Chapter 7 - On the checking of the rise of the Bindhya Range

1-21. Sūta said :-- Hearing the words of the Devas, Agastya, the Best of the Brāhmins promised that he would carry out their works. O Ṛṣis! All the Devas then became very glad when the Muni, born of the water jar, promised thus. They then bade good-bye to him and went back gladly to their own abodes.

The Muni then spoke to his wife thus :-- “O daughter of the King! The Bindhya Mountain has baffled the progress of the Sun’s course and has thus caused a great mischief. What the Munis, the Seers of truths said before referring to Kāśī, all are now coming to my mind when I am thinking why this disturbance has overtaken me. They said that various hindrances would come to him at every step, who is a Sādhu intending to settle at Kāśī. Let him who wants Mukti, never quit Kāśī, the Avimukta place in any case. But, O Dear! Today I have got one hindrance during my stay at Kāśī.” Thus talking with much regret on various subjects with his wife, the Muni bathed in the Maṇikarṇikā ghāt, saw the Lord Viśveśvara worshipped Danḍapānī and went to the Kāla Bhairava.

He said in the following terms :-- “O Mighty armed Kālabhairava! Thou destroyest the fear of the Bhaktas; Thou art the God of this Kāśī City. Then why art Thou driving me away from this Kāśīdhām. O Lord! Thou removest all the obstacles of the devotees and Thou preservest them. Then why, O Destroyer of the sorrows of the Bhaktas! art Thou removing me from here? Never I blamed others; nor did I practise any hypocrisy with any person nor did I lie; then under what sin, Thou art driving me away from Kāśī.” O Ṛṣis! Thus praying to Kāla Bhairava, the Muni Agastya, born of water jar and the husband of Lopāmudrā, went to Sākṣi Gaṇeśa, the Destroyer of all evils and seeing and worshipping Him, went out of Kāśī and proceeded to the south. The Muni, the ocean of great fortune, left Kāśī; but he became very much distressed to leave it and he remembered it always. He began to march on with his wife. As if riding on his car of asceticism he arrived at the Bindhya mountain in the twinkling of an eye and saw that the Mountain had risen very high and obstructed the passage of the Sun in the Heavens. The Bindhya Mountain, seeing the Muni Agastya in front, began to tremble and as if desirous to speak something to the earth in a whisper became low and dwarfish and bowed down to the Muni and fell down with devotion in sāṣṭāṅgas with devotion just like a stick dropped flat on the ground before the Muni.

Seeing the Bindhya thus low, the Muni Agastya became pleased and spoke with a gracious look :-- “O Child! Better remain in this state until I come back. For, O Child! I am quite unable to ascend to your lofty heights.” Thus saying, the Muni became eager to go to the south; and, crossing the peaks of the Bindhya, alighted gradually again to the plains. He went on further to the south and saw the Śrī Śaila Mountain and at last went to the Malayācala and there, building his Āśrama (hermitage), settled himself. O Saunaka! The Devī Bhagavatī, worshipped by the Muni went to the Bindhya Mountain and settled there and became known, in the three worlds, by the name of Bindhyavāsinī.

22-26. Sūta said :-- Anybody who hears this highly pure narrative of the Muni Agastya and Bindhya, becomes freed of all his sins. All his enemies are destroyed in no time. This hearing gives knowledge to the Brāhmaṇas, victory to the Kṣattriyas, wealth and corn to the Vaiśyas and happiness to the Śūdras.

If anybody once hears this narrative, he gets Dharma if he want Dharma, gets unbounded wealth if he wants wealth and gets all desires if he wants his desires fulfilled. In ancient times Svāyambhuva Manu worshipped this Devī with devotion and got his kingdom for his own Manvantara period. O Saunaka! Thus I have described to you the holy character of the Devī in this Manvantara. What more shall I say? Mention please.

Here ends the Seventh Chapter of the Tenth Book on the checking of the rise of the Bindhya Range in the Mahā Purāṇam Śrī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa.