Was Narada Married? part 2

[Paramananda das]

All 18 mahapuranas are transcendental, being authored by Sri Vyasadev. All
18 are quoted by our Gaudiya Vaishnava acaryas in various contexts. When the
puranas are subdivided into sattvic, rajasic and tamasic, that is to
indicate the primary target audience, not the quality of the composition.

Your servant, Bhaktarupa Das
Well said Bhakta Rupa Prabhu. I found 5 chapters in the 6 canto of Devi Bhagavat chapter 26 to 31, it is a conversation between Narada and Srila Vyasadeva ,just after
the battle of Kuruksetra, Narada Muni explains how he asked Lord Visnu to see His maya, and Lord Visnu placed Him in maya 2 times so he got married once and second time became a female and got married to a king ,and after these , he had full remembrance of the Moha he had been placed in,I am including these chapters here.There might
be better translations but the online version I found gives a clear picture ,the chapter 26 of the 6canto of Devi Bagavat has two mistakes that must clearly be a mistake, the conversation between Parvata Muni and Narada Muni makes them sounds like mundane persons and there is some mention they where served meat ,both are certainly gross mistakes, but besides these the 4 chapters are very clear and specific, and as Devi Bhagavat is the writing of Srila Vyasadeva, it should be accepted as authorized..
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/db/index.htm
your servant
Paramananda  das

 
THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXVI

On the description by Nârada of his own Moha

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1-13. Vyâsa said :-- O King! When I asked him why this delusion overtook me, Maharsi Nârada smiled and said :-- “O son of Parâs’ara! You are thoroughly acquainted with all the Purânas. Why then are you making this question about the cause of my Moha (delusion). No embodied soul can exist in this Samsâra without this Moha. Brahmâ, Visnu, Rudra, and the other Devas, S’anaka, Kapila and the other Risis, all these are surrounded by Mâyâ and are thus travelling in this path of Samsâra. The people know me as a Jñânin; but I, too, am deluded like an ordinary man. I am now speaking to you as certain as anything my of previous history now. I was deluded by Mâyâ; hear it attentively. O Son of Vâsavî! Great troubles and pains were felt by me before, due to this Moha, for my wife. One day Parvata and I, the two Devarsis, went out together from the Devaloka to see the excellent portion of the earth named Bhârata and came to the Martyaloka or the land of the mortals. We then began to travel over various places and saw the places of pilgrimages and the holy places and the beautiful hermitages of the Munis. Before we went out from the Devaloka, we consulted with each other and entered into this agreement that we would not hide our feelings from each other, whether they be good or bad, while we would travel over the face of the earth. Whether it be our desire to get food, or wealth or women for enjoyment, whatever arises in the mind of any of us, we would express that freely amongst ourselves. Thus making an agreement, we went out in right earnest as Munis to travel over the face of this earth. Thus roaming all over the face of the earth, at the end of the summer season, when the rainy season commenced we came to the beautiful city of the King named S’anjaya. The King showed us great respect and worshipped us with devotion. Since then we remained for four months at his house.

14-33. During the four months of the rainy season, the roads are always almost impassable; it is, therefore, wise to stay at one place. For eight months, the Dvîjas should always remain abroad on some work

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or other. Thinking all these, we two began to stay in the house of the King S’anjaya. That liberal minded King gladly and with respect kept us as his guests and tendered to us all our requirements. The King had a very beautiful daughter named Damayantî, with good teeth. The King ordered her to take care of us. That large-eyed princess, of great discrimination, was very energetic, day and night. She began to serve both of us. In due time she gave us water for our bath, excellent meat, food, towels for cleaning and rubbing our faces, in fact, everything what we desired. She kept ready for us whatever we desired, fans, seats, beds, whatever were necessary for us. Thus she began to serve. We were also engaged in the study of our Vedas and in those practises that were approved by the Vedas. O Dvaipâyana! I used to sing, then, with lute in my hands, the sweet lovely Sâma Gâyatrî songs in tunes and good Svaras. The princess herself appreciated the songs and when she heard these Sâma songs ravishing to one’s mind, she became attached to me and showed signs of affection. Day by day the attachment towards me grew stronger. Seeing her attached to me, my mind also became attached to her. Thus that princess indulged in amorous sentiments towards me and began to make slight distinctions between the food and other things offered to me and Parvata. I got warm water for my bath and Parvata used to get cold water; I got nice curds when food was served to me whereas Parvata got only whey. I got nice white bedding for myself to sleep on whereas Parvata had merely a dirty sheet to lie down. Thus the princess began to serve me with great love and devotion but not so she served Parvata. The fair lady began to look at me with eyes of love; not so towards Parvata. Parvata was very much surprised to see all this and thought within himself, “What is this?” Parvata, then, asked me in private :-- “O Nârada! Speak out to me truly in detail. The princess shews with much gladness and affection her deep love towards you; she serves you with dainty dishes but she behaves not so with me. I therefore suspect when I see all these distinctions made between you and me, that the daughter of the King S’anjaya wants with her heart and soul to make you her husband. And you also want to make her your wife. 1 have come to know this by signs and symptoms; for affection and love reigning inside can be made out by outward expressions of eyes and face. Whatever this be, O Muni! Now speak truly to me; do never tell a lie. When we went out from the Heavens, we made out that agreement; now remember that.”

34-42. Nârada said :-- Thus questioned suddenly by Parvata, I became very much abashed and said :-- “O Parvata! This large-eyes princess is ready to marry me and I am also very much attracted towards

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her.” When Parvata heard all these, he became very much angry and uttered repeatedly, “Fie! O Nârada! Fie! O Nârada! First you swore on oath and then you deceived me afterwards. Therefore, O Deceiver of friends! I curse you and let your face become that of a monkey.” When the high-souled Parvata cursed thus, the face turned immediately into that of a monkey, elongated and distorted. I did not excuse him, though he was my sister’s son. I also got angry and cursed him, “Certainly, your journey to the Heavens will be stopped. You will not be able to go to Heaven. O Parvata! When you cursed me so heavily for so trivial a fault of mine, I see you are very mean. Whatever it be, you will have to remain on earth so long.” At this Parvata became very sad and went out of the city. My face became immediately like that of a monkey. The daughter of the King became very sorry to see my face thus distorted into that of a monkey. I did not see her glad as she was before; but her desire to hear my playing with my lute remained the same as before.

43-52. Vyâsa said :-- O Muni! What happened next? How did you get yourself rid of your curse and how did you get your man-like face? Whither did Parvata Risi go! When and how did you again re-unite with each other? Kindly describe all these to me in detail. Nârada said :-- “O Highly Intelligent One! What shall I say about the nature of Mâyâ? When Parvata went away angrily, the daughter of the King began to serve me with greater care than before. I remained there, though Parvata went away, and seeing my face monkey-like, I became very dejected and sorry and was specially troubled with the care and anxiety what would happen to me hereafter? The King S’anjaya saw that his daughter Damayantî was slipping into her youth and asked the prime minister about her marriage. He said :-- “The time of marriage of my dear daughter has now come; I will now marry her in accordance with due rites and ceremonies. Now tell me particularly about a prince worthy of her, as we like, in beauty, qualifications, largeheartedness, calmness, patience and heroism and who is of a good family.” The minister said :-- “O King! There are many princes on the face of this earth, worthy in all respects, of your daughter. Whomever you like, you can call on him and give him your daughter with elephants, horses, chariots, wealth, gems and jewels.”

53-57. Damayantî, knowing the intention of his father informed the King of her own desire by her nurse and attendant. The nurse went to the King and said :-- “When my father will sit at his ease and comfort you would go and speak to him in private that I am enchanted with the

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enchanting Nâda sound of the great lute played by the Maharsi Nârada and have selected him as my bridegroom. No other person will be dear to me. O Father! Marry me with Nârada and thus fulfil my desire; O Knower of Dharma! I won’t marry anybody but Nârada. O Father! I am now merged in the Nâda-ocean (sound ocean) of bliss, sweet and joyful, void of anything destructive of happiness, void of Nakra, alligators, and fishes, Timingala, etc. (injurious animals) and without any salty taste; my mind won’t be satisfied with any other thing.”

Here ends the Twenty sixth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the description by Nârada of his own Moha in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa
THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXVII

On the marriage of Nârada and his face getting transformed into that of a monkey

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1-13. Nârada said :-- On hearing these words of her daughter from her nurse, the King addressed the queen Kaikeyî, of lovely eyes, standing close by, thus :-- “Have you heard what the nurse has said? Damayantî has mentally chosen the monkey-faced Nârada as her husband. What has she thought? Whatever it be, it is no doubt, an act of great foolishness. His face is monkey-like; how can I betroth my daughter to him? Where is an ugly beggar Nârada? And where is my daughter Damayantî? The marriage between them is quite unjust; never it should take place. O Beautiful One of good hairs! Better call her before you in private and show her reasons approved of the S’âstras and of the aged persons and make her desist from such a rash course.” On hearing her husband’s words, the mother of Damayantî called her in private and said :-- “O Child! Where is your this beautiful face? And where is the monkey-like face of Nârada? You are smart and quick; how have you been, then, deluded by such a Moha? O Child! You are the daughter of a king! Your body is gentle like a creeper. And Nârada always besmears his body with ashes; so his body is very rough. O Spotless One! How will you change your words with him? Why do you shew your attachment to an ugly person? What pleasure do you feel thereby? You would be married to a beautiful prince; never follow this rash course; your father is very sorry to hear these from your nurse. O One of soft body! Judge this yourself, what intelligent man is there that is not sorry at the soft Mâlatî creeper entwining a thorny tree? Even a stupid silly man would never

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feed a camel, that likes thorns, with soft betel-leaves. When your marriage time arrives, say yourself, who will not be sorry to see you going to Nârada and embracing him by his arms! Nobody likes to speak with an ugly faced one; how will you be able to spend your time with him till your death!”

14-29. Nârada said :-- On hearing the mother’s words, the gentle Damayantî, with her mind intently fixed on me, spoke to her mother, very much depressed in her spirits. “O Mother! What good face and beautiful form will avail, who is not in the path of love and who is quite ignorant of amorous feelings and sentiments! And what will the wealth and kingdoms of that unskilled illiterate person avail! The deer, that roam in the forest, getting enchanted by the Nâda (sound) Rasa, give up their lives even to the singers. So they are fortunate. But fie to the persons who are illiterate and void of feelings of love! O Mother! Nârada Risi is well conversant with the science of music with seven Svaras. No other man save Mahâ Deva knows this. Living with an illiterate person is courting death at every moment. One devoid of qualifications should be always avoided, by all means, though he be wealthy and of a beautiful form. Fie on the friendship with kings that are illiterate and puffed up with vain arrogance! A well-qualified man, be he even a beggar, is far better to be cultivated friendship with. Leaving other circumstances out of account, even to change words with such a well qualified man, makes one highly delighted. The man is very rare in this world, though he be weak, if he be well versed in the science of music and if he knows Svara, Grâma, Murchchanâ and be skilled in eight sentiments of love. [Note :-- Svara - Sadaja, Risabha, Gândhâra, Madhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nisâda. Grâma - the gradual increase and decrease in Svaras. Murchchana - the rising of sounds, an intonation; a duly regulated rise and fall of sound conducting the air and the harmony through the keys in a pleasing manner; changing the key or passing from one key to another; modulation; melody]. The man versed in the knowledge of Svara leads one to the Heaven of Kailâs’a as the rivers Ganges and Sarasvatî by their own merits lead one to Kailâs’a. There is not the least doubt in this. He is a Deva in his human body who knows the Svara measure; and he who does not know the Svara and its seven grades is a beast though he has a human form - he who finds no delight when he hears the tune regulated by Murchchanâ and the seven Svaras. Do not consider the deer as beasts for they get enchanted when they hear the musical notes. The venomous snakes, though they have no ears, get delighted to hear the enchanting Svara Nâda by their eyes. They even are to be praised;

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but fie on those human beings who have ears but who do not find any delight when they hear the Nâda! The little children feel intense pleasure to hear the music, but fie, fie on those elders who are void of this musical sentiments! Does not my father know that Nârada is ornamented with many qualifications? Who is there in the three worlds like him in singing the Sâma songs! For this very reason, indeed! I have already selected him as my husband; afterwards, due to a curse, the Muni, the ocean of qualifications, got his face changed into that of a monkey. The Kinnaras, skilled in the science of music, have their faces horse-like; but are they not dear to all? What business have they to get good faces? They enchant the Devas even by their sweet ravishing songs. O Mother! Kindly tell my father that I have already chosen Nârada as my husband. Therefore let him deliver me to his hands, without making any further requests in this matter.”

30-40. Nârada said :-- On hearing the words of her daughter Damayantî, that unblameable pure queen knowing her attachment deep towards me, spoke to the King thus :-- “O King! Now celebrate in an auspicious day and on an auspicious moment the auspicious marriage of Damayantî; the daughter has said that she has already selected Nârada as her bridegroom and it cannot be other-wise.” Thus prompted by the queen, the King S’anjaya performed the marriage ceremony of her daughter in accordance with due rites and customs and in an exceedingly becoming manner. O Risi! Thus I entered into the married life and remained there though my heart constantly burned with the thought of my monkey-face. Whenever the princess used to come to me for my service, I used to get tormented with the remembrance of my monkey-face; but her face beamed with gladness whenever she saw me; never she became sorry nor dejected, even for a moment, to see my face monkey-like. Thus time passed on. One day the Muni Parvata suddenly came there, after making his sojourn to many places of pilgrimages. I showed him a great respect and gladly loved him and greeted him duly; he got himself seated in an excellent Âsana and became very sorry to see me. I am his uncle and have entered into a married life; my face has become monkey-like. Therefore I am very much depressed in spirits and worried with the sad thought and has become lean and thin. Seeing this he was overwhelmed with pity. He then said :-- “O Muni! The curse that I cast on you before out of my anger, I now withdraw. Hear. O Maharsi! Let your face be by my merits, again as good as it was before; I now feel pity for the daughter of the King.”

41-52. Hearing thus, my heart also became gentle and instantly with a view to free him of my curse, I said :-- “Let your journey to

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the Heavens be re-established. I now make this special favour on you as regards my curse on you before.” O Dvaipâyana! At his word, before our sight, my face became exceedingly handsome as it was before. The princess Damayantî became very glad and instantly she went to the mother and said :-- “O Mother! At the word of Parvata, the great Muni, the curse of your son-in-law has been removed and his face has become handsome as before and the lustre of his body has also increased.” The queen was very much filled with ecstasy and joy at Damayantî’s words and went hurriedly and informed the King. The King S’anjaya gladly went at once to see the Muni. The great King became very glad and gave lots of wealth, gems and jewels to me and my nephew Parvata as a dowry. O Dvaipâyana! Thus I have described to you my old story how I felt the strong influence of Mâyâ. O Fortunate One! Owing to the illusory nature of the Gunas, like a magic, no embodied being in this world could have been happy before, or he is happy now or he will be happy hereafter. Lust, anger, greed, jealousy, attachment, egoism, and vanity, each one of these is very powerful; nobody is able to conquer these. O Muni! The three Gunas Sâttva, Râjas and Tâmas are the entire causes of the coming into this bodily existence of every being. O Dvaipâyana! Once I was passing with Bhagavân Visnu, laughing and joking, making merriments through a forest, when suddenly I was transformed into a woman. Next I became the wife of a king enchanted by Mâyâ, I remained in his house and gave birth to many children.

53-56. Vyâsa said :-- O Devarsi! A great doubt has now arisen in my mind at your word. O Muni! You are very wise; how then did you get womanhood; how again did you regain your manhood? Who was the king at whose house you stayed and how did you give birth to children; describe fully and satisfy my curiosity. Describe to me, now, the nature of Mâyâ, extremely wonderful, by which this entire universe, moving and non-moving, all are enchanted. O Muni! Though I have heard your nectar-like words, capable to remove all the doubts, embodying the essence of all the S’âstras, yet I am not fully satiated.

Here ends the Twenty-seventh Chapter of the Sixth Book on the marriage of Nârada and his face getting transformed into that of a monkey in S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXVIII

On Nârada’s getting the feminine form

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1-11. Nârada said :-- O Thou whose only wealth consists in asceticism! I am now describing to you all those good stories; hear attentively. O Muni! This Mâyâ and Her Power are incomprehensible even by those who are the foremost amongst the Yogins. This whole Universe, moving and non-moving, from Brahmâ to the blade of grass, is enchanted by that Unborn and Incomprehensible Mâyâ; therefore no one can escape from the hands of that Mâyâ. One day I wanted to see Hari, of wonderful deeds, and went out with lute in my hand from Satyaloka, to the lovely S’veta Dvîpa (the residence of Visnu) singing the beautiful Sâma hymns in tune with the seven Svaras. I saw there Gadâdhara, the Deva of the Devas, with four arms holding disc in one of his hands. He resembled a newly-formed rain-cloud of S’yâma colour. He was illumined with the lustre of the Kaustubha jewel in his breast. He was wearing an yellow apparel. His head was beautified with a lustrous crown. Thus the Bhagavân Nârâyana was playing in amorous movements with the daughter of the ocean, fully capable to give one delight and enjoyment. Seeing me, the lovely Devî Kamalâ, dear to Vâsudeva, full of youth and beauty, decorated with ornaments, endowed with all auspicious signs, superior to all the women, went away at once (to another room) from the presence of Janârdana. The breast of Laksmî Devî was becoming visible even through the cloth thrown over it; therefore she went hurriedly to the inner compartment. Seeing this I asked Janârdana, the Deva of the Devas, the Lord of the worlds, and holding a garland of forest grown flowers thus :-- “O Bhagavân! O Slayer of Mura! O Padmanâbha! Why has Kamalâ Devî, the Mother of all the Lokas, on seeing me coming here, gone out of Your presence. O Lord of the worlds! I am not a rogue nor a cheat; I have conquered my passions and am become an ascetic; I have conquered even Mâyâ. Therefore O Deva! What is the cause of the departure of the Kamalâ Devî from here? Kindly explain this to me.”

12-20. Nârada said :-- O Dvaipâyana! Hearing my words, expressive of my pride, Janârdana smiled and spoke to me in words sweet like the sound of a lute :-- “O Nârada! The rule in such cases is this :-- The wife of any man whatsoever ought not to stay before any other male outsider than her husband. O Nârada! It is very hard to conquer Mâyâ; even those, who by Prânâyâma have conquered their Prâna Vâyu, their organs of senses and their food, even those Sâmkhya Yogins and the Devas are not able to conquer Mâyâ. The words that you have just now uttered that you

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have conquered Mâyâ are not fit to come out of your mouth; for by your knowledge of music, it seems that you are enchanted with the sounds of the music. Brahmâ, I, S’iva, and the other Munis, none of us has been able as yet to conquer that Unborn Mâyâ; how, then, can it be possible that you or any other man can conquer that Mâyâ! Any embodied being, be he a Deva, a human being, or a bird, no one is able to conquer that Mâyâ Unborn. Whoever is endowed with the three Gunas, be he a knower of the Vedas, or a Yogin, or conqueror of his passions, or all knowing, is not able to conquer Mâyâ. The Great Time (Kâla) though formless, is one form of Mâyâ and fashions this universe. All the Jîvas are subservient to this Kâla, be he a good literary person, or of a mediocre nature, or an illiterate brute. This Kâla sometimes makes even a religious man that knows Dharma confounded and deluded; so you know the nature of Mâyâ is very incomprehensible and Her ways mysterious.” (Note: This Kâla is of the fourth dimension, time and space.)

21-23. O Dvaipâyana! Thus saying, Visnu stopped. I was greatly astonished and asked that Eternal Vâsudeva, the Deva of the Devas, the Lord of the World, “O Lord of Ramâ! What is the form of Mâyâ? How is She? What is the measure of Her strength? Where She resides? Whose substratum is She? Kindly tell these to me. O Preserver of the Universe! I am greatly desirous to see Mâyâ; Shew Her to me quickly. O Lord of Ramâ! I am very eager to know Mâyâ. Be graciously pleased to describe tome the glory of Mâyâ.”

24-36. Visnu said :-- Mâyâ resides everywhere throughout this whole Universe; Her nature consists of the three Gunas; She is the substratum of all; She is omniscient, and acknowledged by all; invisible, and of diverse forms. O Nârada! If you want to see Mâyâ, then come quickly and mount with me on Garuda; we both will go elsewhere and I will shew you that Mâyâ, invincible by those who have not conquered themselves. O Son of Brahmâ! Don’t be depressed when you see Mâyâ. Thus saying, Janârdana Hari remembered Garuda and instantly he came to Hari. Janârdana mounted on him and gladly made me also get up on his back and took me with Him. In a moment Garuda, went, at his command, with the speed of wind to the forest where the Bhagavân desired to go. Mounting on Garuda we passed and saw on our way beautiful forests, nice lakes, rivers, towns, villages, huts of cultivators, towns close to the mountains, huts for cow-keepers in cowsheds, the beautiful hermitages of the Munis, lovely Jhils, tanks and lakes beautified with big lotuses, flocks of ewes, packs of wild boars, etc., till, at last, we came to a place close to Kanauj. I saw there a beautiful divine tank; nice lotuses blossomed there, spreading their sweet fragrance all around; the bees

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were making lovely humming noise and ravishing away the minds of men; various flowers, lilies, etc., were beautifying the place; Geese, Kârandavas, and Chakravâkas and other acquatic fowls were playing with their cackling noise, the water was very sweet like milk; the tank was defying, as it were the ocean. Seeing such a wonderful tank, the Bhagavân told me :-- “O Nârada! See, how beautiful is this deep tank with its clear waters, and adorned all over with lotuses! The sweet voiced flamingoes are roaming on the lake making lovely sounds!

37-54. We will bathe in this tank and then go to the city Kanauj. Thus saying, He made me descend quickly from Garuda and He himself also got down. Then the Bhagavân smilingly caught hold of my fore-finger and repeatedly praising the glory of the tank took me to its bank. We rested a while on the cool umbrageous beautiful bank when S’rî Bhagavân said :-- “O Muni! Better bathe you first in this tank; next I will bathe in this very holy pool of water. O Nârada! Look! Look! How clear crystal-like is the water of this pool like the heart of a saint; see how it smells also fragrantly in contact with the lotuses on it.” When the Bhagavân spoke thus to me; I kept my lute and deer skin aside and gladly went to the edge of the tank. Washing then my hands and feet I tied my hair lock and, taking Kus’a grass, I performed my Âchaman and, purifying myself, began to bathe myself in that tank. While I was bathing, Hari was looking at me; by the time I took a dip, I saw that I quitted my male form and got a beautiful female form. Hari took away, then, my deer skin and lute and mounting on Garuda went away in a moment to His own residence. Getting the female form and decorated with excellent ornaments, my memory of my previous male form vanished at once; I forgot all about my famous lute and forgot also Jagannâtha, the Deva of the Devas. I then came out of the tank in that enchanting woman form, saw the pool of water filled with clear limpid water and adorned with lotuses. Seeing that, I began to think :-- “What is this?” and I became very much astonished. While I was thus meditating in my woman form, a king, named Tâladhvaja, came there, all on a sudden, on a chariot, accompanied by numerous elephants and horses. The King looked like a second Cupid; he was decorated with various ornaments on his various limbs; he was just entering into his youth and he looked very enchanting. The King saw me at once and looking at me decked with divine ornaments and my moon-like face, was greatly astonished and asked me :-- “O Kalyâni! Who are you? Are you the daughter of a man or of a Nâga (serpent) or of a Gandharva or of a Deva? I see you are now in your youth; why are you alone here? O Lovely-eyed!

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Has any fortunate person married you? Or are you still unmarried? Speak all these truly to me. O Fair-haired One! What are you looking at in this tank? O One enchanting, as it were, like the Cupid! What is your desire? Say, O Slanting-eyed! My mind is ravished to hear your cuckoo-like voice. O One of thin waist! Choose me as your husband and enjoy various excellent things as you like.”

Here ends the Twenty-eighth Chapter of the Sixth Book on Nârada’s getting the feminine form in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXIX

On the Nârada’s getting again his male form

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1-11. Nârada said :-- O Dvaipâyana! When the King Tâladhvaja asked me thus, I thought over earnestly and said thus :-- “I do not know whose daughter I am; nor do I know quite certainly where are my father and mother; one man placed me here on this tank and has gone away, whither I do not know. O King! I am now an helpless orphan; what shall I do now? Where to go? What to do by which I can have my welfare? I am all the while thinking on these. O King! The Destiny is powerful; I have not the least control over it; you know Dharma and you are a King. Do now as you like. O King! Do nourish me; I have no father, no mother, nor any acquaintances and friends; there is no place for me also to stand on; therefore I am now your dependent.” When I spoke thus, the King looked at my face and became love-stricken for me; he then told his attendants to bring an excellent rectangular and spacious palanquin to be carried on four men’s shoulders, gilt and adorned with jewels and pearls, where soft sheets were spread inside and covered all over with silken cloths. Instantly the servants went away and brought for me a beautiful palanquin. I got on it to serve the best wishes of the King. The King also gladly took me home. In an auspicious day and in an auspicious moment he married me in accordance with due rites and ceremonies in the presence of the Holy Fire.

12. I became dearer to him than even his own life and the King, with great fondness, kept my name as Saubhâgya Sundarî.

13-20. The King then began to sport with me amorously according to the rules of the Kâma S’âstra in various ways and with great enjoyments and pleasures. He then left all his kingly duties and state affairs and he began to remain day and night with me deeply immersed in amorous sports;

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so much his mind was merged in me in these plays that he could not notice the long time that passed away in the interval. He used to drink the Vârunî wine and, forsaking all the state affairs, began to enjoy me in nice gardens, beautiful lakes, lovely palaces, beautified houses, excellent mountains and enviable forests and became completely subservient to me. O Dvaipâyana! Being incessantly engaged with the King in amorous sports and remaining obedient to him, my previous body, male ideas, or the birth of Muni, nothing whatsoever came in my memory. I remained always attached to him, being obedient to him with a view to be happy and I constantly thought over “that this King is very much attached to me, I am his dearest wife to all others; always he thinks of me, I am his chief consort, capable to give him enjoyment.” My mind became entirely his and I completely forgot the eternal Brahmajñân and the knowledge of the Dharma S’âstras.

21-31. O Muni! Thus engaged in various amorous sports, twelve years passed away as if a moment and I could not perceive that. Then I became pregnant; and the King became very glad and performed all the ceremonies pertaining to my impregnation and holding of the child in my womb. In order to satisfy me, the King used to ask me always what things I liked; I used to be very much abashed; seeing this, the King used to be still more glad. Ten months thus passed away and in an auspicious Lagna and when the asterism was favourably strong, I gave birth to a son; the King became very glad and great festivities were held on the birth ceremony of the child. O Dvaipâyana! When the period of the birth-impurity was over, the King saw the face of the child and was greatly delighted; I then became the dearest wife of the King. Two years after again I became impregnated; the second auspicious son was born. The King gave the name Sudhanvâ to the second son and on the authority of the Brâhmins, kept the name of the eldest son as Vîravarmâ. Thus I gave birth to twelve sons, in due course of time, to the King’s great liking; and I was engaged in rearing up those children and thus I remained enchanted. Again in due course, I gave birth to eight sons; thus my household was filled with happiness. The King performed the marriage ceremonies of all those children duly and befittingly; and our family became very large with sons and their wives.

32-52. Then I had some grandsons and they increased my attachment and the consequent delusion with their all sorts of playful sports. Sometimes I felt happy and prosperous and sometimes I felt pain and sorrow when my sons fell ill. Then my body and mind became very much troubled with sorrows. Again the quarrels amongst my sons and my daughters-in-

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law, brought terrible pain and remorse in my mind. O Best of Munis! Thus I was greatly immersed in the terrible ocean of these imaginary thoughts, sometimes happy and sometimes painful, and I forgot my previous knowledge and the knowledge of the S’âstras. I was merged in the thought of myself being a woman and lost myself entirely in doing the household affairs. I began to think “that I have so many daughters-in-law; so many powerful sons of mine are playing together in my house; Oh! I am fortunate and full of merits amongst women” and thus my egoistic pride increased. Not for a moment even occurred the thought that I had been Nârada; the Bhagavân had deceived me by His Mâyâ. O Krisna Dvaipâyana! I was deluded by Mâyâ and passed away my time in the thought “that I am the king’s wife, chaste and of good conduct following good Âchâra; I have so many sons and grandsons; I am blessed in this Samsâra and that I am so happy and prosperous.” One powerful king of a distant country turned out an inveterate enemy of my husband and came to the city of Kanauj to fight with my husband, accompanied by chariots, and elephants and the fourfold army. That enemy besieged the city with his army; my sons and grandsons went out and fought valiantly with him but owing to the great Destiny, the enemies killed all my sons. The King retreated and returned to his palace. Next I heard that powerful King killed all my sons and grandsons and had gone back to his country with his army. I then hurriedly went to the battlefield, crying loudly. O Long-lived One! Seeing my sons and grandsons lying on the ground, in that horrible and distressed state, I became merged in the ocean of sorrows and lamented and wept loudly and wildly, “O my Sons! Where have you gone leaving me thus? Alas! The pernicious Fate is very dominant, and very painsgiving and indomitable. It has killed me today.” By this time, the Bhagavân Madhusûdana came to me there in the garb of a beautiful aged Brâhmin. His dress was sacred and lovely; it seemed he was versed in the Vedas. Seeing me weeping distressedly in the battlefield he said :-- “O Devî! O cuckoo-voiced One! It seems you are the mistress of a prosperous house and you have got husband and sons! O thin-bodied One! Why are you thus lamenting and feeling yourself distressed! All this is simply illusion caused by Moha; think; who are you? whose sons are these? Now think of your best hereafter; Don’t weep, get up and be comfortable, O Good-eyed one!

53-54. O Devî! To shew respect to your sons, etc., gone to the other worlds, offer them water and Til. The friends of the deceased ought to take their bath in a place of pilgrimage; never they should bathe in their houses. Know this as ordained by Dharma.

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55-66. Nârada said :-- O Dvaipâyan! When the old Brâhmin thus addressed me, I and the King and other friends got up. The Bhagavân Madhusûdana causing this creation, in the form of a Brâhmana, led the way and I followed him quickly to that sacred place of pilgrimage. The Visnu Bhagavân, the Lord Janârdana Hari, in the form of a Brâhmin, kindly took me to the tank named Pumtîrtha (male tîrtha) and said :-- “O One going like an elephant! Better take your bath in this tank; forego your sorrows that are of no use; now the time has arrived to offer water to your sons. Better think that you had millions of sons born to you in your previous births and for that your millions of sons and daughters lost their lives; you had millions of fathers, husbands, and brothers and you lost them again; O Devî! Now tell me for whom you will now grieve? All these, then, are merely mental phenomena; this world is full of delusion, false like a mirage and dream-like; the embodied souls, simply get pains and sorrows and nothing else.” Nârada said :-- On hearing his words, I went to bathe in that Pumtîrtha, as ordered by him. Taking a dip, I found that, in an instant, I became a man; the Bhagavân Hari, in his own proper form, was standing on the edge with a lute in his hand. O Brâhmin! When getting out of the water, I came to the bank and saw the lotus-eyed Krisna, pure consciousness then flashed in my heart. Then I thought “that I am Nârada; I have come to this place and being deluded by the Mâyâ of Hari, I got the female form.” When I was thinking thus, Hari exclaimed, “O Nârada! Get up; what are you doing, standing in the water?” I was astonished; and, recollecting my feminine nature, very severe indeed, began to think why I was again transformed into a male form.

Here ends the Twenty-ninth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the Nârada’s getting again his male form in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXX

On the glory of Mahâ Mâyâ

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1-14. Nârada said :-- O Best of Munis! The King was greatly astonished to see me dip in the tank in a female figure and get up from the tank in a male figure and thought, “Where is my dearest wife? And how is this Nârada Muni suddenly come here!” The King, not seeing his wife, lamented very much and cried frequently, “O my dear Wife! Where have you gone, leaving me here thus. Without you, O One of spacious hips! My life, palace and

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kingdom, all, are quite useless. O Lotus-eyed one! What shall I do? O Smiling One! Why is not my life getting out of my body, suffering thus from thy separation? Without you, my sentiment of love has left me for ever. O Large-eyed One! Now I am lamenting for you. O Dear! Better give me your sweet reply; the love that you expressed at our first union, where has it gone now? O One with good eyebrows! Are you sunk in the water and have you given up your life? Or are you devoured by fishes or crocodiles? Or are you carried away by Varuna, the Deva of the waters, to my great misfortune? O One of beautiful limbs! You are blessed, as you have gone away with your sons; O sweet-speaking One! Your affection for them was not artificial. Is it right for you to go up to the Heavens, attached by affection for your sons, leaving me your distressed husband alone, thus weeping for your separation? O Dear! I have lost both, you and my sons; yet death is not carrying me away; O! How hard is my lot! What to do? Where to go? Râma is not now in this world. He knew what was the pain caused by the separation from one’s dearest wife. Oh! The cruel Fate has ordained very unwisely with great inconsistency the periods of parting from one another at different periods; when their minds and all other things are exactly the same in all circumstances of pleasure and pain. The practice of Satî (burning with one’s deceased husband), as ordained by the Munis, is certainly for the good of the chaste women; but it would have been good no doubt, were there such practices allowed for the men to burn themselves with their deceased wives.” Bhagavân Hari then spoke to the lamenting King in reasonable words and consoled him thus :-- “O King! Why are you thus troubling yourself with pain and sorrow? Where has gone your dearest wife? Have you not heard anything of S’âstras? or Have you not taken any shelter of any wise man!

15-27. Who was your wife? Who are you? Of what nature was your union and disunion and where did it take place? The union of wives and sons in this S’amsâra is momentary like the meetings of persons on boats, while crossing a river. O King! Now go home, there is no use in your weeping thus in vain; the union and disunion of men are always under the control of Fate, the Daiva; therefore the wise should not lament for them. O King! Your union with the woman took place here; and now you have lost that beautiful, thin-bodied, large-eyed woman here also. Her father and mother you have not seen; you have got her like what is heard in the story of the crow and the Tâl fruit; as you got her wonderfully, so you have lost her wonderfully. O King! Do not grieve; Time cannot be ruled over; go home and

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enjoy yourself subservient to Time. That beautiful woman has gone away in the manner she came to you; you ought to do your stately affairs in the way as you used to do before as the ruler of all. O King! Consider that if you weep day and night, that women will never return; why then are you giving vent to your sorrows in vain? Go now and have recourse to the path of the Yoga and thus while away your time. The enjoyable things come in course of time and they go away again in due course; therefore in this world of no gain whatsoever, the wise should never lament. Continuous pleasure or continuous pain does not always take place; pleasure and pain are never steady; they rotate always like a rotary instrument. Therefore, O King! Make your mind calm and quiet and rule happily your kingdom; or make over the charge of the kingdom to your sons and retire to the forest. This human body is seldom obtained; it is frail; therefore getting that body it is advisable to practise the realisation of the Supreme. O King! This organ of generation and this tongue reside also with the beasts, the peculiarity of human body is that knowledge can be realised in it; not in any other
inferior births. Therefore leave your home, leave your sorrows for your wife; all this is the Mâyâ of Bhagavân; by Her the world is deluded.”

28-37. Nârada said :-- Bhagavân Hari speaking thus, the King bowed down to Him, the Deva of the Devas and finishing the bathing duties returned to his home. He then became possessed of dispassion and discrimination and making over the charge of his kingdom to his grandsons retired to the forest and realised the Supreme Knowledge. When the King went away, the Bhagavân began to laugh and laugh, seeing me again and again. I then told him, “O Deva! You have deceived me. I now come to know how great is the power of Mâyâ. O Janârdana! Now I remember all that I did in my feminine form. Tell me, O Hari! O Deva of the Devas! How I lost my previous consciousness, when I got down into the tank and bathed in it. O Lord of the world! Why was I enchanted, when I got the female form and when I got the King as my husband like S’achî’s getting Indra. The same mind I had; the old Jivâtmâ was there and the previous subtle body was there; how, then, I lost their memories? O Lord! Give out the cause of it and clear my doubts; a great doubt has arisen in my mind. Many enjoyments I had in my female form, drinking liquor and other prohibited things I tasted; O Slayer of Madhu! What is the cause of all these? I could not know then that I was Nârada, as I now recognise clearly what I was in and what I did in my female form. Say the Why of all these things.”

38-53. Visnu said :-- “Know, O Intelligent Nârada! That all this

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is merely the Pastime of Mâyâ. There are many states going on in the bodies of all the living beings. The embodied beings have got their waking, dream, deep sleep and Tûriya (beyond all the three above-mentioned) states; then why you doubt that when there is another body, there would be also the change in the states? When a man sleeps, he knows not anything, he does not hear anything; but when he gets awake, he again comes to know everything completely. The Chitta gets itself moved by sleep; then mind gets different states by dreams and there arises a variety of feelings. A mad elephant is coming to kill me, and I am not able to fly away. What to do? Where to go? There is no place where I can quickly go; thus, in dreams, there arise different mental states. Sometimes we see in dreams that our departed grandfathers are come in our houses. I am seeing them, talking with them and I am dining with them. Whatever pain and pleasure are felt in dreams, when they awake, they know of what happened in their dreams and can also describe in details, recollecting what had then happened. O Nârada! Know the power of Mâyâ incomprehensible as the things seen in dreams cannot be certainly known that all those are false. O Muni! Neither I, nor S’ambhu, nor Brahmâ can measure the power wielded by Mâyâ and Her three Gunas, very hard to fathom. How, then, can any ordinary mortal know them! Therefore, O Nârada! None is able to fathom the Mâyâ. This world, moving and non-moving, is fashioned out of the triple Gunas of the Mâyâ; nothing whatsoever can exist without them. The predominant Guna in Me is Sâttva; but Râjas and Tâmas exist in me; being the Lord of this world, I cannot override the three Gunas. So your father, Brahmâ, is predominant in Râjo Guna; but Sâttva and Tâmas never leave Him, Our Mahâ Deva is predominant in Tâmo Guna, but Sâttva and Râjo are always with him. Therefore, no being can exist as separate from the three Gunas; this point I have settled in S’ruti. Therefore, O Lord of the Munis! Quit this endless Moha for the world, caused by Mâyâ, and very hard to get over and worship Bhagavatî, Who is of the nature of Brâhman. O Intelligent One! Now you have seen the power of Mâyâ; and you have enjoyed many things produced by Mâyâ and you have realised the extremely wonderful nature of Her. Then why do you ask me further on this point?”

Here ends the Thirtieth Chapter of the Sixth Book on the glory of Mahâ Mâyâ in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devi Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

THE SIXTH BOOK

Chapter XXXI

On the glory of Mâyâ

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18-22. O Muni! When my Father learnt the cause of my cares, he smiled and spoke to me in sweet words :-- “O Child! The Devas, the high-souled Munis, the wise ascetics and the Yogis subsisting on air only are not able to conquer this Mâyâ. O Nârada! The power of Mâyâ is so very great that I, Visnu and S’ambhu, the Lord of Umâ, none are able to know Her power.

That Mahâmâyâ is creating, preserving and dissolving this world by Time, Karma, and Nature and other efficient causes. O Child! Know Her to be inconceivable and unapproachable. O Intelligent One! Do not be sorry nor should you be surprised about Mâyâ’s great strength, for we all are deluded by Her.

23-25. O Dvaipâyan! Thus advised by my Father, my wonder disappeared. I then asked permission of my Father Padma Yoni (Lotus-born) and went out on tour round the sacred places of pilgrimages and on my way, seeing by and by the chief Tîrthas, I have now come here. Therefore, O Muni! Dost thou relinquish your sorrows for the extinction of the Kuru’s family and remain here and pass your time in great joy and happiness. One must bear the fruits of one’s Karma, good or bad; knowing this fully roam at your will wherever you like.

26-40. Vyâsa said :-- O King! Maharsi Nârada thus kindling knowledge in me, went away; I also thought over his words. On the banks of the river Sarasvatî, I composed this Devî Bhâgavat to pass away my time during the excellent period of Sârasvata Kalpa. This Purânam is excellent; it is composed on the authority of the the Vedas; all doubts are removed by it; many nice events are narrated here. Therefore, O King! Not the least doubt should be entertained. As a magician makes the wooden dolls dance in his hands at his will, so this world-enchanting Mâyâ is making this world, moving and non-moving, dance from Brahmâ down to the blades of grass and all human beings. O King! Know Mâyâ’s triple Gunas to be the cause of this mind consisting of five organs of senses, that follows the Chitta (mind, buddhi and Ahamkâra). Actions arise from the causes thereof; there is no doubt in this; what doubt, then, there can arise that all these creatures of different temperaments will come out of the different Gunas of Mâyâ. Peaceful, terrible and stupid become the persons in contact with the Mayic Gunas. How, then, can they exist, bereft of them? As the cloth cannot exist without threads, so the embodied beings cannot exist in the world without the triple Gunas of Mâyâ. There is no doubt in this. As a pot cannot be made without clay, so these bodies, Devas, human or birds, cannot be created without the Gunas. Brahmâ, Visnu

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and S’iva, too, are possessed of those three Gunas and therefore they become sometimes happy and satisfied, sometimes unhappy and dissatisfied and sometimes they become sad and remorseful as they are then under the influence of one Guna or the other. Brahmâ happens at times to be full of wisdom and knowledge, his temper peaceful, sweet and pleasant and his soul rapt in Samâdhi, when he becomes possessed of Sâttva Guna; again when he is void of Sâttva and filled with Râjo Guna, His temper becomes unpleasant and his appearance gets dark and awful everywhere; and when he becomes grossly Tâmasic, He becomes sorrowful and bereft entirely of intelligence.

41-51. Visnu, when resting in Sâttva, becomes peaceful, sweet-tempered, and full of knowledge; when Râjo Guna preponderates in Him, He becomes void of sweetness and becomes awful to all the beings. Rudra becomes, too, peaceful and pleasant under the Sâttva Guna, awful and void of sweetness under the Râjo Guna, and becomes sad and stupid under the Tâmo Guna. O King! When Brahmâ, Visnu, Mahes’vara and the solar and lunar Kings, the fourteen lords of Manvantaras, Manu and others are under the control of the mayic Gunas, what to speak of other ordinary mortals, men and the other Jîvas. The whole world is under the control of Mâyâ; the Devas, men and all other beings. None should doubt on this point. All the embodied beings labour under the directions of Mâyâ; never can they work independently. This Mâyâ is again always residing in the Highest Essence, the Samvit or the Universal Pure Consciousness. Thus Mâyâ is dependent on the Highest Goddess, Who is of the nature of Samvit, and, stimulated by Her, resides in the hearts of all the Jîvas. Therefore one ought to meditate, worship and bow down before the Bhagavatî, the Creatrix of Mâyâ and Who is of the nature of Samvit, Pure Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. Thus She becomes gracious and merciful and liberates the Jîvas, giving them Her realisation and drawing together Her own Mâyâ away from them. This whole cosmos is nothing but Mâyâ and the Consciousness (Samvit) of the nature of Brâhman is the Lord of Mâyâ. For this reason that Beautiful One in the triple worlds, the Devî Bhagavatî is known by the name Bhuvanes’varî, the Great Lady of the worlds.

52-60. O King! If the Jîvas can fix their hearts on that Samvit, then Mâyâ, born of the real and unreal, is quite unable to do any harm to them. No other Deva than the Bhuvanes’varî, of the nature of pure existence, intelligence and bliss is able to remove this Mâyâ. O King! Darkness cannot destroy darkness; the Sun, Moon, Lightning or Fire can destroy it. Therefore it is highly incumbent on us to worship the

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Lady of Mâyâ, the Samvit, the Mother with a cheerful heart to remove the Mâyâ and Her Gunas. O King! Now I have narrated to you all the events concerning the killing of Vritrâsura that you asked. What more do you want to hear now. O One devoted to vows! I have now described the first half of that Purâna, which describes in detail the glory of S’rî Devî Bhagavatî. This Purâna, the secret of this Mother of the whole Universe, is not to be disclosed indiscriminately to anybody. Those that are peaceful, self-restrained, devoted, and possessed of Bhakti to the Devî, the disciples that are devoted to their Gurus and the eldest son, those are the fit recipients thereof. Whoever reads or hears with greatest devotion this Mahâpurânam, equivalent to the Vedas, fraught with sound proofs and the essence of all talks, becomes, in this world, possessed of great wealth, becomes wise and passes his time in the greatest happiness. There is no doubt in this.

Here ends the Thirty-first Chapter on the Sixth Book on the glory of Mâyâ in the Mahâpurânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.

[The Sixth Book Finished.]