सुरथवैश्ययोर्वरप्रदान
Suratha-Vaiśyayor Varapradāna
The Granting of Boons to Suratha and the Merchant · 23 verses
▶ Listen to recitationChapter Summary
The closing chapter returns to the frame story and completes the Saptashati at exactly seven hundred verses. Having told the whole Devi Mahatmya, the sage Medhas bids King Suratha take refuge in the supreme Goddess, by whose Maya all beings are deluded and who, worshipped, grants enjoyment, heaven and liberation. The king and the merchant Samadhi go to a riverbank, fashion an earthen image of the Devi, and worship her with flowers, fire and self-restraint for three years, even offering bali sprinkled with their own blood. Pleased, Chandika appears in person and offers each a boon: Suratha — still bound to the world — chooses the return of his kingdom, imperishable in a future life, and is promised that he shall become the Savarni Manu, born of the Sun; the merchant, free of attachment, chooses the knowledge (jnana) that dissolves all 'I' and 'mine'. Granting both, the Goddess vanishes — and so ends the Devi Mahatmya.
✦ Dhyāna — Opening Meditation
ॐ बालार्कमण्डलाभासां चतुर्बाहुं त्रिलोचनाम् । पाशाङ्कुशवराभीतिर्धारयन्तीं शिवां भजे ॥
oṃ bālārkamaṇḍalābhāsāṃ caturbāhuṃ trilocanām pāśāṅkuśavarābhītirdhārayantīṃ śivāṃ bhaje
I worship the auspicious Devi (Shiva), radiant as the orb of the rising sun, four-armed and three-eyed, who holds the noose and the goad and shows the gestures of boon-giving (vara) and fearlessness (abhaya).
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ॐ ऋषिरुवाच एतत्ते कथितं भूप देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । एवं प्रभावा सा देवी ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca etatte kathitaṃ bhūpa devīmāhātmyamuttamam evaṃ prabhāvā sā devī yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat
Meaning(Om. The Rishi said:) 'This supreme glory of the Devi (Devi Mahatmya) has been related to you, O King. Such is the power of that Devi by whom this world is upheld.
विद्या तथैव क्रियते भगवद्विष्णुमायया । तया त्वमेष वैश्यश्च तथैवान्ये विवेकिनः ॥
vidyā tathaiva kriyate bhagavadviṣṇumāyayā tayā tvameṣa vaiśyaśca tathaivānye vivekinaḥ
MeaningAnd knowledge (vidya) too is likewise brought about by the Maya of the Lord Vishnu. By her, you, and this merchant, and likewise others, the discerning —
मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे । तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम् ॥
mohyante mohitāścaiva mohameṣyanti cāpare tāmupaihi mahārāja śaraṇaṃ parameśvarīm
Meaningare deluded; (others) have been deluded, and yet others shall come to delusion. O great king, approach her, the supreme Ishwari, for refuge.
आराधिता सैव नृणां भोगस्वर्गापवर्गदा ॥
ārādhitā saiva nṛṇāṃ bhogasvargāpavargadā
MeaningShe herself, when worshipped, becomes the giver to men of enjoyment, heaven and liberation (bhoga, svarga and apavarga).'
मार्कण्डेय उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā surathaḥ sa narādhipaḥ
Meaning(Markandeya said:) Having heard these words of his (the sage's), Suratha, that ruler of men,
प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं संशितव्रतम् । निर्विण्णोऽतिममत्वेन राज्यापहरणेन च ॥
praṇipatya mahābhāgaṃ tamṛṣiṃ saṃśitavratam nirviṇṇo'timamatvena rājyāpaharaṇena ca
Meaningbowing to the highly blessed sage of firm vows — dejected by excessive attachment and by the seizure of his kingdom —
जगाम सद्यस्तपसे स च वैश्यो महामुने । सन्दर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनमास्थितः ॥
jagāma sadyastapase sa ca vaiśyo mahāmune sandarśanārthamambāyā nadīpulinamāsthitaḥ
Meaningwent at once to (perform) austerity; and that merchant too, O great sage, took his stand on the sandbank of a river to obtain a vision of Amba (the Mother).
स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन् । तौ तस्मिन् पुलिने देव्याः कृत्वा मूर्तिं महीमयीम् ॥
sa ca vaiśyastapastepe devīsūktaṃ paraṃ japan tau tasmin puline devyāḥ kṛtvā mūrtiṃ mahīmayīm
MeaningAnd the merchant performed austerity, reciting the supreme Devi-sukta (hymn). The two, having made on that sandbank an earthen image of the Devi,
अर्हणां चक्रतुस्तस्याः पुष्पधूपाग्नितर्पणैः । निराहारौ यतात्मानौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ ॥
arhaṇāṃ cakratustasyāḥ puṣpadhūpāgnitarpaṇaiḥ nirāhārau yatātmānau tanmanaskau samāhitau
Meaningoffered worship to her with flowers, incense, fire-offering and libations; abstaining from food, self-restrained, their minds fixed on her, concentrated,
ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम् । एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः ॥
dadatustau baliṃ caiva nijagātrāsṛgukṣitam evaṃ samārādhayatostribhirvarṣairyatātmanoḥ
Meaningthe two also offered bali (sacrificial offering) sprinkled with blood from their own bodies. As the two self-restrained ones thus worshipped her for three years,
परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री प्रत्यक्षं प्राह चण्डिका ॥
parituṣṭā jagaddhātrī pratyakṣaṃ prāha caṇḍikā
MeaningChandika, the Supporter of the world, well pleased, spoke to them in her visible presence:
देव्युवाच यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन । मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामिते ॥
devyuvāca yatprārthyate tvayā bhūpa tvayā ca kulanandana mattastatprāpyatāṃ sarvaṃ parituṣṭā dadāmite
Meaning(The Devi said:) 'What is prayed for by you, O King, and by you, O delight of your family — receive all that from me; well pleased, I grant it to you.'
मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततो वव्रे नृपो राज्यमविभ्रंश्यन्यजन्मनि । अत्रैव च निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात् ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca tato vavre nṛpo rājyamavibhraṃśyanyajanmani atraiva ca nijaṃ rājyaṃ hataśatrubalaṃ balāt
Meaning(Markandeya said:) Then the king chose a kingdom imperishable in another birth, and, here itself, his own kingdom — with the strength of his foes destroyed by force.
सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः । ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम् ॥
so'pi vaiśyastato jñānaṃ vavre nirviṇṇamānasaḥ mametyahamiti prājñaḥ saṅgavicyutikārakam
MeaningAnd that merchant too, dispassionate of mind, the wise one, chose knowledge (jnana) — that which causes the falling away of attachment to the notions of 'mine' and 'I'.
देव्युवाच स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यते भवान् ॥
devyuvāca svalpairahobhirnṛpate svaṃ rājyaṃ prāpsyate bhavān
Meaning(The Devi said:) 'O King, in a few days you shall obtain your own kingdom.
हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति ॥
hatvā ripūnaskhalitaṃ tava tatra bhaviṣyati
MeaningHaving slain your foes, it shall be yours there, unfailing.
मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः ॥
mṛtaśca bhūyaḥ samprāpya janma devādvivasvataḥ
MeaningAnd, dying, obtaining birth again from the god Vivasvan (Surya),
सावर्णिको मनुर्नाम भवान्भुवि भविष्यति ॥
sāvarṇiko manurnāma bhavānbhuvi bhaviṣyati
Meaningyou shall become on earth a Manu named Savarni.
वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः ॥
vaiśyavarya tvayā yaśca varo'smatto'bhivāñchitaḥ
MeaningAnd, O best of merchants, the boon desired by you from me —
तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति ॥
taṃ prayacchāmi saṃsiddhyai tava jñānaṃ bhaviṣyati
Meaningthat I grant for your fulfilment: to you shall come knowledge (jnana).'
मार्कण्डेय उवाच इति दत्त्वा तयोर्देवी यथाभिलषितं वरम् ॥
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca iti dattvā tayordevī yathābhilaṣitaṃ varam
Meaning(Markandeya said:) Having thus given to the two the boon as each desired, the Devi
बभूवान्तर्हिता सद्यो भक्त्या ताभ्यामभिष्टुता । एवं देव्या वरं लब्ध्वा सुरथः क्षत्रियर्षभः ॥
babhūvāntarhitā sadyo bhaktyā tābhyāmabhiṣṭutā evaṃ devyā varaṃ labdhvā surathaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ
Meaningvanished at once, praised in devotion by the two. Thus, having obtained the boon from the Devi, Suratha, the bull among kshatriyas,
सूर्याज्जन्म समासाद्य सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः ॥
sūryājjanma samāsādya sāvarṇirbhavitā manuḥ
Meaningobtaining birth from the Sun, shall become the (eighth) Manu, Savarni.