Chapter 9 - On the narrative of Cākṣuṣa Manu

1-7. Nārāyaṇa said :-- O Nārada! I will now narrate the supreme glories of the Devī and the anecdote how Manu, the son of Anga, obtained excellent kingdom by worshipping the Devī Bhagavatī. The son of the king Anga, named Cākṣuṣa became the Sixth Manu.

One day he went to the Brahmārṣi Pulaha Ṛṣi and taking his refuge said :-- O Brahmārṣi! Thou removest all the sorrows and afflictions of those that come under Thy refuge; I now take Thy refuge. Kindly advise Thy servant how he may become the Lord of an endless amount of wealth. O Muni! What can I do so that I may get the sole undisputed sway over the world? How my arms can wield the weapons and manipulate them so that they may not be baffled? How my race and line be constant and my youth remain ever the same, undecayed? And how can I, in the end, attain Mukti? O Muni! Kindly dost Thou give instructions to me on these points and oblige.

Hearing thus, the Muni wanted him to worship the Devī and said :-- “O King! Listen attentively to what I say you today. Worship today the all auspicious Śakti; by Her grace, all your desires will be fulfilled.”

8. Cākṣuṣa said :-- “O Muni! What is that very holy worship of Śrī Bhagavatī? How to do it? Kindly describe all these in detail.”

9-20. The Muni said :-- O King! I will now disclose all about the excellent Pūja of the Devī Bhagavatī. Hear. You recite (mentally) always the seed mantra of Vākbhava (Speech) (The Deity being Mahā Sarasvatī). If any one makes japam (recites slowly) of the Vākbhava Vīja thrice a day, one gets both the highest enjoyment here and, in the end, release (Mukti). O Son of a Kṣattriya! There is no other Vīja Mantra (word) better than this of Vāk (the Word). Through the Japam of this Vīja Mantra comes the increase of strength and prowess and all successes. By the Japam of this, Brahmā is so powerful and has become the Creator; Viṣṇu preserves the Universe and Maheśvara has become the Destroyer of the Universe. The other Dikpālas (the Regents of the quarters) and the other Siddhas have become very powerful by the power of this Mantra, and are capable of favouring or disfavouring others. So, O King! You, too, worship the Devī of the Devas, the World Mother and ere long you will become the Lord of unbounded wealth. There is no doubt in this. O Nārada! Thus advised by Pulaha Ṛṣi, the son of the King Anga went to the banks of the Virajā river to practise austerities. There the king Cākṣuṣa remained absorbed in making Japam of the Vākbhava Vīja Mantra and took for his food the leaves of the trees that dropped on the ground and thus practised severe austerities.

The first year he ate leaves; the second year he drank water and in the third year he sustained his life by breathing air simply and thus remained steady like a pillar. Thus he remained without food for twelve years. He went on making Japam of the Vākbhava Mantra and his heart and mind became purified. While he was sitting alone, absorbed in the meditation of the Devī Mantra, there appeared before him suddenly the Parameśvarī, the World Mother, the Incarnate of Lakṣmī. The Highest Deity, full of dauntless fire and the Embodiment of all the Devas, spoke graciously in sweet words to Cākṣuṣa, the son of Anga.

21-29. O Regent of the earth! I am pleased with your Tapasyā. Now ask any boon that you want. I will give that to you.

Cākṣuṣa said :-- “O Thou, worshipped by the Devas! O Sovereign of the Deva of the Devas! Thou art the Controller Inside; Thou art the Controller Outside. Thou knowest everything what I desire in my mind. Still, O Devī! When I am so fortunate as to see Thee, I say Thou grantest me the kingdom for the Manvantara period.”

The Devī said :-- “O Best of the Kṣattriyas! I grant unto you the kingdom of the whole world for one manvantara. You will have many sons, very powerful, indeed, and well qualified. Your kingdom will be free from any danger till at last you will certainly get Mukti.” Thus granting the excellent boon to Manu, She disappeared then and there, after being praised by Manu, with deep devotion. The Sixth Manu, then favoured by the Devī, enjoyed the sovereignty of the earth and other pleasures and became the best of the Manus. His sons became the devotees of the Devī, very powerful and expert and became respected by all and enjoyed the pleasures of the kingdom. Thus getting the supremacy by the worship of the Devī, the Cākṣuṣa Manu became merged in the end in the Holy Feet of the Devī.

Here ends the Ninth Chapter of the Tenth Book on the narrative of Cākṣuṣa Manu in the Mahāpurāṇam Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahārṣi Veda Vyāsa.