On the Yama’s giving S’akti Mantra to Sâvitrî [ p. 925 ] 1-2. Nârâyana said :— O Nârada! Hearing thus the supreme nature of Mûla Prakriti from Dharmarâja Yama, the two eyes of Sâvitrî were filled with tears of joy and her whole body was filled with a thrill of rapture, joy and ecstacy. She again addressed Yama :— “O Dharmarâja! To sing the glories of Mûla Prakriti is the only means of saving all. This takes away the old age and death of both the speaker and the hearer.
3-12. This is the Supreme Place of the Dânavas, the Siddhas, the ascetics. This is the Yoga of the Yogins and this is studying the Vedas of the Vaidiks. Nothing can compare even to one sixteenth of the sixteenth parts of the (full) merits of those who are in S’akti’s Service; call it Mukti, immortality, or attaining endless Siddhis, nothing can come to it. O Thou, the foremost of the Knowers of the Vedas! I have heard by and by everything from Thee. Now describe to me how to worship Mûla Prakriti and what are the ends of karmas, auspicious and inauspicious.” Thus saying, the chaste Sâvitrî bowed down her head and began to praise Yama in stotras according to the Vedas. She said :— “O Dharmarâjan! The Sun practised of yore very hard austerities at Puskara and worshipped Dharma. On this, Dharma Himself became born of Sûrya as his son. And Thou art that son of Sûrya, the incarnation of Dharma. So I bow down to Thee. Thou art the Witness of all the Jîvas; Thou seest them equally; hence Thy name is Samana. I bow down to Thee. Sometimes Thou by Thy own will takest away the lives of beings. Hence Thy name is Kritânta. Obeisance to Thee! Thou holdest the rod to distribute justice and pronounce sentence on them and to destroy the sins of the Jîvas; hence Thy name is Dandadhara; so I bow down to Thee. (Note :— Any Jîva, in course of his travelling towards Mukti, can expect to pass through the stage Yamaship; and if he pleases, he can become a Yama.) At all times Thou destroyest the universe. None can resist Thee. Hence Thou art named Kâla; so obeisance to Thee! Thou art an ascetic, devoted to Brahmâ, self-controlled, and the distributor of the fruits of Karmas to the Jîvas; Thou restrainest Thy senses. Hence Thou art called Yama. Therefore I bow down to Thee. [ p. 926 ] 13-17. Thou art delighted with Thy Own Self; Thou art omniscient; Thou art the Tormentor of the sinners and the Friend of the Virtuous. Hence Thy name is Punya Mitra; so I bow down to Thee. Thou art born as a part of Brahmâ; the fire of Brahmâ is shining through Thy body. Thou dost meditate on Para Brahmâ, Thou art the Lord. Obeisance to Thee!” O Muni! Thus praising Yama, She bowed down at the feet of Him. Yama gave her the mantra of Mûla Prakriti. How to worship Her and He began to recite the fruition of good Karmas. O Nârada! He who recites these eight hymns to Yama early in the morning, getting up from his bed, is freed of the fear of death. Rather he becomes freed of all his sins. So much so, that even if he be a veritable awful sinner and if he recites daily with devotion this Yamâstakam, Yama purifies him thoroughly.
Here ends the Thirty-first Chapter of the Ninth Book on the Yama’s giving S’akti Mantra to Sâvitrî in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the enumeration of various hells for sinners [ p. 926 ] 1-28. Nârâyana said :— Then, initiating her with the Great Seed, the Âdi Radical Mantra of the Mahâ S’akti, S’rî Bhuvanes’varî in accordance with due rules, the son of Sûrya began to recite the various effects of various Karmas, auspicious and inauspicious. Never do the persons go to hell when they perform good Karmas; it is only the bad works that lead men to hells. The different Purânas narrate various heavens. The Jîvas go to those places as the effects of their various good Karmas. The good Karmas do not lead men to hells; but the bad Karmas do lead them veritably to various hideous hells. In different S’âstras, different hell-pits are ascertained. Different works lead men to different hells. O Child! Those hell-pits are very wide, deep, painful and tormenting, very horrible and ugly. Of these, eighty six pits or Kundas are prominent. Many other Kundas exist. Now listen to the names of the Kundas mentioned in the Vedas. Their names are :— Vahni Kunda, Tapta Kunda, Ksâra Kunda, Bhayânaka Kunda, Vit Kunda, Mûtra Kunda, S’lesma Kunda, Gara Kunda, Dûsikâ Kunda, Vasâ Kunda, S’ukra Kunda, S’onita Kunda, As’rû Kunda, Gâtramala Kunda, Karnamala Kunda, Majjâ Kunda, Mâmsa Kunda, impassable Nakra Kunda, Loma Kunda, Kes’a Kunda, impassable Asthi Kunda, Tâmra Kunda, the exceedingly hot and painful Lauha Kunda (the pit of molten iron), Charma Kunda, the hot Surâ Kunda, sharp Thorny Kunda, Visa Kunda, the hot Taila Kunda, very heavy Astra Kunda, Krimi Kunda, Pûya Kunda, terrible Sarpa [ p. 927 ] Kunda, Mas’aka Kunda, Dams’a Kunda, dreadful Garala Kunda, Vajra Damstra Vris’chika Kunda, S’ara Kunda, Sûla Kunda, awful Khadga Kunda, Gola Kunda, Nakra Kunda, sorrowful Kâka Kunda, Manthâna Kunda, Vîja Kunda, painful Vajra Kunda, hot Pâts’âna Kunda, sharp Pâs’âna Kunda, Lâlâ Kunda, Masî Kunda, Chakra Kunda, Vakra Kunda, very terrible Kurma Kunda, Jvâlâ Kunda, Bhasma Kunda, Dagdha Kunda, and others. Besides these, there are the Taptasûchî, Asipatra, Ksuradhâra, Sûchîmukha, Gokhâmûkha, Kûmbhîpâka, Kâlasûtra, Matsyoda, Krimi, Kantuka, Pâms’ubhojya, Pâs’avesta, Sûlaprota, Prakampana, Ulkâmakha, Andhakûpa, Vedhana, Tâdana, Jâlarandhra, Dehachûrna, Dalana, S’osana, Kasa, S’ûrpa, Jvâlâmûkha, Dhûmândha, Nâgavestana and various others. O Savitri! The Kundas give much pain and torment greatly the sinners; they are under the constant watch of innumerable servants. They hold rods in their hands; some of them have nooses; others hold clubs, S’aktis, awful scimitars; they are fierce fanatics, maddened with vanity. All are filled with Tamogunas, merciless, irresistible, energetic, fearless and tawny-eyed (like copper). Some of them are Yogis; some are Siddhas, they assume various forms. When the sinners are about to die, they see these servants of Yama. But those who do their own duties, who are S’âktas, Sauras, or Gânapatyas or those who are virtuous Siddha Yogis, they never see the servants of Yama. Those who are engaged in their own Dharmas, who are possessed of wisdom, who are endowed with knowledge, who are mentally strong, who are untouched by fear, who are endowed with the feelings of the Devas, and those who are real Vaisnavas, they never see these servants of Yama. O Chaste One! Thus I have enumerated to you the Kundas. Now hear who live in the Kundas.
Here ends the Thirty-second Chapter of the Ninth Book on the enumeration of various hells for sinners in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the description of the destinies of different sinners in different hells [ p. 927 ] 1-19. Dharmarâjan said :— Those that are in Hari’s service, pure, the Siddhas in Yoga (those that have attained success in Yoga), the performers of Vratas (vows), the chaste, the ascetics, the Brahmachâris never go to hells. There is no doubt in this. Those persons that are proud of their strong positions and who use very harsh burning words to their friends, they go to Vahni Kunda and live there for as many years as there are hairs on his body; next they attain animal births for three births and get themselves scorched under the strong heat of the Sun. He goes to the Tapta Kunda hell who does not [ p. 928 ] entertain any Brâhman guest with any eatables who comes to his house hungry and thirsty. He lives there for as many years as there are hairs on his body and he has to sleep on a bed of fire, very tormenting. Then he will have to be born for seven births as birds. If anybody washes any clothing with any salt on Sunday, or on the day of Samkrânti (when the Sun enters another sign), or on any new-moon day or on any S’râddha day (when funeral ceremonies are performed), he will have to go to the Ksâra Kunda hell where he remains for as many years as there are threads in that clothing and finally he becomes born for seven births as a veritable washerman. The wretch that abuses Mûla Prakriti, the Vedas, the S’âstras, Purânas, Brahmâ, Visnu, S’iva and the other Devas, Gaurî, Laksmî, Sarasvatî and the other Devîs, goes to the hell named Bhayânaka Narakakunda. There is no other hell more tormenting than this. The sinners live here for many Kalpas and ultimately become serpents. There is no sin greater than the abuse of the Devî. There is no expiation for it. So one ought never to abuse the Devî. If one discontinues the allowances given by oneself or other persons to the Devas or Brâhmanas, one goes to Visthâ Kunda and has to eat the faeces there for sixty thousand years and finally to be born in Bhârata as worms in faeces the same number of years. If any person without the owner’s permission digs another’s tank dried of water, or makes water in the water of any tank, he goes to Mûtra Kunda and drinks urine for as many years as there are the particles in that tank. Then he becomes born in this Bhârata its an ox for one hundred years. If any person eats good things himself without giving any portion thereof to the member of his family, he goes to S’lesma Kunda where he eats phlegm, for full one hundred years. Then he becomes born as Preta (disembodied spirits) in this Bhârata for hundred years and drinks phlegm, urine and pus; then he becomes pure. He who does not support his father, mother, spiritual teacher, wife, sons, daughters and the helpless persons, goes to Gara Kunda where he eats poison for full one hundred years. Finally he becomes born and wanders as Bhûtas (disembodied spirits). Then he becomes pure.
20-50. He who becomes angry and shrinks his eyes at the sight of a guest who has come to his house offends the Devas or Pitris, who do not accept the water offered to them by that villain. On the contrary, he earns all the sins of Brahmahatyâ (murder of a Brâhmin and so forth) and finally goes to Dûsikâkunda where he remains for one hundred years and eats polluted things. Then wandering as Bhûtas for one hundred years he becomes purified. If anybody makes a gift of any article to a Brâhmin and then again gives that article to a different man, he goes to Vasâ Kunda [ p. 929 ] where he eats marrows for one hundred years. Then he has to roam about in India for seven births as a Krikalâsa (lizard) and finally he becomes born as a very poor man with a very short life. If any woman or any man makes another of a different sex eat semen, out of passion, he goes to S’ukra Kunda where he drinks semen for one hundred years. Then he crawls about as worms for one hundred years. And then he gets purified. If anybody beats a Brâhmana who is a family preceptor and causes his blood to come out, he will have to go to Rakta Kunda where he has to drink blood for one hundred years. Finally he has to roam about for seven births in India as tigers; then he becomes pure by degrees. If anybody mocks and laughs at any devotee of Krisna who sings with rapt consciousness and sheds tears of joy, he will have to go to As’ru Kunda where he drinks tears for one hundred years. Then he has to roam as Chândâla for three births and then he becomes pure. He who always cheats his friends, lives for one hundred years in Gâtramala Kunda. Then roaming about for three births as an ass and for three births as a fox concurrently, he becomes purified. Out of vanity, if anybody jests at a deaf person, he goes to Karnamalakunda where he eats for one hundred years the wax of the ear. Next he comes to the earth as a deaf and very poor man for seven births, when at last he gets purified. If anybody commits murder out of greed to support his family, he goes to the hell Majjâkunda where he eats marrow for one lakh years. Next he becomes a fish for seven births, for seven births he becomes a mosquito, for three births he becomes a boar, for seven births he becomes a cock, deer and other animals concurrently; at last he gets purified. If any stupid person sells the daughter whom he has supported, out of greed for money, he goes to Mânsakunda and lives there for as many years as there are hairs on her body. The Yama’s servants beat him with their clubs. His head becomes overloaded with the burden of the flesh; and, out of hunger, he licks the blood coming out of his head. Next that sinner comes to Bhârata and for sixty years becomes a worm in any daughter’s faeces, for seven births he becomes a hunter; for three births, a boar; for seven births, cock; for seven births, frog; for seven births, leech; and for seven births, crow; when he gets purified. One who shaves on the day of observing vows, fasting and funeral ceremony day, becomes impure and unfit to do any action, and, in the end, he goes to the Nakha Kunda where he receives blows of clubs and eats nails for one hundred Deva years. If anybody worships, out of carelessness, the earthen S’iva phallic symbol with any hairs on it, he goes to the hell Kes’a Kunda where he remains for as many years as there are particles in that hair; then he gets to the yoni (womb) a Yâvanânî (a Mlechcha woman) out of Hara’s wrath. After one hundred [ p. 930 ] years he becomes freed from that and then he becomes a Râksasa; there is no doubt in this. He who does not offer Pindas to the Visnupâda in honour of his Pitris at Gayâ goes to the hell Asthikunda where he remains for as many years as there are dirts on his body. Then he becomes a man; but for seven births he becomes lame and poor. Then he gets purified. The stupid man who commits outrage and violence on his pregnant wife, resides for one hundred years in the hot Tâmra Kunda (where coppers are in a molten condition). He who takes the food of a childless widow and the same of any woman that has just bathed after menstruation goes for one hundred years to the hot Lauha Kunda (where iron is in a molten condition). For seven births he becomes then a crow and for seven births he becomes born of a washerwoman, full of sores and boils, and poor. Then he gets purified.
51-61. If one touches the things of the Devas after touching skins or impure hides, one remains in the Charma Kunda for full one hundred years. If any Brâhmin eats a S’ûdra’s food, requested by him, he lives for one hundred years in the hot Surâ Kunda. Then for seven births he performs, the funeral rites for a S’ûdra; at last he becomes pure. If any foul-mouthed person uses always harsh and filthy language to his master, he will have to go to Tîksna Kantaka Kunda where he eats thorns. Besides, the Yama’s servants give severe beatings to him with their clubs. For seven births he will have to become horses when he gets purified. If any man ministers poison to another and so takes away his life, he will have to remain for endless years in Visakunda, where he will have to eat poison. Then he will have to pass for one hundred years as a murderer Bhilla, full of sores and boils, and for seven births he will have to be a leper when at last he gets purified. Being born in this holy land Bhâratavarsa, if any man strikes a cow with a rod or any driver does so whether by himself or by his servant, he will have to dwell certainly in the hot Lauha Kunda for four yugas. He will have to pass as many years as a cow as there are hairs on that cow when ultimately he gets purified. If anybody strikes any other body with a red-hot iron dart (Kunta weapon), he will have to dwell in the Kunta Kunda for ayuta years. Then he will have to remain for one birth in a good womb, with a diseased constitution, when ultimately he will be purified.
62-85. If any Brâhmin villain eats, out of greed, any flesh (not sacrificed before the goddess) or anything not offered to Hari, he will have to remain in the Krimi Kunda where he eats those things for as many years as there are hairs on his body. Then he will have to pass for three births as Mlechchas when ultimately he becomes born in a Brâhmin [ p. 931 ] family. If any Brâhmin performs the S’râdh of a S’ûdra, eats the food pertaining to a S’râdh of a S’ûdra or burns the dead body of a S’ûdra, he will have to dwell certainly in Pûya Kunda, where, being beaten by the rod of Yama, he eats the pus, etc., for as many years as there are hairs on his body. Then he becomes reborn in this Bhârata as one greatly diseased, poor, deaf and dumb and ultimately he will have to roam for seven births as a S’ûdra. He who kills a black serpent on whose hood there is the lotus mark, lives in Sarpa Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body and he is bitten by serpents there and beaten by the servants of Yama and eats the excrescences of snakes and finally becomes born as a serpent. Then he becomes a man shortlived and having the cuticaneous disease and ringworm. And his death also comes out of snake-bite. He who kills mosquitoes and other small fanged-animals, that earn their substance rightly and pass so their lives, goes to Dams’a mas’a Kunda where he is eaten by mosquitoes and other fanged-creatures and lives there without food and crying, weeping, for as many years as the numbers of lives destroyed. Besides the Yama’s servants tie his hands and feet and beat him. Then he becomes born as flies when ultimately he becomes purified. He who beats and chastises any man not fit to be chastised and beaten and as well as a Brâhmana, goes to Vajra Damstra Kunda, full of worms, and lives there day and night for as many years as there are the number of hairs on the chastised person. When he is bitten by the worms and beaten by Yama’s servants, he cries sometimes, weeps sometimes, and becomes very miserable. Next he is reborn as a crow for seven births when ultimately he gets purified. If any foolish king punishes and gives trouble to his subjects out of greed of money, he goes to Vrischika Kunda where he lives for as many years as there are hairs on the bodies of his subjects. There is no doubt in this. Finally he becomes born in this Bhârata as a scorpion; then a man diseased and defective in limbs, when ultimately he becomes freed of his sins. If any Brâhmin carries or raises weapons, washes the clothes of others who do not perform Sandhyâs and abandons his devotion to Hari, he lives in Sarâdi Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body; he is, then, pierced by arrows. Finally he becomes purified. If any king maddened by his own folly and fault, shuts his subjects in a dark cell and kills them, then he will have to go to a dreadful dark hell filled with worms having fanged teeth and covered with dirt. This hell is named Gola Kunda. He lives there bitten by insects for as many years as there are hairs on the bodies of his subjects. Finally he becomes a slave of those subjects, when he gets purified.
86-103. If anybody kills the sharks and crocodiles, etc., that rise out of the water spontaneously, he will have to remain, then, in Nakra [ p. 932 ] Kunda for as many years as there are thorns or edged points on those animals. Then he will have to be born as crocodiles, etc., for some time, when he will be purified. If any man, overpowered with lust, sees another’s wife’s uncovered breast, loins, and face, he will have to remain in Kâka Kunda for as many years as there are hairs in his own body. Here the crows take out his eyes. Finally for three births he gets himself burned by Fire when he becomes pure. He who steals in India the gold of the Devas and the Brâhmanas, dwells certainly in Manthâna Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. My servants give him good beatings, and cudgellings; his eyes are covered by Manthâna Danda insects (or animals) and he eats their dirty faeces. Then he is reborn as a man but for three births he becomes blind and for seven births he becomes very poor, cruel, and a sinful goldsmith and then he is born a Svarnavanik (Sonâr bene). O Fair One! He who steals in India copper or iron, silver or gold, dwells in Vîja Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. There the Vîjas (a kind of insect) cover his eyes and he eats the excrescences of those insects. My messengers torment him. Finally he gets purified. If anybody steals in India any Devatâ or the articles of a Devatâ, he dwells in Vajra Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. There his body gets burnt up. My messengers torment him and he a cries and weeps and remains without any food. Then he gets purified. If anybody steals the metal gold or silver, cows, or garments of any Deva or a Brâhmana, certainly he dwells in hot Pâsâna Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. Next for three births he becomes a tortoise and all sorts of white birds. Finally for three births he becomes a leper and for one birth be becomes a man with white marks on his body. Next for seven births he becomes diseased with a severe colic pain and bad blood and lives short. Then he gets purified. If anybody steals brass or Kâmsya properties of any Deva or a Brâhmana, he will have to remain in the sharp Pâsâna Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. Next he becomes born in Bhârata for seven births as horses; and ultimately his both the testicles get enlarged and he gets diseases in his legs when he gets purified. If anybody verily eats the food of an adulterate woman or lives on her alms, he will have to go to the Lâlâ Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. My messengers torment him there and he eats the saliva and thus lives miserably. Then he gets eye diseases and colic; when ultimately he gets purified.
104-126. If any Brâhmana lives on writing only or on the service of Mlechchas, he lives in Masi Kunda very painfully, eating ink, tormented by My messengers for as many years as there are hairs [ p. 933 ] on his body. Then he becomes a black animal for three births and for another three births he becomes a black goat. Then he becomes a Tâl tree when he gets purified. If anybody steals a Deva’s or
a Brâhmana’s grains, or any other good materials, betel, Âsan (seat) or bedding, he lives in Chûrna Kunda for one hundred years, tormented by My Dûtas (messengers). Next for three births he gets
himself born as a goat, cock, and monkey. Finally he becomes born as a man with the heart disease, without any issue, poor, and short lived. When, at last, he gets purified. If anybody steals any Brâhmin’s property and thereby does chakra pûjâ (the famous chakra circle worship in Tantra), or prepares a potter’s wheel or any other wheels, he will have to go to Chakra Kunda and remain there for one hundred years, tormented by My messengers. Then he will be born for three births as an oilman suffering from very severe diseases when he will ultimately be poor, without any issue and diseased. Finally he gets purified. If anybody casts a sinful eye on any Brâhmana or on cows, he will have to remain in Vakra Kunda for one hundred Yugas. Next for three births he becomes a cat, for three births he becomes a vulture; for three births he becomes a boar; for three births he becomes a peacock; for seven births he becomes a man deformed and defective in limbs, his wife being dead, without any issue. Finally he becomes purified. If any person born in a Brâhmin family eats the flesh of a tortoise that is prohibited, he lives in Kûrma Kunda, for one hundred years, eaten by tortoises. Then he becomes for three births a tortoise; for three births, a boar; for three births a cat; for three births, a peacock; till at last he gets purified. If anybody steals clarified butter or oil of any Devas or a Brâhmana he will have to go to Jvâlâ Kunda or Bhasma Kunda. That sinner remains in oil for one hundred years and gets soaked through and through. Then for seven births he becomes a fish and a mouse when he gets purified. If anybody, born here in this holy land Bhârata steals sweet scented oil of a Deva or of a Brâhmana, the powdered myrobalan or any other scent, he goes to Dagdha Kunda where he lives, burnt day and night for as many years as there are hairs on his body. For seven births he becomes born emitting a nasty smell, for three births he becomes musk (mriga-nâbhi); for seven births, as a Manthâna insect. Then he becomes born as a man. If, out of envy, a powerful man appropriates to his purpose another’s ancestral property by cheating, by using force, he goes to the hot Sûchî Kunda, being tormented there like a Jîva dropped in the midst of a very hot oil tank, full of boiling oil. His body is, then, being burnt up severely as the [ p. 934 ] result of his own Karma; the wonder being that his body never gets completely destroyed nor reduced to ashes. For seven manvantaras he lives there without any food. My messengers give him good beatings and cudgellings and chastise him; he cries aloud. Next he gets himself born as worms of faeces for sixty thousand years. When he becomes born as a pauper without owning any land. Thus that villain, getting a fresh lease of human birth, begins again to do fresh good acts.
Here ends the Thirty-third Chapter of the Ninth Book on the description of the destinies of different sinners in different hells in S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the description of the various hells [ p. 934 ] 1-28. Dharma Râja Yama said :— O Fair One! If, in this Bhârata, any murderer, merciless and fierce, kills any man, out of greed for money, he goes and miserably dwells in the Asipattra hell for fourteen Indra’s life periods. And if that murderer kills a Brâhmana, he lives in that hell for one hundred manvantaras. While in hell, his body becomes fiercely cut and wounded by the swords. There My messengers chastise him and beat him and he cries aloud and passes his time without any food. Then he becomes born for one hundred years as a Manthâna insect, for hundred births as a boar, for seven births as a cock; for seven births as a fox, for seven births as a tiger; for three births, as a wolf; for seven births, as a frog; then as a buffalo when he becomes freed of his sins of murders. If anybody sets fire to a city or a village, he will have to live in Ksuradhâra Kunda for three yugas with his body severed. Then he becomes a Preta (disembodied spirit) and travels over the whole earth, being burnt up with fire. For seven births he eats unclean and unholy food and spends his time as a pigeon. Then for seven births he becomes diseased with a severe colic pain, for seven births as a leper; when ultimately he gets a pure human body. If anybody whispers in one’s ear another’s calumny and thus glorifies himself and abuses and vilifies the Devas and Brâhmanas, he goes and remains in Sûchî Kunda for three Yugas, and he is pierced there by needles. Then he becomes a scorpion for seven births, a serpent for seven births, and an insect (Bhasma Kîta) for seven births; then he gets a diseased human body when, at last, he becomes purified. If anybody breaks into another’s house and steals away all the household articles, cows, goats or buffaloes, he goes to Gokâ Mukha Kunda where faeces are [ p. 935 ] like cow’s hoofs, there, beaten by My servants, for three Yugas. (Gokâ is Goksura, hoof of a cow). Then, for seven births, he becomes a diseased cow; for three births, a sheep; for three births, a goat; and finally he becomes a man. But in this man-birth he is born first as diseased, poor, deprived of wife and friends, and a repenting person; when ultimately he is freed of his sin. If anybody steals any ordinary thing, he goes to Nakra Mukha Kunda and lives there for three years, greatly tormented by My messengers. Next for seven births, he becomes a diseased ox. Then he attains a very diseased man-birth, and ultimately he is freed of his sins. Such are the horrible results. If anybody kills a cow, elephant, horse, or cuts a tree, he goes to Gaja Dams’a Kunda for three yugas. There he is punished by My messengers freely by the teeth of elephants. Then he attains three elephants’ births, three horse-births; then he becomes born as a cow and ultimately he is born a Mlechcha when he becomes pure. If anybody obstructs any thirsty cow from drinking water, he goes to Krimi Kunda and Gomukha Kunda filled with hot water and lives there for one manvantara. Next when he attains a human birth he owns not any cattle nor any wealth; rather he is born as a man, very much diseased, in low castes, for seven births when he becomes freed. If anybody, being born in Bhârata, kills cows, Brâhmins, women, beggars, causes abortions or goes to those not fit to be gone into, he lives in the Kumbhîpâka hell for fourteen Indra’s life periods. There be is pulverised always by My messengers. He is made to fall sometimes in fire, sometimes over thorns, sometimes in hot oil, sometimes in hot water, sometimes in molten iron or copper. That great sinner gets thousand vulture births, hundred boar births, seven crow births and seven serpent births. He then becomes worms of faeces for sixty thousand years. Thus travelling frequently in ox births he at last becomes born as a very poor leper.
29-31. Sâvitrî said :— “O Bhagavân! What is, according to the S’âstras, Brahmahattyâ (murdering a Brâhmin) and Gohatyâ (killing a cow)? Who are called Agamyâs (women unfit to be approached)? Who are designated as void of Sandhyâ (daily worship of the twice born castes)? Who can be called uninitiated? Who are said to take Pratigrahas (gifts) in a Tîrath? What are the characteristics of a real Grâmayâjî (village priests), Devala, (Brâhmana of an inferior order who subsists upon the offerings made to the images which he attends), the cook of a S’ûdra, of one who is infatuated (Pramatta) and the Vrisalîpati (one who has married an unmarried girl twelve years old in whom menstruation has commenced; a barren woman). Kindly describe all these to me.” [ p. 936 ] 32-91. Dharmarâjan said :— O Fair Sâvitrî! If anybody makes a distinction between Krisna and His Image or between any Deva and his image, between S’iva and His phallic emblem, between the Sun and the stone Sûrya Kânta (a precious stone of a bright and glittering colour) between Ganes’a and Durgâ, he is said to be guilty of the sin Brahmahattyâ. If anybody makes any difference (superiority or inferiority) between his own Ista Deva (his Deity), his Spiritual Teacher, his natural father, and mother, is certainly involved in the sin of Brahmahattyâ. He who shews any difference (superiority or inferiority) between the devotees of Visnu and those of other Devas, is said to commit Brahmahattyâ. He who makes any difference in matters of respect between the waters of the feet of any Brâhmana and those of S’âlagrâma stone, is said to commit Brahmahattyâ. The difference between the offerings to Hari and Hara leads to Brahmahattyâ. He who shews any difference between Krisna, Who is verily the God of gods, the Cause of all causes, the Origin of all, Who is worshipped by all the Devas, Who is the Self of all, Who is attributeless and without a second yet Who by His Magic powers assumes many forms and who is Is’âna, is said to commit, indeed, the Brahmahattyâ. If any Vaisnava (a devotee of Visnu) abuses and envies a S’akta (a devotee of S’akti), he commits Brahmahattyâ. He who does not worship, according to the Vedas, the Pitris and the Devas or prohibits others in doing so, commits Brahmahattyâ. He who abuses Hrisikes’a, Who is the Highest of the Holy things, Who is Knowledge and Bliss and Who is Eternal, Who is the only God to be served by the Devas and Vaisnavas, and those Who are worshippers of His Mantra, and those who do not worship themselves are said to commit Brahmahattyâ. He who abuses and vilifies Mûlaprakriti Mahâ Devî, Who is of the nature of Causal Brahmâ (Kârana Brahmâ), Who is All Power and the Mother of all, Who is worshipped by all and who is of the nature of all the Devas and the Cause of all Causes, Who is Âdyâ S’akti Bhagavatî, is said to commit Brahmahattyâ. He who does not observe the Holy S’rî Krisna Janmâstami, S’rî Râma Navamî, S’ivarâtri, the Ekâdas’î happening on Sunday, and five other holy Pârvanas (festivals), commits Brahmahattyâ; is considered more sinful than a Chândâla. He who in this land of Bhârata, digs earth on the day of Ambuvâchî or makes water, etc., in the waters of the tanks, is involved in the sin of Brahmahattyâ. He who does not support his spiritual teacher, mother, father, chaste wife, son and daughter, though they are faultless, commits Brahmahattyâ. He whose marriage does not take place during his whole life-time, who does not see the face of his son, who does not cherish devotion to Hari, who eats things unoffered to S’rî Hari, who never worshipped throughout his life Visnu or an earthen symbol of S’iva, verily commits Brahmahattyâ. O Fair One! Now I will [ p. 937 ] recite the characteristics, according to the S’âstras, of Gohattyâ (killing a cow). Listen. If anybody does not prohibit one, seeing one to beat a cow, or if he goes between a cow and a Brâhmin, he is involved in the sin of Gohattyâ. If any illiterate Brâhman, carrying an ox, daily beats with a stick, the cows, certainly he commits the Gohattyâ. If anybody gives the remains of another’s meal to a cow to eat, or feeds a Brâhmin who carries, rather moves or drives, cows and oxen; or eats himself the food of such a Brâhmin driver, he commits Gohattyâ. Those who do sacrifices of the husband of a barren woman (Vrisalî) or eat his food, commit sin equal to one hundred Gohattyâs; there is no doubt in this. Those who touch fire with their feet, beat the cows or enter the temple bathing but not washing their feet, commit Gohattyâ. Those who eat without washing their feet or those who sleep with their feet wetted with water and those who eat just after the Sun has risen, commit Gohattyâ. Those who eat the food of women without husbands or sons or the food of pimps and pampers or those who do not perform their Sandhyâs thrice, commit Gohattyâ. If any woman makes any difference between her husband and the Devatâ, or chastises and uses harsh words to her husband, she commits Gohattyâ. If anybody destroys cow’s pasture land, tanks, or land for forts and cultivates there grains, he commits Gohattyâ. He who does not do Prâyas’chitta (expiation, atonement) for the expiation of the sin of Gohattyâ done by his son (for fear of his son’s life), commits the sin himself. If any trouble arises in the state or from the Devas, and if any master does not protect then his own cows, rather torments them, he is said to commit Gohattyâ. If any Jîva oversteps the image of a Deva, fire, water, offerings to a god, flowers, or food, he commits the great sin Brahmahattyâ. When a guest comes, if the master of the house always says, “there is nothing, nothing with me; no, no,” and if he be a liar, cheat and an abuser of the Devas, he commits the above sin. O fair One! Whoever seeing his spiritual teacher, and a Brâhman, does not bow down and make respectful obeisance to them, commits Gohattyâ. If any Brâhmin, out of sheer anger, does not utter blessings to a man who bows down or does not impart knowledge to a student, he commits Gohattyâ. O Fair One! Thus I have described to you the characteristics, approved by S’âstras, of cow-killing (Gohattyâ) and murdering a Brâhmin (Brahmahattyâ). Now hear which women are (Agamyâs) not fit to be approached and those which are fit to be approached (Gamyâs). One’s own wife is fit to be approached (Gamyâ) and all other women are Agamyâs, so the Pundits, versed in the Vedas, declare. This is a general remark; now hear everything in particular. O Chaste One! The Brâhmin wives of S’ûdras or the S’ûdra wives of Brâhmanas are Atyâgamyâs (very [ p. 938 ] unfit to be approached) and blameable both in the Vedas and in the society. A S’ûdra going to a Brâhmanî woman commits one hundred Brahmahattyâs; so a Brâhmana woman going to a S’ûdra goes to the Kumbhîpâka hell. As a S’ûdra should avoid a Brahmâni, so a Brâhmana should avoid a S’ûdra woman. A Brâhmana going to a S’ûdra woman is recognised a Brisalipati (one who has married an unmarried girl twelve years old in whom menstruation has commenced). So much so that that Brâhmana is considered an outcast and the vilest of the Chândâlas. The offerings of Pindas by him are considered as faeces and water offered by him is considered as urine. Nowhere whether in the Devaloka or in the Pitriloka, his offered Pindas and water are accepted. Whatever religious merits he has acquired by worshipping the Devas, and practising austerities for Koti births, he loses all at once by the greed of enjoying the S’ûdra woman. There is no doubt in this. A Brâhmin, if he drinks wine, is considered as the husband of a Vrisalî, eating faeces. And if he be a Vaisnava, a devotee of Visnu, his body must be branded with the marks of a Taptamudrâ (hot seal); and if he be a S’aiva, his body is to be branded with the Tapta S’ûla (hot trident). The wife of a spiritual teacher, the wife of a king, step-mother, daughter, son’s wife, mother-in-law, sister of the same father and mother, the wife of one’s brother (of the same father and mother), the wife of a maternal uncle, the father’s mother, mother’s mother, the mother’s sister, sisters, the brother’s daughter, the female disciple, the disciple’s wife, the wife of the sister’s son, the wife of the brother’s son, these all are mentioned by Brahmâ as Atyâgamyâs (very unfit to be approached). The people are hereby warned. If anybody, overpowered by passion, goes to these Atyâgamyâ women, he becomes the vilest of men. The Vedas consider him as if going to his mother and he commits one hundred Brahmahattyâ sins. These have no right to do any actions. They are not to be touched by any. They are blamed in the Vedas, in the society everywhere. Ultimately they go to the dreadful Kumbhîpâka hells. O Fair One! He who performs Sandhyâs wrongly or reads it wrongly or does not perform at all the three Sandhyâs daily, is called as void of Sandhyâ. He is said to remain uninitiated who does not, out of sheer vanity, receive any Mantra, whether he be a Vaisnavite, S’aivite, or a Sun worshipper or the Ganes’a worshipper. Where there is the running stream of the Ganges, lands on either side, four hands in width, are said to be the womb of the Ganges (Gangâ Garbha) Bhagavân Nârâyana incessantly dwells there. This is called the Nârâyana (Ksetra). One goes to Visnupada who dies in such a place. Vârânasî (Benares), Vadarî, the Confluence of the Ganges with the ocean (Ganga-Sâgara), Puskara, Hari Hara Ksettra (in Behar near Châprâ), Prabhâsa,
[ p. 939 ]
Kâmarûpa, Hardwar, Kedâra, Mâtripura, the banks of the river Sarasvatî, the holy land Bindrâban, Godâvarî, Kaus’ikî, Trivenî (Allahabad), and the Himâlayâs are all famous places of pilgrimages. Those who willingly accept gifts in these sacred places are said to be Tîrthapratigrâhîs (the acceptors of the gifts in the Tîrtha). These Tîrthaprathigrâhîs go in the end to Kumbhîpâka hell. The Brâhmana who acts as priest to the S’ûdras is called S’ûdrayâjî; the village priests are called Grâmayâjîs. Those who subsist on the offerings made to the gods are called Devalas. The cooks of the S’ûdras are called Sûpakâras. Those who are void of Sandhyâ Bandanams are called Pramattas (mad). O Bhadre! These are the marks of the Vrisalîpatis that I have (now) enumerated. These are the Great Sinners (Mahâ Pâtakas). They go ultimately to the Kumbhîpâka hell. O Fair One! I now state by and by the other Kundas (hells) when other people go. Listen.
Here ends the Thirty fourth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the description of the various hells in the Mahâ Purânam S’rîmad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the description of the various hells for the various sinners [ p. 939 ] 1-44. Dharmarâjan said :— O Chaste One! Without serving the Gods, the Karma ties can never be severed. The pure acts are the seeds of purities and the impure acts lead to impure seeds. If any Brâhmana goes to any unchaste woman and eats her food, he will have to go ultimately to the Kâlasûtra hell. There he lives for one hundred years when ultimately he gets a human birth when he passes his times as a diseased man and ultimately he gets purified. Those women who are addicted to their (one) husbands only are called Pativratâs. Those addicted to two persons are named Kulatâs; to three, are called Dharsinîs; to four, called Pums’chalîs; to five, six persons, called Ves’yâs; to seven, eight, nine persons are called Pungîs; and to more than these, are called Mahâves’yâs. The Mahâves’yâs are unfit to be touched by all the classes. If any Brâhmana goes to Kulatâ, Dharsinî, Pums’chalî, Pungî, Ves’yâ and Mahâves’yâs, he will have to go to the Matsyoda Kunda. Those who go to Kulatâs remain there for one hundred years; those who go to Dharsinîs, remain for four hundred years, those who go to Pums’chalîs for six hundred years; those who go to Ves’yâs, for eight hundred years; those who go to Pungîs, remain for one thousand years and those who go to Mahâves’yâs remain in the Matsyoda Kunda for ten thousand years. My messengers chastise and beat and torment them very severely. And when their terms expire, the Kulatâ-goers become Tittiris (a bird), the Dharsinî-goers [ p. 940 ] become crows, the Pums’chalî-mongers become cuckoos, the Ves’yâ haunters become wolves; the Pungî-goers become for seven births boars. If any ignorant person eats food during the lunar and solar eclipses, he goes to Aruntuda Kunda for as many years as there are particles in that food. He then becomes born diseased with Gulma (a chronic enlargement of spleen) having no ears nor teeth, and after passing his time so, he becomes freed of his previous sin. If anybody makes a promise to give his daughter to one but he gives actually to a different person, he goes to Pâms’u Kunda where he eats ashes for one hundred years. Again if anybody sells his daughter, he sleeps on a bed of arrows in Pams’uvesta Kunda for one hundred years, chastised and beaten by My messengers. If any Brâhmana does not worship with devotion the phallic emblem of S’iva, he goes to the dreadful S’ûlaprota Kunda for that heinous sin. He remains there for one hundred years; then he becomes a quadruped animal for seven births and again he becomes born a Devala Brâhmin for seven births when he becomes freed. If any Brâhmana defeats another Brâhmana in a bad useless argument and trifles him and makes him tremble, he goes to the Prakampana Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. If any woman, being very furious with anger, chastises and uses harsh words to her husband, she goes to Ulkâmukha Kunda for as many years as there are hairs on his body. My servants put fiery meteors or torches in her mouth and beat on her head. At the end of the term, she becomes a human being but she has to bear the torments of widowhood for seven births. Then she is again born as diseased; when at last she gets herself freed. The Brâhmana woman, enjoyed by a S’ûdra, goes to the terrible dark Andhakûpa hell, where she remains, day and night, immersed in the impure water and eats that for fourteen Indra’s life periods. Her pains are unbounded and My messengers beat her severely and incessantly.
At the expiry of the term in that hell, she becomes a female crow for thousand births, a female boar for one hundred births, a female fox for one hundred births, a hen for one hundred years, a female pigeon for seven births, and a female monkey for seven births. Then she becomes a Chândâlî in this Bhârata, enjoyed by all. Then she becomes an unchaste woman with the pthisis disease, a washerwoman, and then an oilwoman with leprosy when she becomes freed. O Fair One! The Ves’yâs live in the Vedhana, and Jalarandhra hells; the Pungîs live in the Dandatâdana hell; the Kulatâs live in the Dehachûrna hells; the Svairinîs live in the Dalana hells; the Dharsinîs live in S’osana hells. Their pains know no bounds at all those places. My messengers always beat and chastise them and they eat always the urine and faeces for [ p. 941 ] one Manvantara. Then, at the expiry of their hell period, they become worms of faeces for one lakh years when they become freed. If a Brâhmana goes to another Brâhmana’s wife, if a Ksattriya, Vais’ya and S’ûdra do so, they go to the Kasâya hell. There they drink the hot Kasâya water for twelve years when they become purified. The lotus-born Brahmâ has said that the wives of Brâhmins, Ksattriyas, etc., live in hells like Brâhmins, Ksattriyas, etc., and they then get freed. If a Ksattriya or a Vais’ya goes to a Brâhmin’s wife, he is involved in the sin of his going to his mother and goes and lives in the S’ûrpa hell. There the worms of the size of a S’ûrpa bite that Ksattriya, that Vais’ya and that Brâhmana’s wife. My messengers chastise them and they have to eat the hot urine. Thus they suffer pains for fourteen Indra’s life periods. When they become boars for seven births and goats for seven births, when at last they are freed. Now if anybody makes a false promise or swears falsely, taking the Tûlasî leaf in his hands, if anybody makes a false promise, taking the Ganges water, S’âlagrâma stone, or any other images of God in his hand; if anybody swears falsely, placing his right palm on the palm of another; if anybody swears falsely, being in a temple or touching a Brâhmana or a cow; if anybody acts against his friends or others, if he be treacherous or if he gives a false evidence; then all these persons go to Jvâlâ Mukha hell, and remain there for fourteen Indra’s life periods, chastised and beaten by My messengers and feeling pain as if one’s body is being burnt by red hot coal. One who gives a false evidence, with the Tûlasî (holy basil) in his hand becomes a Chândâla for seven births; one who makes a false promise with the Ganges water in his hand, becomes a Mlechcha for five births; one who swears falsely while touching the S’âlagrâma stone, becomes a worm of the faeces for seven births; one who swears falsely, touching the image of the God, becomes a worm in a Brâhmin’s house for seven births; one who gives a false evidence touching with the right hand, becomes a serpent for seven births; then he becomes born as a Brâhmin, void of the knowledge of the Vedas, when he becomes freed. One who speaks falsely, while in a temple, is born as a Devala for seven births.
45-59. If one swears falsely, touching a Brâhmana, one becomes a tiger. Then he becomes dumb for three births, then for three births he becomes deaf, without wife, without friends, and his family becomes extinct. Then he becomes pure. Those that rebel against their friends, become mongoose; the treacherous persons become rhinoceroses; the hypocrite and treacherous persons become tigers and those who give false evidences become frogs. So much so, that their seven generations [ p. 942 ] above and seven generations below go to hell. If any Brâhmana does not perform his daily duties (Nitya Karma), he is reckoned as Jada (an inert matter). He has no faith in the Vedas. Rather he laughs at the Vedic customs. He does not observe vows and fastings; he blames others who give good advices. Such persons live in Dhûmrândhakâra hell where they eat dark smoke only. Then he roams about as an aquatic animal for one hundred births successively. Then he becomes born as various fishes when he is freed. If anybody jests at the wealth of a Deva or a Brâhmana, then he with his ten
generations above and below becomes fallen and he himself goes to the Dhûmrândhakâra hell, terribly dark and filled with smoke. There his pains know no bounds and he lives there for four hundred years, eating smoke only. Then he becomes a mouse for seven births, and he becomes various birds and worms, various trees and various animals when ultimately he gets a human birth. If a Brâhmin earns his livelihood by being an astrologer or if he be a physician and lives thereby or if he sells lac, iron, or oil, etc., he goes to the Nâgavstana Kunda hell where he lives for as many years as there are hairs on his body, tied up by snakes. Then he becomes born as various birds; ultimately he gets a human birth and becomes an astrologer for seven births and a physician for seven births. Then for sometime he becomes a cowherd (milkman), for sometimes a blacksmith; for sometimes a painter, when he becomes freed of his sin. O Chaste One! Thus I have described to you all the famous Kundas or hells. Besides there are innumerable small Kundas. The sinners go there and suffer the fruits of their own Karmas and travel through various wombs. O Fair One! What more do you now want to hear ? Say.
Here ends the Thirty-Fifth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the description of the various hells for the various sinners in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the destruction of the fear of the Yama of those who are the worshippers of the Five Devatâs [ p. 942 ] 1-7. Sâvitrî said :— “O Dharmarâjan! O Highly Fortunate One! O Thou! Expert in the Vedas and the Amgas thereof! Now kindly describe that which is the essence of the various Purânas and Itihâsas, which is the quintessence, which is dear to all, approved of by all, which is the seed by which the Karmic ties are cut asunder, which is high, noble and happy is this life. Kindly describe the above by which man can acquire all his desires, and what is the only source of all the good and auspicious things. All by knowing which man has [ p. 943 ] not to face any dangers or troubles, nor has he to go to the dreadful hells that thou hast severally just now described and that by which men can be freed of those various wombs. Kindly now describe all these. O Bhagavan! What is the size of the several kundas or hells that Thou hast just now enumerated? How do the sinners dwell there? When a man departs, his body is reduced to ashes. Then of what sort is that other body by which the sinners enjoy the effects of their Karmas and why do not those bodies get destroyed when they suffer so much pains for so long a time? What sort of body is that? Kindly describe all these to me.”
8-33. Nârâyana spoke :— Hearing the questions put forward by Sâvitrî, Dharmarâja remembered S’rî Hari and began to speak on subject that sever the bonds of Karma :— O Child! O One of good vows! In the four Vedas, in all the books on Dharma, (Smritis) in all the Samhitâs, all the Itihâsas, all the Purânas, in the Nârada Pañcharâtram, in the other Dharma S’âstras and in the Vedângas, it is definitely stated that the worship of the Pañcha Devatâs (the five Devatâs) S’iva, S’akti Visnu, Ganes’a, and Sûrya is the best, the highest, the destroyer of the old age, disease, death, evils and sorrows, the most auspicious and leading to the highest bliss. In fact, the worship of these Pañcha Devatâs is the source of acquiring all the Siddhis (the success) and saves one from going to the hells. From their worship springs the Bhaktic Tree and then and then only the Root of the Tree of all Karmic bonds is severed for ever and ever. This is the step to Mukti (final liberation) and is the indestructible state. By this one can get Sâlokya, Sârsti, Sârûpya, and Sâmîpya, the different state of beatitudes in which the soul (1) resides in the same world with the Deity, (2) possesses the same station, condition, or rank, or equality with the Supreme Being in power and all the Divine attributes (the last of the four grades of Mukti), (3) possesses the sameness of form or gets assimilated to the Deity or (4) gets intimately united, identified or absorbed into the Deity. O Auspicious One! The worshipper of these five Devatâs has never to see any of the hells, watched by My messengers. Those who are devoid of the devotion to the Devî see My abode; but those who go to the Tîrthas of Hari, who hold Harivâsaras (festivities on the days of Hari) who bow down at the feet of Hari and worship Hari, never come to My abode named Samyamana. Those Brâhmanas that are purified by their performing the three Sandhyâs and by the following the pure Âchâras (customs and observances), those that find no pleasure until they worship the Devî, those that are attached to their own Dharmas and their own Âchâras, never come to My abode.
[ p. 944 ]
My terrible messengers, seeing the devotees of S’iva, run away out of terror as snakes run away terrified by Garuda. I also order My messengers with nooses in their hands never to go to them. My messengers go mostly to other persons than the servants of Hari. No sooner do My Messengers see the worshippers of the Krisna Mantra, than they run away as snakes get terrified at the sight of Garuda. Chitragupta, too, one of the beings in Yama’s world, recording the vices and virtues of mankind, strike off the names of the Devî worshippers, out of fear and prepare Madhuparka, etc., for them (a mixture of honey; respectful offering made to a guest or to the bridegroom on his arrival at the door of the father of the bride). They rise higher than the Brahmâ Lokas and go to the Devî’s abode, i.e., to Manidvîpa. Those that are the worshippers of the S’akti Mantra and are highly fortunate, whose contact removes the sins of others, they deliver the thousand generations (from the downward course). As bundles and bundles of dry grasses become burnt to ashes, no sooner they are thrown into fire, so the delusion at once becomes itself deluded at the sight of the forms of those devotees. At their sight, lust, anger, greed, disease, sorrow, old age, death, fear, Kâla (time that takes away the life of persons), the good and bad karmas, pleasures and enjoyments drop off to a great distance. O Fair One! Now I have described to you the states of those persons that are not under the control of Kâla, good and bad karmas, pleasures and enjoyments, etc., and those that do not suffer those pains. Now I am speaking of this visible body. Listen. Earth, water, fire, air, and ether are the five Mahâ Bhûtas (the great elements); these are the seeds of this visible body of the person and are the chief factors in the work of creation. The body that is made up of earth and other elements is transient and artificial, i.e., that body becomes burnt to ashes. Within this visible body, bound, is there a Purusa of the size of a thumb; that is called the Jîva Purusa; the subtle Jîva assumes those subtle bodies for enjoying the effects of karmas. In My world, that subtle body is not burnt by the burning fire. If that subtle body be immersed in water, if that be beaten incessantly or if it be struck by a weapon or pierced by a sharp thorn, that body is not destroyed. That body is not burnt nor broken by the burning hot and molten material, by the red hot iron, by hot stones by embracing a hot image or by falling into a burning cauldron. That body has to suffer incessant pains. O Fair One! Thus I have dwelt on the subject of the several bodies and the causes thereof according to the S’âstras. Now I will describe to you the characters of all the other Kundas. Listen.
[ p. 945 ]
Here ends the Thirty-sixth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the destruction of the fear of the Yama of those who are the worshippers of the Five Devatâs, in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the eighty-six Kundas and their characteristics [ p. 945 ] 1-60. Dharmarâja said :— All the Kundas (hells) are circular in form like the Full Moon. Of these, the Vahnikunda has the fire lit at its bottom, by the help of various kinds of stones. This Kunda will not be destroyed till Mahâpralaya comes. Here the sinners are tormented severely. It looks like a blazing coke. The flames are rising from it one hundred hands high. In circumference those flames are two miles. This is named Vahnikunda. It is full of sinners crying loudly. It is constantly watched by My messengers who are chastising and punishing the sinners. Next comes the Tapta Kunda. It is filled with hot water and full of rapacious animals. The sinners there are severely beaten by My messengers and they are always crying out very loudly, which is being echoed and re-echoed all around terribly. It extends for one mile. This Kunda is filled with hot salt water and the abode of many crows. Then there is the Bhayânaka Kunda. It extends for two miles and it is filled with sinners. They are being punished by My messengers and they are incessantly crying, “Save us, save us.”
Next comes the Visthâ Kunda. It is filled with faeces and excrements where the sinners are moving without any food and with their palate and throats dry. Its size is two miles and it is very bad and ugly with foetid and nasty smell. It is always filled with sinners, who are being chastised by My Dûtas (messengers) and eat those faeces and excrements. The worms therein are constantly biting and stinging them and they are crying, “deliver us, deliver us.” Then comes the hot Mûttra Kunda. It is filled with the hot urine and the worms thereof. The great sinners always dwell here. It measures four miles; and it is quite dark. My Dûtas always beat them and their throats, lips, palates are all dry. Then comes the S’lesma Kunda. It is filled with phlegm and the insects thereof. The sinners dwell in phlegm and eat that phlegm. Then comes the Gara Kunda. It is filled with (factitious) poison. It measures one mile. The sinners eat this poison and dwell here. The worms thereof bite them. They tremble at the chastisement of My Dûtas and cry aloud. My messengers look like serpents, with teeth like thunderbolt and they are very furious and fierce, with their throats dry and their words very harsh. Then comes Dûsikâ Kunda. It is filled with the rheum [ p. 946 ] and dirt of the eyes and it measures one mile. Innumerable worms are born therein. Numberless sinners live there, and as they move, the insects immediately bite and sting them. Next comes the Vasâ Kunda. It is filled with the serum or marrow of the flesh and it measures one-half mile. The sinners dwell there, chastised and punished by My messengers. Then comes the S’ukra Kunda. It measures two miles in diameter. The insects, born in the semen, bite the sinners, and they move on and on. Then comes the Rakta Kunda, with very offensive, foetid smell. It is deep like a well and filled with blood. The sinners dwell here, drinking blood. The insects therein are always biting them. Then follows the As’ru Kunda. It measures in size one fourth the measure of the well (above-mentioned). It is always filled with hot tears of the eyes; and many sinners are seen there living weeping and crying and being bitten by the snakes. Then there is the Gâtra Mala Kunda. The sinners are chastised and punished there by My messengers and being bitten by the insects thereof, they eat the dirts of the body and dwell there. Then comes the Karna Mala Kunda. The sinners eat the wax of the ear and fill the place. The insects always bite them and they are crying aloud. It measures one fourth the measure of a Vâpî. Then comes the Majjâ Kunda. It is filled with fat and marrow, emitting foetid offensive odour. It measures one fourth the measure of a Vâpî. The great sinners always dwell there. Then comes the Mâmsa Kunda. This is filled with the greasy flesh. It measures (one-fourth) that of a Vâpî. Those who sell their daughters dwell here. My messengers always chastise and punish them and horrible insects bite and sting them and they cry, out of fear and agony, “Save us, save us,” and eat at times that flesh. Then come in succession the four Kundas Nakha, Loma and others. They also measure each one-fourth that of a Vâpî. The sinners dwell there, always chastised by My messengers. Next comes the very hot Tâmra Kunda. Burning cokes exist on the top of very hot coppers. There are lakhs and lakhs of very hot copper figures in that Kunda. The sinners, being compelled by My messengers, are made to embrace each of these hot copper figures and they cry loudly and live there. It measures four miles. Then come the burning Angâra Kunda and the hot Lauha Dhâra Kunda. Here the sinners are made to embrace the hot iron figures and, feeling themselves burnt, cry out of fear and agony. Whenever My messengers punish them, they immediately cry out, “Save us, save us.” It measures eight miles; and it is pitch dark and very awful. This is named the hot Lauha Kunda. Then come the Charma Kunda and Surâ Kunda. The sinners, beaten by My men, eat the skin and drink the hot urine and [ p. 947 ] dwell there. Then comes the S’âlmalî Kunda; it is overspread with thorns and thorny trees, causing intense pain. It measures two miles. Millions and millions of great sinners are made by My men to fall from the tops of those trees down below where their bodies get pierced by very sharp thorns, six feet long; and thus they dwell there, beaten by My men. Out of thirst, their palates get dried up; and they cry out repeatedly, “Water, water.” Out of fear, they get very anxious and then their heads get broken by the clubs brought down on them by My men. So they move there like the beings burnt in very hot oil. Then comes the Visoda Kunda. It measures two miles in diameter and is filled with the poison of the serpent called Taksakas. My men punish the sinners and they drink the poison thereof and dwell there. Then comes the hot Taila Kunda. There are no insects here. Only the great sinners dwell. All around burning coals are flaring and when My men beat the sinners, they run hither and thither. It is filled with horrible intense darkness and it is exceedingly painful. It looks dreadful and measures two miles. Then comes the Kunta Kunda. Sharp pointed iron weapons like tridents are placed in order all round. The sinners, pierced by those weapons, are seen encircling the Kunda. It measures one-half mile. Beaten by My men, their throats and lips get dried up. Then comes the Krimi Kunda. It is filled with terrible worms and insects, snake-like with sharp teeth, of the size of a S’anku (a Sâl tree) deformed and hideous looking; and it is filled with pitch darkness, terrible to look at. Beaten by My men, the great sinners dwell there. Then comes the Pûya Kunda. It measures eight miles in diameter (or in circumference?). The sinners dwell and eat the pus thereof and, are beaten by My men. Then comes the Sarpa Kunda. Millions and millions of snakes of the length of a Tâl tree are existing there. These serpents encircle the sinners and as they bite them, My men also beat them at the same time. So there arises a general hue and cry, “Save us, save us; we are done for.” Then come in order the Dams’a Kunda, Mas’aka Kunda, and the Garala Kunda. These are filled with gad-flies, mosquitoes, and poison respectively. Each of them measures one mile. The sinners’ hands and feet are tied up. So when the gad-flies and mosquitoes fiercely sting them, and My men violently beat them simultaneously, they raise a loud uproar and are made to move on, in their tied states by My persons. Their bodies get thoroughly reddened and covered with blood by the stinging of the flies, etc. Then come the Vajra Kunda and the Vris’chika Kunda filled respectively with Vajra insects and the scorpions. Each of them measures one-half that of the Vâpî. The [ p. 948 ] sinners that dwell there, are incessantly bitten by insects (Vajras and scorpions). Then come in order the S’ara Kunda, S’ûla Kunda, and the Khadga Kundas. They are filled respectively with arrows, spikes, and scimitars. Each of them measures one half that of the Vâpî. The sinners are pierced by arrows, etc., and become covered over with blood and dwell there. Then comes the Gola Kunda. It is filled with boiling hot water and it is pitch dark. The sinners live there, bitten by the insects. This Kunda measures half that of the Vâpî. The insects bite them and My men beat them so their fear knows no bounds; everyone of them is weeping and crying loudly. This Kunda is filled with hideously offensive smells. So the pains of the sinners are infinite. The Nakra Kunda comes next. It measures half the Vâpî, is filled with millions and millions of crocodiles living in water. The horrible looking deformed sinners live there. The Kâka Kunda then follows. The sinners here are being bitten by hundreds of deformed crows eating faeces, urines and phlegm. Then come the Manthâna Kunda and Vîja Kunda. These are filled respectively with insects called Manthâna and Vîja. Each of them measures one hundred Dhanus (one Dhanu - four hastas). Those insects are stinging the sinners and they cry out very loudly. Then follows the Vajra Kunda. It measures one hundred Dhanus. Many insects with their teeth as hard as thunderbolt live there and bite the sinners who cry out loudly. It is pitch dark. Then comes the hot Pâsâna Kunda. It measures twice that of the Vâpî. It is so built of hot stones as it resembles a burning mass of coal. The sinners become restless with the heat and turn round and round in the middle. Then comes the Pâsâna Kunda and the Lâlâ Kunda. The Pâsâna Kunda is made up of the sharp pointed stones, having sharp edges. Innumerable sinners dwell there. Many red beings live in the Lâlâ Kunda. Then comes the Mapî Kunda. Its size is one hundred Dhanus and its depth is two miles. It is made up of hot stones, each measuring the Anjana mountain. The sinners, beaten and driven by My persons, move on and on in the middle. Then comes the Chûrna Kunda. It measures two miles (in circumference) and is filled with (seven) chûrnas (powders). The sinners, driven and beaten by My men, go on, restless hither and thither and eat the powders and get themselves burnt. Then comes the Chakra Kunda. Here a potter’s wheel with sixteen sharp-edged spokes is constantly whirling round and round; the sinners are being crushed by this wheel.
