Chapter 13: Boons to Suratha and the merchant

एतत्ते कथितं भूप देवीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् ।
एवंप्रभावा सा देवी ययेदं धार्यते जगत्

etatte kathitaṃ bhūpa devīmāhātmyamuttamam |
evaṃprabhāvā sā devī yayedaṃ dhāryate jagat

The Rishi said: O King, I have told you this supreme Mahatmya of the Devi. Such is the power of that Devi by whom this world is upheld.

विद्या तथैव क्रियते भगवद्विष्णुमायया ।
तथा त्वमेष वैश्यश्च तथैवान्ये विवेकिनः ।
मोह्यन्ते मोहिताश्चैव मोहमेष्यन्ति चापरे

vidyā tathaiva kriyate bhagavadviṣṇumāyayā |
tathā tvameṣa vaiśyaśca tathaivānye vivekinaḥ |
mohyante mohitāścaiva mohameṣyanti cāpare

Knowledge too is granted by her, the Maya of Bhagavan Vishnu. By her you and this merchant, and other discerning men as well, are deluded; others have been deluded and others yet will fall into delusion.

तामुपैहि महाराज शरणं परमेश्वरीम् ।
आराधिता सैव नृणां भोगस्वर्गापवर्गदा

tāmupaihi mahārāja śaraṇaṃ parameśvarīm |
ārādhitā saiva nṛṇāṃ bhogasvargāpavargadā

Go to her for refuge, great King, to the supreme Ishvari. Worshipped, she grants men enjoyment, heaven and final liberation.

इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुरथः स नराधिपः ।
प्रणिपत्य महाभागं तमृषिं शंसितव्रतम्

iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā surathaḥ sa narādhipaḥ |
praṇipatya mahābhāgaṃ tamṛṣiṃ śaṃsitavratam

Markandeya said: Hearing his words, King Suratha bowed down before that illustrious rishi, firm in his vows,

निर्विण्णोऽतिममत्वेन राज्यापहरणेन च ।
जगम सद्यस्तपसे स च वैश्यो महामुने

nirviṇṇo'timamatvena rājyāpaharaṇena ca |
jagama sadyastapase sa ca vaiśyo mahāmune

and weary of his excessive attachment and of the loss of his kingdom, he went at once to perform tapas, and so did the merchant, O great muni.

संदर्शनार्थमम्बाया नदीपुलिनसंस्थितः ।
स च वैश्यस्तपस्तेपे देवीसूक्तं परं जपन्

saṃdarśanārthamambāyā nadīpulinasaṃsthitaḥ |
sa ca vaiśyastapastepe devīsūktaṃ paraṃ japan

To gain a vision of the Mother, the king and the merchant settled on the sandy bank of a river and performed tapas, repeating the supreme Devi Sukta.

तौ तस्मिन् पिलिने देव्याः कृत्वा मूर्ति महीमयीम् ।
अर्हणां चक्रतुस्तस्याः पुष्पधूपाग्नितर्पणैः

tau tasmin piline devyāḥ kṛtvā mūrti mahīmayīm |
arhaṇāṃ cakratustasyāḥ puṣpadhūpāgnitarpaṇaiḥ

On that riverbank the two made an image of the Devi out of earth and worshipped her with flowers, incense, fire offerings and libations of water.

निराहारौ यतात्मानौ तन्मनस्कौ समाहितौ ।
ददतुस्तौ बलिं चैव निजगात्रासृगुक्षितम्

nirāhārau yatātmānau tanmanaskau samāhitau |
dadatustau baliṃ caiva nijagātrāsṛgukṣitam

Fasting, self-controlled, their minds fixed on her and absorbed, they offered bali sprinkled with blood drawn from their own bodies.

एवं समाराधयतोस्त्रिभिर्वर्षैर्यतात्मनोः ।
परितुष्टा जगद्धात्री प्रत्यक्षं प्राह चण्डिका

evaṃ samārādhayatostribhirvarṣairyatātmanoḥ |
parituṣṭā jagaddhātrī pratyakṣaṃ prāha caṇḍikā

When they had worshipped her thus with restrained minds for three years, Chandika, the upholder of the world, was well pleased and spoke to them in visible form.

यत्प्रार्थ्यते त्वया भूप त्वया च कुलनन्दन ।
मत्तस्तत्प्राप्यतां सर्वं परितुष्टा ददामि तत्

yatprārthyate tvayā bhūpa tvayā ca kulanandana |
mattastatprāpyatāṃ sarvaṃ parituṣṭā dadāmi tat

The Devi said: O King, and you, joy of your family, whatever you ask, receive it all from me. I am well pleased and shall grant it.

ततो वव्रे नृपो राज्यमविभ्रंश्यन्यजन्मनि ।
अत्रैव च निजं राज्यं हतशत्रुबलं बलात्

tato vavre nṛpo rājyamavibhraṃśyanyajanmani |
atraiva ca nijaṃ rājyaṃ hataśatrubalaṃ balāt

Markandeya said: Then the king chose a kingdom that would never fall away in another birth, and in this very life his own kingdom, won back by force after crushing the power of his enemies.

सोऽपि वैश्यस्ततो ज्ञानं वव्रे निर्विण्णमानसः ।
ममेत्यहमिति प्राज्ञः सङ्गविच्युतिकारकम्

so'pi vaiśyastato jñānaṃ vavre nirviṇṇamānasaḥ |
mametyahamiti prājñaḥ saṅgavicyutikārakam

The wise merchant, whose mind had turned from the world, chose knowledge that cuts away attachment, the bond of 'mine' and 'I'.

स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यते भवान् ।
हत्वा रिपूनस्खलितं तव तत्र भविष्यति

svalpairahobhirnṛpate svaṃ rājyaṃ prāpsyate bhavān |
hatvā ripūnaskhalitaṃ tava tatra bhaviṣyati

The Devi said: O King, within a few days you will regain your own kingdom. Having slain your enemies, you will hold it there unshaken.

मृतश्च भूयः सम्प्राप्य जन्म देवाद्विवस्वतः ।
सावर्णिको नाम मनुर्भवान् भुवि भविष्यति

mṛtaśca bhūyaḥ samprāpya janma devādvivasvataḥ |
sāvarṇiko nāma manurbhavān bhuvi bhaviṣyati

And after death, taking birth again from the god Vivasvan, the Sun, you will be the Manu on earth named Savarnika.

वैश्यवर्य त्वया यश्च वरोऽस्मत्तोऽभिवाञ्छतः ।
तं प्रयच्छामि संसिद्ध्यै तव ज्ञानं भविष्यति

vaiśyavarya tvayā yaśca varo'smatto'bhivāñchataḥ |
taṃ prayacchāmi saṃsiddhyai tava jñānaṃ bhaviṣyati

And best of merchants, the boon you have desired from me I grant you for your perfection. Knowledge shall be yours.

इति दत्त्वा तयोर्देवी यथाभिलषितं वरम् ।
बभूवान्तर्हिता सद्यो भक्त्या ताभ्यामभिष्टुता

iti dattvā tayordevī yathābhilaṣitaṃ varam |
babhūvāntarhitā sadyo bhaktyā tābhyāmabhiṣṭutā

Markandeya said: Having given each of them the boon he desired, the Devi, praised by both with devotion, vanished at once.

एवं देव्या वरं लब्ध्वा सुरथः क्षत्रियर्षभः ।
सूर्याज्जन्म समासाद्य सावर्णिर्भविता मनुः

evaṃ devyā varaṃ labdhvā surathaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ |
sūryājjanma samāsādya sāvarṇirbhavitā manuḥ

Thus, having received the boon from the Devi, Suratha, the bull among kshatriyas, will take birth from the Sun and become the Manu Savarni.