Devibhagavatapurana 5.33: trayastriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ | devīmāhātmyavarṇanam

5.33.1

rājovāva mune vaiśyo'yamadhunā vane me mitratāṃ gataḥ |
putradārairnirasto'yaṃ prāpto'tra mama saṅgamam ||

5.33.2

(kuṭumbaviraheṇāsau duḥkhito'tīva durmanāḥ |
na śāntimupayātyeṣa tathāpi mama sāmpratam |
gatarājyasya duḥkhena śokārto'smi mahāmate |) niṣkāraṇañca me cintā hṛdayānna nivartate |
hayā me durbalāḥ syuḥ kiṃ gajāḥ śatruvaśaṃ gatāḥ ||

5.33.3

bhṛtyavargastathā duḥkhī jātaḥ syāttu mayā vinā |
kośakṣayaṃ kariṣyanti ripavo'tibalātkṣaṇāt ||

5.33.4

ityevaṃ cintayānasya na me nidrā tanau sukham |
jānāmīdaṃ jaganmithyā svapnavatsarvameva hi ||

5.33.5

jānato'pi mano bhrāntaṃ na sthiraṃ bhavati prabho |
ko'haṃ ke'śvā gajāḥ ke'mī na te me ca sahodarāḥ ||

5.33.6

na putrā na ca mitrāṇi yeṣāṃ duḥkhaṃ dunoti mām |
bhramo'yamiti jānāmi tathāpi mama mānasaḥ ||

5.33.7

moho naivāpasarati kiṃ tatkāraṇamadbhutam |
svāmiṃstvamasi sarvajñaḥ sarvasaṃśayanāśakṛt ||

5.33.8

kāraṇaṃ brūhi mohasya mamāsya ca dayānidhe |
vyāsa uvāca |
iti pṛṣṭastadā rājñā sumedhā munisattamaḥ ||

5.33.9

tamuvāca paraṃ jñānaṃ śokamohavināśanam |
ṛṣiruvāca |
śṛṇu rājan pravakṣyāmi kāraṇaṃ bandhamokṣayoḥ ||

Vyâsa said:-- O King! When the King Suratha asked thus, the Muni in reply said to him the following words, full of wisdom, so that his delusion and sorrow might vanish.

5.33.10

mahāmāyeti vikhyātā sarveṣāṃ prāṇināmiha |
brahmā viṣṇustatheśānasturāṣāḍ varuṇo'nilaḥ ||

The Muni said:-- “O King! I am telling you the cause of bondage as well the cause of release of all the beings in this Universe. She is known as Mahâ Mâyâ. She is the Mûla Prakriti, the state of equilibrium of the three Gunas, Sâttva, Râjas and Tâmas. Even Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes’vara, Indra, Varuna, Vâyu, and the other Devas, Gandarbhas, Nagas, Râksasas, men, deer, animals, birds, trees and various kinds of creepers all are under Mâyâ; thus they are all bound; again they all get release when they are released by that Mâyâ. By Her is created all this world, moving and not moving, all the beings are caught in Her net and all are under the control of Her. You are a Ksattriya; so Râjoguna preponderates in you and your heart is thus rendered impure. She, by Her Mâyâ, deludes even the minds of those who are Jñânins or wise; you are but an ordinary man compared to them. Even Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’a, though possessed of vast wisdom, still roam, under the sway of Mâyâ, in the three worlds completely deluded by their attachments to the sensual objects. O King! In the Satya Yuga, in ancient times Visnu Nârâyana himself performed a very hard tapasyâ in S’vetadvîpa. He passed away full ten thousand years in meditation, with the object of attaining the unbroken everlasting Bliss and becoming steadfastly attached to Brahmâ Vidyâ. O King! Brahmâ, too, became engaged in performing a tapasyâ, meditating the Primordial Force, Âdyâ S’akti, in a very wonderful solitary place for the cessation of delusion. Once on a time Vâsudeva Hari wanted to go to another place; he got up and started to see other places. Brahmâ, also, left his place and started for another destination. When they met each other in their way, each one asked the other, “Who are you?” The Prajâpati answered:-- “I am the Creator Brahmâ.” Hearing thus the Brahmâ’s words, Visnu said:-- “O You Stupid! I am Achyuta Visnu; therefore I am the Creator of this world. You are inferior to Me as there is so much of Râjoguna in preponderance in you. Know Me as the eternal Vâsudeva, preponderating in Sâttva Guna. Do you not remember that I fought a dreadful battle for you and thus saved your life a short while ago, I slew the two Dânavas Madhu and Kaitava when you were much distressed by them and took My refuge. How then do you boast now! O Fool! Quit your this vain boasting now. In this wide world, there is none superior to Me.”

5.33.11

sarve devā manuṣyāśca gandharvoragarākṣasāḥ |
vṛkṣāśca vividhā vallyaḥ paśavo mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ ||

5.33.12

māyādhīnāśca te sarve bhājanaṃ bandhamokṣayoḥ |
tayā sṛṣṭamidaṃ sarvaṃ jagatsthāvarajaṅgamam ||

5.33.13

tadvaśe vartate nūnaṃ mohajālena yantritam |
tvaṃ kiyānmānuṣeṣvekaḥ kṣatriyo rajasāvilaḥ ||

5.33.14

jñānināmapi cetāṃsi mohayatyaniśaṃ hi sā |
brahmeśavāsudevādyā jñāne satyapi śeṣataḥ ||

5.33.15

te'pi rāgavaśālloke bhramanti parimohitāḥ |
purā satyayuge rājan viṣṇurnārāyaṇaḥ svayam ||

5.33.16

śvetadvīpaṃ samāsādya cakāra vipulaṃ tapaḥ |
varṣāṇāmayutaṃ yāvad brahmavidyāprasaktaye ||

5.33.17

anaśvarasukhāyāsau cintayānastataḥ param |
ekasminnirjane deśe brahmāpi paramādbhute ||

5.33.18

sthitastapasi rājendra mohasya vinivṛttaye |
kadācidvāsudevo'sau sthalāntaramatirhariḥ ||

5.33.19

tasmāddeśātsamutthāya jagāmānyaddidṛkṣayā |
caturmukho'pi rājendra tathaiva niḥsṛtaḥ sthalāt ||

5.33.20

militau mārgamadhye tu caturmukhacaturbhujau |
anyonyaṃ pṛṣṭavantau tau kastvaṃ kastvamiti sma ha ||

5.33.21

brahmā provāca taṃ devaṃ kartāhaṃ jagataḥ kila |
viṣṇastamāha bho mūrkha jagatkartāhamacyutaḥ ||

5.33.22

tvaṃ kiyānbalahīno'si rajoguṇasamāśritaḥ |
sattvāśritaṃ hi māṃ viddhi vāsudevaṃ sanātanam ||

5.33.23

mayā tvaṃ rakṣito'dyaiva kṛtvā yuddhaṃ sudāruṇam |
śaraṇaṃ me samāyāto dānavābhyāṃ prapīḍitaḥ ||

5.33.24

mayā tau nihatau kāmaṃ dānavau madhukaiṭabhau |
kathaṃ garvāyase manda moho'yaṃ tyaja sāmpratam ||

5.33.25

na matto'pyadhikaḥ kaścitsaṃsāre'sminprasārite |
ṛṣiruvāca |
evaṃ pravadamānau tau brahmaviṣṇū parasparam ||

5.33.26

sphuradoṣṭhau vepamānau lohitākṣau babhūvatuḥ |
prādurbabhūva sahasā tayorvivadamānayoḥ ||

The Risi said:-- Thus engaged in disputing with each other, their lips were quivering with anger and their eyes got red. When, Behold! there appeared suddenly between those two disputants, a nectar-like white phallic emblem (Lingam), wonderfully long and extensive. Then a voice, from without anybody, broke out in the Heavens and addressed Brahmâ and Visnu who were quarrelling thus! Whoever amongst you will be able to go to the other end of this Lingam whether beyond its top or below its bottom, he is certainly the superior of you two; let one of you therefore go down to Pâtâla and let the other go up to the Heavens. Leave off your useless disputations and take my word as proof. It is always advisable to select an umpire to decide such a quarrel as this that has sprung up between you two.

5.33.27

madhye liṅgaṃ sudhāśvetaṃ vipulaṃ dīrghamadbhutam |
ākāśe tarasā tatra vāguvācāśarīriṇī ||

5.33.28

tau sambodhya mahābhāgau vivadantau parasparam |
brahman viṣṇo vivādaṃ mā kurutāṃ vāṃ parasparam ||

5.33.29

liṅgasyāsya paraṃ pāramadhastādupari dhuvam |
yo yāti yuvayormadhye sa śreṣṭho vāṃ sadaiva hi ||

5.33.30

ekaḥ prayātu pātālamākāśamaparo'dhunā |
pramāṇaṃ me vacaḥ kāryaṃ tyaktvā vādaṃ nirarthakam ||

5.33.31

madhyasthaḥ sarvadā kāryo vivāde'smindvayoriha |
ṛṣiruvāca |
tacchrutvā vacanaṃ divyaṃ sajjībhūtau kṛtodyamau ||

5.33.32

jagmaturmātumagrasthaṃ liṅgamadbhutadarśanam |
pātālamagamadviṣṇurbrahmāpyākāśameva ca ||

The Risi said:-- O King! Hearing thus the divine word, both of them became ready and began energetically to measure the length of the wonderful Lingam that stood in front of them. Visnu went down to Pâtâla and Brahmâ went up to Âkâs’a to measure the Lingam and thus to ascertain their superiority. Going down some distance Visnu got tired and doing his best, when he could not find out the end of the Lingam, he returned and remained at the desired meeting place. On the other hand, Brahmâ was ascending to the skies when he got one Ketakî flower dropping from the head of the Lingam. He became over glad and returned also to the desired meeting place. Brahmâ became very much elated with vanity and when he returned, he at once showed that flower to Visnu and spoke thus the false words:-- “O Visnu! This Ketakî flower has been obtained from the head of the Lingam. I have brought this to you simply that you would recognise it and be convinced in your heart.” Hearing these words of Brahmâ, Visnu saw the Ketakî flower and said:-- “O Brahmâ! Who is your witness in this matter? He whose words are true, who is equal to all, who is intelligent, pure, and always of good conduct, he can be the witness in such matters of dispute.”

5.33.33

parimātuṃ mahāliṅgaṃ svamahattvavivṛddhaye |
viṣṇurgatvā kiyaddeśaṃ śrāntaḥ sarvātmanā yataḥ ||

5.33.34

na prāpāntaṃ sa liṅgasya parivṛtya yayau sthalam |
brahmāgacchattataścordhvaṃ patitaṃ ketakīdalam ||

5.33.35

śivasya mastakātprāpya parāvṛtto mudāvṛtaḥ |
āgatya tarasā brahmā viṣṇave ketakīdalam ||

5.33.36

darśayitvā ca vitathamuvāca madamohitaḥ |
liṅgasya mastakādetad gṛhītaṃ ketakīdalam ||

5.33.37

abhijñānāya cānītaṃ tava cittapraśāntaye |
śrutvā tadbrahmaṇovākyaṃ dṛṣṭvā ca ketakīdalam ||

5.33.38

haristaṃ pratyuvācedaṃ sākṣī kaḥ kathayādhunā |
yathārthavādī medhāvī sadācāraḥ śuci samaḥ ||

5.33.39

sākṣī bhavati sarvatra vivāde samupasthite |
brahmovāca |
dūradeśātsamāyāti sākṣī kaḥ samaye'dhunā ||

5.33.40

yatsatyaṃ tadvacaḥ seyaṃ ketakī kathayiṣyati |
ityuktvā preritā tatra brahmaṇā ketakī sphuṭam ||

Brahmâ said:-- “Who will come now as witness from that far off place? This Ketakî flower is the witness; this will give evidence.” Thus saying, Brahmâ requested Ketakî to give evidence; Ketakî soon replied thus to convince Visnu. O Visnu! I was on the head of Mahâdeva; Brahmâ has brought me from there down to this place; you ought not therefore to have any doubt on this point. My word is the evidence; Brahmâ has gone to the other end of the Lingam. Some devotee of S’iva put me on His head and Brahmâ has got me down from there. Hearing thus the words of Ketakî, Visnu was very much astonished and said this:-- “I cannot trust your word; if Mahâ Deva comes and speaks this Himself, then I can trust and take it as a proof.”

5.33.41

vacanaṃ prāha tarasā śārṅgiṇaṃ pratyabodhayat |
śivamūrdhni sthitāṃ brahmā gahītvā māṃ samāgataḥ ||

5.33.42

sandeho'tra na kartavyastvayā viṣṇo kadācana |
mama vākyaṃ pramāṇaṃ hi brahmā pāraṅgato'sya ha ||

5.33.43

gṛhītvā māṃ samāyātaḥ śivabhaktaiḥ samarpitām |
ketakyā vacanaṃ śrutvā harirāha smayanniva ||

5.33.44

mahādevaḥ pramāṇaṃ me yadyasau vacanaṃ vadet |
ṛṣiruvāca |
tadākarṇya harervākyaṃ mahādevaḥ sanātanaḥ ||

5.33.45

kupitaḥ ketakīṃ prāha mithyāvādini mā vada |
gacchato madhyataḥ prāptā patitā mastakānmama ||

The Risi said:-- O King! The eternal Mahâ Deva, hearing the words of Visnu, spoke thus to Ketakî with great anger, “O Liar! Do not utter such false words; You dropped down from My head and Brahmâ while ascending up, picked you up on the way. Now as you have told a lie, I will never take you; you are henceforth forsaken by Me.” Brahmâ was then very much put to shame; he bowed down to Visnu; Mahâ Deva, forsook the Ketakî flower from that date. O King! Such is the power of Mâyâ; when Brahmâ, Visnu and other wise persons are so self-deluded by Her, what need to speak of other ordinary mortals! See! Visnu, the Lord of Laksmî, is self-deluded and is always deceiving the Daityas for the welfare of the Devas, without any fear whatsoever of the sin that he is thereby incurring. Though He is the Lord of all yet He has to take several incarnations in several wombs, forsaking the pleasures of the Heavens and fighting with the Daityas. O King! Visnu is omniscient and He is the Lord of this world; specially He is the only One, Supreme in the creation of the Gods. Now when Mâyâ exercises such a powerful influence on Visnu, what wonder is there that the other ordinary beings would be deluded by Her? O King! That Highest Prakriti draws away violently the hearts of the wise and drags them down into the ocean of world. That Omnipresent Bhagavatî is ever the cause of bondage of all when She casts Her net of delusion and She is again ever the cause of liberation when She imparts Her knowledge to them.

5.33.46

mithyābhibhāṣiṇī tyaktā mayā tvaṃ sarvadaiva hi |
brahmā lajjāparo bhūtvā nanāma madhusūdanam ||

5.33.47

śivena ketakī tyaktā taddinātkusumeṣu vai |
evaṃ māyābalaṃ viddhi jñānināmapi mohadam ||

5.33.48

anyeṣāṃ prāṇināṃ rājan kā vārtā vibhramaṃ prati |
devānāṃ kāryasiddhyarthaṃ sarvadaiva ramāpatiḥ ||

5.33.49

daityānvañcayate cāśu tyaktvā pāpabhayaṃ hariḥ |
avatārakaro devo nānāyoniṣu mādhavaḥ ||

5.33.50

tyaktvānandasukhaṃ daityairyuddhaṃ caivākarodvibhuḥ |
nūnaṃ māyābalaṃ caitanmādhave'pi jagadgurau ||

5.33.51

sarvajñe devakāryāṃśe kā vārtānyasya bhūpate |
jñānināmapi cetāṃsi paramā prakṛtiḥ kila ||

5.33.52

balādākṛṣya mohāya prayacchati mahīpate |
yayā vyāptamidaṃ sarvaṃ bhagavatyā carācaram ||

5.33.53

mohadā jñānadā saiva bandhamokṣapradā sadā |
rājovāca |
bhagavanbrūhi me tasyāḥ svarūpaṃ balamuttamam ||

5.33.54

utpattikāraṇaṃ vāpi sthānaṃ paramakaṃ ca yat |
ṛṣiruvāca |
na cotpattiranāditvānnṛpa tasyāḥ kadācana ||

The King said:-- O Brâhman! What is the nature of Her? and what is the Supreme Force? What is the Cause of this creation? And where is Her highest place? Kindly narrate all these to me.

5.33.55

nityaiva sā parā devī kāraṇānāṃ ca kāraṇam |
vartate sarvabhūteṣu śaktiḥ sarvātmanā nṛpa ||

The Risi said:-- O King! She is beginningless; therefore She had no origin at any time; that Highest Devî is Eternal and She is always the Cause of all Causes. (How then can any other be powerful like Her). O King! She resides in all the beings as the essential vital Force; deprived of that Force, every being is reduced to a dead carcass. She is pervading as the Universal Force of Consciousness in all the beings. The form of this S’akti (Force) is the form made up of consciousness itself, the Brahmâ. (For the force of Fire is Fire itself; it is not seen in any other form). Her appearances and disappearances at times are simply for serving the purposes of the Gods. O King! Whenever the Devas and men worship Her, Ambikâ makes Her appearance visible to destroy their pains and sufferings. She assumes various forms and possesses various powers. That Highest Îs’varî comes down of Her free will to serve Her some purpose or other. She is not like the Devas, under the control of Daiva or Fate; She is not under the influence of Time (as both Fate and Time are created by Her). She puts always every being to action according to his capacity. Purusa is not the Doer; He is simply the Witness. This whole Universe is the object seen. That Devî is the Mother of all this that is witnessed. She is the Manifested and She is the Unmanifested and She is the Effect also. She alone is the Actress and manifests thus the world and thus gives the colouring to the Purusa. When the Purusa is coloured thus, She destroys quickly these worlds. It is said that Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes’a are respectively the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the world; but this is merely a statement; really they are merely instruments in Her hands. Bhagavatî has created them in reality for Her Pastime and stationed them in their respective posts. She has bestowed to them Her part manifestations, i.e., Sarasvatî to Brahmâ, Laksmî to Visnu, and Girijâ to Mahes’a and has thus rendered them more powerful. They, the lords of the Devas, always meditate and worship Her as the Creatrix, Preservrix and Destructrix of this Universe. O King! I have thus described to you, as far as my intelligence and knowledge go, the holy greatness and the excellent glory of Her (in reality, I have not been able to come to the end of it).
“Aim Hrîm Klîm Châmundâyai bichche” is the (9) nine lettered mantra.
Here ends the Thirty-third Chapter of the Fifth Book on the description of the greatness of the Devî in S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam, the Mahâ Purânam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

5.33.56

śavavacchaktihīnastu prāṇī bhavati sarvathā |
cicchaktiḥ sarvabhūteṣu rūpaṃ tasyāstadeva hi ||

5.33.57

āvirbhāvatirobhāvau devānāṃ kāryasiddhaye |
yadā stuvanti tāṃ devā manujāśca viśāmpate ||

5.33.58

prādurbhavati bhūtānāṃ duḥkhanāśāya cāmbikā |
nānārūpadharā devī nānāśaktisamanvitā ||

5.33.59

āvirbhavati kāryārthaṃ svecchayā parameśvarī |
daivādhīnā na sā devī yathā sarve surā nṛpa ||

5.33.60

na kālavaśagā nityaṃ puruṣārthapravartinī |
akartā puruṣo draṣṭā dṛśyaṃ sarvamidaṃ jagat ||

5.33.61

dṛśyasya jananī saiva devī sadasadātmikā |
puruṣaṃ rañjayatyekā kṛtvā brahmāṇḍanāṭakam ||

5.33.62

rañjite puruṣe sarvaṃ saṃharatyatiraṃhasā |
tayā nimittabhūtāste brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ ||

5.33.63

kalpitāḥ svasvakāryeṣu preritā līlayā tvamī |
svāṃśaṃ teṣu samāropya kṛtāste balavattarāḥ ||

5.33.64

dattāśca śaktayastebhyo gīrlakṣmīrgirijā tathā |
te tāṃ dhyāyanti deveśā pūjayanti parāṃ mudā ||

5.33.65

jñātvā sarveśvarīṃ śaktiṃ sṛṣṭisthitivināśinīm |
etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ devīmāhātmyamuttamam |
mama buddhyanusāreṇa nāntaṃ jānāmi bhūpate ||

5.33.65.c1

iti śrīmaddevībhāgavate mahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcamaskandhe devīmāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāma trayastriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||