Chapter 1: THE GREATNESS OF SHRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVATAM

THE GREATNESS OF SHRIMAD DEVI BHAGAVATAM. - First Chapter.

1.    She, who, at the time of the creation of the Universe, embodied the power and the act of Creation,

She, who, during the existence and persistence of the Universe, embodied the power and the act of preservation,

She, who, at the time of the dissolution of the Universe, represented the power and the act of destruction,

She,  who played with the Universe of Existence as if it were but a toy,

She, who is resonant and shines forth as the embodiment of sound in its various manifestations as para, paśyanti, madhyama, vaikhari,

She, whom even Hari, Hara, and Virinja worship constantly,

She who is the Supreme Power of all,

May She be pleased and make our words shine forth forever.                                                  

Notes:

Traditional Hindu theory of “sound” distinguished among four types:

Type	Place of origin	State of being	Objects referred to
para	Sahasrasra, the ultimate source, represented by a lotus above the middle of the forehead	Turīya = transcendental	The Ultimate realities.
paśyanti	Deep in the chest above the heart	Suşupti = deep sleep	The Intellectual cognition.
madhyama	About the heart.	Swapna = dream state	The mental realm of ratiocination
vaikhari	Throat, larynx, external organs of speech	Jāgrat = wakeful	The Physical and material “external” world.

Though there seems to be no formal definition of “Sound” in the literature, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.26.33, is usually cited: “Persons who are learned and have true knowledge assert that “sound” is that which conveys the idea of an object, indicates the presence of a speaker, and constitutes the subtle form of ether = nabhas (“tan-matram ca nabhaso”). In Rg Veda, the types above vaikhari are termed as guhya = secret.

The syllable “A-u-m”, which Bhagavad Gita terms as the one-letter (supreme) mantra (ōmityēkākşaram mantra) rises from vaikhari and ascends through the scale, comprehending all the stages, and thus becoming the ultimate expression of sound, and the associated Being. Each level of consciousness represented by the corresponding type marks a level in psychic attainment, those who have mastered all four being termed “manīşih”. In Tāntrik lore, akşara stands for all the letters of the alphabet including Om, and are traced back to Śakti, the ultimate Female Principle of the Universe, which initiates and mediates all change. The meaning of each (artha) is the prerogative of the Puruşa, the ultimate but passive Male Principle, which undergoes no change.

Hari = Vişņu; Hara = Śiva; Virinja = Brahma; respectively Gods of protection & preservation, of destruction, of creation.

2.             Let us bow down before God Nārāyaņa, and the best of human beings, Nara (= Arjuna), and Goddess Sarasvati, and Great (sage) Vyāsa, before we proceed to recite this famous purāņam, known as Dēvī Bhāgavatam.

The Sages said:

3.             Oh Sūta, long may you live, you who are the disciple of the wisest of sages, the great Vyāsa. May you live long so that you may tell us innumerable legends and stories from olden times, which uplift the mind.

Notes: Sūta – a person born of a Brahmin mother and a Kşatriya father. Though lower in the caste hierarchy than Brahmin, they were entitled to the highest learning, and were usually under the tutelage of some of the greatest scholar-saints, from whom they learnt the “latest” literary treasures. They were trained to memorize huge volumes of texts, and recite them at the great assemblies of the learned Brahmins that periodically took place at the pilgrim centres. They were therefore held in great respect. The Suta here is entitled to especial respect because he had been the disciple of the Great Vēda Vyāsa himself, who “edited” the Vedas, and composed the great Mahabharatam. He has been  credited with the authorship of most of the Purāņa literature ever since.

4.             With worshipful reverence, we have heard from you the wonderful history of Visnu including those of His incarnations, which destroys all sins.

5.             So have we heard, from the lotus of your mouth, the holy story of Śiva and the legends of how he came by his ashes and rudrākşa beads.                                                            

6.             And now, we long to hear that holiest of holy stories which will bestow without strain on humans who listen to it prosperity on earth and release from rebirth.

7.             Learned Sir, tell us that ancient story that will grant fulfilment of all desires even in the evil age of Kali. We do not know of anyone else who is as competent as you to clear all our doubts.                            

The Suta said:

8.             Well-said, Oh you learned friends! What you desire will bring welfare to the whole world. I shall expound to you the essence of all that is known, lucidly and eloquently, for your benefit.

9.             Only so long as people have not heard of Devi Bhagavatam will they announce that the best course is to resort to holy springs, severe vows, and listening to other stories.

10.          Only so long as the sharp axe called Devi Bhagavatam has been denied to people will the cruel thorns of the forest of sin trouble them.  

11.          Only so long as the Devi Bhagavatam has not risen like the Sun will the darkness of evil bedevil people.

The Sages said:

12.          O Suta, Learned Suta, you are the best among story-tellers. Please tell what that Puranam is, and what are the rituals relating to its recital.

13.          Over how many days will the telling extend? Which are the deities we have to worship? Who are the great who have already listened to it? And what great desires of theirs have been satisfied?

Suta said:

14.          The great sage Parasara begat Vyasa, a partial incarnation of Visnu, in a fisherman’s daughter named Satyavati. In the days of old, Vyasa divided the Veda into four folds, and taught many disciples.    

Note: Vişņu is believed to have taken two types of incarnation, pūŗņa = complete, and amśa = partial avatāra. The latter are legion!

Even though Vyāsa was born of a fisherwoman, he was included in the caste and category “Brahmin”, because his father who acknowledged the paternity was a Brahmin. It was not necessary for a person to be born of Brahmins on both side of his parentage to be classified as such.

15.          (Sage Vyasa thought): How will those who have not have had the benefit of upanayanam and similar life cycle rituals, and the lowest categories of Brahmins, and those who are not entitled to learn the Veda, and women and those of evil mind (who are denied access to the Veda and the scriptures), be led to righteous conduct?

16.          So thinking, the Great Vyasa, desirous that even such people should have awareness of dharma, created the holy legends and histories.

Note: “Dharma” is untranslatable. It comprises moral instruction, ordered conduct, desisting from committing sin, and is usually glossed as “righteousness”. The word purāņam is roughly equivalent to legends, as they relate to holy personages and great men; there is another category of myth, which may have a substratum of historiography and was called itihāsa.

17.          After composing eighteen purana-s, Great Vyasa taught me all of them and also (Maha) Bharatam. 

18.          Among them, he himself recited the purana known as Dēvī Bhāgavatam before King Janamējaya.

19.          It was to purify (the manes of) his father who had been killed by the bite of (snake deity) Takşaka that Janamejaya listened to the Bhagavatam.

20.          Over nine days did he hear the story of the Goddess, straight  from the lotus mouth of Great Veda Vyasa, after having duly, according to ritual, worshipped Goddess who is the Mother of the three worlds.

21.          The moment that the nine-day penance of the performance was ended did the late King Pariksit attain a divine form and straightaway assume similarity of form with the Almighty Parasakti (Goddess).

Note: Types of one-ness with Ultimate: sāyūjyam , merger; sālōkyam (sārūpyam), similarity of appearance; sāmīpyam = nearness.  

22.          Witnessing the attainment of divine form by his (late) father Pariksit, Janamejaya worshipped Vyasa, and was highly gratified (and said).

23.          “Among the eighteen Purana-s, the best certainly is the Devi Bhavatam, which assures the four great objectives of human life, viz., dharma, artha, kāma, and mōkşa”.

Notes: Four great objectives of human life = puruśārtha; dharma = “righteousness”; artha = economic wellbeing; kama = sexual gratification through a righteous householder’s lifestyle; and moksa = final liberation from the cycle of rebirths.

24.          To those who regularly listen with devotion to the recital of the story of the Goddess in Devi Bhagavatam, realization is not far away; all humans should constantly listen to this story.

25.          Be it for a whole day, or for half a day, or even half or that, or for a muhurta, or even a kşana, one who listens with devotion to it will never fall into misfortunes.

Note: muhūrta = approx. 2.5 hours; kşaņa = about a second.

26.          Whatever merit one may accumulate through having performed all great penances, or through having visited all pilgrimage places, or through having made all prescribed gifts, that merit will accrue to one who listens even once to a recital of Devi Bhagavatam.

