Chapter IV
On the hymns to the Great Devi by Visnu
1-20. Brahma said :– Thus speaking, Bhagavan Janardana Visnu spoke to me again :–“Come, let us bow down to Her again and again and let us go to Her. We shall reach at Her feet fearlessly and we will chant hymns to Her; Maha Maya will be pleased with us and will grant us boons. If the guards at the entrance prevent us from going, we would stand at the gateway and we will chant hymns to the Devi with one mind.”
Brahma said :– When Hari addressed us in the above way, we two became choked by intense feelings of joy; our voice became tremulous and we waited there for some time; our hearts were elated with joy to go to Her. We then accepted Hari’s word said “Om” and got down from our car and went with hastened steps and with fear to the gate. Seeing us standing at the gateway, the Devi Bhagavati smiled and within an instant transformed us three into females. We looked beautiful and youthful women, adorned with nice ornaments; thus we greatly wondered and went to Her. Seeing us standing at Her feet in feminine forms, the beautiful Devi Bhagavati, looked on us with eyes of affection. We then bowed to the great Devi, looked at one another and stood before Her in that feminine dress. We three, then, began to see the pedestal of the great Devi, shining with the lustre of ten million Suns and decorated with various gems and jewels. We next discerned that thousands and thousands of attendants are waiting on Her. Some of them are wearing red dress; some blue dress, some yellow dress; thus the Deva girls, variously dressed were serving Her and standing by Her side. They were dancing, singing on and playing with musical instruments and were gladly chanting hymns in praise of the Devi. O Narada !We saw there another wonderful thing. Listen. We saw the whole universe, moving and non-moving within the nails of the lotus feet of the Devi. We saw there myself, Visnu, Rudra, Vayu, Agni, Yama, Moon, Sun, Varuna, Tvasta, Indra, Kuvera and other Devas, Apsaras, Gandarbhas, rivers, oceans, mountains, Visvavasus Chitraketu, Sveta, Chitrangada, Narada, Tumburu, Ha Ha Hu Hu and other Gandarbhas, the twin ASvins, the eight Vasus, Sadhyas, Siddhas, the Pitris, Ananta and other Nagas, Kinnaras, Uragas, Raksasas, the abode of Vaikuntha, the abode of Brahma, KailaSa mountain, the best of all mountains; all were existing there. Within that nail of the toe were, reflected all the things of the Universe. The lotus whence I was born, the four faced Brahma like myself on that lotus, Bhagavan Jagannath lying on that bed of Ananta, the two Demons Madhu Kaitabha, all I saw there.
21-31. Seeing all these wonderful things within the nails of Her lotus feet, I became greatly surprised and thought timidly :– “What are all these !” My companions Visnu and Sankara were struck with wonder. We three, then, made out that She was our Mother of the universe.
Thus full one hundred years passed away in seeing the various glories of the Devi in the auspicious nectar-like Mani Dvipa; as long we were there, Her attendants, the Deva girls adorned with various ornaments gladly considered us as Sakhis. We, too, were greatly fascinated by their enchanting gestures and postures. For that reason, we saw always their beautiful movements with great gladness. Once, on an occasion, Bhagavan Visnu, while He was in that feminine form, chanted hymns in praise of the great Devi Sri Bhuvanes`vari.
Sri Bhagavan said :– Salutation to the Devi Prakriti, the Creatrix; I bow down again and again to Thee. Thou art all-auspicious and grantest the desires of Thy devotees; Thou art of the nature of Siddhi (success) and Vriddhi (increase). I bow down again and again to Thee. I
bow down to the World Mother, Who is of the nature of Everlasting Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. O Devi ! Thou createst, preservest and destroyest this Universe; Thou dost the Pralaya (the great Dissolution) and showest favour to the created beings. Thus Thou art the Authoress of the above five fold things that are done; so, O BhuvaneSvari, I bow down to Thee ! Thou art the great efficient and material cause of the changeful. Thou art the Unchangeable, Immoveable Consciousness; Thou art the half letter (Ardhamatra), Hrillekha (the consciousness that ever pervades both inside and outside the Universe); Thou art the Supreme Soul and the individual soul. Salutation again and again to Thee.
O Mother ! I now realise fully well that this whole Universe rests on Thee; it rises from Thee and again melts away in Thee. The creation of this Universe shews Thy infinite force. Verily, Thou art become Thyself all these Lokas (regions). During the time of creation Thou createst the two formless elements akasa and Vayu and the three elements with form, fire, water, and earth; then with these Thou createst the whole Universe and shewest this to the Enjoyer Purusa, who is of the nature of consciousness, for His satisfaction. Thou again dost become the material cause of the twentythree (23) Tattvas, Mahat, etc., as enumerated in the Sankhya system and appearest to us like a mirage.
32. O Mother ! Were it not for Thee, no object would be visible, Thou pervadest the whole Universe. It is for this reason that those persons that are wise declare that even the Highest Purusa can do no work without Thy aid.
33-34. O Devi ! Thou createst and art giving satisfaction to the whole Universe by Thy power; again at the time of Pralaya Thou swallowest forcibly all these that are seen. So, O Devi ! Who can fathom Thy powers? O Mother ! Thou didst save us from the hands of Madhu and Kaitabha. Then Thou hast brought us to this Mani Dvipa and shewed us Thy own form, all the extended regions and immense powers and given us exquisite delight and joy. This is the highest place of happiness.
35-37. O Mother ! When I Myself, Sankara and Brahma or any one of us is unable to fathom Thy inconceivable glory, who else can then ascertain? O Bhavani ! Who knows, how many more than the several regions that we saw reflected in thy nails of Thy feet, exist in Thy creation. O One endowed with infinitely great powers ! O Devi ! we saw another Visnu, another Hara, another Brahma, all of great celebrity in the Universe exhibited by Thee; who knows how many other such Brahmas, etc., exist in Thy other Universes ! Thy glory is infinite. O Mother ! I bow down again and again to Thy lotus feet and pray to Thee that may Thy this form exist always in my mind. May my mouth always utter Thy name and may my two eyes see always Thy lotus feet.
38-43. O Revered One ! May I remember Thee as my Goddess and may’st Thou constantly look on myself as Thy humble servant. O Mother ! What more shall I say than this :– May this relation as mother and son always exist between Thee and me. O World-Mother ! There is nothing in this world that is not known to Thee for Thou art omniscient. So O Bhavani ! What more shall my humble self declare to Thee ! Now dost Thou do whatever Thou desirest. O Devi ! The rumour goes that Brahma is the Creator, Visnu is the Preserver, and MaheSvara is the Destroyer ! Is this true? O Eternal One ! It is through Thy Will power, through Thy force, that we create, preserve and destroy. O Daughter of the Himalaya mountain ! The earth is supporting this Universe; it is Thy endless might that is holding all this made of five elements. O Grantress of boons ! It is through Thy power and lustre that the Sun is lustrous and becomes visible. Though Thou art the attributeless Self, yet by Thy Mayic power Thou appearest in the form of this Prapancha Universe. When Brahma, MaheSa, and I myself take
birth by Thy power and are not eternal, what more can be said of Indra and other Devas than this that they are mere temporary things and created. It is only Thou that art Eternal, Ancient Prakriti and the Mother of this Universe. O Bhavani ! Now I realise from my remaining with Thee, that it is Thou that dost impart, out of mercy, the Brahma vidya to the ancient Purusa; and thus He can realise His eternal nature. Otherwise He will remain always under delusion that He is the Lord, He is the Purusa without beginning, that He is good and the Universal Soul, and thus suffers under various forms of egoism (Ahamkara).
Thou art the Vidya of the intelligent persons and the Sakti of the be¬ings endowed with force; Thou art Kirti (fame), Kanti (lustre), Kamala (wealth) and the spotless Tusti (peace, happiness). Amongst men, Thou art the dispassion, leading to Mukti (complete freedom from bondage). Thou art the Gayatri, the mother of the Vedas; and Thou art Svaha, Svadha, etc. Thou art the Bhagavati, of the nature of the three Gunas; Thou art the half matra (half the upper stroke of a letter), the fourth state, transcending the Gunas. It is Thou that givest always the Sastras for the preservation of the Devas and the Brahmanas. It is Thou that hast expanded and manifested this whole phenomenon of the visible Universe for the liberation of the embodied souls (Jivas), the parts of the pure holy Brahman, the Full, the Beginningless, the Deathless, forming the waves of the lnfinite expanse of ocean. When the Jiva comes to know internally and becomes thoroughly conscious that all this is Thy work, Thou createst and destroyest, that all this is Thy Mayic pastime, false, like the parts of an actor in a theatrical play, then and then only he desists for ever from his part in this Theatre of world. O Mother ! O Destroyer of the greatest difficulties ! I always take refuge unto Thee. Thou dost save me from this ocean of Samsara, full of Moha (delusion). Let Thou be my Saviour when my end will come, from these infinitely troublesome and unreal pains arising from love and hatred. Obeisance to Thee ! O Devi ! O Maha vidya ! I fall prostrate at Thy feet. O Thou, the Giver of all desires ! O Auspicious One ! Dost Thou give the knowledge that is All-Light to Me.
Thus ends the fourth chapter of the Third Skandha on the hymns to the Great Devi by Visnu in the Mahapurana Srimad Devi Bhagavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyas.