Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam

BOOK 7 • CHAPTER 10
Ch 10 Verse 1 Verse
७.१० दशमोऽध्यायः । सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनम् । व्यास उवाच - बभूव चक्रवर्ती स नृपतिः सत्यसङ्गरः । मान्धाता पृथिवीं सर्वामजयन्नृपतीश्वरः ॥ १ ॥
Vyasa said :-- O King! That King Māndhātā, true to his promise, conquered one after another the whole world and became the paramount sovereign of all the other emperors and got the title “Sārvabhauma”
Ch 10 Verse 2 Verse
दस्यवोऽस्य भयत्रस्ता ययुर्गिरिगुहासु च । इन्द्रेणास्य कृतं नाम त्रसद्दस्युरिति स्फुटम् ॥ २ ॥
O King! What more to speak of Māndhātā’s influence at that time than this that all the robbers, struck with his terror, all fled to the mountain caves. For this reason, Indra gave him the title “Trasadasyu.”
Ch 10 Verse 3-4 Verse
तस्य बिन्दुमती भार्या शशबिन्दोः सुताभवत् । पतिव्रता सुरूपा च सर्वलक्षणसंयुता ॥ ३ ॥ तस्यामुत्पादयामास मान्धाता द्वौ सुतौ नृप । पुरुकुत्सं सुविख्यातं मुचुकुन्दं तथापरम् ॥ ४ ॥
He married Bindumatī, the daughter of Śaśavindu. Her limbs were proportioned and perfect and so she was very beautiful. Māndhātā had by that wife two sons :-- (1) the famous Purukutstha and (2) Muchukunda.
Ch 10 Verse 5 Verse
पुरुकुत्सात्ततोऽरण्यः पुत्रः परमधार्मिकः । पितृभक्तिरतश्चाभूद्बृहदश्वस्तदात्मजः ॥ ५ ॥
Purukutstha had his son Anaraṇya; this prince was celebrated by the name of Brihadaśva. He was very religious and deeply devoted to his father.
Ch 10 Verse 6 Verse
हर्यश्वस्तस्य पुत्रोऽभूद्धार्मिकः परमार्थवित् । तस्यात्मजस्त्रिधन्वाभूदरुणस्तस्य चात्मजः ॥ ६ ॥
His son was Haryaśva; he was religious and knew the Highest Reality. His son was Aruna.
Ch 10 Verse 7-8 Verse
अरुणस्य सुतः श्रीमान्सत्यव्रत इति श्रुतः । सोऽभूदिच्छाचरः कामी मन्दात्मा ह्यतिलोलुपः ॥ ७ ॥ स पापात्मा विप्रभार्यां हृतवान्काममोहितः । विवाहे तस्य विघ्नं स चकार नृपतेः सुतः ॥ ८ ॥
Aruṇa’s son was Satyavrata; he was very avaricious, lustful, wicked and wilful. Once on an occasion that vicious prince, overpowered by lust, stole away the wife of one Brāhmin and so created an hindrance in his marriage.
Ch 10 Verse 9 Verse
मिलिता ब्राह्मणास्तत्र राजानमरुणं नृप । ऊचुर्भृशं सुदुःखार्ता हा हताःस्मेति चासकृत् ॥ ९ ॥
O King! The Brāhmins, united in a body, came to the King Aruṇa, bewailing and lamenting and uttered repeatedly :-- Alas! We are ruined!
Ch 10 Verse 10 Verse
पप्रच्छ राजा तान्विप्रान्दुःखितान्पुरवासिनः । किं कृतं मम पुत्रेण भवतामशुभं द्विजाः ॥ १० ॥
The King addressed to the grieved subjects, the Brāhmins :-- “O Brāhmins! What harm has been done to you by my son.”
Ch 10 Verse 11 Verse
तन्निशम्य द्विजा वाक्यं राज्ञो विनयपूर्वकम् । तदोचुस्त्वरुणं विप्रां कृताशीर्वचना भृशम् ॥ ११ ॥
Hearing thus the good words of the King, the Dvijas, versed in the Vedas, repeatedly blessed him and said :-
Ch 10 Verse 12 Verse
ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः - राजंस्तव सुतेनाद्य विवाहे प्रहृता किल । विवाहिता विप्रकन्या बलेन बलिनांवर ॥ १२ ॥
O King! You are the foremost of the powerful. So your son is like you. Today he has forcibly stolen away during the marriage ceremony a Brāhmin daughter already given over in marriage.
Ch 10 Verse 13 Verse
व्यास उवाच - श्रुत्वा तेषां वचस्तथ्यं राजा परमधार्मिकः । पुत्रमाह वृथा नाम कृतं ते दुष्टकर्मणा ॥ १३ ॥
Vyasa said :-- O King! The highly religious King hearing the words of the Brāhmins, took them to be true and said to his son :-- “O One of evil understanding! You have rendered to-day your name useless by perpetrating this evil act.
Ch 10 Verse 14 Verse
गच्छ दूरं सुमन्दात्मन्दुराचार गृहान्मम । न स्थातव्यं त्वया पाप विषये मम सर्वथा ॥ १४ ॥
O Vicious One! Get away from my house! O Sinner! You will never be able to live in my territory!”
Ch 10 Verse 15-16 Verse
कुपितं पितरं प्राह क्व गच्छामीति वै मुहुः । अरुणस्तमथोवाच श्वपाकैः सह वर्तय ॥ १५ ॥ श्वपचस्य कृतं कर्म द्विजदारापहारणम् । तस्मात्तैः सह संसर्गं कृत्वा तिष्ठ यथासुखम् ॥ १६ ॥
Seeing his father angry, Satyavrata repeatedly said :-- Father! Where shall I go? He said :-- “Live with the Caṇḍalas. You have stolen a Brāhmin’s wife and so has acted like a Cāṇḍala.
Ch 10 Verse 17 Verse
नाहं पुत्रेण पुत्रार्थी त्वया च कुलपांसन । यथेष्टं व्रज दुष्टात्मन् कीर्तिनाशः कृतस्त्वया ॥ १७ ॥
Go and live with them happily. O Disgrace to your family! I don’t like to get issues through you: you have obliterated this family’s name.
Ch 10 Verse 18 Verse
स निशम्य पितुर्वाक्यं कुपितस्य महात्मनः । निश्चक्राम पुरात्तस्मात्तरसा श्वपचान्ययौ ॥ १८ ॥
So, O Sinner! go wherever you like.” Hearing the the words from his angry father, Satyavrata instantly quitted the house and went to the Cāṇḍālas.
Ch 10 Verse 19 Verse
सत्यव्रतस्तदा तत्र श्वपाकैः सह वर्तते । धनुर्बाणधरः श्रीमान्कवची करुणालयः ॥ १९ ॥
The prince, wearing his coat of armour and holding bows and arrows, began to spend away his time with the Cāṇḍālas; but he could not get out of his breast his feeling of sympathy and mercy.
Ch 10 Verse 20 Verse
यदा निष्कासितः पित्रा कुपितेन महात्मना । गुरुणाथ वसिष्ठेन प्रेरितोऽसौ महीपतिः ॥ २० ॥
When he was banished by his liberal minded angry father the Guru Vaśiṣṭha instigated the King to the above purpose.
Ch 10 Verse 21 Verse
तस्मात्सत्यव्रतस्तस्मिन्बभूव क्रोधसंयुतः । वसिष्ठे धर्मशास्त्रज्ञे निवारणपराङ्मुखे ॥ २१ ॥
Satyavrata was therefore angry with Vaśiṣṭha, inasmuch as he, versed the Dharma Śāstras, did not dissuade the father from banishing his son.
Ch 10 Verse 22 Verse
केनचित्कारणेनाथ पिता तस्य महीपतिः । पुत्रार्थेऽसौ तपस्तप्तुं पुरं त्यक्त्वा वनं गतः ॥ २२ ॥
His father, then, owing to some inexplicable cause, quitted the city and, for the sake of his son, went to the forest to practise austerities.
Ch 10 Verse 23 Verse
न ववर्ष तदा तस्मिन्विषये पाकशासनः । समा द्वादश राजेन्द्र तेनाधर्मेण सर्वथा ॥ २३ ॥
O King! Owing to that sinful act, Indra did not rain at all in his kingdom for twelve years.
Ch 10 Verse 24 Verse
विश्वामित्रस्तदा दारांस्तस्मिंस्तु विषये नृप । संन्यस्य कौशिकीतीरे चचार विपुलं तपः ॥ २४ ॥
O King! Just then Viśvāmitra, too, keeping his wife and children in that kingdom, began to practise severe austerities on the banks of the river Kauśikī.
Ch 10 Verse 25-29 Verse
कातरा तत्र सञ्जाता भार्या वै कौशिकस्य ह । कुटुम्बभरणार्थाय दुःखिता वरवर्णिनी ॥ २५ ॥ बालकान्क्षुधयाक्रान्तान्रुदतः पश्यती भृशम् । याचमानांश्च नीवारान्कष्टमाप पतिव्रता ॥ २६ ॥ चिन्तयामास दुःखार्ता तोकान्वीक्ष्य क्षुधातुरान् । नृपो नास्ति पुरे ह्यद्य कं याचे वा करोमि किम् ॥ २७ ॥ न मे त्रातास्ति पुत्राणां पतिर्मे नास्ति सन्निधौ । रुदन्ति बालकाः कामं धिङ्मे जीवनमद्य वै ॥ २८ ॥ धनहीनां च मां त्यक्त्वा तपस्तप्तुं गतः पतिः । न जानाति समर्थोऽपि दुःखितां धनवर्जिताम् ॥ २९ ॥
The beautiful wife of Kuśika then fell into great trouble how she could maintain the family. All the children, pained with hunger, began to cry, begging for Nibār rice food. The chaste wife of Kauśika became very much troubled seeing all this. She thought, seeing the children hungry, “Where am I to go now and from whom to beg, and what to do, inasmuch as the King was not then staying in the Kingdom.
Ch 10 Verse 30-31 Verse
बालानां भरणं केन करोमि पतिना विना । मरिष्यन्ति सुताः सर्वे क्षुधया पीडिता भृशम् ॥ ३० ॥ एकं सुतं तु विक्रीय द्रव्येण कियता पुनः । पालयामि सुतानन्यानेष मे विहितो विधिः ॥ ३१ ॥
The husband is not also near; so who would protect my children? The boys are incessantly crying. Fie therefore to my life!” She thought also thus :-- “My husband left me in this penniless state; we are suffering for want of money. He does not know these, though he is quite able. Save my husband, who else will support my sons?
Ch 10 Verse 32 Verse
सर्वेषां मारणं नाद्धा युक्तं मम विपर्यये । कालस्य कलनायाहं विक्रीणामि तथात्मजम् ॥ ३२ ॥
They will all die now of starvation. I might sell one of my sons, whatever I get out of that, I can support the others; this is now my highest duty.
Ch 10 Verse 33 Verse
हृदयं कठिनं कृत्वा सञ्चिन्त्य मनसा सती । सा दर्भरज्ज्वा बद्ध्वाथ गले पुत्रं विनिर्गता ॥ ३३ ॥
I ought not to do otherwise and kill all my children; so I will now sell one of my sons to support the others.” Thus hardening her mind, she went out, tying the child by a rope round his neck.
Ch 10 Verse 34 Verse
मुनिपत्नी गले बद्ध्वा मध्यमं पुत्रमौरसम् । शेषस्य भरणार्थाय गृहीत्वा चलिता गृहात् ॥ ३४ ॥
The Muni’s wife, for the sake of the other children, fastened the middle son by a cord and got out of her house.
Ch 10 Verse 35 Verse
दृष्टा सत्यव्रतेनार्ता तापसी शोकसंयुता । पप्रच्छ नृपतिस्तां तु किं चिकीर्षसि शोभने ॥ ३५ ॥
The prince Satyavrata saw her distressed with pain and sorrow and asked :-- “O Beautiful One! What are you now going to do? Who are you?
Ch 10 Verse 36 Verse
रुदन्तं बालकं कण्ठे बद्ध्वा नयसि काधुना । किमर्थं चारुसर्वाङ्गि सत्यं ब्रूहि ममाग्रतः ॥ ३६ ॥
This boy is crying; Why have you tied him by a rope round his neck? O Fair One! Speak out truly to me the cause of all this.”
Ch 10 Verse 37-38 Verse
ऋषिपत्न्युवाच - विश्वामित्रस्य भार्याहं पुत्रोऽयं मे नृपात्मज । विक्रेतुमौरसं कामं गमिष्ये विषमे सुतम् ॥ ३७। अन्नं नास्ति पतिर्मुक्त्वा गतस्तप्तुं नृप क्वचित् । विक्रीणामि क्षुधार्तैनं शेषस्य भरणाय वै ॥ ३८ ॥
The wife said :-- “O Prince! I am the wife of Viśvāmitra. These are my sons. I am now going, for want of food, to sell one of these out of my own accord. O King! My husband has gone away to practise tapasyā; I do not know where he has gone. There is no food in the house; so I will sell one to support the other sons.”
Ch 10 Verse 39 Verse
राजोवाच - पतिव्रते रक्ष पुत्रं दास्यामि भरणं तव । तावदेव पतिस्तेऽत्र वनाच्चैवागमिष्यति ॥ ३९ ॥
Satyavrata said :-- “O Chaste One! Save your children. I will bring to you your articles of food from the forest till your husband does not come here.
Ch 10 Verse 40-41 Verse
वृक्षे तवाश्रमाभ्याशे भक्ष्यं किञ्चिन्निरन्तरम् । बन्धयित्वा गमिष्यामि सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥ ४० ॥ इत्ययुक्ता सा तदा तेन राज्ञा कौशिककामिनी । विबन्धं तनयं कृत्वा जगामाश्रममण्डलम् ॥ ४१ ॥
Daily I will fasten some food on a tree close by your Āśrama. This I speak truly.” The wife of Viśvāmitra, hearing these words of the prince, freed the child of the fastening and took him to her Āśrama.
Ch 10 Verse 42 Verse
सोऽभवद् गालवो नाम गलबन्धान्महातपाः । सा तु स्वस्याश्रमे गत्वा मुमोद बालकैर्वृता ॥ ४२ ॥
The child was named afterwards as Gālaba, due to his being fastened by the neck. He became a great Ṛṣi afterwards. The Viśvāmitra’s wife then felt great pleasure in her home, surrounded by her children.
Ch 10 Verse 43 Verse
सत्यव्रतस्तु भक्त्या च कृपया च परिप्लुतः । विश्वामित्रस्य च मुनेः कलत्रं तद् बभार ह ॥ ४३ ॥
Filled with regard, and mercy, Satyavrata duly performed his task and provided daily the family of Viśvāmitra with their food.
Ch 10 Verse 44 Verse
वने स्थितान्मृगान्हत्वा वराहान्महिषांस्तथा । विश्वामित्रवनाभ्याशे मांसं वृक्षे बबन्ध ह ॥ ४४ ॥
He used to hunt wild boars, deer, buffaloes, etc., and used to take their flesh to the place where used to dwell the wife of Viśvāmitra and the children and tie that up to an adjoining tree.
Ch 10 Verse 45 Verse
ऋषिपत्नी गृहीत्वा तन्मांसं पुत्रानदात्ततः । निर्वृत्तिं परमां प्राप प्राप्य भक्ष्यमनुत्तमम् ॥ ४५ ॥
The Ṛṣi’s wife used to give those to her children. Thus getting excellent food, she felt very happy.
Ch 10 Verse 46 Verse
अयोध्यां चैव राज्यं च तथैवान्तःपुरं मुनिः । गते तप्तुं नृपे तस्मिन्वसिष्ठः पर्यरक्षत ॥ ४६ ॥
Now when the King Aruṇa went for tapasyā to the forest, the Muni Vaśiṣṭha carefully guarded the Ayodhyā city, and the palace and the household.
Ch 10 Verse 47-48 Verse
सत्यव्रतोऽपि धर्मात्मा ह्यतिष्ठन्नगराद् बहिः । पितुराज्ञां समास्थाय पशुघ्नव्रतवान्वने ॥ ४७ ॥ सत्यव्रतो ह्यकस्माच्च कस्यचित्कारणान्नृपः । वसिष्ठे चाधिकं मन्युं धारयामास नित्यदा ॥ ४८ ॥
Satyavrata, too, used to sustain his livelihood daily by hunting, accordig to his father’s order; and abiding by Dharma, lived in the forest outside the city. Satyavrata cherished always in his heart, for some cause, a feeling of anger towards Vaśiṣṭha. When his father banished his religious son, Vaśiṣṭha did not prevent his father.
Ch 10 Verse 49-50 Verse
त्यज्यमानं वने पित्रा धर्मिष्ठं च प्रियं सुतम् । न वारयामास मुनिर्वसिष्ठः कारणेन ह ॥ ४९ ॥ पाणिग्रहणमन्त्राणां निष्ठा स्यात्सप्तमे पदे । जानन्नपि स धर्मात्मा विप्रदारपरिग्रहे ॥ ५० ॥
This is the cause of Satyavrata’s anger. Marriage does not become valid until seven footsteps are trodden (a ceremony); so the stealing away of a girl within that period is not equivalent to stealing away a Brāhmin’s wife. The virtuous Vaśiṣṭha knew that; yet he did not prevent the King.
Ch 10 Verse 51 Verse
कस्मिंश्चिद्दिवसेऽरण्ये मृगाभावे महीपतिः । वसिष्ठस्य च गां दोग्ध्रीमपश्यद्वनमध्यगाम् ॥ ५१ ॥
One day the prince did not find anything for hunting; he saw in the forest the cow of Vaśiṣṭha giving milk. Very much distressed by hunger, the King killed the cow like a dacoit, partly out of anger and partly out of delusion.
Ch 10 Verse 52-53 Verse
तां जघान क्षुधार्तस्तु क्रोधान्मोहाच्च दस्युवत् । वृक्षे बबन्ध तन्मांसं नीत्वा स्वयमभक्षयत् ॥ ५२ ॥ ऋषिपत्नी सुतान्सर्वान्भोजयमास तत्तदा । शङ्कमाना मृगस्येति न गोरिति च सुव्रता ॥ ५३ ॥
He fastened part of the flesh to that tree for the wife of Viśvāmitra and the remainder he ate himself. O One of good vows! The Viśvāmitra’s wife did not know that to be beef and thought it to be deer’s and so fed her sons with that.
Ch 10 Verse 54 Verse
वसिष्ठस्तु हतां दोग्ध्रीं ज्ञात्वा क्रुद्धस्तमब्रवीत् । दुरात्मन् किं कृतं पापं धेनुघातात्पिशाचवत् ॥ ५४ ॥
Now when Vaśiṣṭha came to know that his cow had been killed, he was inflamed with anger and spoke to Satyavrata “O Vicious One! What a heinous crime have you committed, like a Piśāca, by killing the cow?
Ch 10 Verse 55 Verse
एवं ते शङ्कवः क्रूराः पतन्तु त्वरितास्त्रयः । गोवधाद्दारहरणात्पितुः क्रोधात्तथा भृशम् ॥ ५५ ॥
For the killing of the cow, the stealing of a Brāhmin’s wife and the fiery anger of your father, for these three crimes, let there come out on your head three Śaṅkus or three marks of leprosy as the signs for your crimes.
Ch 10 Verse 56 Verse
त्रिशङ्कुरिति नाम्ना वै भुवि ख्यातो भविष्यसि । पिशाचरूपमात्मानं दर्शयन्सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥ ५६ ॥
From this day you will be widely known by the name of Triśaṅku and you will show your Piśāca form to all the beings.”
Ch 10 Verse 57 Verse
व्यास उवाच - एवं शप्तो वसिष्ठेन तदा सत्यव्रतो नृपः । चचार च तपस्तीव्रं तस्मिन्नेवाश्रमे स्थितः ॥ ५७ ॥
Vyāsa said : -- O King! The prince Satyavrata thus cursed by Vaiśiṣṭha remained in that retreat and practised severe tapasyā.
Ch 10 Verse 58-111011 Verse
कस्माच्चिन्मुनिपुत्रात्तु प्राप्य मन्त्रमनुत्तमम् । ध्यायन्भगवतीं देवीं प्रकृतिं परमां शिवाम् ॥ ५८ ॥
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां सप्तमस्कन्धे सत्यव्रताख्यानवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः ॥ ७.१०॥
But he got from a Muni’s son the excellent Mantram of the Highest auspicious Devī Bhagavatī and became merged in the contemplation of that. Here ends the Tenth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the story of Satyavrata in the Mahāpurāṇam Śrī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses, by Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa.