Devi Bhagvatam 1:6:1-44

Book 1/Chapter 6/Verse 1-44

On the preparation for war by Madhu Kaitabha

1-44.  The Risis said :-- “O Saumya! Just now you have spoken of the fight for five thousand years, in that great ocean, between Bhagavân S’auri and Madhu Kaitabha.  How was it that the two greatly powerful Dânavas, invincible of the Devas came to be born there?  And why did Bhagavân Hari kill them?  O highly intelligent one!  Kindly describe that greatly wonderful event.  We all are extremely eager to hear it, and you are the great Pundit and speaker, present before us.  It is our good luck that we have come across you here.  As the contact with the illiterate is very painful, so the contact with the literate is very happy like nectar.

The animals in this world live like illiterates; they eat, call for their nature, void urines and faeces, and know wonderfully well the sexual intercourse.  Only they want discriminative knowledge of right and wrong, of the real and unreal, and a knowledge of discrimination, leading to Moksa or final liberation; this is the only point of difference.  Therefore the persons that have no liking to hear of Bhâgavata and books like it, are like beasts; there is no doubt in this. Behold!  

Deer and some other animals can enjoy well the sense of hearing like men; and the serpents, though wanting in the organ of hearing, become charmed quite like men, as if tasting the pleasure of hearing sweet sounds.  Verily out of the five organs of perception the organ of hearing and the organ of sight are benefitting, for the knowledge of things arises from hearing and the heart is pleased by seeing.

Therefore the Pundits divide in three classes, the objects of hearing, as :-- (1) Sâttvik, (2) Râjasik and (3) Tâmasik.  The Vedas and other S’âstras are Sâttvik; the literature Sahitya is the Râjasik and war news, and finding fault with others is Tâmasik.

The wise persons again sub-divide the Sâttvik in three sub-classes :-- good, middling and worst.  That which gives Moksa is good or excellent; that which gives Heavens is middling and that which gives this worldly pleasure is worst.  

In the same way, the literature Sahitya is of three kinds :-- That which describes the people to live with their legitimate wives is the best; which describes about prostitutes is the middling; and that which makes people live with other's wives is the worst.

The seers of Sâstras, the learned men divide the subjects of the Tâmasik hearing into three classes :-- That in which fight with the enemies is described is best; where the fight, as of the Pandavas, with the enemies out of hatred, ill-feeling, is described is middling; and that where fighting is described without any cause is worst.  Therefore, O highly intelligent one! Hearing the Purânas is far superior to hearing other S’âstras, for thereby sins are destroyed, intellect is increased and Punyam (good merits) is stored.  So, O intelligent one! Kindly describe to us, the Purânas, fulfilling all the requirements of life, that you heard before from the mouth of Krisna Dvaipâyana”.

Hearing these words of the Risis, Sûta said :-- “O highly fortunate ones! When you all are desirous to hear the Purânas and I am ready to tell them, then both of us are blessed on the surface of the earth”.

In days of yore, in the time of Pralaya (universal dissolution) when the three lokas and the entire universe dissolved in water, when the Devadeva Janârdana was lying asleep on the bed of Ananta, the thousand headed serpent, arose from the was of the ear of Bhagavân Visnu, the two very powerful Daityas Madhu and Kaitabha; they grew in the waters of the ocean and played around in the waters and thus passed some of their time.

Once, on a time, when the two huge bodied Dânavas were playing with each other like two brothers, they thought that the general rule of the universe is that no effect takes place without a cause and nothing can rest without the receptacle thereof.  But we cannot understand what is our receptacle or who is resting on us.  Whereon rests this pleasant expanse of wide ocean?  Who was it that created this?  How was this created?  Why are we living here merged within the water?  Who created us? and who are our father and mother.  Nothing of a these we know.  Thus thinking, when they could not come to any conclusion, Kaitabha spoke to Madhu, beside him, within the waters :-- “O Brother! It seems to me the great immoveable force that makes us rest in this water is the cause of all.  This whole mass of water, too, pervaded by that force, rests on that; that Highest Devî must be the Cause of us”.

When the two Asuras, merged in this thought, understood this, they heard in the air the beautiful Vâgvîja (the seed mantra of Vâk, the speech, the Devî Sarasvatî).  They then began to pronounce repeated the Vâgvîja mantra and practised it with the great steadfastness.  Next they saw, risen high up in the air, the auspicious lightning and thought that certainly our mantra that we are repeating has made Herself visible in this form of light and thus we have seen certainly in the air, the saguna form (form with attributes) of Sarasvatî, the goddess of Speech.  Thus thinking in their minds they, without any food, with their minds controlled, constantly thought of that, with their whole mind collected on that, and repeating and meditating the mantra became one

with that.

Thus they passed one thousand years in practising that great tapas; when the Highest Âdyâ S’akti became pleased with them and seeing the two Dânavas, steadfast in the practice of Tapas, tired, address them, invisibly in the way of celestial voice thus :-- “O two Dânavas! I am exceedingly pleased with your tapasyâ; so ask boon whatever you desire; I will grant it.”  Hearing, then, the celestial voice, thus the two Dânavas said :-- “O Devî! O Suvrate! Grant us that we will die when we will.”  Hearing this, Vagdevî said :-- “O two Dânavas! Certain by My grace, you two will die when you will and you two brothers will be invincible of all the Suras and Asuras.  There is no doubt in this”.

Sûta said :-- When the Devî granted them this boon, the two Dânavas, puffed up with pride, began to play with the aquatic animals in the ocean.  O Brâhmins! Some days thus passed away when the two powerful Dânavas saw the Brahmâ, the Prajâpati, seated on the lotus of navel of Hari.  Doubt came on their minds and they told him with a view to fight :-- “O Suvrata! Either fight with us, or leave off this lotus seat and go any where you like.  If you be so weak, this auspicious lotus seat not fit for you.  For this should be enjoyed by the heroes.  So if you be a coward, leave it quickly”.   Hearing these words of the Dânavas, Prajâpati, engaged in the practice of Tapasyâ, saw the two great powerful heroes and began to think anxiously “What should be done now” and waited there.

Thus ends the sixth chapter of the first Skandha on the preparation for war by Madhu Kaitabha in the Mahâpurâna S’rîmad Devî Bhâgavatam by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda

Devi Bhagvatam 1:5:1-112

Book 1/Chapter 5/Verse 1-112

On the narrative of Hayagriva

1-4.  The Risis said :-- “O Sûta! Our minds are merged in the sea of doubt, hearing your this most wonderful saying, surprising to the whole world.  The head of Janârdan Mâdhava, the Lord of all, was severed out of His body!  And He was afterwards known as Hayagrîva, the horse-faced! Oh! what more wonder can there be than this?  Whom the Vedas even praise, all the Devas rest on Whom, Who is the Cause of all causes, the Âdi Deva Jagannath (the Lord of the universe), Oh! how is it that His head came to be severed!  O highly intelligent one!  Describe all this to me in detail”.

5-9.  Sûta said :-- O Munis!  Hear all attentively the glorious deeds of the supremely energetic Visnu, the Deva of the Devas. Once on a time the eternal Deva Janârdana became tired after the terrible continuous battle for ten thousand years.  After this the Lord Nârâyana seated Himself on Padmâsan (a kind of posture) in some lovely place on a level plot of ground and placing his head on the front of his bow with the bow strung and placed erect on the ground fell fast asleep.  Visnu, the Lord of Ramâ, was exceedingly tired and thus he fell soon into deep sleep.  At this time Indra and the other Devas, with Brahmâ and Mahesâ began a sacrifice.

10-13.  Then they, for the sake of success in Deva's well, went to the region of

Vaikuntha to meet with the Deva Janârdana, the Lord of sacrifices.  There the Devas, not finding Visnu, came to know by their Dhyân (meditation) where Bhagavân Visnu was staying and thither they went.  They saw that the Lord Visnu, the Deva of the Devas was lying unconscious, being under the arms of Yoganidrâ (the yogic sleep).

Therefore they took their seats there. Seeing the Lord of the universe asleep, Brahmâ, Rudra and the other Devas became anxious.

14-18.  Indra then addressed the Devas :--“O best of the Suras! Now what is to be done!  How shall we rouse Bhagavân from His sleep?  Now think of the means by which this can be effected”. Hearing Indra's words S’ambhu said :-- “O good Devas! Now we must finish our sacrificial work.  But if the sleep of Bhagavân be disturbed, He would get angry.” Hearing S’ankara's words, Paramesthî Brahmâ created Vamrî insects (a sort of white ants) so that they might eat up the forepart of the bow that was lying on the ground causing the other end rise up and thus break His sleep.  Thus the Deva's purpose will, no doubt, be fulfilled.  Thus settling his mind, the eternal Deva Brahmâ ordered

the white ants Vamrîs to cut the bow string.

19-22. Hearing this order of Brahmâ, Vamrî spoke to Brahmâ, thus :-- “O Brahmân!

How can I disturb the sleep of the Devadeva, Lord of Laksmî, the World Guru?   To rouse one from one's deep sleep, to interrupt one in one's speech, to sever the love between a couple husband and wife, to separate a child from one's mother, all these are equivalent to Brahmâhatyâ (murdering a Brahmân).  Therefore, O Deva! how can I interrupt the happiuess of sleep of the Devadeva?  And what benefit shall I derive by eating the bowstring, so that I may incur this vicious act?  But a man can commit a sin if there be any interest of his; I am ready to eat this, if I get a personal interest”.

23-24.  Brahmâ said :-- We will give you, too, share in this our Yajña (sacrifice); so hear me; do our work and rouse Visnu from His sleep.  During the time of performing Homa whatever ghee will fall outside the Homa-Kund (the sacrificial pit) will fall to your share; so be quick and do this.

25-30.  Sûta said :-- Thus ordered by Brahmâ, the Vamrî insect soon ate away the fore end of the bow that rested on the ground.  Immediately the string gave way and the bow went up; the other end became free and a terrible sound took place.  The Devas bcame afraid; the whole universe got agitated; the earth trembled.  The sea became swollen; the aquatic animals became startled; violent wind blew; the mountains shook; ominous meteors fell.  The quarters assumed a terrific aspect; the Sun went down the horizon.  In that time of distress the Devas became anxious what evil might come down.  O ascetics! while the Devas were thus cogitating, the head with crown on it of the Devadeva Visnu

vanished away ; nobody knew where it fell.

31-36.  When the awful darkness disappeared, Brahmâ and Mahâdeva saw the

disfigured body of Visnu with its head off.  Seeing that headless figure of Visnu they were greatly surprised; they were drowned in the ocean of cares and, overwhelmed with grief, began to weep aloud.  O Lord!  O Master!  O Devadeva!  O Eternal one! What unforeseen extraordinary mishap occurred to us to-day!  O Deva!  Thou canst not be pierced nor cut asunder, nor capable of being burnt; how is it then that Thy head has been taken away!  Is this the Mâyâ (majic) of some. Deva?  O all pervading one!  The Devas cannot live when Thy condition is thus; we do not know what affection dost Thou have towards us. We are crying because of our selfish ends; perhaps this therefore has occurred. The Daityas, Yaksas, or Râkhsasas have not done this; O Lord of Laksmî! Whose fault will we ascribe this to?  The Devas themselves have committed

this loss to themselves?

37-41.  O Lord of the Devas!  The Devas are. now dependent!  They are under Thee.  Now where are we to go?  What are we to do?  There is none to save the dull stupid Devas!

At this juncture, seeing S’iva and the other Devas crying, Brihaspati, supremely versed in the Vedas, consoled them thus :-- “O highly fortunate one! what use there will be in thus crying and repenting? it ought you now to consider the means that you should adopt to redress your calamities.  O Lord of the Devas! Fate and one's own exertion and intelligence are equal; if the success comes not through Fate (Luck or chance) one is certainly to show one's prowess and merit”.

42-46.  Indra said :-- Fie to your exertion when, before our eyes, the head of Bhagavân Visnu Himself has been carried off!  Fie, Fie to your prowess and intelligence!  Fate is in my opinion, the supreme.

Brahmâ said :-- Whatever, auspicious or inauspicious, is ordained Daiva (Fate), every one must bear that; no one can go beyond the Daiva.  When one has taken up a body, one must experience pleasure and pain; there is no manner of doubt in this.  See, in long past days, by the irony of Fate, S’ambhu severed my head; His generative organ, too, dropped down through curse.  Similarly Hari's head has, to-day, fallen into the salt ocean.  By the influence of time, Indra, the Lord of Sachi, had thousand genital marks over his body, was expelled from Heaven and had to live in the Mânas sarovar in the lotuses and had to suffer many other miseries.

47-50.  O Glorious ones!  When such personages have suffered pains, then who else is there in the world, that dues not suffer!  So you all cease sorrows and meditate on the Eternal Mahâmâyâ; who is the Mother of all, who is supporter of all, who is of the nature of Brahmâvidyâ (the Supreme Knowledge) and who is beyond the Gunas, who is the Prime Prâkriti, and who pervades the three Lokas, the whole universe, moving and unmoving; She will dispense our welfare.  Sûta said :-- Thus saying to the Devas, Brahmâ ordered all the Vedas, that were incarnate there in their forms, for the successful issue of the Deva's work.

51-54.  Brahmâ said :-- “OVedas! Now go on and chant hymns to the Sacred Highest Devî Mahâmâyâ, who is Brahmâvidyâ, who brings all issues to their successful issues, who is hidden in all forms.”  Hearing His words, the all-beautiful Vedas began to chant hymns to Mahâmâyâ who can be comprehended by Jñân, and who pervades the world.

The Vedas said :-- Obeisance to the Devî! to the Mahâmâyâ! to the Auspicious One! To the Creatrix of the Universe!  We bow down to Thee, who is beyond the Gunas, the Ruler of all the Beings!  O Mother!  Thou givest to S’ankara even His desires.  Thou art the receptacle of all the things; Thou art the Prâna of all the living beings; Thou art Buddhi, Laksmî (wealth), S’obhâ, Ks'hamâ (forgiveness), S’ânti (peace), Sraddhâ (faith), Medhâ (intellect), Dhriti (fortitude), and Smriti (recollection).

55.  Thou art the vindu (m) over the Prânava (om) and thou art of the nature of semimoon; Thou art Gâyattri, Thou art Vyârhiti; Thou art Jayâ, Vijayâ, Dhâtri (the supportress), Lajjâ (modesty), Kîrti (fame), Ichchâ (will) and Dayâ (mercy) in all beings.

56-57.  O Mother! Thou art the merciful Mother of the three worlds; Thou art

the adorable auspicious Vidyâ (knowledge) benefitting all the Lokas; Thou destroyest the Universe and Thou skilfully residest (hidden) in the Vîja mantras.

Therefore we are praising Thee. O Mother! Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes’vara, Indra, Sûrya, Fire, Sarasvatî and other Regents of the Universe are all Thy creation; so none of them is superior to Thee.  Thou art the Mother of all the things, moving and non-moving.

58-61.  O Mother !  When Thou dost will to create this visible Universe, Thou creates first Brahmâ, Visnu and Mahes'vara and makest them create, preserve and destroy this universe; but Thou remainest quite unattached to the world. Ever Thou remainest constant in Thy one form.  No one in this Universe is able to know Thy nature; nor there is anybody who can enumerate Thy names.  How can he promise to jump across the illimitable ocean, who cannot jump across an ordinary well.