27.          In yuga-s like Krta and others, many disciplines were prescribed for humans, but in Kali, only listening to holy stories (purana) is enough for saving humans.

Note: The yuga-s (time cycles) are conventionally four in number, viz., trēta, satya, dvāpara and kali.

28.          In Kali, humans are short-lived, devoid of thought of righteousness. Vyasa has out of mercy provided this nectar (amrtam) for them in the form of called purana.

29.          If one partakes of amrtam, then he will be free from ageing and from death; but if one listens to story of the Goddess, then all the members of his family too will be saved from them.

30.          No specific month has been specified for this; nor specific day. Any time, all the time, one can partake of this Devi Bhagavatam.

31.          But especially beneficial are spells of nine days each in āśvinam, caitram, vaisākham and āśādham.

Note: asvinam corresponds to September-October; caitram:December-January; vaisakham to March-April, and asadham to June-July.

32.          Accordingly, of all pious acts, is the observance of such nine days the most beneficial, most holy.

33.          Even those sinful people who are evil-minded, evil-doers, ignorant, offensive to their friends, contemptuous of the Veda, violent towards beings, atheist, - even they will be absolved of all blemish if they perform the nine-day ritual during Kali.

34.          Even those who seek other people’s wives, are greedy and gluttonous, weighed down under multiple sins, devoid of devotion towards cows, Brahmins, and deities, - even they will be absolved of all blemish if they perform the nine-day ritual.

35.          Even the merit that one can gain by severe penance, strict vows, extensive pilgrimage, much gift-giving, righteous conduct, fire-sacrifices, and chanting of holy names – even more merit that all of that will be available to those who perform the nine-day ritual.

36.          Oh Brahmins, even if you go to the Ganga, or to Gaya, Kasi, Naimisam, Madhura, Puskaram, Badarivanam, or all such holy places, you will not gain as much merit and purity as you will by conducting this ritual to the Goddess.

37.          Therefore is the Devi Bhagavatam the best among Purana-s. And it is the best means for securing the great Objectives of human existence, viz., dharma, artha, kama and moksa.

38.          When the sun is in Kanni rasi (Virgo), when the moon is in the eighth day of the bright fortnight in the month of asvina, after puja to the holy book of the Devi Bhagavatam placed on a throne of gold, 

39.          You should worshipfully give it to a worthy Brahmin. That will make you entitled to the special favours of the Goddess; and also to the ultimate goal.

40.          One who with devotion recites even one sloka, or even half a sloka, from the Devi Bhagavatam every day, he will attract the special grace of the Goddess.

41.          Even one hearing of a recital will remove all fears of epidemics, calamities, earthquakes, and evil.

42.          The fear of demons grabbing babies, ghosts and evil spirits will be removed by listening to the recital of the Devi Bhagavatam.

43.          One who with devotion reads or listens to Devi Bhagavatam will certainly gain dharma, artha, kama and moksa.

44.          When Lord Krsna had gone in search of Prasenan, and was away for days, Vasudeva worried about his son and listened to Devi Bhagavatam; and rejoiced when his son (Krsna) returned as a result.

45.          One who with devotion reads or listens to Devi Bhagavatam will gain both benefits on earth as well as liberation ultimately.

46.          By listening to the great Devi Bhagavatam, those who have no children will get them, those who are poor will become rich, and those who are suffering from diseases will be cured of them.

47.          By listening to the great Devi Bhagavatam, women who have no issues, or have only one, or who have lost an issue, will soon get a long-lived son.

48.          Those houses where a copy of Devi Bhagavatam is kept, and worshipped duly, - such houses will be holy places where the sins of the residents will be rendered nought.

49.          One who reads, or listens to it on the eighth, or the fourteenth or the ninth day of the moon every month will attain the ultimate goal.

50.          Brahmins who study Devi Bhagavatam will become the chief among those who know the Veda; Ksatriya-s who do so will become kings; Vaisya masters of wealth; and Sudra, the best in their clans.

[Thus ends the first canto entitled Devi Bhagavata mahatmyam in the Manasa khanda of Sri Skandapuranam].