El Devi Bhagavatam

18-29. On the hip of S’rî Bhuvanes’varî, is shining the girdle with small tinkling bells, built of various jewels; the ornaments on the arms are made of burnished gold studded with Vaidûryamanis; the Tâtanka ornaments on Her ears are very beautiful like S’rîchakra and they enhance very much the beauty of Her lotus face. The beauty of Her forehead vies with, or defies the Moon of the eighth bright lunar day. Her lips challenge the fully ripened Bimba fruits. Her face is shining with the Tilaka mark made of musk and saffron. The divine crown on Her head is beautified with the Sun and Moon made of jewels; the nose ornaments are like the star Venus and built of transparent gems, looking exceedingly beautiful and shedding charming lustre all around. The neck is decorated with necklaces built of gems and jewels. Her breasts are nicely decorated with camphor and saffron. Her neck is shining like a conchshell decorated with artistic designs. Her teeth look like fully ripe pomegranate fruits. On Her head is shining the jewel crown. Her lotus face is beautified with alakâ as if these are mad bees. Her navel is beautiful like the whirls in the river Bhâgirathî; Her fingers are decorated with jewel rings; She has three eyes like lotus leaves; the lustre of Her body is bright like Padmarâgamani cut and carved and sharpened on stone. The bracelets are adorned with jewel tinkling bells; Her neck ornaments and medals are studded with gems and jewels. Her hands are resplendent with the lustre of the jewels on the fingers; the braid of hair on Her head is wreathed with a garland of Mallikâ flowers; Her bodice (short jacket) is studded with various jewels.

30-45. O King! S’rî Devî is slightly bent down with the weight of Her very high hard breasts. She has four hands and She is holding noose, goad and signs granting boons and “do not fear.” The all beautiful all merciful Devî is full of love gestures and beauties. Her voice is sweeter than that of lute; the lustre of Her body is like Kotis and Kotis of Suns and

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Moons if they rise simultaneously on the sky. The Sakhîs, attendants, the Devas and the Devîs surround Her on all sides. Ichchâ S’akti, Jñâna S’akti, and Kriya S’akti all are present always before the Devî. Lajjâ, Tusti, Pusti, Kîrti, Kânti, Ksamâ, Dayâ, Buddhi, Medhâ, Smriti, and Laksmî are always seen here incarnate in their due Forms. The nine Pîtha S’aktis, Jayâ, Vijayâ, Ajitâ, Aparâjitâ, Nityâ, Vilâsinî, Dogdhrî, Aghorâ, and Mangalâ reside here always and are in the service of the Devî Bhuvanes’varî. On the side of the Devî are the two oceans of treasures; from these streams of Navaratna, gold, and seven Dhâtus (elements) go out and assume the forms of rivers and fall into the ocean Sudhâ Sindhu. Because such a Devî Bhuvanes’varî, resplendent with all powers and prosperities, sits on the left lap of Bhuvanes’vara, that He has, no doubt acquired His omnipotence. O King! Now I will describe the dimensions of the Chintâmani Griha. Listen. It is one thousand Yojanas wide; its centre is very big; the rooms situated further and further are twice those preceding them. It lies in Antarîksa (the intervening space) without any support. At the times of dissolution and creation it contracts and expands like a cloth. The lustre of this Chintâmani Griha is comparatively far more bright and beautiful than that of other enclosure walls. S’rî Devî Bhagavatî dwells always in this place. O King! All the great Bhaktas of the Devî in every Brahmânda, in the Devaloka, in Nâgaloka, in the world of men or in any other loka, all those that were engaged in the meditation of the Devî in the sacred places of the Devî and died there, they all come here and reside with the Devî in great joy and festivity.

46-59. On all sides rivers are flowing; some of ghee, some of milk, curd, honey, nectar, pomegranate juice, jambu juice, and some of mango juice, sugarcane juices are flowing on all sides. The trees here yield fruits according to one’s desires and the wells and tanks yield water also as people desire. Never is there any want felt here of anything. Never are seen here diseases, sorrow, old age, decrepitude, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and envy and other lower ideas. All the inhabitants of this place are full of youth and look like one thousand Suns. All enjoy with their wives and they worship S’rî Bhuvanes’varî. Some have attained Sâlokya, some Sâmîpya, some Sârûpya and some have attained Sârsti and pass their days in highest comfort. The Devas that are in every Brahmânda all live here and worship S’rî Devî. The seven Koti Mahâ Mantras and Mahâ Vidyâs here assume forms and worship the Mahâ Mâyâ S’rî Bhagavatî, Who is of the nature of Brahmâ. O King! Thus I have described to you all about this Manidvîpa. The lustre of Sun, Moon and Kotis and Kotis of lightnings cannot be one Kotieth of one Koti part of Its lustre. At some places the lustre is like Vidrumamani; some places as are illumined like the lustre of Marakata Mani; some, like Sûrya Kânta mani and some

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places are rendered brilliant like Kotis and Kotis of lightnings. The light at some places is like Sindûra; at some places like Indranîlamani; at some places, like Mânikya, and at some places like diamond. Some places are blazing like the conflagration of fire; and some places look like molten gold; some places seem filled with the lustre of Chandrakântamani, and some places look brilliant like Sûryakântamani.

60-73. The mountains here are all built of gems and jewels; the entrance gates and enclosures are built of gems and jewels; the trees and their leaves all are of gems; in fact all that exist here are all of gems and jewels. At some places numbers of peacocks are dancing; at some places cuckoos are captivating the minds of persons by cooing in the fifth tune and at others doves and pigeons and parrots are making sweet cackling sounds. Lakhs and lakhs of tanks are there with their pure crystal-like waters. The Red lotuses have blown fully and enhanced the beauty of the place. The captivating scents of these lotuses extend to a distance one hundred Yojanas all round and gladden the minds of people. The leaves are rustling with gentle breeze. The whole sky overhead is radiant with the lustre of Chintâmani gems and jewels. All the sides are illuminated with the brilliancy of the gems and jewels. O King! These jewels act like lamps. And the sweet scented trees emit their flagrance and it is transmitted by breeze all around. Thus these trees serve the purpose of dhûp (scent). The rays of these gems pierce through the openings of the jewel screens on the houses and fall on the mirrors inside, thus causing a nice brilliant appearance that captivates the mind and causes confusion. O King! And what shall I say of this place, more than this, that all the powers, and wealth, all the love sentiments, all the dress suited to amorous interviews, all the splendours, fire, energy, beauty and brilliance, the omniscience, the indomitable strength, all the excellent qualities and all mercy and kindness are present here! The All Comprehending Bliss and the Brahmânanda can always be witnessed here! O King! Thus I have described to you about the Manidvîpa, the most exalted place of the Devî Bhagavatî. At Her remembrance all the sins are instantly destroyed. The more so, if a man remembers the Devî and about this place at the time of death, He surely goes there. O King! He who daily reads the five Chapters, i.e., from the eighth to this twelfth chapter, is surely untouched by any obstacles due to the Bhûtas, Pretas and Pis’âchas. Especially the recitation of this at the time of building a new house and at the time of Vâstuyâga ensures all good and auspiciousness.

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Here ends the Twelfth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the description of Mani Dvîpa in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

The Devi Bhagavatam: The Twelfth Book: Chapter 13

THE TWELFTH BOOK

Chapter XIII

On the description of Janamejaya’s Devî Yajñâ

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1-4. Vyâsa said :-- O King Janamejaya! Thus I have answered all your nice queries; also what Nârâyana spoke to the highsouled Nârada is also said by me. He who hears this greatly wonderful Purânam S’rî Devî Bhâgavatam certainly becomes dear to the Devî 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 Yajñâ in the name of Bhagavatî; and certainly your father will be saved. And you also better take the Most Excellent Mantra of the Mahâ Devî 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. Sûta said :-- O Risis! Hearing thus, the King asked Vyâsa Deva to initiate in the Great Devî Mantra and thus to become his Guru. He was then initiated duly according to rules with the Great Mantra of Bhagavatî united with Pranava. When the Navarâtra period arrived, he called Dhaumya and other Brâhmanas and performed the Navarâtra Vrata so very dear to the Devî, according to his state. At this time for the satisfaction of the Devî, he caused this Devî Bhâgavata Purâna to be read by the Brâhmanas and fed innumerable Brâhmanas and Kumârîs (virgins) and gave in charity lots of things to the poor, orphans, and the Brâhmin boys and thus finished the Vrata. O Risis! Thus completing the Devîyajñâ, while the King was sitting on his seat, the fiery Devarsi Nârada 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 coming? 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 Nârada 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 Apsarâs were encircling him. It seemed he

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was going in that dress to the Mani Dvîpa. O King! You performed the Navarâtra Vrata and read the Devî Bhâgavata; 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. Sûta said :-- O Risis! Hearing these words from the mouth of Nârada, the King Janamejaya became very much happy and delighted and fell prostrate at the feet of Vyâsa 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, Vâdarâyana Veda Vyâsa blessed him and spoke to him in sweet words :-- “O King! Now leave all other actions. Read always the Devî Bhâgavata and worship the Lotus Feet of S’rî Devî. Leave off all laziness and now perform the Devî Yajñâ with great eclât. And you will surely be able to cross this bondage of the world. True there are various Purânas, the Visnu Purâna, the S’iva Purâna, but those cannot compare with one sixteenth of this Devî Bhâgavatam. In fact, this Purâna is the Essence of all the Purânas. How can the other Purânas be compared with this, wherein is established the Devî Mûla Prakriti? Reading this Purâna 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 Vyâsa departed. Then the pure minded Dhaumya and the other Brâhmanas highly praised the Devî Bhâgavatam and went to their desired places. And the King Janamejaya, on the other hand, began to read and hear always the Devî Bhâgavatam and spent his days happily in governing his kingdom.

