{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk09ch30.htm","path":"hin/db/bk09ch30.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch30.htm","text":"THE NINTH BOOK\nChapter XXX\nOn the conversation between S\u00e2vitr\u00ee and Yama and on the fruition of Karmas\n1. S\u00e2vitr\u00ee said :-- \u201cO Dharmar\u00e2jan! Kindly tell me in detail about those works that lead the meritorious persons to the Heavens and various other spheres.\u201d\n2-20. Dharmar\u00e2j said :-- O Child! He who gives rice and food to the Br\u00e2hmanas in India, goes to the S\u2019ivaloka where he dwells with great respect for years equivalent to the measure of that food. This \u201cAnna-d\u00e2na\u201d (the giving of boiled rice and other eatables) is a great d\u00e2n (charity) and this can be done not only to the Br\u00e2hmanas but to the other castes also, where similar results also follow. There is, or will be, no other charity superior to this charity of anna (rice, boiled it may be and other eatables). For here no distinction is made as to what caste will get it or not, nor the discrimination of time, when to give such a charity. O Child! Seats (\u00c2sanas) given to the Devas and the Br\u00e2hmanas, carry the donor to the Visnu Loka, where he dwells for Ayuta years with great respect and love. Giving excellent cows yielding milk to Br\u00e2hmanas take the donor to Visnuloka, where he is glorified and remains for years equivalent to the number of pores in that cow or those cows. And if cows be given on a meritorious day, four times the merits accrue, and if given in a sacred place of pilgrimage, hundred times the result occurs; and if given in a t\u00eerath, where N\u00e2r\u00e2yana is worshipped, koti times the results accrue. He who gives with devotion, cows to the Br\u00e2hmanas in Bh\u00e2rata, remains in the Chandraloka for one Ayuta years and is glorified. He who gives a two-mouthed cow to a Br\u00e2hmana, goes to Visnuloka and remains there for as many years as there exist the numbers of hairs on the body of that cow and is glorified. A gift of a beautiful white umbrella to a Br\u00e2hmana makes one go to Varunaloka for Ayuta years where he remains with great pleasure. Giving garments to the diseased Br\u00e2hmanas makes one fit to remain with glory in Vayuloka for one ayuta years. Giving to a Br\u00e2hmana the S\u2019\u00e2lagr\u00e2ma with garments makes one remain with glory in Vaikuntha as long as there exist the Sun and Moon. Giving a beautiful bedding to a Br\u00e2hmana, glorifies a man in the Chandraloka as long as there exist the Sun and Moon. To give lights to the Devas and Br\u00e2hmana glorifies a man in Agniloka (the region of Fire) for one Manvantara. To give elephants to the Br\u00e2hmanas in Bh\u00e2rata, makes one sit in the same throne with Indra for his life period.\nGiving horses to the Br\u00e2hmanas makes one remain in Varunaloka for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods. Giving a good palanquin to a Br\u00e2hmana makes one remain in the Varunaloka for fourteen Indra\u2019s life-periods. Giving a good site or a good orchard to a Br\u00e2hmana leads one to the Vayuloka where he remains with glory for one Manvantara. Giving a white ch\u00e2mara and fan to a Br\u00e2hmana, leads the donor to the Vayuloka where he remains for one ayuta years. Giving grains and jewels make one long-lived and both the donors and receivers go certainly to Vaikuntha.\n21-40. He who always recites the name of S\u2019r\u00ee Hari, lives for ever and Death goes far far away from him. The intelligent man that celebrates the Swinging Festival (Dol J\u00e2tr\u00e2) in the last quarter of the Full Moon night in this land of Bh\u00e2rata, becomes liberated while living, enjoying pleasures in this world, goes in the end to Visnuloka, where he remains for one hundred Manvantaras; there is no doubt in this. If the Swinging Festival be performed under the influence of the asterism Uttara Ph\u00e2lgun\u00ee then the fruits become doubled; this is the saying of Brahm\u00e2 Himself. The performer lives to the end of a Kalpa. To give til (Sesamum) to a Br\u00e2hman, leads one to S\u2019iva Loka, where one enjoys for a number of years equal to the number of til. Then one is born in a good yoni and becomes longlived and happy. To give a copper plate yields double the effect. To give in India a chaste wife with garments and ornaments to a Br\u00e2hman (and then to purchase her with an equivalent in gold) leads one to Chandra Loka where one remains for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods and enjoys day and night the celestial Apsar\u00e2s. Thence the donor goes to the Gandharba Loka for one ayuta years and day and night enjoys Urvas\u2019\u00ee. Then he gets for thousand births chaste, fortunate, wealthy, gentle and sweet-speaking, beautiful wives. He who gives nice and delicious fruits to the Br\u00e2hmanas, remains with glory in the Indra Loka for a number of years equivalent to the fruits. He gets again a good Yoni (birth) and gets excellent sons. To give thousand trees while there are fruits on them, or nice fruits only to the Br\u00e2hmanas, makes one enjoy the Heavens for a long, long time and he then comes back to Bh\u00e2rata. To give various things and good edifices with grains, etc., to the Br\u00e2hmanas leads one to the regions of the Devas where he remains for one hundred Manvantaras. Then he gets a very good birth and becomes the master of abundant wealth. He who gives with devotion to the Br\u00e2hmanas lands certainly goes for one hundred Manvantaras and remains there in glory for one hundred Manvantras; and, coming again to be born in good wombs, they become Kings. The earth does not leave him for hundred births. He becomes prosperous, wealthy and possesses many sons and\nbecomes the lord of his subjects. He who gives a good village with pasture land and cows, dwells with glory in Vaikuntha for one lakh manvantaras. Then he gets a good birth (becomes born in a high caste family) and obtains a lakh villages. The earth quits him not even if he be born a lakh times. (This is very bad then, to one who does not like to be born again).\n41-60. He who gives a village inhabited by good and obedient subjects with ripe excellent grains, various tanks, trees and adorned with fruits and leaves dwells in Kail\u00e2sa with great glory for ten lakh Indra\u2019s life periods. Getting again born in a high family, he becomes R\u00e2ja Dhir\u00e2ja in Bh\u00e2rata and obtains Niyuta towns. There is no doubt in this. The earth quits him not, even if he be born ayuta times. Really he gets the highest prosperity in this earth. He who gives to a Br\u00e2hmana one hundred towns and countries, inhabited by good or mediocre subjects, with wells, tanks, and various trees, remains with glory in Vaikuntha for one koti manvantaras. Then he becomes born in this earth in a high caste family, becomes the Lord of Jambudv\u00eepa and attains in this earth great prosperity like Indra. The earth quits him not even if he comes here Koti times; in reality he is a Mah\u00e2tm\u00e2 (a great soul man), R\u00e2jr\u00e2jes\u2019vara (the Lord of Kings) and lives upto the end of a Kalpa. He who gives his whole property to a Br\u00e2hmin, gets in the end four times that; there is no doubt in this. He who gives Jambu Dv\u00eepa to an ascetic Br\u00e2hmana, gets undoubtedly in the end one hundred times the fruit. If you give away Jambu Dv\u00eepa, the whole earth; if you travel all the T\u00eerthas, if you perform all sorts of asceticisms, if you give shelter to all, if you make gifts of all sorts, know that you will have to come again to be reborn in this earth; but if you become a devotee of M\u00fbla Prakriti, then be sure that you won\u2019t have to come here and be reborn. The devotees of M\u00fbla Prakriti go to Mani Dv\u00eepa, the highest place of S\u2019r\u00ee Bhuvanes\u2019ar\u00ee Dev\u00ee and remain there and they see the fall of innumerable Brahm\u00e2s. The worshippers of the Dev\u00ee Mantra when they quit their mortal coils, assume divine appearances endowed with Bibh\u00fbtis (manifestations of powers) and free from birth, death and old age, assume the S\u00e2r\u00fbpya (the same form) of the Dev\u00ee and remain in Her Service. They reside in Manidv\u00eepa and see the part Pralayas. The Devas die, the Siddhas die, the whole universe vanishes; but the Dev\u00ee Bhaktas never die and they remain free form birth, death, and old age. He who offers Tulas\u00ee leaf to Bhagav\u00e2n Hari in the month of K\u00e2rtik resides for three yugas in the temple of Hari. Getting again a good birth, he acquires the devotion to S\u2019r\u00ee Hari and becomes the Foremost of those who restrain their senses. He who bathes in the Ganges early before the rising of the Sun remains in enjoyment in the temple of Hari for sixty thousand yugas. Getting again a good birth, he gets\nthe Visnu Mantra, and, quitting his mortal coil, becomes united with the Feet of S\u2019r\u00ee Hari.\n61-77. He has not to come back from Vaikuntha to this earth. He remains in Hari\u2019s Service and gets the same form of Hari. He who bathes daily in the Ganges, becomes purified like the Sun and gets the result of performing the Horse-sacrifice at every step. The earth becomes purified by the dust of his feet and he enjoys in Vaikuntha as long as the Sun and Moon exist. Then again he becomes born in a good and beautiful womb, and is liberated by acquiring the devotion to Hari. He becomes very energetic and the foremost of the ascetics, pure, religious, learned, and self-restrained. When the Sun comes midway between Pisces and Cancer and heats intensely the earth, the man who in Bh\u00e2rata gives cool water to drink to the people, resides in happiness in Kail\u00e2s\u2019a for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods. Getting again a good birth here, he becomes beautiful, happy, devoted to S\u2019iva, energetic and expert in the Vedas, and the Vedangas. He who gives to a Br\u00e2hmana the S\u2019aktu (sattu). in the month of Vais\u2019\u00e2khe enjoys in the S\u2019iva temple for as many years as there are number of particles in that quantity of sattu (powders in parched oat). He who performs the Krisna Janm\u00e2stam\u00ee vow in this Bh\u00e2rata, is freed from the sins incurred in his hundred births; there is no doubt in this. The observer of the vow remains in great enjoyment in Vaikuntha for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods, gets again a good birth here and acquires Hari Bhakti. He who performs the S\u2019ivar\u00e2tri vow in this Bh\u00e2rata Varsa, resides with great joy in S\u2019iva Loka for seven manvantaras. He who offers the Bel leaves to S\u2019iva in S\u2019ivar\u00e2tri time, resides with great joy in S\u2019iva\u2019s Abode for as many yugas as there are number of leaves. Getting again a good birth here, he acquires the devotion to S\u2019iva and becomes learned, prosperous and possesses sons, subjects and lands. He who performs vow and worships S\u2019ankara in the month of Chaitra or M\u00e2gha and who, with a branch of a tree in hand, dances day and night for one month, or half a month, for ten days or for seven days, dwells in S\u2019iva Loka for as many yugas as the number of days he dances. He who performs the vow of S\u2019r\u00ee R\u00e2ma Navam\u00ee, lives in the abode of Visnu for seven Manvantaras in great joy. Getting again a good birth, he becomes devoted to S\u2019r\u00ee R\u00e2ma, the foremost of those who have self restraint and he becomes very wealthy.\n78-87. He who performs the S\u00e2rad\u00eey\u00e2 P\u00fbj\u00e2 (the great Durg\u00e2 P\u00fbj\u00e2 in the month of autumn) of the M\u00fbla Prakriti with incense, lights, offerings of food, and animal sacrifices of buffaloes, goats, sheep, rhinoceros, frogs or other animals, together with dancing, music, and various other aus-\npicious things, resides in the S\u2019iva Loka for seven Manvantaras. Getting an excellent birth, and a pure understanding, he gets unbounded prosperity, sons and, no doubt, grandsons and he becomes a very powerful sovereign possessing many horses and elephants. There is no doubt in this. Again he who worships daily with devotion for a fortnight beginning from the eighth day of the bright fortnight the Mah\u00e2 Dev\u00ee Laksm\u00ee, remains in the region of Goloka for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods. Then, obtaining an excellent birth, he becomes a sovereign. He who in the full moon night in the month of K\u00e2rtik prepares a R\u00e2sa mandal with one hundred Gopas and Gopis and worships S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna and R\u00e2dh\u00e2 in S\u2019\u00e2lagr\u00e2ma or in images with sixteen varieties of offerings remains in Goloka for Brahm\u00e2\u2019s life-time and coming again to Bh\u00e2rata acquires an unflinching devotion to S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna.\n88-99. And when this Bhakti becomes greatly intensified, ho gets initiated into S\u2019r\u00ee Hari mantra and after quitting his mortal coil, he goes to the Goloka. Then he gets the S\u00e2r\u00fbpya (the same form) of Krisna and becomes the chief P\u00e2risad (attendant of Krisna) and, becoming free from old age, he has no fear, to fall again down to this earth. He who observes the Ek\u00e2das\u2019\u00ee day, remains fasting and performing penances in the bright or dark eleventh day, remains in Vaikuntha in great enjoyment and comfort. Then, again coming into this Bh\u00e2rata he becomes a devotee of Hari. And when that Bhakti is intensified he becomes solely devoted to Hari and quitting his mortal coil, goes again to the Goloka and gets the S\u00e2r\u00fbpya of Krisna and becomes His P\u00e2risada (attendant). Then, freed of old age and death, he does not fall. He who worships Indra in the month of Bh\u00e2dra in the twelfth day of the white fortnight is worshipped in the regions of Indra for sixty thousand years. He who performs in Bh\u00e2rata the worship of the Sun on Sunday Sankr\u00e2nti (when the Sun goes from one sign to another) and the bright seventh Tithi, according to due rules and ceremonies and eats the food called Havisy\u00e2nna (rice boiled in ghee), dwells in the S\u00fbryaloka for fourteen Indra\u2019s life periods. Then coming to Bh\u00e2rata, he becomes free from all diseases and becomes prosperous. He who worships S\u00e2vitr\u00ee on the fourteenth day of the black fortnight dwells in the region of Brahm\u00e2 for seven Manvantaras with great ecl\u00e2t and glory. Coming again to Bh\u00e2rata he enjoys beauty, unequalled valour, long life, knowledge and prosperity. He who worships on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of M\u00e2gha, with his senses controlled and full of devotion, the Dev\u00ee Sarasvat\u00ee with sixteen articles of food, resides in Mani Dv\u00eepa for one day and one night of Brahm\u00e2.\n100-140. On getting re-birth, he becomes a poet and a learned man. He who daily gives with devotion for his whole life, cow and gold to a Br\u00e2hmana dwells in Visnu Loka for twice as many years as there are\nthe numbers of hairs on the bodies of these cows and plays and jests with Visnu and doing auspicious things he finds pleasure. In the end he comes again to this Bh\u00e2rata and becomes the King of Kings. He becomes fortunate, prosperous, possesses many sons, becomes learned, full of knowledge and happy in every way. He who feeds a Br\u00e2hmana here with sweetmeats goes to Visnu Loka and enjoys there for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the Br\u00e2hmin. In the end he comes again to Bh\u00e2rata and becomes happy, wealthy, learned, long lived, fortunate and very powerful. He who utters the name of Hari or gives the name (i.e., the mantra) of Hari to others, is worshipped in Visnu loka for as many yugas as the number of times, the name or mantra was uttered. Coming again to Bh\u00e2rata, he becomes happy and wealthy. And if such things be done in N\u00e2r\u00e2yana Ksettra, koti times the above results ensue. He who repeats the name of Hari koti times in N\u00e2r\u00e2yana Ksettra, becomes, no doubt, freed of all sins and liberated while living and he will not get rebirth. He lives always in Vaikuntha. He gets the S\u00e2lokya (the same region of Visnu), is not liable to fall, becomes a Bhakta of Visnu. He who daily worships the earthen phallic symbol (after making it daily) for his whole life, goes to the S\u2019iva Loka and dwells there, for as many years as there are the number of particles of earth. Getting rebirth he becomes the King of Kings. He who worships daily the S\u2019\u00e2lagr\u00e2ma stone and eats the water (after bathing it) is glorified in Vaikuntha for one hundred Brahm\u00e2\u2019s lives and becomes born again. When he acquires the rare Hari Bhakti and quiting his mortal coil goes to Visnu Loka, whence he is not to return. He who performs all the Tapasy\u00e2s (asceticims) and observes all the vratas (vows), dwells in Vaikuntha for fourteen Indra\u2019s life peroids. Getting rebirth in Bh\u00e2rata he becomes the King of Kings and then he becomes liberated. He is not