The Halting of Vindhya's Growth

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.10.7.1)

सूत उवाच । इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य विबुधानां द्विजोत्तमः । करिष्ये कार्यमेतद्वः प्रत्युवाच ततो मुनिः ॥

sūta uvāca iti vākyaṁ samākarṇya vibudhānāṁ dvijottamaḥ kariṣye kāryametadvaḥ pratyuvāca tato muniḥ

Suta said: Having heard these words of the gods, that best of the twice-born, the sage, then replied: 'I shall accomplish this task of yours.'

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.10.7.2)

अङ्गीकृते तदा कार्ये मुनिना कुम्भजन्मना । देवाः प्रमुदिताः सर्वे बभूबुर्द्विजसत्तमाः ॥

aṅgīkṛte tadā kārye muninā kumbhajanmanā devāḥ pramuditāḥ sarve babhūburdvijasattamāḥ

When the task was thus accepted by the jar-born sage, all the gods, those best of the twice-born, became overjoyed.

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.10.7.3)

ते देवाः स्वानि धिष्ण्यानि भेजिरे मुनिवाक्यतः । पत्नीं मुनिवरः श्रीमानुवाच नृपकन्यकाम् ॥

te devāḥ svāni dhiṣṇyāni bhejire munivākyataḥ patnīṁ munivaraḥ śrīmānuvāca nṛpakanyakām

Those gods returned to their own abodes, by the sage's word. The glorious excellent sage then spoke to his wife, the king's daughter.

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.10.7.4)

अये नृपसुते प्राप्तो विघ्नोऽनर्थस्य कारकः । भानुमार्गनिरोधेन कृतो विन्ध्यमहीभृता ॥

aye nṛpasute prāpto vighno'narthasya kārakaḥ bhānumārganirodhena kṛto vindhyamahībhṛtā

'O king's daughter, an obstacle has arisen that is the maker of misfortune — Mount Vindhya has obstructed the sun's path.'

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.10.7.5)

आज्ञातं कारणं तच्च स्मृतं वाक्यं पुरातनम् । काशीमुद्दिश्य यद्गीतं मुनिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥

ājñātaṁ kāraṇaṁ tacca smṛtaṁ vākyaṁ purātanam kāśīmuddiśya yadgītaṁ munibhistattvadarśibhiḥ

'The cause of this is now known, and I recall an ancient saying, sung by sages who see the truth, concerning Kashi —'

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.10.7.6)

अविमुक्तं न मोक्तव्यं सर्वथैव मुमुक्षुभिः । किन्तु विघ्ना भविष्यन्ति काश्यां निवसतां सताम् ॥

avimuktaṁ na moktavyaṁ sarvathaiva mumukṣubhiḥ kintu vighnā bhaviṣyanti kāśyāṁ nivasatāṁ satām

'— that Avimukta, Kashi, should never, under any circumstance, be abandoned by those seeking liberation. But there will be obstacles for the pious who dwell there —'

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.10.7.7)

सोऽन्तरायो मया प्राप्तः काश्यां निवसता प्रिये । इत्येवमुक्त्वा भार्यां तां मुनिः परमतापनः ॥

so'ntarāyo mayā prāptaḥ kāśyāṁ nivasatā priye ityevamuktvā bhāryāṁ tāṁ muniḥ paramatāpanaḥ

'— and this is that very obstacle that has come to me while dwelling in Kashi, my dear.' Having thus spoken to his wife, that sage of supreme austerity —

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.10.7.8)

मणिकर्ण्यां समाप्लुत्य दृष्ट्वा विश्वेश्वरं विभुम् । दण्डपाणिं समभ्यर्च्य कालराजं समागतः ॥

maṇikarṇyāṁ samāplutya dṛṣṭvā viśveśvaraṁ vibhum daṇḍapāṇiṁ samabhyarcya kālarājaṁ samāgataḥ

— bathed in Manikarnika, beheld the mighty Vishveshvara, worshipped the staff-bearing Kalaraja, and approached him.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.10.7.9)

कालराज महाबाहो भक्तानां भयहारक । कथं दूरयसे पुर्याः काशीपुर्यास्त्वमीश्वरः ॥

kālarāja mahābāho bhaktānāṁ bhayahāraka kathaṁ dūrayase puryāḥ kāśīpuryāstvamīśvaraḥ

'O Kalaraja, mighty-armed, remover of fear for devotees! Why do you, the lord of the city of Kashi, send me far from your city?'