61-80. Then comes the Vakra Kunda. Its depth is eight miles. lt is fashioned very much curved; and with and sharp slope it has gone down. It is built on the plan of a mountain cave, filled with hot water and it is enveloped with deep dense darkness. The aquatic animals there are biting [ p. 949 ] the sinners, who got very much restless and are crying out very loudly. Then comes the Kûrma Kunda. Here millions and millions of tortoises in the water awfully distorted, are biting the sinners. Then comes the Jvâlâ Kunda. It is built of fierce fiery flames. It measures two miles in circumference. The sinners here are always in great difficulty, with intense pain and crying out loudly. Next follows the Bhasma Kunda. It measures two miles. The sinners get themselves well burnt in hot ashes and live there, eating the ashes. It is filled with hot stones and hot irons. The sinners here are always being burnt in hot irons and hot stones and their throats and palates are being parched up. Then comes the Dagdha Kunda. It is deep and horrible. It measures two miles in circumference. My messengers threaten always the sinners there. Then comes the Sûchî Kunda. It is filled with salt water. Waves are always rising there. It is filled with various aquatic animals making all sorts of noises. It measures eight miles in circumference and it is deep and dark. The sinners here cannot see each other and are bitten by the animals. Pained very much, they cry out loudly. Then comes the Asipattra Kunda. On the top surface of the Kunda there is a very big Tâl tree very high. The edges of the leaves of this tree are sharp like the edge of a sword. One mile below this Tâl tree is situated the Kunda. The sharp-edged Tâl leaves, then, fall on the bodies of the sinners from the height of a mile and they get cut and wounded; blood comes out of them and the sinners, in great pain, cry out “save, save.” It is very deep, very dark and filled with Rakta Kîta a kind of blood like insects. This is the horrible Asipatra Kunda. Next comes the Ksura Dhâra Kunda, measuring one hundred Dhanus (one Dhanu - four hastas). It is filled with keen-edged weapons, as sharp as nice razors. The blood of the sinners is flowing here profusely. Then comes the Sûchî Mukha Kunda, filled with sharp weapons of the form of long needles. It measures fifty Dhanus. The sinners get pierced by them end are constantly emitting blood. Their intense pain knows no bounds. Then comes the Gokâmukha Kunda; inhabited by a sort of insect, called Gokâ. They look like mouths; hence they are named Gokâmukha. It is deep like a well and it measures twenty Dhanus. The great sinners suffer an intense amount of pain there. They have got to keep their mouths always downwards as the Gokâ insects always bite and sting them. Then comes the Nakra Kunda. It resembles like the mouth of a crocodile and measures sixteen Dhanus. It is deep like a well and numbers of sinners dwell there. Then comes the Gaja Dams’a Kunda. It measures one hundred Dhanus. Next comes the Gomukha Kunda. It measures thirty Dhanus and resembles the mouth of a cow. It gives incessant pains and troubles to the sinners. [ p. 950 ] 81-101. Then comes the Kumbhîpâka Kunda. It is like a wheel resembling that of this Kâlachakra, very horrible; and it is rotating incessantly. It looks like a water-jar, measuring eight miles, and it is quite dark. Its depth is one lakh Purusas of the height of 100,000 persons. There are many other Kundas, Tapta Taila Kunda and Tapta Taila Tâmra Kunda, etc., within it. This Kunda is filled with almost unconscious great sinners and insects. They beat each other and cry out loudly. My messengers also threaten them with clubs and Musalas. So at times they fall dizzy-headed, at times they get unconscious, and sometimes they get up and cry. O Fair One! The numbers of sinners here equal to four times that of all the other sinners in all the other Kundas. They know no death, however much you beat them. Their lives persist. For the body is built up for sufferance, it is indestructible. This Kumbhîpâka Kunda is the chief of all the Kundas. This Kunda where the sinners are tied to a thread built by Kâla, where My men lift the sinners on high at one time, and sink them down below at another time, where the sinners becoming suffocated for a long time, get unconscious, where their sufferings know no bounds, where it is filled with boiling oil, is named the Kâlasutra Kunda. Then comes the Matsyoda Kunda, hollow like a well. It is filled with boiling water and it measures twenty-four Dhanus. Next comes the Abatoda Kunda. It measures one hundred Dhanus. The sinners get their bodies burned and chastised by My persons, live there. No sooner they drop into the water of this Kunda, then they are attacked with all sorts of diseases. Then comes the Krimikantuka Kunda. The sinners are bitten by the Krimi Kantuka insects and cry out loudly, creating a general consternation and live there. Its another name is Aruntuda Kunda. Next comes the Pâms’u Kunda. It measures one hundred Dhanus. It is overspread with burning rice husks. The sinners eat those hot husks and live there. Then comes the Pas’avestana Kunda. It measures two miles. No sooner the sinners fall in this Kunda than they are twined round by this rope or Pâs’a. Hence its name. Then comes the Sûlaprota Kunda. It measures twenty Dhanus. No sooner the sinners fall here than they are encircled with the Sûlâstra (darts). Then comes the Prakampana Kunda. It measures one mile. It is filled with ice-cold water. The sinners, going there, shiver at once. Next follows the Ulka Kunda. It measures twenty Dhanus. It is filled with burning to ashes and meteors. My messengers thrust the torches and meteors into the mouths of the sinners living there. Next comes the Andha-Kûpa Kunda. It is pitch-dark, shaped like a well, circular and very horrible. The sinners beat each other and eat the insects thereof. Their bodies are burnt with hot water; they cannot see anything on account of dire darkness. [ p. 951 ] 102-118. The Kunda where the sinners are pierced by various weapons is known as the Vedhana Kunda. It measures twenty Dhanus. Then comes the Dandatâdana Kunda. It measures sixteen Dhanus. The sinners dwell here, threatened by My messengers. Then comes the Jâlarandhra Kunda. Here the sinners live encompassed by a great net as fishes, etc., are tied in a net. Next comes the Dehachûrna Kunda. It is quite dark and its depth is that of the height of one koti persons; its circumference is twenty Dhanus. The sinners, here, encompassed by iron chains are made to fall below where their bodies are reduced to powders and they are inert and almost unconscious. The Kunda where the sinners are crushed and threatened by My messengers is known as the Dalana Kunda; it measures sixteen Dhanus in circumference. Next comes the S’osana Kunda. It is deep up to the height of one hundred persons and it is very dark. It measures thirty Dhanus. On falling on the hot sand, the throats and palates of sinners get dried up. Their pain knows no bounds. Hence it is called the S’osana Kunda. Then comes the Kasa Kunda. It measures one hundred Dhanus. It is filled with the juices of skins and its smell is very offensive. The sinners eat those astringent waters and live there. Then comes S’ûrpa Kunda. It measures twelve Dhanus and is extended like a winnowing basket. It is filled with hot iron dust and many sinners live there, eating those foetid iron dusts. Next comes the Jvâlâmukha Kunda. It is filled with red hot sand. From the (bottom) centre rises a flame, over-spreading the mouth of the Kunda. It measures twenty Dhanus. The sinners are burnt here by the flame and live awfully; they get fainted no sooner they are dropped in this Kunda. Then comes the Dhumrândha Kunda. It is dark, quite filled with smoke. Within that the hot bricks are placed. The sinners get suffocated with smoke; and their eye-sight becomes also obstructed. It measures one hundred Dhanus. Then comes the Nâgabestana Kunda. It is encircled and filled with the serpents. No sooner the sinners are let fall there, than they are surrounded by the snakes. O Sâvitrî! Thus I have spoken to you about the eighty-six Kundas and their characteristics. Now what more do you want to hear? Say.
Here ends the Thirty-seventh Chapter of the Ninth Book on the eighty-six Kundas and their characteristics in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the glories of the Devî and on the nature of Bhakti [ p. 952 ] 1-6. Sâvitrî said :— “O Lord! Give me the devotion to the Devî to that Âdyâ S’akti Bhagavatî Mahâ Mâye, Parames’varî Mâyî that is the Essence of all essences, the Door of final liberation to the human beings, and the Cause of delivering them from hells, that is the Root of all the Dharmas that lead to Mukti, that destroys all the inauspiciousness, that takes away the fear of all the Karmas, and that takes away always all the sins committed before. O Thou, the Foremost amongst the knowers of the Vedas! How many kinds of Muktis are there in this world? What is the True Bhakti? What are its characteristics? What is to be done by which the enjoyment of the karmas done can be desisted and nullified? O Bhagavân! The woman kind has been created by the Creator as devoid of any Tattvajñâna or true knowledge; now tell me something about this True Knowledge. All the charities, sacrifices, bathing in the sacred places of pilgrimages, observing vows and austerities cannot be compared with one sixteenth of imparting knowledge to those who are ignorant (of true knowledge). Mother is hundred times superior to father; this is certain; but the Spiritual Teacher, the Giver of True Knowledge, is hundred times more to be reverenced and worshipped than the mother. O Lord!”
7-79. Dharmarâja said :— O Child! What boons you desired of Me before, I granted them all to you. Now I grant this boon to you that, “Let the devotion towards the S’akti now arise in your mind.” O Auspicious One! You want to hear the reciting of the Glories of S’rî Devî; by this, both he who puts forward the question and he who hears the answer, all their families are delivered. When the S’esa Nâga Ananta Deva with His thousand mouths is unable to recite the glories of the Devî, when Mahâdeva cannot describe with His five mouths, when the Creator Brahmâ is incapable to recite Her glories with His four mouths, when Visnu, the Omniscient, falls back, when Kârtîkeya with His six mouths cannot sufficiently describe, when Ganes’a, the Guru of the Gurus of the great yogis is incapable, when the Pundits, the knowers of the four Vedas, the Essence of all the S’âstras, cannot know even a bit of Her, when Sarasvatî becomes inert in going to describe Her glories; when Sanatkumara, Dharma, Sanâtana, Sananda, Sanaka, Kapila, Sûrya and other sons of the Creator have fallen back, when the other Siddhas, Yogîndras, Munîndras are quite incapable to glorify the deeds of Prakriti Devî, then how can I recite fully the Glories of Her? Whose lotus-feet Brahmâ,
[ p. 953 ]
Visnu, S’iva and others meditate; and lo! when it becomes difficult for Her devotees even to think of Her, then what wonder is there that She will be so very rare to others! Brahmâ, skilled in the knowledge of the Vedas knows more of Her than what other ordinary persons know so little of Her auspicious Glories. More than Brahmâ, Ganes’a, the Guru of the Jñânins, knows; again S’ambhu, the Omniscient, knows the best of all. For, in ancient times, the knowledge of the Prakriti Devî was given to Him by Krisna, the Highest Spirit in a solitary place in the Râsa Mandalam in the region of Goloka. Mahâdeva, again, gave it to Dharma in the S’ivaloka; Dharma again gave the Prakriti Mantra to My father. My father became successful (Siddha) in the worship of Prakriti Devî when he practised austerities. Of old, the Devas wanted to offer to me the Government of the Yama Loka; but as I was very much dispassionate towards the world, I became unwilling and became ready to perform austerities. Then my Father told the Glories of Prakriti Devî. Now I describe to you what I heard from my Father and what is stated in the Vedas, though very difficult to comprehend. Listen carefully. O Fair Faced One! As the eternal space does not know its own extent, so Prakriti Devî Herself knows not Her own Glories; then what can be said of any other person on this! She is the Self of all, endowed with all powers and lordship, the Cause of all causes, the Lord of all, the Origin of all and the Preserver of all; She is Eternal, always with Her Cosmic Body, full of everlasting bliss, without any special form, unrestrained, having no fear, without any disease and decay, unattached, the Witness of all, the Refuge of all, and Higher than the Highest; She is with Mâyâ and She is Mûla Prakriti; the objects created by Her being known as the Prakriti creation; Who remains as Prakriti and Purusa inseparable from each other as Agni and Her burning force; the Mahâ Mâyâ, of the nature of everlasting existence, intelligence and bliss. Though formless, She assumes forms for the gratification of the desires of Her Bhaktas. She created first the beautiful form of Gopâla Sundarî, i.e., the form of S’rî Krisna very lovely and beautiful, captivating the mind. His body is blue like the fresh rain cloud; He is young and dressed like that of a cow herd. Millions of Kandarpas (the Love deity) are, as it were, playing in his body. His eyes vie with the midday lotus of the autumn. The beauty of His face throws under shade the millions and millions of the Full Moon. His body is decorated with invaluable ornaments decked with jewels. Sweet smile reigns ever in His lips; it is adorned moreover with His yellow coloured invaluable robe. He is Parama Brahmâ. His whole body is burning with the Brahmâ Teja, the Fire of Brahmâ.
[ p. 954 ]
His Body is Fiery. He is lovely, sweet to look at, of a peaceful temper, the Lord of Râdhâ and He is Infinite. (Note :— The Universe; as we see, is unreal like what we see in the kaleidoscope; various apparent pictures of an endless variety of beautiful colours and forms.) He is sitting on a jewel throne in the Râsa Mandalam, and is incessantly looked upon by the smiling lovely Gopîs at one and the same time. He is two-armed. A garland made of wild flowers is hanging from His neck. He is playing on His flute. His breast is resplendent with Kaustubha gem that He always wears. His body is anointed with Kunkuma (saffron), aguru (the fragrant and cooling paste of the Aguru wood), musk, and sandal-paste. The garland of beautiful Champaka and Mâlatî flowers is hanging from His neck. On His head, the beautiful crest is being seen, a little obliquely situated in the form of the beautiful Moon. Thus the Bhaktas, filled with Bhaktis, meditate on Him. O Child! It is through His fear that the Creator is doing His work of creation of this Universe; and is recording the Prârabdha fruits of their Karmas. It is through His fear that Visnu is awarding the fruits of Tapas and preserving the Universe. By His command the Kâlagni Rudra Deva is destroying all. By Whose favour S’iva has become Mrityumjaya, the Conqueror of Death and the Foremost of the Jñânins; knowing whom S’iva has become Himself endowed with knowledge and the Lord of the knowers of knowledge, full of the Highest Bliss, devotion and dispassion. Through Whose fear the wind becomes the foremost of runners and carries things, the Sun gives heat, Indra gives rain, Yama destroys, Agni burns, and Water cools all the things. By Whose command the Regents of the (ten) quarters of the sky are watching and preserving nice orders; through Whose fear the planets are describing their several orbits. Through Whose fear, trees flower and yield fruits; By Whose command the Kâla destroys all. By Whose command all the beings whether on land or in water are quitting their lives in time; until the proper time comes no man does not die even if he be pierced whether in battle or in danger. By Whose command the wind supports the water; the water supports the tortoise; the tortoise supports the Ananta and the Ananta supports the earth; the earth supports the oceans, mountain and all the jewels. The earth is of the nature of forgiveness, i.e., endures all. For this reason all things, moving and non-moving, rest on Her and again melt away in Her. Seventy-one Divine Yugas constitute one Indra’s life period. Twenty-eight Indra’s life periods constitute Brahmâ’s one day and one night. Thus thirty days constitute Brahmâ’s one month; so two months constitute one Ritu (season); six Ritus make one year. Thus one hundred years constitute Brahmâ’s [ p. 955 ] life. When Brahmâ dies, S’rî Hari’s eye closes. That is the Prâkritik Pralaya. At this time, everything, moving and non-moving, from the Deva loka to Bhûr loka (earth) dies. The Creator Brahmâ gets dissolved in the navel of S’rî Krisna. The four-armed Visnu, of Vaikuntha, sleeps on Ksîra Samudra, the ocean of milk, i.e., He dissolves on the left side of S’rî Krisna, the Highest Spirit. All the other S’aktis (forces) dissolve in Mûla Prakriti, the Mâyâ of Visnu. The Mûla Prakriti Durgâ, the Presiding Deity of Buddhi (reason) dissolves in the Buddhi of Krisna. Skanda, the part of Nârâyana, dissolves in His breast. Gane’sa, the foremost of the Devas, born in part of Krisna, dissolves in the arm of S’rî Krisna. And those who are born in parts of Padmâ, dissolve in Her body and Padmâ dissolves in the body of Râdhâ. All the cow-herdesses and all the bodies of the Devas dissolve in Râdhâ’s body. But Râdhâ, the Presiding Deity of the Prâna of S’rî Krisna, dissolves in the Prâna of S’rî Krisna. Sâvitrî, the four Vedas and all the S’âstras dissolve in Sarasvatî; and Sarasvatî gets dissolved in the tongue of S’rî Krisna, the Highest Self. The Gopâs in the region of Goloka dissolve in the pores of His skin; the Prâna Vâyu of all dissolve in His Prâna Vâyu; the fire dissolves in the fire in His belly; water dissolves in the tip of His tongue, and the Vaisnavas, (devotees of Visnu), drinking the nectar of Bhakti, the Essence of all essences, dissolve in His lotus-feet. All smaller Virâts dissolve in the Great Virât and the Great Virât dissolves in the Body of S’rî Krisna. O Child! He is Krisna, on the pores of Whose skin are situated endless Universes; at the closing of Whose eyes, the Prâkritic Pralaya comes and on the opening of Whose eyes, the creation takes place. The closing and opening of the eyes takes the same time. Brahmâ’s creation lasts one hundred years and the Pralaya lasts one hundred years. O One of good vows! There is no counting how many Brahmâs or how many creations and dissolutions have taken place. As one cannot count the number of dusts, so one cannot count the creations and dissolutions. This is the Great Unspeakable Wonder! Again on Whose closing of the eyes the Pralaya takes place and on whose opening of the eyes the creation takes place, out of the will of God, That Krisna dissolves at the time of Pralaya in Prakriti. This Highest S’akti, the Mûla Prakriti is the Only One without a second; it is the only one Nirguna and the Highest Purusa. It is considered as “Sat” existing, by the Seers of the Vedas. Such a thing as Mûla Prakriti is the unchanged state (Mukti). During the Pralaya, this only One Mûla Prakriti appears as Jñâna S’akti or the Knowledge Force. Who can in this universe recite Her glories? Mukti is of four kinds.
[ p. 956 ]
(1) Sâlokya, (2) Sârûpya, (3) Sâmîpya and (4) Nirvâna. So it is stated in the Vedas. Out of them Bhakti towards the Deva is the highest; so much so that the Deva Bhakti is superior to Mukti. Mukti gives Sâlokya, Sârûpya, Sâmîpya, and Nirvâna. But the Bhaktas do not want anything. They want service of the Lord. They do not want anything else. The state of becoming S’iva, of becoming an Amara or an immortal, becoming a Brahmâ, the birth, death, disease, old age, fear, sorrow, or wealth, or assuming a divine form, or Nirvâna or Moksa all are looked on alike by the Bhaktas with disregard and contempt. Because Mukti is without any service while Bhakti increases this service. Thus I have told you the difference between Bhakti and Mukti. Now hear about the cutting off of the fruits of the past Karmas. O Chaste one! This service of the Highest Lord severs the ties of Karmas (past acts). This service is really the True Knowledge. So, O Child! I have now told you the Real Truth, leading to auspicious results. Now you can go freely as you desire. Thus saying to Sâvitrî, Yama, the son of Sûrya, gave life back to her husband and blessing her, became ready to go to His own abode. Seeing Dharmarâja ready to go away, Sâvitrî became sorry to have the bereavement of a good company, bowed down at His feet and began to cry. Yama, the Ocean of Mercy, hearing the crying of Sâvitrî began to weep and told the following words :—
80-96. Dharma said :— O Child! You enjoy in this holy Bhârata happiness for one lakh years and you will in the end go to the Devîloka or Mani Dvîpa. Now go back to your house and observe for fourteen years the vow called Sâvitrî-vrata for the mukti of women. This Vrata is to he observed on the fourteenth day of the white fortnight in the month of Jyaistha. Then observe the Mahâ-Laksmî Vrata. Its proper time is the eighth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Bhâdra. For sixteen years consecutively without any break this vow is to be observed. The woman who practises with devotion this vow, goes to the abode of Mûla Prakriti. You would worship on every Tuesday in every month the Devî Mangala Chandikâ, the giver of all good; on the eighth day in the bright fortnight you should worship Devî Sâsthî (i.e., Devasenâ); you should worship Manasâ Devî, the giver of all siddhis, on the Samkranti day (when the Sun enters another sign) in every year; you should worship Râdhâ, the Central Figure of Râsa, more than the Prâna of Krisna on every Full Moon night in the month of Kârtik and you should observe fasting on the eighth day in the bright fortnight and worship the Visnu Mâyâ Bhagavatî Devî, the Destructrix of all difficulties and dangers.
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(Note :— The Râsa is the playing out of the Vedantic saying of Brahmâ as “Raso vai Sah.” He is of the nature of Râsa, the most sweet and lovely Divine Principle which unites the Rasika and the Rasikâ.) The chaste woman having husband and sons who worships the World Mother Mûla Prakriti, whether in Yantra, or in Mantra or in image, enjoys all pleasures in this world; and, in the end, goes to the Devîloka or Mani Dvîpa. O Child! The worshipper Sâdhaka (one who is in one’s way to success) must worship all the manifestations of the Devî, day and night. At all times one must worship the omnipresent Durgâ, the Highest Îsvarî. There is no other way to attain blessedness than this. Thus saying, Dharmarâja went to His own abode. Sâvitrî, too, with her husband Satyavân went to her home. Both Sâvitrî and Satyavân, when they reached home, narrated all their stories to their friends and acquaintances. In time, by the blessing of Yama, Sâvitrî’s father got sons and father-in-law recovered his eye-sight and kingdom and Sâvitrî Herself got sons. For one lakh years, Sâvitrî enjoyed pleasures in this holy land of Bhârata, and ultimately went with her husband to the Devîloka. Sâvitrî is the Presiding Deity of the Sûryamandalam, the solar orb. The Sun is the central Para Brahmâ. The Gâyatrî Mantra, the Presiding Devî, proves the existence of the highest Brahmâ in the centre of the Sun. Therefore She is called Sâvitrî. Or Her name is Sâvitrî because all the Vedas have come out of Her. Thus I have narrated the excellent anecdote of Sâvitrî, and the fruitions of the Karmas of the several Jîvas. Now what more do you want to hear? Say.
Here ends the Thirty-eighth Chapter in the Ninth Book on the glories of the Devî and on the nature of Bhakti in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the story of Mahâ Laksmî [ p. 957 ] 1-3 Nârada said :— “O Lord! I have heard in the discourse on Sâvitrî and Yama about the Formless Devî Mûla Prakriti and the glories of Sâvitrî, all true and leading to the endless good. Now I want to hear the story of the Devî Laksmî. O Thou, the Chief of the knowers of the Vedas! What is the nature of Laksmî? By whom was She first worshipped? and by what Mantra? Kindly describe Her glories to me.”
4-33. Nârâyana said :— Of old, in the beginning of the Prâkritik Creation, from the left side of Krisna, the Supreme Spirit, appeared in the Râsamandalam (the Figure Dance) a Devî. She looked exceedingly handsome, of a dark blue colour, of spacious hips, of thin waist, and [ p. 958 ] with high breast, looking twelve years old, of steady youth, of a colour of white Champaka flower and very lovely. The beauty of Her face throws under shade millions and millions of autumnal full moons. Before Her wide expanded eyes, the midday lotus of the autumnal season becomes highly ashamed. By the Will of God, this Devî suddenly divided Herself into two parts. The two looked equal in every respect; whether in beauty, qualities, age, loveliness, colour, body, spirit, dress, ornaments, smile, glance, love, or humanity, they were perfectly equal.
Now she who appeared from the right side is named Râdhâ and she who came from the left side is named Mahâ Laksmî. Râdhâ wanted first the two armed S’rî Krisna, Who was Higher than the highest; then Mahâ Laksmî wanted Him. Râdhâ came out of the right side and wanted first Krisna; so Krisna, too, divided himself at once into two parts. From His right side came out the two-armed and from his left side came out the four-armed. The two-armed person first made over to Mahâ Laksmî the four armed One; then the two armed Person Himself took Râdhâ. Laksmî looks on the whole universe with a cooling eye; hence She is named Laksmî and as She is great, She is called Mahâ Laksmî. And for that reason the Lord of Râdhâ is two-armed and the Lord of Laksmî is four-armed. Râdhâ is pure Aprâ kritic S’uddha Sattva (of the nature of pure Sattva Guna, the illuminating attribute) and surrounded by the Gopas and Gopîs. The four-armed Purusa, on the other hand, took Laksmî (Padmâ) to Vaikuntha. The two-armed person is Krisna; and the four-armed is Nârâyana. They are equal in all respects. Mahâ Laksmî became many by Her Yogic powers (i.e., She remained in full in Vaikuntha and assumed many forms in parts). Mahâ Laksmî of Vaikuntha is full, of pure Sattva Guna, and endowed with all sorts of wealth and prosperity. She is the crest of woman-kind as far as loving one’s husbands is concerned. She is the Svarga Laksmî in the Heavens; the Nâga Laksmî of the serpents, the Nâgas, in the nether regions; the Râja Laksmî of the kings and the Household Laksmî of the householders. She resides in the houses of house-holders as prosperity and the most auspicious of all good things. She is the progenetrix, She is the Surabhi of cows and She is the Daksinâ (the sacrificial fee) in sacrifices. She is the daughter of the milk ocean and she is Padminî, the beauty of the spheres of the Moon and the Sun. She is the lustre and beauty of the ornaments, gems, fruits, water, kings, queens, heavenly women, of all the houses, grains, clothings, cleansed places, images, auspicious jars, pearls, jewels, crest of jewels, garlands, diamonds, milk, sandal, beautiful twigs, fresh rain cloud, or of all other colours. She was first worhipped in Vaikuntha by Nârâyana. Next She was worshipped by Brahmâ and then [ p. 959 ] by S’ankara with devotion. She was worshipped by Visnu in the Kshirode Samudra. Then she was worshipped by Svâyambhuva Manu, then by Indras amongst men, then by Munis, Risis, good householders, by the Gandharbas, in the Gandharbaloka; by the Nâgas in the Nâgaloka. She was worshipped with devotion by Brahmâ for one fortnight commencing from the bright eighth day in the month of Bhâdra and ending on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the three-worlds. She was worshipped by Visnu, with devotion in the three worlds on the meritorious Tuesday in the months of Pausa, Chaitra, and Bhâdra. Manu, also, worshipped Her on the Pausa Sankrânti (the last day of the month of Pausa when the Sun enters another sign) and on the auspicious Tuesday in the month of Mâgha. Thus the worship of Mahâ Laksmî is made prevalent in the three worlds. She was worshipped by Indra, the Lord of the Devas and by Mangala (Mars) on Tuesday. She was then worshipped by Kedâra, Nîla, Subala, Dhruva, Uttânapada, S’akra, Bali, Kas’yapa, Daksa, Kardama, Sûrya, Priyavrata, Chandra, Vâyu, Kuvera, Varuna, Yama, Hutâsana and others. Thus Her worship extended by and by to all the places. She is the Presiding Deity of all wealth; so She is the wealth of all.
Here ends the Thirty-ninth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the story of Mahâ Laksmî in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
On the birth of Laksmî in the discourse of Nârada and Nârâyana [ p. 959 ] 1-2. Nârada said :— “O Lord! How did the eternal Devî Mahâ Laksmî the dweller in Vaikuntha, the beloved of Nârâyana, the Presiding Deity of Vaikuntha, come down to the earth and how She, became the daughter of the ocean? By whom was She first praised? Kindly describe all these in detail to me and oblige.”
3-10. Nârâyana said :— O Nârada! In ancient days when on Durvâsâ’s curse, Indra was dispossesed of his kingdom, all the Devas came down to earth. Laksmî, too, getting angry, quitted the Heavens, out of pain and sorrow and went to Vaikuntha and took the shelter of Nârâyana. The Devas, then, went to Brahmâ with their hearts full of sorrow and, taking Him from there, they all went to Nârâyana in Vaikuntha. Going there they all took refuge of the Lord of Vaikuntha. They were very much distressed and their throats, palate and lips were quite dry. At that time Laksmî, the wealth and prosperity of all, came down on earth by the command of Nârâyana and became born in part as the daughter of the ocean. The Devas, then with the Daityas churned the Ksîroda Ocean and, out of that, Mahâ
[ p. 960 ]
Laksmî appeared. Visnu looked on Her. Her joy knew no bounds. She smiling, granted boons to the Devas and then offered a garland of flowers on the neck of Nârâyana (as a symbol of marriage celebrated). O Nârada! the Devas, on the other hand, got back their kingdoms from the Asuras. They then worshipped and chanted hymns to Mahâ Laksmî and since then they became free from further dangers and troubles.
11-12. Nârada said :— “O Bhagavân! Durvâsâ was the best of the Munis; he was attached to Brahmâ and had spiritual knowledge. Why did he curse Indra? What offence had he committed? How did the Devas and Daityas churn the ocean? How, and by what hymns Laksmî became pleased and appeared before Indra? What passed on between them. Say all this, O Lord.”
13-25. Nârâyana said :— In ancient days, Indra the Lord of the three worlds, intoxicated with wine and becoming lustful and shameless, began to enjoy Rambhâ in a lonely grove. After having enjoyed her, he became attracted to her; his mind being wholly drawn to her, he remained there in that forest, his mind becoming very passionate. Indra then saw the Muni Durvâsâ on his way from Vaikuntha to Kailâs’a burning with the fire of Brahmâ. From the body of the Risi, emitted, as it were, the rays of the thousand midday Suns. On his head was the golden matted hair. On his breast there was the hoary holy thread; he wore torn clothes; on his hands there was the Danda and Kamandalu; on his forehead there was the bright Tilaka in the form of the Crescent Moon. (Tilaka - a sectarian mark on the forehead made with coloured earth or sandalpaste.)
One hundred thousand disciples, thoroughly-versed in the Vedas and the Vedângas, were attending him. The intoxicated Purandara, seeing him, bowed down to him and he began to chant with devotion hymns to his disciples also. They were very glad. The Risi with his disciples then blessed Indra and gave him one Pârijâta flower.
When the Muni was returning from the region of Vaikuntha, Visnu, gave him that beautiful Pârijâta flower. Old age, death, disease, sorrows, etc., all are removed by the influence of the flower; and the final liberation is also attained. The Devendra was intoxicated with his wealth; so taking the flower given by the Risi, he threw it on the head of the elephant Airârata. No sooner the elephant touched the flower, than he became suddenly like Visnu, as it were, in beauty, form, qualities, fire and age. The elephant, then, forsook Indra and [ p. 961 ] entered into a dense forest. The Lord of the Devas could, in no way, get him under his control. On the other hand, the Muni Durvâsâ seeing that Mahendra had thus dishonoured the flower, became inflamed with rage and cursed him saying, “O Indra! You are so mad with wealth that you have dishonoured me. The flower that I gave you so lovingly, you have thrown that, out of vanity, on the elephant’s head!
26-46. No sooner one gets the food, water, fruits that had been offered to Visnu, one should eat that at once. Otherwise one incurs the sin of Brahmahattyâ. If anybody forsakes the things offered to Visnu, that he has got perchance, he becomes destitute of wealth, prosperity, intelligence, and his kingdom. And if he eats the food already offered to Visnu with devotion, he then elevates his hundred families passed before him and he himself becomes liberated while living. If anybody daily eats Visnu’s Naivedyam (food offered to Visnu) and bow down before Him or worships Hari with devotion and chants hymns to Him, he becomes like Visnu in energy and wealth. By mere touch with the air round about his body, the places of pilgrimage become all purified. O You Stupid! The earth becomes purified by the contact of the dust of the feet of such a one devoted to Visnu. If anybody eats the food unoffered to Hari and flesh that is not offered to any Deity; if he eats the food of any unchaste woman, any woman without husband and sons, the food offered at any S’ûdra’s Srâdh (funeral) ceremony, the food offered by a Brâhmana, who is a priest to the S’ûdras in honour of a S’iva Lingam, the food of a Brahmân priest who subsists on the presents of a temple, the food of one who sells his daughter, the food of one who subsists on dealing with womb concerns, the leavings of others, the stale food left after all others had eaten, the food of the husband of an unmarried girl (twelve years old in whom menstruation has commenced), the driver of oxen, the food of one uninitiated in one’s Istamantram, of one who burns a corpse, of a Brâhmin who goes to one not fit for going, the food of a rebel against friends, of one who is faithless, treacherous, who gives false evidence, the food of a Brâhmin who accepts offerings in a sacred place of pilgrimage, all his sins (incurred in the ways above-mentioned) will be removed if he eats the prasâdam of Visnu, i.e., the food offered to Visnu. Even if a Chândâla be attached to the service of Visnu, he sanctifies his millions of persons born in his family before him. And the man who is devoid of the devotion to Hari is not able even to save himself. If anybody takes unknowingly the remains of an offering (such as flowers) made to Visnu, [ p. 962 ] he will certainly be freed from all the sins incurred in his seven births. And if he does this knowingly and with intense devotion, he will certainly be freed of all sorts of sins incurred in his Koti births. So, O Indra! I am a devotee of S’rî Hari. And when you have cast away the Pârijâta to flower offered by me on the elephant’s head, then I say unto you that the Mahâ Laksmî will leave you and She will go back to Nârâyana. I am highly devoted to Nârâyana; so I do not fear anybody, I fear neither the Creator, nor Kâla, the Destroyer, nor old age, nor death; what to speak of other petty persons! I do not fear your father Prajâpati Kas’yapa nor do I fear your family priest Brihaspati. Now he, on whose head there lies the flower Pârijâta offered by me, verily he should be worshipped by all means.” Hearing these words of Durvâsâ, Indra became bewildered with fear, and being greatly distressed and holding the feet of Muni, cried out loudly. He said :— “The curse is now well inflicted on me; and it has caused my delusion to vanish. Now I do not want back my Râja Laksmî from you; instruct me on knowledge. This wealth is the source of all coils; it is the cause of the veil to all knowledge, it hides the final liberation and it is a great obstacle on the way to get the highest devotion.”
47-67. The Muni said :—“This birth, death, old age, disease, and afflictions, all come from wealth and the manipulation of great power. Being blind by the darkness of wealth, he does not see the road to Mukti. The stupid man that is intoxicated with wealth is like the one that is intoxicated with wine. Surrounded by many friends, he is surrounded by the unbreakable bondage. The man that is intoxicated with wealth, blind with property and overwhelmed with these things has no thought for the real knowledge. He who is Râjasik, is very much addicted to passions and desires; he never sees the path to Sattvaguna. The man that is blind with sense-objects is of two kinds, firstly, Râjasik and secondly Tâmasik. He who has no knowledge of the S’âstras is Tâmasik and he who has the knowledge of the S’âstras is Râjasik. O Child of the Devas! Two paths are mentioned in the S’âstras; one is Pravritti, going towards the sense objects and the other is Nivritti, going away from them. The Jîvas first follow the path of Pravritti, the path that is painful, gladly and of their own accord like a mad man. As bees, blind with the desire of getting honey, go to the lotus bud and get themselves entangled there, so the Jîvas, the embodied souls, desirous first of getting enjoyments come to this very painful circle of births and deaths, this worldly life, which in the end is realised as vapid and the only cause of old age, death, and sorrow and get themselves enchained there.
[ p. 963 ]
For many births he travels gladly in various wombs, ordained by his own Karmas, till at last by the favour of gods, he comes in contact with the saints. Thus one out of a thousand or out of a hundred finds means to cross this terrible ocean of world. When the saintly persons kindle the lamp of knowledge and show the way to Mukti, then the Jîva makes an attempt to sever this bondage to the world. After many births, many austerities and many fastings, he then finds safely the way to Mukti, leading to the highest happiness. O Indra! What you asked me, I thus heard from my Guru.” O Nârada! hearing the words of the Muni Durvâsâ Indra became dispassionate towards the Samsâra. Day by day his feeling of dispassion increased. One day, when he returned to his own home from the hermitage of the Muni, he saw the Heavens overspread by the Daityas and it had become terrible. At some places outrage and oppression knew no bounds; some places were devoid of friends; at some places, some persons had lost their fathers, mothers, wives, relations; so no rest and repose could be found. Thus, seeing the Heavens in the hands of the enemies, Indra went out in quest of Brihaspati, the family preceptor of the Devas. Seeking to and fro Indra ultimately went to the banks of the Mandâkinî and saw that the Guru Deva had bathed in the waters of the Mandâkinî and sitting with his face turned towards the East towards the Sun, was meditating on Para Brahmâ, Who has His faces turned everywhere. Tears were flowing from his eyes and the hairs of the body stood erect with delight. He was elderly in knowledge; the spiritual Teacher of all, religious, served by all great men; he was held as most dear to all the friends. Those who are Jñânins regard him as their Guru. He was the eldest of all his brothers; he was considered as very unpopular to the enemies of the Devas. Seeing the family priest Brihaspati merged in that state of meditation, Indra waited there. When after one Prahara (three hours), the Guru Deva got up, Indra bowed down to his feet and began to weep and cry out repeatedly. Then he informed his Guru about his curse from a Brâhmin, his acquiring the true knowledge as so very rare, and the wretched state of Amarâvatî, wrought by the enemies.
68-92. O Best of Brâhmanas! Hearing thus the words of the disciple, the intelligent speaker Brihaspati spoke with his eyes reddened out of anger. “O Lord of the Devas! I have heard everything that you said; do not cry; have patience; hear attentively what I say. The wise politicians of good behaviour, with moral precepts, never lose their heads and get themselves distressed in times of danger. Nothing is everlasting; whether property or adversity; all are transient; [ p. 964 ] they only give troubles. All are under one’s own Karma; one is master of one’s own Karma. What had been done in previous births, so one will have to reap the fruits afterwards. (Therefore property or adversity, all are due to one’s own Karma.) This happens to all persons eternally, births after births. Pain and happiness are like the ring of a rolling wheel. So what pain is there? It is already stated that one’s own Karma must be enjoyed in this Holy Bhârata. The man enjoys the effects of his own Karmas, auspicious or inauspicious. Never the Karma gets exhausted in one hundred Koti Kalpas, without their effects being enjoyed. The Karma, whether auspicious or inauspicious must be enjoyed. Thus it is stated in the Vedas and as well by S’rî Krisna, the Supreme Spirit. Bhagavân S’rî Krisna addressed Brahmâ, the lotus-born, in the Sâma Veda Sâkhâ that all persons acquire their births, whether, in Bhârata or in any other country, according to the Karma that he had done. The course of a Brâhmana comes though this Karma; and the blessings of a Brâhmana come again by this Karma. By Karma one gets great wealth and prosperity and by Karma again one gets poverty. You may take one hundred Koti births; the fruit of Karma must follow you. O Indra! The fruit of Karma follows one like one’s shadow. Without enjoyment, that can never die. The effects of Karma become increased or decreased according to time, place, and the person concerned. As you will give away anything to persons, of different natures, in different times and in different places, your merit acquired will also vary accordingly. Gifts made on certain special days bring in Koti times the fruits (merits, punyam) or infinite times or even more than that. Again gifts, similar in nature, made in similar paces yield punyam the same, in character also. Gifts made in different countries yield punyams, Koti times, infinite times, or even more than that. But similar things given to similar persons yield similar punyams. As the grains vary in their natures as the fields differ, so gifts made to different persons yield different grades of punyas infinitely superior or infinitely inferior as the case may be.
Giving things to a Brâhmana on any ordinary day yields simple punya only. But if the gift be made to a Brahmân on an Amavasyâ day (new moon day) or on a Sankrânti day (the day when the Sun enters another’s sign) then hundred times more punyam is acquired. Again charities made on the Châturmâsya period (the vow that lasts for four months in the rainy season) or on the full moon day, yield infinite punyams. So charities made on the occasion of the lunar eclipses yield Koti times the result and if made on the occasion of the solar eclipse yield ten times more punyams. Charities made on Aksayaya Tritîyâ or the Navamî day yield infinite and endless results. So charities on other holy days yield religious merits [ p. 965 ] higher than those made on ordinary days. As charities made on holy days yield religious merits, so bathing, reciting mantrams, and other holy acts yield meritorious results. As superior results are obtained by pious acts; inferior results are obtained by impious acts. As an earthen potter makes pots, jars, etc., out of the earth with the help of rod, wheel, earthen cups or plates and motion, so the Creator awards respective fruits to different persons, by the help of this thread (continuity) of Karma. Therefore if you want to have cessation of this fruition of Karma, then worship Nârâyana, by whose command all these things of Nature are created. He is the Creator of even Brahmâ, the Creator, the Preserver of Visnu, the Preserver, the Destroyer of S’iva, the Destroyer and the Kâla (the great Time) of Kâla (the Time). S’ankara has said :— He who remembers Madhusûdana (a name of Visnu) in great troubles, his dangers cease and happiness begins.” O Nârada! The wise Brihaspati thus advised Indra and then embraced him and gave him his hearty blessings and good wishes.
Here ends the Fortieth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the birth of Laksmî in the discourse of Nârada and Nârâyana in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.