Chapter XLV
On the anecdote of Daksinâ
1-63. Nârâyana said :– The excellent, most sweet stories of Svâhâ and Svadhâ are told; now I will tell you the story of Daksinâ; hear attentively. In early days, in the region of Goloka, there was a good-natured Gopî named Sus’îlâ, beautiful, Râdhâ’s companion and very dear to S’rî Hari. She was fortunate, respected, beautiful, lovely, prosperous, with good teeth, learned, well qualified and of exquisitely handsome form. Her whole body was tender and lovely like Kalâvatî (one versed in 64 arts; moon). She was beautiful and her eyes were like water lilies. Her hips were good and spacious; Her breasts were full; she was Shyâmâ (a kind of women having colour like melted gold; body being hot in cold and cool in summer; of youthful beauty); as well She was of the Nyagrodha class of women (an excellent woman. Stanau Sukathinau Yasyâ Nitambe cha Vis’âlatâ. Madhye Ksînâ bhavedyâ Sânyagrodha parimandalâ). Always a smile sweetened Her face; and that looked always gracious. Her whole body was covered with jewel ornaments. Her colour was white like the white champakas. Her lips were red like the Bimba fruits; Her eyes were like those of a deer. Sus’îlâ was very clever in amorous sciences. Her gait was like a swan.
She was specially versed in what is called Prema Bhakti (love towards God). So She was the dearest lady of S’rî Krisna. And She was of intense emotional feelings. She knows all the sentiments of love; she was witty, humorous, and ardent for the love of S’rî Krisna, the Lord of the Râsa circle. She sat by the left side of S’rî Krisna in the presence of Râdhâ. S’rî Krisna, then cast His glance on Râdhâ, the Chief of the Gopîs and hung down His head through fear. Râdhâ’s face turned red; the two eyes looked like red lilies; all Her bodies began to quiver out of anger and Her lips began to shake. Seeing that state of Râdhâ, Bhagavân S’rî Krisna disappeared, fearing that a quarrel might ensue. Sus’îlâ and other Gopîs seeing that the peaceful Krisna of Sattvâ Guna and of lovely form had disappeared, began to tremble with fear. Then one lakh Koti Gopîs seeing Krisna absent and Râdhâ angry, became very much afraid and bowing their heads down with devotion and with folded palms began to say frequently, “Râdhe! Protect us, protect us,” and they took shelter at Her feet. O Nârada! Three lakh Gopas also including Sudâmâ and others took shelter at the lotus feet of S’rî Râdhâ out of fear. Seeing, then, Krisna absent and Her companion Sus’îlâ running away, Râdhâ cursed her thus :– “If Sus’îlâ comes again to this Goloka, she will be reduced to ashes.” Thus cursing Her companion Sus’îlâ out of anger, Râdhâ, the Darling of the Deva of the Devas, and the Lady of the Râsa circle went to the Râsa circle and called on Krisna, the Lord of the same. Not being able to find out S’rî Krisna, a minute appeared a yuga to Her and she began to say :– “O Lord of Prânas! O Dearer than My life! O Presiding Deity of my life! O Krisna! My life seems to depart from Thy absence! Come quickly and show Thyself to me. O Lord! It is through the favour of one’s husband that the pride of women gets increased day by day. Women’s safeguards of happiness are their husbands. Therefore women, who are helpless creatures, ought always to serve their husbands according to Dharma. The husband is the wife’s friend, presiding deity and the sole refuge and the chief wealth. It is through husbands that women derive their pleasures, enjoyments, Dharma, happiness, peace and contentment. If husbands are respected, wives are respected and if husbands are dishonoured, women are dishonoured too. The husband is the highest thing to a woman. He is the highest friend. There is no better friend than him. The husband is called Bhartâ because he supports his wife; he is called Pati, because he preserves her; he is called S’vâmî, because he is the master of her body; he is called Kântâ because he bestows the desired things to her; he is called Bandhu, because he increases her happiness; he is called Priya, because he gives pleasure to her; he is called Is’a, because he bestows prosperity on her; he is called Prânes’vara, because he is the lord of her Prâna; and he is called Ramana, because he gives enjoyment to her. There is no other thing dearer than husband. The son is born of the husband; hence the son is so dear. The husband is dearer to a family woman than one hundred sons. Those who are born in impure families, cannot know what substance a husband is made up of. Taking Baths in all the Tîrthas, giving Daksinâs in all the Yajñas (sacrifice), circumambulating round the whole earth, performing all austerities, observing all vows, making all great gifts, holy fastings, all that are dictated in the S’âstras, serving the Guru, the Brâhmanas and the Devas all cannot compare to even one sixteenth part with serving faithfully the feet of the husband. The husband is the highest; higher than the Spiritual Teacher (Guru), higher than the Brâhmanas, higher than all the Devas. As to man, the Spiritual Teacher who imparts the Spiritual Knowledge is the Best and Supreme, so to the women their husbands are the best of all. Oh! I am not able to realise the glory of my Dearest, by Whose favour I am the Sole Ruler of one lakh Koti Gopîs, one lakh Koti Gopas, innumerable Brâhmandas, and all the things thereof, and all the lokas (regions) from Bhu (earth) to Goloka. Oh! The womanly nature is insurmountable.” Thus saying, Râdhikâ began to meditate with devotion on S’rî Krisna. Tears began to flow incessantly from Her eyes. She exclaimed, “O Lord! O Lord! O Ramana! Shew Thyself to me. I am very much weak and distressed from Thy bereavement.” Now the Daksinâ Devî, driven out from Goloka; practised Tapasyâ for a long time when She entered into the body of Kamalâ. The Devas, on the other hand, performed a very difficult Yajña; but they could not derive any fruit therefrom. So they went to Brahmâ, becoming very sad.
Hearing them, Brahmâ meditated on Visnu for a long time with devotion. At last Visnu gave Him a reply. Visnu got out of the body of Mahâ Laksmî a Martya Laksmî (Laksmî of the earth) and gave Her Daksinâ to Brahmâ.Then with a view to yield to the Devas the as a fruits of their Karmas, Brahmâ made over to the Yajña Deva (the Deva presiding the sacrifice) the Devî Daksinâ, offered by Nârâyana. Yajña Deva, then, worshipped Her duly and recited hymns to Her with great joy. Her colour was like melted gold; her lustre equalled koti Moons; very lovely, beautiful, fascinating; face resembling water lilies, of a gentle body; with eyes like Padmâ Palâsa, born of the body of Laksmî, worshipped by Brahmâ, wearing celestial silken garments, her lips resembling like Bimba fruits, chaste, handsome; her braid of hair surrounded by Mâlatî garlands; with a sweet smiling face, ornamented with jewel ornaments, well dressed, bathed, enchanting the minds of the Munis, below the hair of her forehead the dot of musk and Sindûra scented with sandalpaste, of spacious hips, with full breasts, smitten by the arrows of Kâma Deva (the God of Love). Such was the Daksinâ Devî. Seeing Her, the Yajña Deva fainted. At last he married her according to due rites and ceremonies. Taking her to a solitary place, he enjoyed her for full divine one hundred years with great joy like Laksmî Nârâyana. Gradually then Daksinâ became pregnant. She remained so for twelve divine years. Then she duly delivered a nice son as the fruit of Karma. When any Karma becomes complete, this son delivers the fruits of that Karma. Yajña Deva with His wife Daksinâ and the above named Karmaphala, the bestower of the fruits of actions, gives the desired fruits to all their sacrificial acts and Karmas. So the Pundits, the knowers of the Vedas, say. Really