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.10.7.10)

त्वं काशीवासविघ्नानां नाशको भक्तरक्षकः । मां किं दूरयसे स्वामिन् भक्तार्तिविनिवारक ॥

tvaṁ kāśīvāsavighnānāṁ nāśako bhaktarakṣakaḥ māṁ kiṁ dūrayase svāmin bhaktārtivinivāraka

'You are the destroyer of obstacles to dwelling in Kashi, protector of devotees. Why, O lord, remover of devotees' distress, do you send me away?'

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.10.7.11)

परापवादो नोक्तो मे न पैशुन्यं न चानृतम् । केन कर्मविपाकेन काश्या दूरं करोषि माम् ॥

parāpavādo nokto me na paiśunyaṁ na cānṛtam kena karmavipākena kāśyā dūraṁ karoṣi mām

'I have not spoken slander of others, nor malice, nor falsehood. By what ripening of past deeds do you send me far from Kashi?'

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.10.7.12)

एवं प्रार्थ्य च तं कालनाथं कुम्भोद्भवो मुनिः । जगाम साक्षिविघ्नेशं सर्वविघ्ननिवारणम् ॥

evaṁ prārthya ca taṁ kālanāthaṁ kumbhodbhavo muniḥ jagāma sākṣivighneśaṁ sarvavighnanivāraṇam

Having thus entreated that lord of Kala, the jar-born sage went to Sakshi-Vigneshvara, the remover of all obstacles.

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.10.7.13)

तं दृष्ट्वाभ्यर्च्य सम्प्रार्थ्य ततः पुर्या विनिर्गतः । लोपामुद्रापतिः श्रीमानगस्त्यो दक्षिणां दिशम् ॥

taṁ dṛṣṭvābhyarcya samprārthya tataḥ puryā vinirgataḥ lopāmudrāpatiḥ śrīmānagastyo dakṣiṇāṁ diśam

Having seen him, worshipped him, and made his entreaty, he then departed from the city — the glorious Agastya, husband of Lopamudra, toward the southern direction.

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.10.7.14)

काशीविरहसन्तप्तो महाभाग्यनिधिर्मुनिः । संस्मृत्यानुक्षणं काशीं जगाम सह भार्यया ॥

kāśīvirahasantapto mahābhāgyanidhirmuniḥ saṁsmṛtyānukṣaṇaṁ kāśīṁ jagāma saha bhāryayā

Burning with the anguish of parting from Kashi, that sage, a treasury of great fortune, remembering Kashi every moment, set out together with his wife.

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.10.7.15)

तपोयानमिवारुह्य निमिषार्धेन वै मुनिः । अग्रे ददर्श तं विन्ध्यं रुद्धाम्बरमथोन्नतम् ॥

tapoyānamivāruhya nimiṣārdhena vai muniḥ agre dadarśa taṁ vindhyaṁ ruddhāmbaramathonnatam

Mounting, as it were, the chariot of his own austerity, in but half a wink, the sage beheld before him that lofty Vindhya, which had blocked the sky.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.10.7.16)

चकम्पे चाचलस्तूर्णं दृष्ट्वैवाग्रे स्थितं मुनिम् । गिरिः खर्वतरो भूत्वा विवक्षुरवनीमिव ॥

cakampe cācalastūrṇaṁ dṛṣṭvaivāgre sthitaṁ munim giriḥ kharvataro bhūtvā vivakṣuravanīmiva

The mountain trembled at once upon seeing the sage standing before it — becoming, as it were, shrunken, wishing to enter the earth.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.10.7.17)

दण्डवत्पतितो भूमौ साष्टाङ्गं भक्तिभावितः । तं दृष्ट्वा नम्रशिखरं विन्ध्यं नाम महागिरिम् ॥

daṇḍavatpatito bhūmau sāṣṭāṅgaṁ bhaktibhāvitaḥ taṁ dṛṣṭvā namraśikharaṁ vindhyaṁ nāma mahāgirim

Falling prostrate on the ground with all eight limbs, filled with devotion — seeing that great mountain named Vindhya, its peak now bowed low —

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.10.7.18)

प्रसन्नवदनोऽगस्त्यो मुनिर्विन्ध्यमथाब्रवीत् । वत्सैवं तिष्ठ तावत्त्वं यावदागम्यते मया ॥

prasannavadano'gastyo munirvindhyamathābravīt vatsaivaṁ tiṣṭha tāvattvaṁ yāvadāgamyate mayā

— Agastya, his face pleased, spoke to Vindhya: 'My child, remain thus, exactly as you are, until I return.'

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.10.7.19)

अशक्तोऽहं गण्डशैलारोहणे तव पुत्रक । एवमुक्त्वा मुनिर्याम्यदिशं प्रति गमोत्सुकः ॥

aśakto'haṁ gaṇḍaśailārohaṇe tava putraka evamuktvā muniryāmyadiśaṁ prati gamotsukaḥ

'I am unable, my son, to climb this rugged mountain again.' Having said this, the sage, eager to go toward the southern direction —

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.10.7.20)

आरुह्य तस्य शिखराण्यवारुहदनुक्रमात् । गतो याम्यदिशं चापि श्रीशैलं प्रेक्ष्य वर्त्मनि ॥

āruhya tasya śikharāṇyavāruhadanukramāt gato yāmyadiśaṁ cāpi śrīśailaṁ prekṣya vartmani

— climbing up its peaks and then descending them one by one in turn, went on toward the southern direction, beholding Shri Shailam along the way.

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.10.7.21)

मलयाचलमासाद्य तत्राश्रमपरोऽभवत् । सापि देवी तत्र विन्ध्यमागता मनुपूजिता ॥

malayācalamāsādya tatrāśramaparo'bhavat sāpi devī tatra vindhyamāgatā manupūjitā

Reaching the Malaya mountain, he settled there devoted to his hermitage. And that Goddess too, worshipped by Manu, came there to Vindhya.

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.10.7.22)

लोकेषु प्रथिता विन्ध्यवासिनीति च शौनक । सूत उवाच । एतच्चरित्रं परमं शत्रुनाशनमुत्तमम् ॥

lokeṣu prathitā vindhyavāsinīti ca śaunaka sūta uvāca etaccaritraṁ paramaṁ śatrunāśanamuttamam

— and became renowned in the worlds as Vindhyavasini, O Shaunaka. Suta said: This is that supreme and excellent story, the destroyer of enemies —

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.10.7.23)

अगस्त्यविन्ध्यनगयोराख्यानं पापनाशनम् । राज्ञां विजयदं तच्च द्विजानां ज्ञानवर्धनम् ॥

agastyavindhyanagayorākhyānaṁ pāpanāśanam rājñāṁ vijayadaṁ tacca dvijānāṁ jñānavardhanam

— the tale of Agastya and Mount Vindhya, which destroys sin, gives victory to kings, and increases the knowledge of brahmins —

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.10.7.24)

वैश्यानां धान्यधनदं शूद्राणां सुखदं तथा । धर्मार्थी धर्ममाप्नोति धनार्थी धनमाप्नुयात् ॥

vaiśyānāṁ dhānyadhanadaṁ śūdrāṇāṁ sukhadaṁ tathā dharmārthī dharmamāpnoti dhanārthī dhanamāpnuyāt

— gives grain and wealth to vaishyas, and likewise happiness to shudras. One who desires dharma attains dharma; one who desires wealth attains wealth —

Verse 25 (devibhagavatam.10.7.25)

कामानवाप्नुयात्कामी भक्त्या चास्य सकृच्छ्रवात् । एवं स्वायम्भुवमनुर्देवीमाराध्य भक्तितः ॥

kāmānavāpnuyātkāmī bhaktyā cāsya sakṛcchravāt evaṁ svāyambhuvamanurdevīmārādhya bhaktitaḥ

— one who desires pleasures attains pleasures, through devotion and even a single hearing of this. Thus Svayambhuva Manu, having worshipped the Goddess with devotion —

Verse 26 (devibhagavatam.10.7.26)

लेभे राज्यं धरायाश्च निजमन्वन्तराश्रयम् । इत्येतद्वर्णितं सौम्य मया मन्वन्तराश्रितम् । आद्यं चरित्रं श्रीदेव्याः किं पुनः कथयामि ते ॥

lebhe rājyaṁ dharāyāśca nijamanvantarāśrayam ityetadvarṇitaṁ saumya mayā manvantarāśritam ādyaṁ caritraṁ śrīdevyāḥ kiṁ punaḥ kathayāmi te

— obtained the kingdom of the earth, belonging to his own manvantara. Thus, O gentle one, I have related to you this primal tale of Shri Devi, belonging to the manvantara — what more shall I tell you?