Twelfth Skandha · Chapter 14
Sourceश्रीमद्देवीभागवतमहापुराण-श्रवणफलवर्णनम् सूत उवाच अर्धश्लोकात्मकं यत्तु देवीवक्त्राब्जनिर्गतम् । श्रीमद्भागवतं नाम वेदसिद्धान्तबोधकम् ॥ १ ॥ उपदिष्टं विष्णुवे यद्वटपत्रनिवासिने । शतकोटिप्रविस्तीर्णं तत्कृतं ब्रह्मणा पुरा ॥ २ ॥ तत्सारमेकतः कृत्वा व्यासेन शुकहेतवे । अष्टादशसहस्रं तु द्वादशस्कन्धसंयुतम् ॥ ३ ॥ देवीभागवतं नाम पुराणं ग्रथितं पुरा । अद्यापि देवलोके तद्बहुविस्तीर्णमस्ति हि ॥ ४ ॥ नानेन सदृशं पुण्यं पवित्रं पापनाशनम् । पदे पदेऽश्वमेधस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः ॥ ५ ॥ पौराणिकं पूजयित्वा वस्त्राद्याभरणादिभिः । व्यासबुद्ध्या तन्मुखात्तु श्रुत्वैतत्समुपोषितः ॥ ६ ॥ लिखित्वा निजहस्तेन लेखकेनाथवा मुने । प्रौष्ठपद्यां पौर्णमास्यां हेमसिंहसमन्वितम् ॥ ७ ॥ दद्यात्पौराणिकायाथ दक्षिणां च पयस्विनीम् । सालङ्कृतां सवत्सां च कपिलां हेममालिनीम् ॥ ८ ॥ भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणानन्तेऽप्यध्यायपरिसम्मितान् । सुवासिनीस्तावतीश्च कुमारीर्बटुकैः सह ॥ ९ ॥ देवीबुद्ध्या पूजयेत्तान्वसनाभरणादिभिः । पायसान्नवरेणापि गन्धस्रक्कुसुमादिभिः ॥ १० ॥ पुराणदानेनैतेन भूदानस्य फलं लभेत् । इहलोके सुखी भूत्वाप्यन्ते देवीपुरं व्रजेत् ॥ ११ ॥ नित्यं यः शृणुयाद्भक्त्या देवीभागवतं परम् । न तस्य दुर्लभं किञ्चित्कदाचित्क्वचिदस्ति हि ॥ १२ ॥ अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रान्धनार्थी धनमाप्नुयात् । विद्यार्थी प्राप्नुयाद्विद्यां कीर्तिमण्डितभूतलः ॥ १३ ॥ वन्ध्या वा काकवन्ध्या वा मृतवन्ध्या च याङ्गना । श्रवणादस्य तद्दोषान्निवर्तेत न संशयः ॥ १४ ॥ यद्गेहे पुस्तकं चैतत्पूजितं यदि तिष्ठति । तद्गेहं न त्यजेन्नित्यं रमा चैव सरस्वती ॥ १५ ॥ नेक्षन्ते तत्र वेतालडाकिनीराक्षसादयः । ज्वरितं तु नरं स्पृष्ट्वा पठेदेतत्समाहितः ॥ १६ ॥ मण्डलान्नाशमाप्नोति ज्वरो दाहसमन्वितः । शतावृत्त्यास्य पठनात्क्षयरोगो विनश्यति ॥ १७ ॥ प्रतिसन्ध्यं पठेद्यस्तु सन्ध्यां कृत्वा समाहितः । एकैकमस्य चाध्यायं स नरो ज्ञानवान्भवेत् ॥ १८ ॥ शकुनांश्चैव वीक्षेत कार्याकार्येषु चैव हि । तत्प्रकारः पुरस्तात्तु कथितोऽस्ति मया मुने ॥ १९ ॥ नवरात्रे पठेन्नित्यं शारदीयेऽतिभक्तितः । तस्याम्बिका तु सन्तुष्टा ददातीच्छाधिकं फलम् ॥ २० ॥ वैष्णवैश्चैव शैवैश्च रमोमा प्रीयते सदा । सौरैश्च गाणपत्यैश्च स्वेष्टशक्तेश्च तुष्टये ॥ २१ ॥ पठितव्यं प्रयत्नेन नवरात्रचतुष्टये । वैदिकैर्निजगायत्रीप्रीतये नित्यशो मुने ॥ २२ ॥ पठितव्यं प्रयत्नेन विरोधो नात्र कस्यचित् । उपासना तु सर्वेषां शक्तियुक्तास्ति सर्वदा ॥ २३ ॥ तच्छक्तेरेव तोषार्थं पठितव्यं सदा द्विजैः । स्त्रीशूद्रो न पठेदेतत्कदापि च विमोहितः ॥ २४ ॥ शृणुयाद्द्विजवक्त्रात्तु नित्यमेवेति च स्थितिः । किं पुनर्बहुनोक्तेन सारं वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः ॥ २५ ॥ वेदसारमिदं पुण्यं पुराणं द्विजसत्तमाः । वेदपाठसमं पाठे श्रवणे च तथैव हि ॥ २६ ॥ सच्चिदानन्दरूपां तां गायत्रीप्रतिपादिताम् । नमामि ह्रींमयीं देवीं धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥ २७ ॥ इति सूतवचः श्रुत्वा नैमिषीयास्तपोधनाः । पूजयामासुरत्युच्चैः सूतं पौराणिकोत्तमम् ॥ २८ ॥ प्रसन्नहृदयाः सर्वे देवीपादाम्बुजार्चकाः । निर्वृतिं परमां प्राप्ताः पुराणस्य प्रभावतः ॥ २९ ॥ नमश्चक्रुः पुनः सूतं क्षमाप्य च मुहुर्मुहुः । संसारवारिधेस्तात प्लवोऽस्माकं त्वमेव हि ॥ ३० ॥ इति स मुनिवराणामग्रतः श्रावयित्वा सकलनिगमगुह्यं दौर्गमेतत्पुराणम् । नतमथ मुनिसङ्घं वर्धयित्वाऽऽशिषाम्बा- चरणकमलभृङ्गो निर्जगामाथ सूतः ॥ ३१ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वादशस्कन्धे श्रीमद्देवीभागवतमहापुराण-श्रवणफलवर्णनं नाम चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः ॥ १४ ॥ अध्याय चवदावा समाप्त ॥ द्वादशः स्कन्धः समाप्तः ॥ ॥ श्रीमद्देवीभागवतमहापुराण संपूर्णम् ॥
śrīmaddevībhāgavatamahāpurāṇa-śravaṇaphalavarṇanam sūta uvāca ardhaślokātmakaṃ yattu devīvaktrābjanirgatam | śrīmadbhāgavataṃ nāma vedasiddhāntabodhakam || 1 || upadiṣṭaṃ viṣṇuve yadvaṭapatranivāsine | śatakoṭipravistīrṇaṃ tatkṛtaṃ brahmaṇā purā || 2 || tatsāramekataḥ kṛtvā vyāsena śukahetave | aṣṭādaśasahasraṃ tu dvādaśaskandhasaṃyutam || 3 || devībhāgavataṃ nāma purāṇaṃ grathitaṃ purā | adyāpi devaloke tadbahuvistīrṇamasti hi || 4 || nānena sadṛśaṃ puṇyaṃ pavitraṃ pāpanāśanam | pade pade'śvamedhasya phalamāpnoti mānavaḥ || 5 || paurāṇikaṃ pūjayitvā vastrādyābharaṇādibhiḥ | vyāsabuddhyā tanmukhāttu śrutvaitatsamupoṣitaḥ || 6 || likhitvā nijahastena lekhakenāthavā mune | prauṣṭhapadyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ hemasiṃhasamanvitam || 7 || dadyātpaurāṇikāyātha dakṣiṇāṃ ca payasvinīm | sālaṅkṛtāṃ savatsāṃ ca kapilāṃ hemamālinīm || 8 || bhojayedbrāhmaṇānante'pyadhyāyaparisammitān | suvāsinīstāvatīśca kumārīrbaṭukaiḥ saha || 9 || devībuddhyā pūjayettānvasanābharaṇādibhiḥ | pāyasānnavareṇāpi gandhasrakkusumādibhiḥ || 10 || purāṇadānenaitena bhūdānasya phalaṃ labhet | ihaloke sukhī bhūtvāpyante devīpuraṃ vrajet || 11 || nityaṃ yaḥ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā devībhāgavataṃ param | na tasya durlabhaṃ kiñcitkadācitkvacidasti hi || 12 || aputro labhate putrāndhanārthī dhanamāpnuyāt | vidyārthī prāpnuyādvidyāṃ kīrtimaṇḍitabhūtalaḥ || 13 || vandhyā vā kākavandhyā vā mṛtavandhyā ca yāṅganā | śravaṇādasya taddoṣānnivarteta na saṃśayaḥ || 14 || yadgehe pustakaṃ caitatpūjitaṃ yadi tiṣṭhati | tadgehaṃ na tyajennityaṃ ramā caiva sarasvatī || 15 || nekṣante tatra vetālaḍākinīrākṣasādayaḥ | jvaritaṃ tu naraṃ spṛṣṭvā paṭhedetatsamāhitaḥ || 16 || maṇḍalānnāśamāpnoti jvaro dāhasamanvitaḥ | śatāvṛttyāsya paṭhanātkṣayarogo vinaśyati || 17 || pratisandhyaṃ paṭhedyastu sandhyāṃ kṛtvā samāhitaḥ | ekaikamasya cādhyāyaṃ sa naro jñānavānbhavet || 18 || śakunāṃścaiva vīkṣeta kāryākāryeṣu caiva hi | tatprakāraḥ purastāttu kathito'sti mayā mune || 19 || navarātre paṭhennityaṃ śāradīye'tibhaktitaḥ | tasyāmbikā tu santuṣṭā dadātīcchādhikaṃ phalam || 20 || vaiṣṇavaiścaiva śaivaiśca ramomā prīyate sadā | sauraiśca gāṇapatyaiśca sveṣṭaśakteśca tuṣṭaye || 21 || paṭhitavyaṃ prayatnena navarātracatuṣṭaye | vaidikairnijagāyatrīprītaye nityaśo mune || 22 || paṭhitavyaṃ prayatnena virodho nātra kasyacit | upāsanā tu sarveṣāṃ śaktiyuktāsti sarvadā || 23 || tacchaktereva toṣārthaṃ paṭhitavyaṃ sadā dvijaiḥ | strīśūdro na paṭhedetatkadāpi ca vimohitaḥ || 24 || śṛṇuyāddvijavaktrāttu nityameveti ca sthitiḥ | kiṃ punarbahunoktena sāraṃ vakṣyāmi tattvataḥ || 25 || vedasāramidaṃ puṇyaṃ purāṇaṃ dvijasattamāḥ | vedapāṭhasamaṃ pāṭhe śravaṇe ca tathaiva hi || 26 || saccidānandarūpāṃ tāṃ gāyatrīpratipāditām | namāmi hrīṃmayīṃ devīṃ dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt || 27 || iti sūtavacaḥ śrutvā naimiṣīyāstapodhanāḥ | pūjayāmāsuratyuccaiḥ sūtaṃ paurāṇikottamam || 28 || prasannahṛdayāḥ sarve devīpādāmbujārcakāḥ | nirvṛtiṃ paramāṃ prāptāḥ purāṇasya prabhāvataḥ || 29 || namaścakruḥ punaḥ sūtaṃ kṣamāpya ca muhurmuhuḥ | saṃsāravāridhestāta plavo'smākaṃ tvameva hi || 30 || iti sa munivarāṇāmagrataḥ śrāvayitvā sakalanigamaguhyaṃ daurgametatpurāṇam | natamatha munisaṅghaṃ vardhayitvā''śiṣāmbā- caraṇakamalabhṛṅgo nirjagāmātha sūtaḥ || 31 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvādaśaskandhe śrīmaddevībhāgavatamahāpurāṇa-śravaṇaphalavarṇanaṃ nāma caturdaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 14 || adhyāya cavadāvā samāpta || dvādaśaḥ skandhaḥ samāptaḥ || || śrīmaddevībhāgavatamahāpurāṇa saṃpūrṇam ||
English translation
1-17. Suta said “O Risis! In days of yore, from the Lotus Face of the Devi Bhagavata came out S’ri Mad Bhagavatam in the form of half a S’loka, as the decided conclusion of the Vedas. About what She gave instructions to Visnu, sleeping on a leaf of a Banyan tree, that same thing, the seed of the S’ri Mad Bhagavata, Brahma Himself expanded into one hundred Koti s’lokas. Then, Veda Vyasa, in order to teach his own son S’uka Deva, condensed them into eighteen thousand s’lokas, in Twelve Books and named it S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, the present volume. That voluminous book comprising one hundred Koti s’lokas compiled by Brahma are still extant in the Deva loka. There is no Purana like the Devi Bhagavatam, so merit-giving, holy and capable to destroy all the sins. The reading of every line yields the fruits of performing many As’vamedha sacrifices. Human beings addicted to worldly affairs will get the merit of giving lands to the Brahmanas and they will enjoy also all the pleasures of the world and in the end will go to the region of the Devi, if they can hear, after they have fasted and controlled their passions, the recitation of this Puranam from the mouth of a Pauranik Brahmana, who has been worshipped and given clothings and ornaments and is considered as a second Veda Vyasa. Or, if anybody writes the whole of the Devi Bhagavatam with his own hand or gets it written by a writer from the beginning to the end and gives to a Pauranik Brahmin the book placed in a box of the form of a lion made up of gold and a cow yielding milk with her calf with gold as his sacrificial fee; or if he feeds as many Brahmanas as there are the number of chapters of the Devi Bhagavatam and worship as many Kumaris (virgin girls) with saffron, sandalpaste and ornaments and feeds them with Paysanna, he gets the merits of giving lands and enjoys all the pleasures of the world and goes in the end to the region of the Devi. He has no want of anything who daily hears with rapt devotion this Devi Bhagavatam. One who has no wealth gets
abundance of wealth, those who are students get knowledge, one who has no sons, gets sons if one hears this Devi Bhagavatam with true devotion. A barren woman, or one who bears still-born children or whose offsprings never live long or who bears only a single child, gets all her defects removed, if she hears this Devi Bhagavatam with a steadfast devotion. The house where this Purana is worshipped, Laksmi and Sarasvati dwell there, leaving their animosities towards each other. By the influence of this Devi Bhagavatam the Dakinis, Vetalas, Raksasas, and other ghosts cannot cast a glance even on its devotee. If anybody gets fever and if the S’ri Devi Bhagavatam be read touching him with a concentrated attention, all the complaints disappear. By reading this Bhagavatam, one hundred times even more difficult than the severe disease pthisis is cured.
18-20. If after performing the Sandhya, one reads only one chapter of this Bhagavatam with a collected mind, he soon acquires the Real Knowledge. O Muni S’aunaka! While going to read this Bhagavatam, first examine omens and then read. I have spoken already on this subject. If during the S’aradiya Puja (the autumnal Durga Puja), at the Navaratra period, one reads with devotion this Bhagavatam, the Devi Bhagavati becomes greatly pleased and awards him results more than his desires.
21-31. During the Navaratri period all can read well this book for the satisfaction of his Ista Deva (his own deity) whether he be a Vaisnava, S’aiva, Saura, Ganapatya or a S’akta. All can read this for the satisfaction of Laksmi, Uma and other S’aktis. The Vaidik Brahmanas are to recite this daily for the satisfaction of the Devi Gayatri. This Puranam is not contradictory to any sectarian belief. The reason of this being that to whatever deity he pays his worship, he must worship some S’akti or other, this is stated everywhere. So for the satisfaction of one’s own S’akti, all can read this, without contradicting each other. Never any woman nor any S’udra, is to
read this herself or himself, even out of ignorance; rather they should hear this from the mouth of a Brahmana. This is the rule of the S’astras. (The vibrations and the consequent results would be truer then.) O Risis! What more to say on this book than this, that this Puranam is the most excellent of all and yields great merits. It is the essence of the Vedas. This I tell you with great certainty. There is not the least doubt in this. Reading or hearing this yields results equivalent to reading or hearing the Vedas. I now bow to the Devi of the nature of Hrim and established by Gayatri, of the nature of Everlasting Existence, Intelligence and Bliss, Who stimulates our activities to the understanding of various subjects. Thus hearing the excellent words of Suta, the great Pauranik, all the Munis of Naimisaranya worshipped him specially and as the result of hearing this Puranam glady became the servants of the Lotus Feet of the Devi and they attained the Highest Rest. The Munis expressed their humility and gratitude to Suta frequently and bowed down to him again and again. And they said “O Suta! It is you that have saved us from this ocean of world.” Thus (the great Bhagavata) Suta, the bee drinking the honey of the Lotus Feet of the Devi, recited before the assemblage of the best of the Munis this Puranam from the beginning to the end, the Secret of all the Nigamas and full of the Glories of the Devi Bhagavati. After this the Risis bowed down to him and he blessed and honoured them.
Then he went away to his desired place. Here the Devi Bhagavatam ends and is fully completed.
THE END.
Here ends the Fourteenth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the recitation of the fruits of this Puranam in the Maha Puranam S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Here ends as well the Full Treatise, S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam.
Om. Om. Om. Om Tat Sat. Om Hah Om.
Notes
Kosala is a country situated, according to Ramayana, along the banks of the Sarayu (or Gogra). It was divided into Uttara-Kosala and Dakshina Kosala. The fornner is also called Ganda and it nnust have therefore signified the country, north of Ayodhya connprising Gonda and Bahraich. Aja and Dasaratha, etc., are said to have ruled over the province. At the time of Rama's death, his two sons Kusa and Lava reigned respectively at Kusavati in Southern Kosala in the defiles of the Vindhyas and at Sravasti in northern Kosala.
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Vasavi is the name of the mother of Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 31989, revision 84735 (2016-10-10T09:12:21Z). 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/bk12ch14.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.