to return any more. He who bathes in all the T\u00eerthas and makes a journey round the whole world, gets Nirv\u00e2na. He is not reborn. He who performs the Horse-Sacrifice in this holy land Bh\u00e2rata enjoys half the Indraship for as many years as there are hairs on the body of the horse. He who performs a R\u00e2jas\u00fbya Sacrifice, gets four times the above result. Of all the sacrifices, the Dev\u00ee Yaj\u00f1\u00e2, or the Sacrifice before the Dev\u00ee is the Best. O Fair One! Of old, Visnu, Brahm\u00e2, Indra and when Tripur\u00e2sura was killed, Mah\u00e2 Deva did such a sacrifice. O Beautiful One! This sacrifice before the S\u2019akti is the highest and best of all the sacrifices. There is nothing like this in the three worlds. This Great Sacrifice was done of yore by Daksa when he collected abundant sacrificial materials of all sorts. And a quarrel ensued on this account between Daksa and S\u2019ankara. The Br\u00e2hmins\nconducting the sacrifice cursed the Nand\u00ee and others. And Nand\u00ee cursed the Br\u00e2hmanas. Mah\u00e2deva, therefore, disallowed the going on of sacrifice and brought it to a dead stop. Of yore the Praj\u00e2pati Daksa did this Dev\u00ee Yaj\u00f1\u00e2; it was done also by Dharma, Kas\u2019yapa; Ananta, Kardama, Sv\u00e2yambhuva Manu, his son Priyavrata, S\u2019iva, Sanat Kum\u00e2ra, Kapila and Dhruva. The performance of this sacrifice brings fruits equal to performing thousands and thousands of R\u00e2jas\u00fbya sacrifices. Therefore there is no other sacrifice greater than this Dev\u00ee Yaj\u00f1\u00e2. One becomes surely endowed with a long life of one hundred years and is liberated while living. He becomes equal to Visnu in knowledge, energy, strength, and asceticism. This is as true as anything. O Child! This Dev\u00ee Yaj\u00f1\u00e2 is the best and highest of all the sacrifices as Visnu is the highest amongst the Devas; N\u00e2rada, amongst the Vaisnavas; the Vedas, amongst all the S\u2019\u00e2stras; the Br\u00e2hmanas amongst all the castes; the Ganges amongst the sacred places of pilgrimages, S\u2019iva amongst the Holy of Holies, the Ek\u00e2das\u2019\u00ee vow amongst all the Vratas; Tulas\u00ee, amongst all the flowers; the Moon, amongst the asterisms; Garuda, amongst the birds; Prakriti, R\u00e2dh\u00e2, Sarasvat\u00ee and Earth amongst the females; the mind, amongst the quick-going and restless senses; Brahm\u00e2, amongst the Praj\u00e2patis; Brahm\u00e2, amongst all the subjects; Vrindr\u00e2ban, amongst all the forests; Bharat Varsa, amongst all the Varsas; Laksm\u00ee, amongst the prosperous; Sarasvat\u00ee, amongst the learned; Durg\u00e2, amongst the chaste; Radhik\u00e2, amongst the fortunate. If one hundred horse sacrifices are performed, Indrahood is sure to be obtained. It is by the influence of bathing in all the T\u00eerthas, performing all the sacrifices, observing all the Vratas, practising all the austerities, studying all the Vedas and circumambulating the whole earth, that this Highest S\u2019akti\u2019s service is obtained and this service of S\u2019akti is the direct cause of Mukti (liberation). To worship the lotus-feet of the Dev\u00ee is the best and highest, is stated in all the Pur\u00e2nas, in all the Vedas, and in all the Itih\u00e2sas. To sing the glories of M\u00fbla Prakriti, to meditate on Her, to chant Her Name and attributes, to remember Her stotras, bow down before Her, to repeat Her Name, and to drink daily Her P\u00e2dodoka (water after washing Her feet) and the offerings already offered to Her, these are approved of by all; and everyone desires this. So worship, worship this M\u00fbla Prakriti, Who is of the nature of Brahm\u00e2, and, lo! Who is again endowed with M\u00e2y\u00e2. O Child! Take your husband and live happily with him in your home. O Child! Thus I have described to you the fruition of the Karmas. This is auspicious to every human being, desired by all and approved of by all. The Real Knowledge springs from this. There is no doubt in this.\nHere ends the Thirtieth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the conversation between S\u00e2vitr\u00ee and Yama and on the fruition of Karmas in the Great Pur\u00e2nam S\u2019r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Ninth Book: Chapter 30","type":"page"}