{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk09ch44.htm","path":"hin/db/bk09ch44.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch44.htm","text":"THE NINTH BOOK\nChapter XLIV\nOn the story of Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee in the discourse between N\u00e2rada and N\u00e2r\u00e2yana\n1-18. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana said said :-- O N\u00e2rada! I will tell you now the excellent anecdote of Svadh\u00e2, pleasing to the Pitris and enhancing the fruits of the S\u2019r\u00e2dh ceremony when foods are offered to the Pitris. Listen. Before the creation, the Creator created seven Pitris. Four out of them are with forms and the other three are of the nature of Teja (light).\nNote :-- Kavyav\u00e2hoanalah Somo Yamaschaiv\u00e2ryam\u00e2 tath\u00e2, Agnisv\u00e2tt\u00e2h Barhisadah Somap\u00e2 Pitri Devat\u00e2h. These seven Pitris are according to the other Pur\u00e2nas. Seeing the beautiful and lovely forms of the Pitris, He made arrangements for their food in the form of S\u2019r\u00e2ddhas and\nTarpanas, etc. (funeral ceremony and peace-offerings), etc. (S\u2019r\u00e2dh, solemn obsequies performed in honour of the manes of deceased ancestors.)\nTaking bath, performing S\u2019r\u00e2dh ceremony upto Tarpanam (peace-offerings), worshipping the Devas and doing Sandhy\u00e2 thrice a day; these are the daily duties of the Br\u00e2hmanas. If any Br\u00e2hmana does not perform daily the Trisandhy\u00e2s, S\u2019r\u00e2ddha, Tarpanam, worship and the reciting of the Vedas, he becomes devoid of fire like a snake without any poison. He who does not perform the devotional service of the Dev\u00ee, who eats food not offered to S\u2019r\u00ee Hari, who remains impure till death, is not entitled to do any karma whatsoever. Thus, introducing the S\u2019r\u00e2ddhas, etc., for the Pitris, Brahm\u00e2 went to His own abode. The Br\u00e2hmanas went on doing the S\u2019r\u00e2ddhas for the Pitris, but the Pitris could not enjoy them and so they remained without food and were not satisfied. They all, being hungry and sad, went to the Council of Brahm\u00e2 and informed Him everything from beginning to end. Brahm\u00e2 then created out of His mind one daughter very beautiful, full of youth and having a face lovely, as if equal to one hundred moons. That woman was best in all respects whether in form, beauty, qualities or in learning. Her colour was white like the white Champaka flower and her body was adorned all over with jewel ornaments. This form was very pure, ready to grant boons, auspicious and the part of Prakriti. Her face was beaming with smiles; her teeth were very beautiful and her body showed signs of Laksm\u00ee (i.e., of wealth and prosperity). Her name was Svadh\u00e2. Her lotus-feet were situated on one hundred lotuses. She was the wife of the Pitris. Her face resembled that of a lotus and Her eyes looked like water lilies. She was born of the lotus born Brahm\u00e2. The Grand-father Brahm\u00e2 made over that daughter of the nature of Tusti (Contentment) to the hands of the Pitris and they were satisfied. Brahm\u00e2 advised the Br\u00e2hmanas privately that whenever they would offer anything to the Pitris, they should offer duly with the mantra Svadh\u00e2 pronounced at the end. Since then the Br\u00e2hmanas are offering everything to the Pitris, with the Mantra Svadh\u00e2 uttered in the end. Sv\u00e2h\u00e2 is laudable, when offerings are presented to the Gods and Svadh\u00e2 is commendable when offerings are made to the Pitris. But in both the cases, Daksin\u00e2 is essential. Without Daksin\u00e2 (sacrificial fee), all sacrifices are useless and worthless. The Pitris, Devat\u00e2s, Br\u00e2hmanas, the Munis, the Manus worshipped the peaceful Svadh\u00e2 and chanted hymns to Her with great love. The Devas, Pitris, Br\u00e2hmanas, all were pleased and felt their ends achieved when they got the boon from Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee. Thus I have told you everything about Svadh\u00e2. It is pleasing to all. What more do you want to hear? Say. I will answer all your questions.\n19. N\u00e2rada said :-- \u201cO Thou, the Best of the knowers of the Vedas! O Muni Sattama! I want now to hear the method of worship, the meditation and the hymns of Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee. Kindly tell me all about this.\u201d\n20-27. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana said :-- You know everything about the all-auspicious Dhy\u00e2n, Stotra, as stated in the Vedas; then why do you ask me again? However I will speak out this for the enhancement of knowledge. On the thirteenth day of the Dark Fortnight in autumn when the Magh\u00e2 asterism is with the Moon and on the S\u2019r\u00e2ddha day. One should worship with care Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee; then one should perform S\u2019r\u00e2ddha. If, out of vanity, a Br\u00e2hmin performs S\u2019r\u00e2dh without first worshipping Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee then he will never get the fruits of Tarpanam or S\u2019r\u00e2dh. \u201cO Dev\u00ee Svadhe! Thou art the mind-born daughter of Brahm\u00e2, always young and worshipped by the Pitris. Thou bestowest the fruits of S\u2019r\u00e2ddh. So I meditate on Thee.\u201d Thus meditating, the Br\u00e2hmin is to pronounce the motto (m\u00fbla mantra) and offer the P\u00e2dyam, etc., on the S\u2019\u00e2lagr\u00e2ma stone or on the auspicious earthen jar. This is the ruling of the Vedas. The motto is \u201cOm Hr\u00eem, S\u2019r\u00eem, Kl\u00eem, Svadh\u00e2 Devyai Sv\u00e2h\u00e2.\u201d She should be worshipped with this Mantra. After reciting hymns to the Dev\u00ee, one is to bow down to the Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee. O Son of Brahm\u00e2! O Best of Munis! O Skilled in hearing! I now describe the stotra which Brahm\u00e2 composed at the beginning for the bestowal of the desired fruits to mankind. Listen.\nN\u00e2r\u00e2yana said :-- The instant the Mantra Svadh\u00e2 is pronounced, men get at once the fruits of bathing in the holy places of pilgrimages. No trace of sin exists in him at that time; rather the religious merits of performing the V\u00e2japeya sacrifice accrue to him.\n28-36. \u201cSvadh\u00e2,\u201d \u201cSvadh\u00e2,\u201d \u201cSvadh\u00e2,\u201d thrice this word if one calls to mind, one gets the fruits of S\u2019r\u00e2dh, Tarpanam, and Bali (offering sacrifices). So much so, if one hears with devotion during the S\u2019r\u00e2dh time the recitation of the hymn to Svadh\u00e2, one gets, no doubt, the fruit of S\u2019r\u00e2dh. If one recites the Svadh\u00e2 mantra thrice every time in the morning, midday and evening, every day, one gets an obedient, chaste wife begetting sons. The following is the hymn (Stotra) to Svadh\u00e2 :-- \u201cO Dev\u00ee Svadhe! Thou art dear to the Pitris as their vital breaths and thou art the lives of the Br\u00e2hmanas. Thou art the Presiding Deity of the S\u2019r\u00e2dh ceremonies and bestowest the fruits thereof. O Thou of good vows! Thou art eternal, true, and of the nature of religious merits. Thou appearest in creation and disappearest in dissolution. And this appearing and disappearing go on forever. Thou art Om, thou art Svasti, Thou art Namas K\u00e2ra (salutation); Thou art Svadh\u00e2, Thou art Daksin\u00e2, Thou art the various works as designated in the Vedas. These the Lord of the world has\ncreated for the success of actions.\u201d No sooner Brahm\u00e2, seated in His assembly in the Brahm\u00e2 Loka, reciting this stotra remained silent, than Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee appeared there all at once. When Brahm\u00e2 handed over the lotus-faced Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee over to the hands of the Pitris, and they gladly took Her to their own abodes. He who hears with devotion and attention this stotra of Svadh\u00e2, gets all sorts of rich fruits that are desired and the fruits of bathing in all the T\u00eerthas.\nHere ends the Forty-fourth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the story of Svadh\u00e2 Dev\u00ee in the discourse between N\u00e2rada and N\u00e2r\u00e2yana in the Mah\u00e2 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 44","type":"page"}