O Bhagavatî!  No one amongst the Devas even knows particularly Thy endless power and glory.  Thou art alone the Lady of the Universe and the Mother of the world.

62-68.  The Vedas all bear testimony how thou alone hast created all this unreal and fleeting universe.  O Devî! Thou without any effort and having no desires hast become the cause of this visible world, thyself remaining unchanged.  This is a great wonder.

We cannot conceive this combination of contrary varieties in one.  O Mother! How can we understand thy power, unknown to all the Vedas even, when thou thyself dost not know thy nature!  We are bewildered at this.  O Mother!  It is that thou dost know nothing about the falling off of the Visnu's head!  Or knowingly thou wanted to examine Visnu's prowess.  Is it that Hari incurred any heinous sin.  How can that be!  Where is sin to thy followers who serve Thee!  O Mother!  Why art Thou so much indifferent to the Devas!  It is a great wonder that the head of Visnu is severed!  Really, we are merged in great misfortunes.  Thou art clever in removing the sorrows of Thy devotees.  Why art Thou delaying in fixing again the head on Visnu's body.

O Devî!  Is it that Thou taking offence on the gods hast cast that on Visnu! or was it that Visnu became proud and to curb that, Thou hast played thus! or is it that the Daityas, having suffered defeat from Visnu went and practised severe tapasya in some beautiful holy place, and have got some boons; and so Visnu's head has thus fallen off!

Or is it, O Bhagavatî! that Thou wert very eagerly interested to see Visnu's headless body and therefore Thou hast seen thus!  O Prime Force!  Is it that Thou art angry on the daughter of the Sindhu (ocean); Laksmî Devî!  Else, why hast Thou deprived Her of Her husband?  Laksmî is born as a part of Thine; So Thou oughtest to forgive Her offence.

Therefore dost Thou gladden Her by giving back Her husband's life.

The principal Devas, engaged in Thy service, always make their Prânams (bow down) to Thee; O Devî! Beest Thou kind enough and make alive the Deva Visnu, the Lord of all and crossest us across this ocean of sorrows.  O Mother! We cannot make out anything whatsoever where Hari's head has gone.  We have no other protectress than Thee who canst give back His life?  O Devî!  Dost Thou give life to the whole world as the nectar gives life to all the Devas.

69-73.  Sûta said :-- Thus praised by the Vedas with their Angas, with Sâmagânas (the songs from the Sâma Veda), the Nirgunâ Mahes'vari Devî Mahâmâyâ became pleased.

Then the auspicious voice came to them from the Heavens, gladdening all, and

pleasing to the ears though no form was seen: “O Suras! Do not care anything about it; you are immortal (what fear can you have?)  Come to your senses. I am very much pleased by the praise sung by the Vedas.  There is no doubt in this. Amongst men, whoever will read this My stotra with devotion, will get all what he desires.  Whoever will hear this devotedly, during the three Sandhyas, will lie freed from troubles and become happy. When this stotra has been sung by the Vedas, it is equivalent to the Vedas.

74-75. Does anything take place in this world without any cause? Now hear why Hari's head was cut off.  Once on a time, seeing the beautiful face of His dear wife Laksmî Devî, Hari laughed in presence of Her.

76-82.  At this Laksmî Devî came to understand that “He has seen surely something ugly in my face and therefore He laughed; otherwise why my Husband would laugh at seeing me.  But what reason can there be as to see ugliness in my face after so long a time.  And why shall He laugh without seeing something ugly, without any cause.  Or it may be, He has made some other beautiful woman as my co-wife”.  Thus arguing variously in her mind, Mahâ Laksmî gradually got angry and Tamo guna slowly possessed Her.  Then, by turn of Fate, in order that god’s work might be completed, very fierce Tamas Sakti entered into Her body.  She got very angry and slowly said :-- “Let Thy head fall off”.  Thus, owing to feminine nature and the destiny of Bhagvan,

Laksmî cursed without any thought of good or bad, causing Her own suffering. By the Tâmasî S’akti possessing Her, she thought that a co-wife would be more painful than Her widowhood and thus She cursed Him.

83-86.  Falsehood, vain boldness, craftiness, stupidity, impatience, over-greediness, impurity, and harshness are the natural qualities of women.   Owing to that curse, the head of Vasudeva has fallen into the salt ocean.   Now I will

fix the head on His body as before.  O Sura Sattamas!  There is another cause, also, regarding this affair.  That will bring you great success.  In ancient days a famous Daitya, named Hayagrîva practised severe tapasya on the bank of the Sarasvatî river.

87-92.  Abandoning all sorts of enjoyments, with control over his senses and without any food, the Daitya did Japam of the (repeated) one syllabled Mâyâ-Vija-mantra and, meditating the form of the Utmost Sakti of Mine, adorned with all ornaments, practised very terrible austerities for one thousand years. I, too, went to the place of austerities in My Tâmasî form, meditated by the Daitya and appeared before him.  There, seated on the lion's back, feeling compassion for his tapasya I spoke to him :-- “O glorious One!  O one of good vows!  I have come to grant boon to Thee!”  Hearing the words of the Devî, the Daitya instantly got up and falling down with devotion at Her feet, circumambulated Her.  Looking at My form, his large eyes became cheerful with feelings of love and filled with tears; shedding tears, then, he began to chant hymns to

Me.

93-95.  Hayagrîva said :-- “Obeisance to the Devî Mahâmaye! I bow down to Thee, the Creatrix, the Preserver, and the Destructrix of the universe!  Skilled in shewing favour to Thy devotees!  Giver of the devotee's desires!  Obeisance to Thee!  O Thou, the giver of liberation!  O Thou!  The auspicious one!  I bow down to Thee.  Thou art the cause of the five elements -- earth, water, fire, air, and Akasa!  Thou art the cause of form, taste, smell, sound and touch.  O Mahes’vari! the five jñânendriyas (organs of perception) eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin and the five organs of action Karmendriyas :-- hands,

feet, speech, arms, and the organ of generation are all created by Thee.

96-100.  The Devî said :-- “O child! I am very much satisfied with your wonderful tapasya and devotion.  Now say what boon do you want.  I will give you the boon that you desire”. ayagrîva said ;-- “O Mother! grant me that boon by which death will not come to me, and I be invincible by the Suras and Asuras, I may be a Yogi and immortal”.

The Devî said :-- “ Death brings in birth and birth brings in death; this is inevitable.”  This order of things is extant in this world; never its violation takes place. O best of the Râksasas!  Thus knowing death sure, think in your mind and ask another boon.

Hayagrîva said: -- “O Mother of the universe!  If it be that Thou art not willing at all to grant me immortality, then grant me this boon that my death may not occur from any other than from one who is horse-faced.  Be merciful and grant me this boon that I desire.”

101-105.  O highly fortunate one! “Go home and govern your kingdom at your ease; death won't occur to you from any other beings then from one who is horse-faced.”

Thus granting the boon, the Devî vanished.  Becoming very glad on getting this boon, Hayagrîva went to his residence.  Since then the wicked Daitya is troubling very much all the Devas and Munis.  There is none in the three worlds to kill him.  So let Visvakarmâ take a horse's head and fix it on the headless body of Visnu.  Then Bhagavân Hayagrîva will slay the vicious wicked Asura, for the good of the Devas”.

106-112.  Sûta said :-- Thus speaking to the Devas, Bhagavatî S’arvânî remained silent.

The Devas became very glad and spoke this to Visvakarmâ :-- “Kindly do this Deva work and fix Visnu's head.  He will become Hayagrîva and kill the indomitable Dânava.” Sûta said :-- Hearing these words, Visvakarmâ quickly cut off with his axe, the head of a horse, brought it before the Devas and fixed it on the headless body of Visnu.  By the grace of Mahâmâyâ, Bhagavân became horse-faced or Hayagrîva.  Then,

a few days after, Bhagavân. Hayagrîva killed that proud Dânava, the Deva's enemy, by sheer force.  Any man, hearing this excellent anecdote, becomes freed, certainly of all sorts of difficulties.  Hearing or reading Mahâmâyâ's glorious deeds, pure and sin destroying, gives all sorts of wealth.

Thus ends the fifth chapter of the first Skandha on the description of the narrative of Hayagrîva in the Mahâ Purâna S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda

Devi Bhagvatam 1:4:1-66

Book 1/Chapter 4/Verse 1-66

On the excellency of the Devî

1-3.  The Risis said :-- O Saumya! How was S’uka Deva born? Who studied these Purâna Samhitâs; by which wife of Vyâsa Deva? And How? O highly intelligent one!

You have just spoken that S’uka Deva was not born from womb, in the natural way; he was born of the dry pieces of wood for Homa sacrifice.

But we heard before that the great ascetic was Yogi even in his mother's womb, so a great doubt comes to our minds.  You better remove that to-day; how he studied also these Purânas, as vast in their nature; say this.

4-5.  Sûta said :-- In long-past days, Satyavati's son Vedas Vyâs, while in his own hermitage on the banks of the river Sarasvati, was greatly wondered to see a pair of Châtakas (Sparrows).  He saw the pair putting the beak of their young one, just born of the egg, of beautiful body, red mouth, and greasy body.  They do not care at all for their own hunger and toil; all they are caring for is to nurture their young one.  He said also that the pair are rubbing their bodies over the body and kissing lovingly the mouth of the young one and feeling the highest pleasure

Seeing this wonderful affection of the two sparrows towards their young, Veda Vyâs became very anxious and thought over the following in his mind.

9-14.  Oh! What wonder is there, when the birds have so much filial affection towards their child, that men, who want services from their sons, would show their affection towards their sons!  This pair of sparrows will not perform the happy marriage of their young one and will not see the face of their son’s wife; nor when they will grow old, that their child would become very religious and serve them to attain great merits in Heaven.  Nor do they expect that their child would earn money and satisfy them nor the child would perform when they die, their funeral obsequies duly and help them in their sojourn in the next world; nothing of all these.  Nor will the child perform the S’râdh ceremony at Gayâ; nor will the child offer the oblation of a blue bull on the day of offering the sacrifice to its ancestor (the bull is then let loose and held sacred); yet the pair of sparrows have so much affection towards their young one!  

Oh! in this world to touch the body of the son, especially to nurture the sons, is the highest happiness in life.

15-27.  There is no prospect in the after birth of the sonless; never, never will Heaven be his. Without son, there is none other who can be of help in the next world.

Thus in the Dharma S’âstras, Manu and other Munis declare that the man who has sons goes to Heaven and the sonless one can never go to Heaven.  The man possessing a son is entitled to the Heavenly pleasures can be vividly seen, rather than imagined.  The man with son is freed from sins; this is the word of the Vedas.  The sonless man becomes very much distressed even at the time of death and while lying on bed that is ground at that time, mournfully thinks.  “This all my vast wealth, various things, this my beautiful house, who will enjoy all these?”

When the sonless man is thus perplexed in his mind at the time of his death and becomes restless, then it is sure that his future career is full misfortunes; unless one’s mind is calm and serene at the time of death, can never attain a good goal.  Thus thinking variously, the Satyavati's son Veda Vyâs sighed heavily and became unmindful.  He thought of various plans and at last, coming to a definite conclusion, went to the Sumeru mountain to perform Tapasyâ.

On reaching there, he thought which Deva he will worship!  Visnu, S’iva, Indra, Brahmâ, Surya, Ganes’a, Kârtikeya, Agni, or Varuna?  Who will grant him boon quickly and thus satisfy his desires.  While thus cogitating in his mind, came there the Muni Nârada, of one mind with lute in hamd, accidentally in his course of travels.  Seeing Nârada, the Satyavati’s son Veda Vyâsa gave him a hearty welcome, with great gladness, offering him Arghya and Âsan (seat) and asked about his welfare.  Hearing this question of welfare, Nârada Muni spoke :-- “O Dvaipâyan! Why do you look so care worn!  First speak this out to me”.

28-30.  Veda Vyâsa said :-- “ The sonless man has no goal; therefore there is no happiness in my mind; I am always anxious to get a son and therefore I am very sorry.

Today my mind is sorely troubled with the one idea, which Deva I may satisfy by my tapasyâ, who will grant me my desires; now I take your refuge.  O merciful Maharsi!  You are omniscient; say this quickly; which Deva I will take for my refuge, who will grant me a son”.

31-37.  Sûta said :-- Thus questioned by Krisna Dvaipâyan Veda Vyâsa, the high souled Nârada Muni, well versed in the Vedas, became very glad and spoke thus :-- O highly fortunate Parâs'arâ’s son. The question that you have asked me to-day was formerly asked by my father to Nârâyana. At this, Nârâyana Vasudeva, the Deva of the Devas, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Universe, the husband of Laksmî, the four armed, wearing yellow garment, holding conchshell, discus, club and with the mark S’rîvatsa (a mark or curl of hair on the heart of Visnu) adorning His breast and decorated with Kaustuvagem, the Divinity Himself, became merged in great Yoga; at this my Father became greatly surprised and said :-- “O Janârdana! Thou art the Deva of the Devas; the Lord of the Present, the Past and the Future, the Lord of this Universe; why art thou meditating in Yoga?  And what is it that Thou art meditating? O best of the Devas!  Thou art the Lord of the entire Universe and yet Thou art now merged in deep meditation. At this I am greatly surprised (my surprise is not without foundation; Thou canst Thyself see).  What more wonderful than this can happen?

38-43.  O Lord of Rama!  I am sprung from the lotus from thy navel and have become the Lord of this whole universe; who is there in this universe that is superior to Thee; kindly say this to me.  O Lord of the world?   Thou art the Origin of all, the Cause of all causes, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer and the capable Doer of all actions. O Maharaja! at Thy will, I create this whole universe and Rudra destroys iu due time this world.  He is always under Thy command.  O Lord!  By Thy command the Sun roams in the sky; the wind blows in various auspicious or inauspicious ways and the fire is giving heat and the cloud showers rain.  I don’t see in the three Lokas any one superior to Thee.  Then whom art Thou meditating while being questioned by his very intelligent son S’uka Deva! not born in the usual way from womb, Dvaipâyana expounded all the secret excellent meanings of the Purâna and thereby I also came to know them also.

O saintly persons!  Thus S’uka Deva, sincerely earnest to cross this endless bottomless ocean of S’amsara, tasted of the wonderful traits of the Veda, the Kalpa tree, this S’rimad Bhâgavata with its numerous stories and anecdotes with great eagerness and intense pleasure.

38-43.  Oh!  Who is there in this world that is not freed from this terror of Kali, after he has heard this Bhâgavata.  Even if the greatest sinner, void of the right ways of living and Achara as ordained in the Vedas, hears on a pretence this excellent Devî Bhâgavata, the chief of the Purânas, he enjoys all the great enjoyments of this world and in the end attains the eternal place occupied by the Yogis.

She who is rare, in Her Nirguna aspect, to even Hari and Hara, who is very dear as Tattva Vidya to the Jñanins whose real nature can be realised only in Samâdhi, She resides always in the cavity of the heart of the hearers of the Bhâgavata Purâna.  He who getting the all qualified human birth and getting the reciter of this Purâna, the boat to cross, as it were, this world, does not hear this blissful Purâna, he is certainly deprived by the Creator.  How is it that the way-ward dull-headed persons, getting the vicious ears, can hear always the faults and calumnies of others, that are entirely useless, and cannot hear this pure Purâna that contains the four Vargas :-- Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Mokhsa?

