Chapter 86 - Greatness of Saptaviṃśatikā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This numerical name is given to Goddess Durgā as she was installed by the twenty-seven daughters of Dakṣa (see vv. 1 and 23).

Sūta said:

1-3. There is another deity named Saptaviṃśatikā. She is the goddess installed by the constellations (stars). She bestows everything desired.

Formerly twenty-seven daughters of Dakṣa were married by Soma (the Moon). Among them Rohiṇī was his sole beloved, more than his very life. He remained attached to her and always stayed near her.

4. Distressed due to their unfortunate plight all those daughters of Dakṣa became highly disgusted with worldly life. They began to perform penance in this holy place.

5. Endowed with great faith, they installed the deity Durgā. They worshipped the goddess of Suras with oblations, adorations and holy presents.

6-7. After a long time she became pleased with them and said: “O my daughters, I am delighted and I shall grant you a boon. So let what is cherished in your minds be requested for. Undoubtedly I shall grant whatever is present in your heart.”

8-10. Then all of them said: “O goddess, with your favour we have everything desirable in all the three worlds excepting one thing, namely, the happiness from our husband, that which is the outcome of conjugal felicity. Hence O Caṇḍikā, if you are pleased, give us that (bliss). Due to adverse fate all of us have undergone great hardships. We are unable to retain our vital airs in our body by any means”

Śrī Devī said:

11. By my grace from today onwards you will have conjugal bliss from your husband, enhancing your happiness undoubtedly.

12-14. Another woman, also abandoned by her husband, who staying here always worships me with great devotion and observes fast on the fourteenth lunar day, shall become blessed with conjugal felicity and good sons. She should take only one meal everyday for the period of a year. If the woman worships me abstaining from astringent or saline item in her diet, she will never have any trouble from her husband nor adverse luck.

15. If the woman observes fast on the ninth lunar day in the bright half of the month of Āśvina and worships me at midnight her conjugal felicity will always be at its best.

16. After saying thus that goddess ceased (to speak), O excellent Brāhmaṇas. All of them (the Constellations) of stars became delighted and went to the palace of Dakṣa.

17. In the meantime Dakṣa was summoned by the Tridentbearing One and was asked: “Why was Moon caused to be afflicted by the disease of tuberculosis? O Dakṣa, an improper act has been committed by you as he is your son-in-law.”

Dakṣa said:

18. My daughters, numbering twenty-eight in all have been married by him. All of them are of unbroken fidelity and blemishless. Yet they were abandoned by him, O Lord, except one namely Rohiṇī, though he had been warned by me many times (for his negligence of others).

19. He proved himself as one prattling falsehood, a slow-witted one under the full control of the god of Love. So I have angrily caused him to be afflicted by the disease of tuberculosis.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

20. From today he will behave with all of them impartially at my behest. There is no doubt about it. What I have uttered is the truth.

21. Of course, the words uttered by you can never be untrue. So he will wane for a fortnight and wax for the next.^[1]

22. Dakṣa too said, “So be it” and went home. Candra thereafter began to treat all the daughters of Dakṣa alike for ever.

23. He goes on increasing and decreasing in alternative fortnights, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. That goddess therefore was called Saptaviṃśatikā on the earth. She was established in that holy spot. She bestows all conjugal felicity on women.

24. One who remains pure and reads this in front of the deity with devotion on the eighth lunar day shall attain all good fortune.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This myth—Dakṣa’s coining to the Moogod [Moon-God?]—is created to explain the waxing and waning of the moon.