Chapter 13 of the Devi Mahatmya has 17 verses in the Markandeya Purana numbering (chapter 93 of the Purana). It is the last chapter of the book and it is the shortest chapter in the book. It returns to the two men from chapter 1, the king who lost his kingdom and the merchant who lost his family, and gives the answer to their question.
The sage Medhas has now told the whole of the story. This chapter has Medhas speaking in verses 1 to 3, and then the narrator Markandeya taking over from verse 4, as he tells Kraushtuki what the king and the merchant did.
What happens in this chapter
Verses 1 to 3: Medhas ends his account. I have told you the Devi Mahatmya, the goddess whose power is such that she holds up this world. He then answers the question the two men asked in chapter 1. Knowledge itself is made by Vishnu’s Maya. By her you, this merchant and others who have discernment are bewildered, those who are bewildered are bewildered, and others will be bewildered in future. His advice is to go to her for shelter, since when worshipped she gives people enjoyment, heaven and liberation.
Verses 4 to 8: Suratha bows to the sage. Weary of his strong feeling of ownership and of the loss of his kingdom, he goes at once to practise austerity, and the merchant goes with him. They sit on a sandbank by a river. The merchant repeats the Devi Sukta, the supreme hymn to the goddess. They make an image of the goddess from earth and worship it with flowers, incense, fire and water offerings. They take no food, keep their minds on her, and give an offering sprinkled with blood from their own bodies.
Verses 9 to 15: After three years Chandika is pleased and speaks to them in person. She tells them to ask for anything. The king asks for a kingdom that will not fall away even in another birth, and his own kingdom back here and now, with his enemies destroyed. The merchant asks for knowledge, the knowledge of the feelings of I and mine that cut off attachment. The goddess says that in a few days the king will recover his kingdom and kill his enemies, and that after his death he will be born from the Sun and become the Manu Savarni. The merchant will have knowledge.
Verses 16 and 17: She vanishes, praised by both. Suratha will be born from the Sun and become the Manu Savarni, which is where the book began in chapter 1.
How the frame closes
The frame story is a circle. In chapter 1 the book opens by saying that it will explain how the Manu Savarni came to be born (chapter 1, verse 1), and in verse 17 of this chapter the answer is given: King Suratha is the one who will become Savarni. Between the two stand the three episodes of the goddess’s deeds.
The two boons are worth setting beside each other. The king asks for the things that he had lost, a kingdom and the defeat of his enemies, and the goddess gives them to him and adds more. The merchant asks for a different thing, release from the feelings of I and mine, which was the problem the two of them took to Medhas in chapter 1. The text does not say that one choice is better than the other. It lets each man ask for what he wants, and it gives each what he asked.
The offering in verse 8, sprinkled with the blood of their own bodies, belongs to the practice the text describes, and it is not something this site advises. Readers who want to worship the goddess in a similar way will find the usual forms of daily worship, flowers, incense, a lamp and a hymn, on the Navratri daily puja page.
Where the Devi Mahatmya ends
The thirteen chapters end here. Printed recitation books add other texts before and after, among them the Kavacha, Argala and Kilaka that are said before the chapters, and the Rahasyas (the Pradhanika, Vaikritika and Murti Rahasya) that are said after. These are not part of the Markandeya Purana text, and they are not on this site yet. See the hub page for what each one is.
This page gives each verse in Devanagari with a plain transliteration and a meaning in our own words.
The text, transliteration and meaning
एतत्ते कथितं भूप देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
एवंप्रभावा सा देवी ययेदं धार्यते जगत् ॥ १३.१ ॥
Etatte kathitam bhupa devimahatmyamuttamam
Evamprabhava sa devi yayedam dharyate jagat
MeaningThe sage says: I have told you, king, this excellent Devi Mahatmya, the greatness of the goddess, whose power is such that she holds up this world.
विद्या तथैव क्रियते भगवद्विष्णुमायया
तया त्वमेष वैश्यश्च तथैवान्ये विवेकिनः
मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे ॥ १३.२ ॥
Vidya tathaiva kriyate bhagavadvishnumayaya
Taya tvamesha vaishyashcha tathaivanye vivekinah
Mohyante mohitashchaiva mohameshyanti chapare
MeaningKnowledge too is made by the blessed Vishnu's Maya. By her you and this merchant are bewildered, and so are others who have discernment. Those who are bewildered are bewildered, and others will be bewildered.
NoteThis is the sage's answer to the question the king and the merchant asked in chapter 1, verses 29 to 33: why even those who know better are bewildered. It is the Maya of Vishnu, which is the goddess.
तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम्
आराधिता सैव नृणां भोगस्वर्गापवर्गदा ॥ १३.३ ॥
Tamupaihi maharaja sharanam parameshvarim
Aradhita saiva nrinam bhogasvargapavargada
MeaningGreat king, go to her for shelter, to the supreme goddess. When worshipped she gives to people enjoyment, heaven and liberation.
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः
प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं संशितव्रतम् ॥ १३.४ ॥
Iti tasya vachah shrutva surathah sa naradhipah
Pranipatya mahabhagam tamrishim samshitavratam
MeaningThe sage Markandeya says: Hearing his words, King Suratha bowed to the great sage, of firm vows,
निर्विण्णोऽतिममत्वेन राज्यापहरणेन च
जगाम सद्यस्तपसे स च वैश्यो महामुने ॥ १३.५ ॥
Nirvinno'timamatvena rajyapaharanena cha
Jagama sadyastapase sa cha vaishyo mahamune
Meaningand, deeply weary of his strong feeling of ownership and of the seizure of his kingdom, great sage, he went at once to practise austerity, and the merchant went too.
संदर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनमास्थितः
स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन् ॥ १३.६ ॥
Sandarshanarthamambaya nadipulinamasthitah
Sa cha vaishyastapastepe devisuktam param japan
MeaningThey sat on a sandbank by a river in order to see the Mother, and the merchant practised austerity, repeating the supreme Devi Sukta.
NoteThe text says the supreme Devi Sukta was repeated. Many readers take this to be the Rigvedic hymn of that name, which is on its own page of this site.
तौ तस्मिन् पुलिने देव्याः कृत्वा मूर्तिं महीमयीम्
अर्हणां चक्रतुस्तस्याः पुष्पधूपाग्नितर्पणैः ॥ १३.७ ॥
Tau tasmin puline devyah kritva murtim mahimayim
Arhanam chakratustasyah pushpadhupagnitarpanaih
MeaningOn that sandbank the two made an image of the goddess out of earth, and worshipped her with flowers, incense, fire and water offerings.
निराहारौ यतात्मानौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ
ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम् ॥ १३.८ ॥
Niraharau yatatmanau tanmanaskau samahitau
Dadatustau balim chaiva nijagatrasrigukshitam
MeaningThey took no food, controlled themselves, kept their minds on her and were steady. They gave an offering sprinkled with blood from their own bodies.
NoteThe offering sprinkled with blood from their own bodies is part of the practice the text describes. It is not something this site recommends.
एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः
परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री प्रत्यक्षं प्राह चण्डिका ॥ १३.९ ॥
Evam samaradhayatostribhirvarshairyatatmanoh
Paritushta jagaddhatri pratyaksham praha chandika
MeaningWorshipping her like this with self-control for three years, they pleased Chandika, the nurse of the world, and she spoke to them in person.
यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन
मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि ते ॥ १३.१० ॥
Yatprarthyate tvaya bhupa tvaya cha kulanandana
Mattastatprapyatam sarvam paritushta dadami te
MeaningThe goddess says: Whatever you ask for, king, and whatever you ask for, delight of your family, take it all from me. I am pleased and I will give it to you.
ततो वव्रे नृपो राज्यमविभ्रंश्यन्यजन्मनि
अत्रैव च निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात् ॥ १३.११ ॥
Tato vavre nripo rajyamavibhramshyanyajanmani
Atraiva cha nijam rajyam hatashatrubalam balat
MeaningThen the king asked for a kingdom that would not fall away even in another birth, and here and now his own kingdom, with the strength of his enemies destroyed by force.
NoteThe king and the merchant ask for different things, and each is given what he asks. The text does not rank the two boons.
सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः
ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम् ॥ १३.१२ ॥
So'pi vaishyastato jnanam vavre nirvinnamanasah
Mametyahamiti prajnah sangavichyutikarakam
MeaningAnd the merchant, wise, with a mind weary of the world, asked for knowledge: the knowledge of the feelings of I and mine, which cuts off attachment.
स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यते भवान्
हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति ॥ १३.१३ ॥
Svalpairahobhirnripate svam rajyam prapsyate bhavan
Hatva ripunaskhalitam tava tatra bhavishyati
MeaningThe goddess says: In a few days, king, you will get back your kingdom. You will kill your enemies, and it will stay with you without fail.
मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः
सावर्णिको मनुर्नाम भवान् भुवि भविष्यति ॥ १३.१४ ॥
Mritashcha bhuyah samprapya janma devadvivasvatah
Savarniko manurnama bhavan bhuvi bhavishyati
MeaningAnd when you die you will be born again from the god Vivasvan (the Sun) and become a Manu on earth, named Savarni.
वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः
तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति ॥ १३.१५ ॥
Vaishyavarya tvaya yashcha varo'smatto'bhivanchhitah
Tam prayachchhami samsiddhyai tava jnanam bhavishyati
MeaningBest of merchants, the boon that you ask of me, I give to you for your success. You will have knowledge.
इति दत्त्वा तयोर्देवी यथाभिलषितं वरम्
बभूवान्तर्हिता सद्यो भक्त्या ताभ्यामभिष्टुता ॥ १३.१६ ॥
Iti dattva tayordevi yathabhilashitam varam
Babhuvantarhita sadyo bhaktya tabhyamabhishtuta
MeaningThe sage Markandeya says: Having given the two the boon that each wished, the goddess vanished at once, praised by them with devotion.
एवं देव्या वरं लब्ध्वा सुरथः क्षत्रियर्षभः
सूर्याज्जन्म समासाद्य सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः ॥ १३.१७ ॥
Evam devya varam labdhva surathah kshatriyarshabhah
Suryajjanma samasadya savarnirbhavita manuh
MeaningHaving obtained the boon from the goddess, Suratha, the best of warriors, will be born from the Sun and become Manu Savarni.
NoteThe circle of the book closes here. Chapter 1 began with Savarni, the eighth Manu, and this verse says that Suratha will become him.
Chapter summary
Medhas closes his account and tells Suratha and Samadhi that the goddess is the Maya by which even those who discern are bewildered, and that they should go to her for shelter. They go to a river bank, make an earth image of the goddess, and worship her with fasting for three years. Chandika is pleased and appears.
The king asks for his kingdom, and a kingdom that lasts into another birth, and the goddess promises it and says he will be born from the Sun as the Manu Savarni. The merchant asks for knowledge that cuts attachment, and she grants it. She vanishes, and the circle of the book closes with the Manu Savarni, where chapter 1 began.
Where the other texts differ from the print
The Sanskrit above is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar print, which we read page by page against the page images. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (the Sansknet entry) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used here as witnesses only. This chapter has 17 verses in the Purana numbering.
In 5 verses (13.4, 13.6, 13.10, 13.14, 13.15) the print reads differently from the GRETIL e-text in the words, or does not have the verse, beyond the small typing slips listed further down. In each case we follow the print. The other reading is given here so that you can see it. The GRETIL text is quoted with its typing slips already corrected.
- 13.4: the print has इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः / प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं संशितव्रतम्. The GRETIL e-text has इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं शंसितव्रतम्. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 13.6: the print has संदर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनमास्थितः / स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन्. The GRETIL e-text has संदर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनसंस्थितः स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन्. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
- 13.10: the print has यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन / मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि ते. The GRETIL e-text has यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि तत्. Wikisource has ; श्रीदेव्युवाच यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि तत्.
- 13.14: the print has मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः / सावर्णिको मनुर्नाम भवान् भुवि भविष्यति. The GRETIL e-text has मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान् भुवि भविष्यति. Wikisource has मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः [https://sites.google.com/site/vedastudy/salankayana-siddhasena सावर्णि उपरि पौराणिक संदर्भाः] सुरथ-समाधि आख्यानस्य किं फलश्रुतिः सम्भवमस्ति सुरथरूपेण यः क्षत्रबलः एवं समाधिरूपेण यः वैश्यशक्तिः क्षरति, तस्याः सम्यक् उपयोगं केन प्रकारेण भवेत् यदा सुरा उपरि आधृतस्य महिषस्य समाप्तिः भविष्यति एवं सोमआधृतस्य महिषासुरमर्दिन्याः आविर्भावं भविष्यति, तदैव क्षत्रबलस्य एवं वैश्यबलस्य रूपान्तरणं सावर्णिमनु रूपे भवितुं शक्यते सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान् भुवि भविष्यति.
- 13.15: the print has वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छितः / तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति. The GRETIL e-text has वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छतः तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति. Wikisource agrees with GRETIL.
Typing slips in the GRETIL e-text, so that you can see exactly what was changed (the print has the corrected form in each):
- 13.2: the GRETIL e-text has तथा त्वमेष, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has तया त्वमेष, which we print.
- 13.5: the GRETIL e-text has जगम सद्यस्तपसे, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has जगाम सद्यस्तपसे, which we print.
- 13.7: the GRETIL e-text has तस्मिन् पिलिने, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has तस्मिन् पुलिने, which we print.
- 13.7: the GRETIL e-text has मूर्ति महीमयीम्, a typing slip shared with Wikisource; the print has मूर्तिं महीमयीम्, which we print.
Wikisource also has a speaker name or an editor’s note written into the verse text in 3 verses (13.10, 13.13, 13.14); these are not part of the text and are left out.
Source of the text on this page. The Sanskrit is the text of the Nirnaya Sagar Press edition of the Saptashati (Bombay, Shaka 1839, which is 1917 CE, edited by Vasudev Laxman Shastri Panshikar and published by Tukaram Javaji), read page by page from the scan on archive.org (identifier SaptashatiNirnayaSagarPress, scan pages 244 to 249 for this chapter). We follow the print's readings. We space the words and write the nasals in the usual style of this site, and we do not count that as a difference. The GRETIL e-text of the Markandeya Purana (where this chapter is chapter 93) and Sanskrit Wikisource are used as witnesses only: where they read differently from the print, their readings are listed under the heading above. The print numbers its speaker lines, and its own running count reaches 700 at the end of this chapter; this page keeps the Markandeya Purana numbering, so the verse numbers differ. The transliteration is a simple guide to sound and the meanings are our own wording. See the Devi Mahatmya hub for the full note on sources.