THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter VIII On the appearance of the Highest Śaktī 1-8. Janamejaya spoke to Veda Vyāsa: O Bhagavān! Thou art the knower of all the Dharmas and Thou art the chief, the crown of the Pundits, knowing all the Śāstras. Now I ask Thee how is it that the twice-born have ceased to worship the Highest Śaktī, the

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter IX On the cause of Śraddhā in other Devas than the Devī Gāyatrī 1-20. Vyāsa said: O King Janamejaya! Once on a time, on account of an evil turn of Fate (Karma) of the human beings, Indra did not rain on this earth for fifteen years. Owing to want of rain, the famine appeared horribly; and

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter X On the description of Maṇi Dvīpa 1-20. Vyāsa said: O King Janamejaya! What is known in the Śrutis, in the Subāla Upaniṣad, as the Sarvaloka over the Brahmāloka, this is Maṇidvīpa. Here the Devī resides. This region is superior to all the other regions. Hence it is named “Sarvaloka.” The Devī built this place of

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter XI On the description of the enclosure walls built of Padmarāga maṇi, etc., of the Maṇi Dvīpa 1-30. Vyāsa said: O King Janamejaya! Next to this Puṣparāga mani enclosure wall comes the tenth enclosure wall, made of Padmarāga maṇi, red like the red Kunkuma and the Rising Sun. It is ten yojanas high. All its ground,

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter XII On the description of Maṇi Dvīpa 1-17. Vyāsa said: O King Janamejaya! The Ratnagriha, above mentioned, is the Central, the Chief and the Crowning Place of Mūla Prakriti. [The nine jewels are (1) Muktā, (2) Māṇikya, (3) Vaidūrya, (4) Gomeda, (5) Vajra, (6) Vidrumā, (7) Padmarāga, (8) Marakata, and (9) Nīla.] This is situated in

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter XIII On the description of Janamejaya’s Devī Yajña 1-4. Vyāsa said: O King Janamejaya! Thus I have answered all your nice queries; also what Nārāyaṇa spoke to the high-souled Nārada is also said by me. He who hears this greatly wonderful Purāṇam Śrī Devī Bhāgavatam certainly becomes dear to the Devī and all his actions become

THE TWELFTH BOOK Chapter XIV On the recitation of the fruits of this Purāṇam 1-17. Sūta said: “O Riṣis! In days of yore, from the Lotus Face of the Devī Bhāgavata came out Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in the form of half a Śloka, as the decided conclusion of the Vedas. About what She gave instructions to Viṣṇu, sleeping on a leaf