāradāya mahātmane || 1 || śrutvaitattu mahādevyāḥ purāṇaṃ paramādbhutam | kṛtakṛtyo bhavenmartyo devyāḥ priyatamo hi saḥ || 2 || kuru cāmbāmakhaṃ rājan svapitruddharaṇāya vai | khinno'si yena rājendra piturjñātvā tu durgatim || 3 || gṛhāṇa tvaṃ mahādevyā mantraṃ sarvottamottamam | yathāvidhividhānena janmasāphalyadāyakam || 4 || sūta uvāca tacchrutvā nṛpaśārdūlaḥ prārthayitvā munīśvaram | tasmādeva mahāmantraṃ devīpraṇavasaṃjñakam || 5 || dīkṣāvidhiṃ vidhānena jagrāha nṛpasattamaḥ | tata āhūya dhaumyādīnnavarātrasamāgame || 6 || ambāyajñaṃ cakārāśu vittaśāḍhyavivarjitaḥ | brāhmaṇaiḥ pāṭhayāmāsa purāṇaṃ tvetaduttamam || 7 || śrīdevyagre'mbikāprītyai devībhāgavataṃ param | brāhmaṇānbhojayāmāsāpyasaṃkhyātānsuvāsinīḥ || 8 || kumārīrvaṭukādīṃśca dīnānāthāṃstathaiva ca | dravyapradānaistānsarvān santoṣya vasudhādhipaḥ || 9 || samāpya yajñaṃ saṃsthāne saṃsthito yāvadeva hi | tāvadeva hi cākāśānnāradaḥ samavātarat || 10 || raṇayanmahatīṃ vīṇāṃ jvaladagniśikhopamaḥ | sasambhamaḥ samutthāya dṛṣṭvā taṃ nāradaṃ munim || 11 || āsanādyupacāraiśca pūjayāmāsa bhūmipaḥ | kṛtvā tu kuśalapraśnaṃ papracchāgamakāraṇam || 12 || rājovāca kuta āgamanaṃ sādho brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te | sanātho'haṃ kṛtārtho'haṃ tvadāgamanakāraṇāt || 13 || iti rājño vacaḥ śrutvā provāca munisattamaḥ | adyāścaryaṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ devaloke nṛpottama || 14 || tannivedayituṃ prāptastvatsakāśe suvismitaḥ | pitā te durgatiṃ prāpto nijakarmaviparyayāt || 15 || sa evāyaṃ divyarūpavapurbhūtvādhunaiva hi | devadevaiḥ stutaḥ samyagapsarobhiḥ samantataḥ || 16 || vimānavaramāruhya maṇidvīpaṃ gato'bhavat | devībhāgavatasyāsya śravaṇotthaphalena ca || 17 || ambāmakhaphalenāpi pitā te sugatiṃ gataḥ | dhanyo'si kṛtakṛtyo'si jīvitaṃ saphalaṃ tava || 18 || narakāduddhṛtastātastvayā tu kulabhūṣaṇa | devaloke sphītakīrtistavādya vipulābhavat || 19 || sūta uvāca nāradoktaṃ samākarṇya premagadgaditāntaraḥ | papāta pādāmbujayorvyāsasyādbhutakarmaṇaḥ || 20 || tavānugrahato deva kṛtārtho'haṃ mahāmune | kiṃ mayā pratikartavyaṃ namaskārādṛte tava || 21 || anugrāhyaḥ sadaivāhamevameva tvayā mune | iti rājño vacaḥ śrutvāpyāśīrbhirabhinandya ca || 22 || uvāca vacanaṃ ślakṣṇaṃ bhagavān bādarāyaṇaḥ | rājansarvaṃ parityajya bhaja devīpadāmbujam || 23 || devībhāgavataṃ caiva paṭha nityaṃ samāhitaḥ | ambāmakhaṃ sadā bhaktyā kuru nityamatandritaḥ || 24 || anāyāsena tena tvaṃ mokṣyase bhavabandhanāt | santyanyāni purāṇāni harirudramukhāni ca || 25 || devībhāgavatasyāsya kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm | sārametatpurāṇānāṃ vedānāṃ caiva sarvaśaḥ || 26 || mūlaprakṛtirevaiṣā yatra tu pratipādyate | samaṃ tena purāṇaṃ syātkathamanyannṛpottama || 27 || pāṭhe vedasamaṃ puṇyaṃ yasya syājjanamejaya | paṭhitavyaṃ prayatnena tadeva vibudhottamaiḥ || 28 || ityuktvā nṛpavaryaṃ taṃ jagāma munirāṭ tataḥ | jagmuścaiva yathāsthānaṃ dhaumyādimunayo'malāḥ || 29 || devībhāgavatasyaiva praśaṃsāṃ cakruruttamām | rājā śaśāsa dharaṇīṃ tataḥ santuṣṭamānasaḥ | devībhāgavataṃ caiva paṭhacchṛṇvantirantaram || 30 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādalasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvādaśaskandhe janamejayenāmbāmakhakaraṇa-devībhāgavataśravaṇapūrvakaṃ svapitruddhāravarṇanaṃ nāma trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 13 ||
English translation
1-4. Vyasa said O King Janamejaya! Thus I have answered all your nice queries; also what Narayana spoke to the highsouled Narada is also said by nne. He who hears this greatly wonderful Puranam S’ri Devi Bhagavatam certainly becomes dear to the Devi and all his actions become fructified with success. Now as regards your mental distress, how you prevent any evil falling to your late father in his future life, I advise you to do the Yajna in the name of Bhagavati; and certainly your father will be saved. And you also better take the Most Excellent Mantra of the Maha Devi duly, according to rules; and your human life will then be crowned with success; (your life will be saved; thus you as well as your father will be saved).
5-12. Suta said O Risis! Hearing thus, the King asked Vyasa Deva to initiate in the Great Devi Mantra and thus to become his Guru. He was then initiated duly according to rules with the Great Mantra of Bhagavati united with Pranava. When the Navaratra period arrived, he called Dhaumya and other Brahmanas and performed the Navaratra Vrata so very dear to the Devi, according to his state. At this time for the satisfaction of the Devi, he caused this Devi Bhagavata Purana to be read by the Brahmanas and fed innumerable Brahmanas and Kumaris (virgins) and gave in charity lots of things to the poor, orphans, and the Brahmin boys and thus finished the Vrata. O Risis! Thus completing the Deviyajha, while the King was sitting on his seat, the fiery Devarsi Narada came there from above playing with his lute. Seeing him there, all on a sudden, the King got up, and paid due respects to him by asking him to take his seat, with other necessary things. When the Devarsi became relieved of his labour of journey, the King asked him about his welfare and then enquired into the cause of his coming there.
13-19. O Devarsi! Whence and what for are you now conning? By your arrival here I am become blessed and feel that my Lord has come to me; now what can I serve to you; kindly command and oblige. Hearing this, the Devarsi Narada said “O King! Today I saw in the Devaloka a very wonderful event. I wanted eagerly to inform that to you. Hence I have come here. Your father met with a bad turn of fate for his bad action. I saw today he assumed a divine form and he was going on a chariot. The Devas were praising him and the Apsaras were encircling him. It seemed he was going in that dress to the Mani Dvipa. O King! You performed the Navaratra Vrata and read the Devi Bhagavata; it seems, as a result of that, your father has now been rewarded with such a noble and good turn of fate. Now you have become blessed and your actions have borne fruits. You have delivered your father from the hell and so you have become an ornament in your family. Today your name and fame have extended to the Devaloka.”
20-30. Suta said O Risis! Hearing these words from the mouth of Narada, the King Janamejaya became very much happy and delighted and fell prostrate at the feet of Vyasa Deva of glorious deeds and said O Best of Munis! By Thy Grace, today I have become blessed. Now what return can I pay to Thee save bowing down to Thee. I pray that Thou dost shew such favours to me ever and again. O Risis! Hearing these words of the King Janamejaya, Vadarayana Veda Vyasa blessed him and spoke to him in sweet words:-- “O King! Now leave all other actions. Read always the Devi Bhagavata and worship the Lotus Feet of S’ri Devi. Leave off all laziness and now perform the Devi Yajha with great eclat. And you will surely be able to cross this bondage of the world. True there are various Puranas, the Visnu Purana, the S’iva Purana, but those cannot compare with one sixteenth of this Devi Bhagavatam. In fact, this Purana is the Essence of all the Puranas. How can the other Puranas be compared with this, wherein is established the Devi
Mula Prakriti? Reading this Purana from the beginning to the end yields the result of reading the Vedas. So the wise persons should try their best to study it always.” Thus saying to Janamejaya, Veda Vyasa departed. Then the pure minded Dhaumya and the other Brahmanas highly praised the Devi Bhagavatam and went to their desired places. And the King Janamejaya, on the other hand, began to read and hear always the Devi Bhagavatam and spent his days happily in governing his kingdom.
Here end the Thirteenth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the description of Janamejaya’s Devi Yajha in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 31988, revision 84737 (2016-10-10T09:13:27Z). 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/bk12ch13.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.