Here end the Thirteenth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the description of Janamejaya’s Devî Yajñâ in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

The Devi Bhagavatam: The Twelfth Book: Chapter 14

THE TWELFTH BOOK

Chapter XIV

On the recitation of the fruits of this Purânam

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1-17. Sûta said :-- “O Risis! In days of yore, from the Lotus Face of the Devî Bhâgavata came out S’rî Mad Bhâgavatam 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’rî Mad Bhâgavata, Brahmâ Himself expanded into

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one hundred Koti s’lokas. Then, Veda Vyâsa, in order to teach his own son S’uka Deva, condensed them into eighteen thousand s’lokas, in Twelve Books and named it S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, the present volume. That voluminous book comprising one hundred Koti s’lokas compiled by Brahmâ are still extant in the Deva loka. There is no Purâna like the Devî Bhâgavatam, 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 Brâhmanas and they will enjoy also all the pleasures of the world and in the end will go to the region of the Devî, if they can hear, after they have fasted and controlled their passions, the recitation of this Purânam from the mouth of a Paurânik Brâhmana, who has been worshipped and given clothings and ornaments and is considered as a second Veda Vyâsa. Or, if anybody writes the whole of the Devî Bhâgavatam with his own hand or gets it written by a writer from the beginning to the end and gives to a Paurânik Brâhmin 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 Brâhmanas as there are the number of chapters of the Devî Bhâgavatam and worship as many Kumârîs (virgin girls) with saffron, sandalpaste and ornaments and feeds them with Pâysânna, 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 Devî. He has no want of anything who daily hears with rapt devotion this Devî Bhâgavatam. 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 Devî Bhâgavatam 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 Devî Bhâgavatam with a steadfast devotion. The house where this Purâna is worshipped, Laksmî and Sarasvatî dwell there, leaving their animosities towards each other. By the influence of this Devî Bhâgavatam the Dâkinîs, Vetâlas, Râksasas, and other ghosts cannot cast a glance even on its devotee. If anybody gets fever and if the S’rî Devî Bhâgavatam be read touching him with a concentrated attention, all the complaints disappear. By reading this Bhâgavatam, one hundred times even more difficult than the severe disease pthisis is cured.

18-20. If after performing the Sandhyâ, one reads only one chapter of this Bhâgavatam with a collected mind, he soon acquires the Real Knowledge. O Muni S’aunaka! While going to read this Bhâgavatam, first examine omens and then read. I have spoken already on this subject. If during the S’âradîya Pûjâ (the autumnal Durgâ Pûjâ), at the

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Navarâtra period, one reads with devotion this Bhâgavatam, the Devî Bhagavatî becomes greatly pleased and awards him results more than his desires.

21-31. During the Navarâtri period all can read well this book for the satisfaction of his Îsta Deva (his own deity) whether he be a Vaisnava, S’aiva, Saura, Gânapatya or a S’âkta. All can read this for the satisfaction of Laksmî, Umâ and other S’aktis. The Vaidik Brâhmanas are to recite this daily for the satisfaction of the Devî Gâyatrî. This Purânam 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’ûdra, is to read this herself or himself, even out of ignorance; rather they should hear this from the mouth of a Brâhmana. This is the rule of the S’âstras. (The vibrations and the consequent results would be truer then.) O Risis! What more to say on this book than this, that this Purânam 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 Devî of the nature of Hrîm and established by Gâyatrî, 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 Sûta, the great Paurânik, all the Munis of Naimisâranya worshipped him specially and as the result of hearing this Purânam glady became the servants of the Lotus Feet of the Devî and they attained the Highest Rest. The Munis expressed their humility and gratitude to Sûta frequently and bowed down to him again and again. And they said :-- “O Sûta! It is you that have saved us from this ocean of world.” Thus (the great Bhâgavata) Sûta, the bee drinking the honey of the Lotus Feet of the Devî, recited before the assemblage of the best of the Munis this Purânam from the beginning to the end, the Secret of all the Nigamas and full of the Glories of the Devî Bhagavatî. After this the Risis bowed down to him and he blessed and honoured them.

Then he went away to his desired place. Here the Devî Bhâgavatam ends and is fully completed.

THE END.

Here ends the Fourteenth Chapter of the Twelfth Book on the recitation of the fruits of this Purânam in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

Here ends as well the Full Treatise, S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam.

Om. Om. Om. Om Tat Sat. Om Hari Om.