Devī Māhātmyam | Durgā Saptashatī | 13
Chapter 13
The bestowing of boons to Suratha and Vaiśya
॥ trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ ||
oṃ ṛṣiruvāca ॥ 1||
The Rishi said:
etatte kathitaṃ bhūpa devīmāhātmyamuttamam ।
evamprabhāvā sā devī yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat ॥ 2||
1-2. I have now narrated to you, O King, this sublime poem on the glory of the Devi.
vidyā tathaiva kriyate bhagavadviṣṇumāyayā ।
tayā tvameṣa vaiśyaśca tathaivānye vivekinaḥ ॥ 3||
3. The Devi is endowed with such majestic power. By her this world is upheld. Knowledge is similarly conferred by her, the illusive power of Bhagavan Vishnu.
mohyante mohitāścaiva mohameṣyanti cāpare ।
tāmupaihi mahārāja śaraṇaṃ parameśvarīm ॥ 4||
4. By her, you, this merchant and other men of discrimination, are being deluded; and others were deluded (in the past), and will be deluded (in the future).
ārādhitā saiva nṛṇāṃ bhogasvargāpavargadā ॥ 5||
5. O great King, take refuge in her, the supreme Īśvarī. She indeed when worshipped bestows on men enjoyment, heaven and final release (from transmigration).
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ॥ 6||
Mārkaṇḍeya said:
iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā surathaḥ sa narādhipaḥ ॥ 7||
praṇipatya mahābhāgaṃ tamṛṣiṃ saṃśitavratam ।
nirviṇṇo'timamatvena rājyāpaharaṇena ca ॥ 8||
6-8. O great sage, King Suratha who had become despondent consequent on his excessive attachment and the deprivation of his kingdom, and the merchant,
having heard this speech prostrated before the illustrious Rishi of sever penances and immediately repaired to perform austerities.
jagāma sadyastapase sa ca vaiśyo mahāmune ।
sandarśanārthamambāyā nadīpulinamāsthitaḥ ॥ 9||
9. Both king and the merchant, in order to obtain a vision of Ambā, stationed themselves on the sand-bank of a river and practised penances, chanting the supreme Devi-Sūkta (hymn to the Devi).
sa ca vaiśyastapastepe devīsūktaṃ paraṃ japan ।
tau tasmin puline devyāḥ kṛtvā mūrtiṃ mahīmayīm ॥ 10||
10. Having made an earthen image of the Devi on the sands of the river, they both worshipped her with flowers, incense, fire and libation of water.
arhaṇāṃ cakratustasyāḥ puṣpadhūpāgnitarpaṇaiḥ ।
nirāhārau yatātmānau tanmanaskau samāhitau ॥ 11||
11. Now abstaining from food, and now restraining in their food, with their minds on Her and with concentration, they both offered sacrifices sprinkled with blood drawn from their own bodies.
dadatustau baliṃ caiva nijagātrāsṛgukṣitam ।
evaṃ samārādhayatostribhirvarṣairyatātmanoḥ ॥ 12||
parituṣṭā jagaddhātrī pratyakṣaṃ prāha caṇḍikā ॥ 13||
12.-13. When they, with controlled minds propitiated her thus for three years, Chaṇḍikā, the upholder of the world, was well pleased and spoke to them in visible form.
devyuvāca ॥ 14||
The Devi said:
yatprārthyate tvayā bhūpa tvayā ca kulanandana ।
mattastatprāpyatāṃ sarvaṃ parituṣṭā dadāmite ॥ 15||
14-15. What you solicit, O King, and you, the delight of your family, receive all that from me. Well-pleased I bestow those to you both.
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ॥ 16||
Mārkaṇḍeya said:
tato vavre nṛpo rājyamavibhraṃśyanyajanmani ।
atraiva ca nijaṃ rājyaṃ hataśatrubalaṃ balāt ॥ 17||
16-17. Then the King chose a kingdom, imperishable even in another life, and in this life itself, his own kingdom wherein the power of his enemies is destroyed by force.
so'pi vaiśyastato jñānaṃ vavre nirviṇṇamānasaḥ ।
mametyahamiti prājñaḥ saṅgavicyutikārakam ॥ 18||
18. Then the wise merchant also, whose mind was full of dispassion for the world, chose the knowledge which removes the attachment (in the form of) mine and I.
devyuvāca ॥ 19||
The Devi said:
svalpairahobhirnṛpate svaṃ rājyaṃ prāpsyate bhavān ॥ 20||
hatvā ripūnaskhalitaṃ tava tatra bhaviṣyati ॥ 21||
19-21. O King, after slaying your foes in a few days, you shall obtain your own kingdom and it shall last with you there.
mṛtaśca bhūyaḥ samprāpya janma devādvivasvataḥ ॥ 22||
sāvarṇiko manurnāma bhavānbhuvi bhaviṣyati ॥ 23||
22-23. And, when you are dead, you shall gain another birth from the Deva Vivasvat (Sun), and shall be a Manu on earth by name Sāvarṇi.
vaiśyavarya tvayā yaśca varo'smatto'bhivāñchitaḥ ॥ 24||
taṃ prayacchāmi saṃsiddhyai tava jñānaṃ bhaviṣyati ॥ 25||
24-25. and, O the best of merchants, I grant you the boon which you have desired of me. (Supreme) knowledge shall be yours, for your self-realization.
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca ॥ 26||
Mārkaṇḍeya said:
iti dattvā tayordevī yathābhilaṣitaṃ varam ।
babhūvāntarhitā sadyo bhaktyā tābhyāmabhiṣṭutā ॥ 27||
26-27. Having thus granted them both the boon that was desired, the Devi disappeared forthwith, as they were extolling her with devotion.
evaṃ devyā varaṃ labdhvā surathaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ ।
sūryājjanma samāsādya sāvarṇirbhavitā manuḥ ॥ 28||
iti dattvā tayordevī yathābhilaṣitaṃ varam ।
babhūvāntarhitā sadyo bhaktyā tābhyāmabhiṣṭutā ||
evaṃ devyā varaṃ labdhvā surathaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ ।
sūryājjanma samāsādya sāvarṇirbhavitā manuḥ ॥
28-29. Having thus gained the boon from the Devi, Suratha, the foremost of Kṣatriyas, shall obtain a new birth through Surya (and of his wife Savarṇā), and shall be the Manu (eighth) named Sāvarṇi, shall be the Manu named Sāvarṇi.
klīṃ oṃ ||
॥ svasti śrīmārkaṇḍeyapurāṇe sāvarṇike manvantare devīmāhātmye surathavaiśyayorvarapradānaṃ nāma trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ ॥ 13||
Here ends the thirteenth chapter called the bestowing of boons to Suratha and Vaiśya of Devi-Māhātmya in Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, during the period of Sāvarṇi, the Manu.
॥ śrīsaptaśatīdevīmāhātmyaṃ samāptam ||
Here ends the Devi-Māhātmya of 700 Mantras.
॥ oṃ tat sat oṃ ॥
OM TAT SAT OM