he, henceforth, began to give fruits to all the persons of their acts, with his wife Daksinâ and son, the bestower of the fruits of the actions. The Devas were all satisfied at this and went away respectively to their own abodes. Therefore, the man who performs Karmas, generally known as Karma Kartas, should pay the Daksinâ (the Sacrificial fee) and so he completes at once his actions. It is stated in the Vedas, that no sooner the Karma Karta pays the Daksinâ, than he obtains the fruits of his Karmas at once. In case the Karma Karta, after he has completed his acts, does not pay either through bad luck or through ignorance, any Daksinâ to the Brâhmanas, its amount is doubled if a Muhûrta passes away and if one night elapses, its amount is increased, to one hundred times. If three nights pass away, and the Daksinâ not paid, the amount last brought forward, is increased again to hundred times; if a week passes, the last amount is doubled, and if one month passes away, the Daksinâ is multiplied to one lakh times. If one year passes away, that is increased to ten millions of times and the Karma, also, bears no fruit. Such a Karma Karta is known as taking away unfairly a Brâhmana’s property and is regarded as impure. He has no right to any further actions. For that sin, he becomes a pauper and diseased. Laksmî Devî goes away from his house, leaves him, cursing him severely. So much so that the Pitris do not accept the S’râdh, Tarpanam offered by that wretched fellow. So the Devas do not accept his worship, nor the Fire accepts the oblations poured by him. If the person that performs sacrifices does not pay the sacrificial fee that he resolves to pay and he who accepts the offer does not demand the sum, both of them go to hell. But if the performer of the sacrifices does not pay when the priests demand the fee, then the Yajamâna (the performer of the sacrifices) only falls down to hell as the jar, severed from the rope, falls down. The Yajamâna (pupil) is denominated as a Brahmâsvapahârî (one who robs a Brâhmana’s property); he goes ultimately to the Kumbhîpâka hell. There he remains for one lakh years punished and threatened by Yama’s messengers. He is then reborn as a Chândâla, poor and diseased. So much so that his seven generations above and his seven generations below go to hell.
64-65. O Nârada! Thus I have narrated to you the story of Daksinâ. What more do you want to hear? Say. Nârada said :– “O Best of Munis! Who bears the fruits of that Karma where no Daksinâ is paid. Describe the method of worship that was offered to Daksinâ by Yajña Deva.” Nârâyana said :– Where do you find the fruit of any sacrifice without Daksinâ? (i.e., nowhere.) That Karma only gets fruits where Daksinâs are paid. And the fruits of the acts void of any Daksinâ, Bali who lives in the Pâtâla only enjoys; and no one else.
66-71. For, in olden times, it was ordained by Vâmana Deva that those fruits would go to the king Vali. All those that pertain to S’râdh not sanctioned by the Vedas, the charities made without any regard or faith, the worship offered by a Brâhmin who is the husband of a Vrisala (an unmarried girl twelve years in whom menstruation has commenced), the fruits of sacrifices done by an impure Brâhmana (a Brâhmana who fails in his duties), the worship offered by impure persons, and the acts of a man devoid of any devotion to his Guru, all these are reserved for the king Bali. He enjoys the fruits of all these. O Child! I am now telling you the Dhyân Stotra, and the method of worship as per Kanva S’âkhâ of Daksinâ Devî. Hear. When Yajña Deva, in ancient times got Daksinâ, skillful in action, he was very much fascinated by her appearance and being love-stricken, began to praise her :– “O Beautiful One! You were before the chief of the Gopîs in Goloka. You were like Râdhâ; you were Her companion; and you were loved by Srî Râdhâ, the beloved of S’rî Krisna.
72-97. In the Râsa circle, on the Full Moon night in the month of Kârtik, in the great festival of Râdhâ, you appeared from the right shoulder of Laksmî; hence you were named Daksinâ. O Beautiful One! You were of good nature before; hence your name was Sus’îlâ. Next you turned due to Râdhâ’s curse, into Daksinâ. It is to my great good luck that you were dislodged from Goloka and have come here. O highly fortunate One! Now have mercy on me and accept me as your husband. O Devî! You give to all the doers of actions, the fruits of their works. Without you, their Karmas bear no fruit. So much so, if you be not present in their action the works never shine forth in brilliant glory. Without Thee, neither Brahmâ, nor Visnu nor Mahes’a nor the Regents of the quarters, the ten Dikpâlas, can award the fruits of actions. Brahmâ is the incarnate of Karma. Mahes’vara is the incarnate of the fruits of Karmas; and I Visnu myself is the incarnate of Yajñas. But Thou art the Essence of all. Thou art the Parâ Prakriti, without any attributes, the Parâ Brahmâ incarnate, the bestower of the fruits of action. Bhagavân S’rî Krisna cannot award the fruits of actions without Thee. O Beloved! In every birth let Thou be my S’akti. O Thou with excellent face! Without Thee, I am unable to finish well any Karma.” O Nârada! Thus praising Daksinâ Devî, Yajña Deva stood before Her. She, born from the shoulder of Laksmî, became pleased with His Stotra and accepted Him for Her bridegroom. If anybody recites this Daksinâ stotra during sacrifice, he gets all the results thereof.
If anybody recites this stotra in the Râjasûya sacrifice, Vâjapaya, Gomedha (cow sacrifice) Naramedha (man sacrifice), As’vamedha (horse sacrifice), Lângala Sacrifice, Visnu Yajña tending to increase one’s fame, in the act of giving over wealth or pieces of lands, digging tanks or wells, or giving fruits, in Gaja medha (elephant sacrifice), in Loha Yajña (iron sacrifice), Svarna Yajña (gold sacrifice), Ratna Yajña (making over jewels in sacrifices), Tâmra Yajña (copper), S’iva Yajña, Rudra Yajña, S’akra Yajña, Bandhuka Yajña, Varuna Yajña (for rains), Kandaka Yajña, for crushing the enemies, S’uchi Yajña, Dharma Yajña, Pâpa mochana Yajña, Brahmânî Karma Yajña, the auspicious Prakriti Yâga, sacrifices, his work is achieved then without any hitch or obstacle. There is no doubt in this. The stotra, thus, is mentioned now; hear about the Dhyânam and the method of worship. First of all, one should worship in the S’âlagrâma stone, or in an earthen jar (Ghata) Daksinâ Devî. The Dhyânam runs thus :– “O Daksinâ! Thou art sprung from the right shoulder of Laksmî; Thou art a part of Kamalâ; Thou art clever (Daksa) in all the actions and Thou bestowest the fruits of all the actions. Thou art the S’akti of Visnu, Thou art revered, worshipped. Thou bestowest all that is auspicious; Thou art purity; Thou bestowest purity, Thou art good natured. So I meditate on Thee.” Thus meditating, the intelligent one should worship Daksinâ with the principal mantra. Then with the Vedic Mantras, pâdyas, etc. (offerings of various sorts) are to be offered. Now the mantra as stated in the Vedas, runs thus :– “Om S’rîm Klîm Hrîm Daksinâyai Svâhâ.” With this mantra, all the offerings, such as pâdyas, arghyas, etc., are to be given, and one should worship, as per rules, Daksinâ Devî with devotion. O Nârada! Thus I have stated to you the anecdote of Daksinâ. Happiness, pleasure, and the fruits of all karmas are obtained by this. Being engaged in sacrificial acts, in this Bhâratavarsa, if one hears attentively this Dhyânam of Daksinâ, his sacrifice becomes defectless. So much so that the man who has got no sons gets undoubtedly good and qualified sons; if he has no wife, he gets a best wife, good natured, beautiful, of slender waist, capable to give many sons, sweet speaking, humble, chaste, pure, and Kulîna; if he be void of learning, he gets learning; if he be poor he gets wealth; if he be without any land, he gets land and if he has no attendants, he gets attendants. If a man hears for one month this stotra of Daksinâ Devî, he gets over all difficulties and dangers, bereavements from friends, troubles, inprisonments, and all other calamities.
Here ends the Forty-fifth Chapter of the Ninth Book on the anecdote of Daksinâ in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâsa.