This is my main point of doubt.  O One of good vows!  I am Thy devotee; be merciful to me and speak this to me.  There is almost nothing that is secret to Mahâpurusas; this is a well-known fact”.

44-50.  Thus hearing Brahmâ's words, Bhagavan Nârâyana spoke :-- “O Brahmân!  I now speak out my mind to you; listen carefully.  Though the Devas, Dânavas and men and all the Lokas know that You are the Creator, I am the Preserver and Rudra is the Destroyer, yet it is to be known that the saints, versed in the Vedas, have come to this conclusion by inference from the Vedas that the creation, preservation, and destruction are performed by the creative force, preservative force and destructive force.  The Rajasik creative force residing in you, the Sattvik preservative force residing in me, and the Tamasik destructive force residing in Rudra are the all-in-all.

When these Saktis become absent, you become inert and incapable to create, I to preserve and Rudra to destroy.

O intelligent Suvrata!  We all are always under that Force directly or indirectly; hear instances that you can see and infer.  At the time of Pralaya, I lie down on the bed of Ananta, subservient to that Force; again I wake up in the time of creation duly under the influence of Time.

51-54.  I am always subservient to that Maha S’akti; (under Her command) I am engaged in Tapasyâ for a long time; (By Her command) some time I enjoy with Lakshmî; some time I fight battles, terrible to all the Lokas, with the Dânavas, involving great bodily troubles.

O Know of Dharma!  It was before Your presence that I fought hand to hand fight for five thousand years before Your sight on that one great ocean in long-past days with the two demons Madhu and Kaitabha, sprung from the wax of my ear, maddened with pride; and by the grace of the Devî, successfully killed the two Dânavas.

55-61.  O highly fortunate one! you realised then the great S’akti, higher than the highest and the cause of all causes; then why are you asking again and again that question

By the will of that S’akti, I have got this idea of man and roam on the great ocean; in yuga after yuga, I assume by Her will, the Tortoise, Boar, Man-Lion, and Dwarf incarnations.  No one likes to take birth in the womb of inferior animals (especially birds).  Do you think that I willingly take unpleasant births as in the womb of boars, tortoise, i.e., certainly not.  What independent man is there who abandons the pleasurable enjoyment with Laksmi and takes birth in inferior animals as fish, etc. Or leaves his seat on the seat of Gaduda and becomes engaged in great war-conflicts.  O Svayambhu!  In ancient days you saw before your eyes that my head was cut off when the bowstring suddenly gave way; and then you, brought a horse's head and by that help, the divine artist Visvakarma, stuck that on to my headless body.  O Brahmâ!  Since then I am known amongst men by the name of “Hayagrîva”.  This is well-known to you. Now say, were I independent, would such an ignominy have happened to me?

Never.  Therefore I am not independent; I am in every way under that S’akti.  O Lotus born!

I always meditate on that S’akti; and I do not know any other than this S’akti”.

62-66.  Nârada said :-- Thus spoke Visnu to Brahmâ.  O Muni Vedavyâs! Brahmâ spoke these to me.

So you, too, better meditate the lotus feet of Bhâgavati calmly in the lotus of your heart for the success of your idea. That Devî will give you all that you wish.

Sûta said :-- At these words of Nârada, Satyavati's son Veda Vyâsa went out to the hills for Tapasyâ, trusting the lotus feet of the Devî as the all-in-all in this world.

Thus ends the fourth chapter of the first Skandha on the excellency of the Devî in the Mahapurâna S’rimad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda

Devi Bhagavatam 1:3:1-43

Book 1/Chapter 3/Verse 1-43

On praising the Purânas and on each Vyâsa of every Dvâpara Yuga

1-11.  Sûta said :-- “O best of the Munis!  I am now telling you the names of the Purânas, etc., exactly as 1 have heard from Veda Vyâsa, the son of Satyavati; listen.

The Purâna beginning with "ma" are two in number; those beginning with “bha” are two; those beginning with “bra" are three; those beginning with "va” are four; those beginning respectively with “A”, “na”, “pa”, “Ling”, “ga”, “kû” and “Ska” are one each and “ma” means Matsya Purâna, Mârkandeya Purâna; “Bha” signifies Bhavisya, Bhâgavat Purânas; “Bra” signifies Brahmâ, Brahmânda and Brahmâvaivarta Purânas; “va” signifies Vâman, Vayu, Visnu and Varaha Purânas; “A” signifies Agni Purâna; “Na” signifies Narada Purâna; “Pa” signifies Padma Purâna; “Ling” signifies Linga Purânam; “Ga” signifies Govinda Purânam; Kû signifies Kurma Purâna and “Ska” signifies Skanda Purânam.

These are the eighteen Purânas. O Saunaka! In the Matsya Purâna there are fourteen thousand slokas; in the wonderfully varied Markandeya Purânam there are nine thousand slokas. In the Bhavisya Purâna fourteen thousand and five hundred slokas are counted by the Munis, the seers of truth. In the holy Bhâgavata there are eighteen thousand S’lokas; in the Brahmâ Purâna there are Ajuta (ten thousand) S’lokas.  In the Brahmânda Purâna there are twelve thousand one hundred S’lokas; in the Brahmâ Vaivarta Purânam there are eighteen thousand S’lokas.  In the Vaman Purâna there are Ajuta (ten thousand) S’lokas; in the Vayu Purânam there are twenty-four thousand and six hundred S’lokas; in the greatly wonderful Visnu Purâna  there are twenty-three thousand S’lokas; in the Agni Purânam there are sixteen thousand S’lokas; in the Brihat Narada Purânam, there are twenty-five thousand S’lokas, in the big Padma Purâna there are fifty-five thousand s'lokas; in the voluminous Linga Purâna eleven thousand s’lokas exist; in the Garuda Purânam spoken by Hari nineteen thousand s'lokas exist; iu the Kurma Purâna, seventeen thousand s'lokas exist and in the greatly wonderful Skanda Purâna there are eighty-one thousand s'lokas, O sinless Risis! Thus I have described to you the names of all the Purânas and the number of verses contained in them.

Now hear about the Upa Purânas.

12-17.  The first is the Upapurâna narrated by Sanat Kumâra; next comes Narasimha Purâna; then Naradiya Purâna, S’iva Purâna, Purâna narrated by Durvasa, Kapila Purâna, Manava Purâna, Aus’anasa Purâna, Varuna Purâna. Kalika Purâna, Samva Purâna, Nandi Kes’wara Purâna, Saura Purâna, Purâna spoken by Parâs’ara, Âditya Purâna, Mahesvara Purâna, Bhâgavata and Vasistha Purâna. These Upa Purânas are described by the Mahatmas. 

After compiling the eighteen Purânas, Veda Vyâsa, the son of Satyavati composed Mahabharata, that has no rival, out of these Purânas.

18-24.  At every Manvantara, in each Dvâpara Yuga, Veda Vyâsa expounds the Purânas duly to preserve the religion. Veda Vyâsa is no other person than Visnu Himself; He, in the form of Veda Vyâsa, divides the (one) Veda into four parts, in every Dvâpara Yuga, for the good of the world.  The Brahmânas of the Kali age are shortlived and their intellect (Buddhi) is not sharp; they cannot realise the meaning after studying the Vedas; knowing this in every Dvâpara Yuga Bhagavân expounds the holy Purâna Samhitas.  The more so because women, S’udras, and the lower Dvijas are not entitled to hear the Vedas; for their good, the Purânas have been composed.  The present auspicious Manvantara is Vaivasvata; it is the seventh in due order; and the son of Satyavati, the best of the knowers of Dharma, is the Veda Vyâsa of the 28th Dvâpara Yuga of this seventh Manvantara.  He is my Guru; in the next Dvâpara, Yuga Asvatthama, the son of Drona will be the Veda Vyâsa.  Twenty-seven Veda Vyâsas had expired and they duly compiled each their own Purâna Samhitas in their own Dvâpara Yugas.

25-35.  The Risis said :-- “O highly fortunate Sûta! kindly describe to us the names of the previous Veda Vyâsas, the reciters of the Purânas in the Dvâpara Yugas.

Sûta said :-- In the first Dvâpara, Brahmâ Himself divided the Vedas; in the second Dvâpara, the first Prajapati Vyâsa did the same; so S’akra, in the third, Brihaspati, in the fourth, Surya in the fifth; Yama, in the sixth, Indra, in the seventh, Vasistha, in the eighth; Sarasvata Risi in the ninth, Tridhama, in the tenth; Trivrisa, in the eleventh, Bharadvâja, in the twelfth; Antariksa, in the thirteenth; Dharma, in the fourteenth; Evaruni in the fifteenth; Dhananjaya, in the sixteenth; Medhatithi in tba seventeenth; Vrati, in the eighteenth; Atri, in the nineteenth; Gautama in the twentieth, Uttama, whose soul was fixed on Hari, in the twenty-first, Vâjasravâ Vena, in the twenty second; his family descendant Soma in the twenty-third; Trinavindu, in the twenty-fourth; Bhârgava, in the twenty-fifth; Sakti, in the twenty-sixth, Jâtûkarnya in the twenty-seventh and Krisna Dvaipâyana became the twenty-eighth Veda Vyâs in the Dvâpara Yugas.  Thus I have spoken of the 28 Veda Vyâsas, as I heard.

1 have heard the holy S’rimad Bhâgavat from the month of Krisna Dvaipayana.  This removes all troubles, yields all desires, and gives Moksa and is full of the meanings of the Vedas.  This treatise contains the essence of all the S’astras and is dear always to the Mamuksas (those who want Moksa or liberation).

36-43.  O best Munis!  Thus, compiling the Purânas Veda Vyâsa thought this Purâna to be the best; so (without teaching it to other persons) he settled that his own son the high-sould S’uka Deva born of the dry woods used for kindling fire (excited by attrition), having no passion for the worldly things, would be the fit student to be taught this Purâna and therefore taught him; at that time I was a fellow student along with S’aka Deva and I heard everything from the mouth of Vyâsa Deva and realised the secret meanings thereof.  This has happened through the grace of the merciful Guru Veda Vyâsa.

Here ends the Third Chapter of S’rimad Devi Bhâgavatam on praising the Purânas and on each Vyâsa of every Dvâpara Yuga.

Source:  Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda