Chapter 188 - The Groups of Mothers Cursed

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-2. Afterwards when the fifth day dawned, those excellent Brāhmaṇas remained pure and clean after their excellent ablutions and were clad in their white, well-washed garments. They went to the centre of the assembly. As instructed by Pulastya, they ritualistically summoned the Ṛtviks and performed all the rites.

3. When the sacred fire was kindled for the performance of Homa by the Ṛtviks with the greatest concentration, they uttered in due order the Praiṣa Mantras (those uttered at the time of the crushing and squeezing of Soma) as commanded by the Aadhvaryu [Adhvaryu].

4. At this same time, the Udgātṛ proceeded with the rite indicated by the singing of the Sāman passages and usually performed with the Śaṅkus (posts).

5. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the Udgātṛ came to the centre of the assembly seven times and here all the Devas eager to partake of their share in the Yajña gathered together.

6. They came joyously especially for the sake of imbibing Soma. The Udgātṛ began the song and the imbibing of the Soma started.

7. A certain girl came there eager to hear the Sāman songs. She wished to observe cleverly the wonderful way in which the Śaṅku (the rod that crushes Soma) was moved about.

8. She was the excellent daughter of the Chandoga (reciter of the Sāman Mantras) named Devaśarman. Her name was Auduṃbarī. She was very eager to listen to the Sāman songs.

9-10. She spoke these words to the Udgātṛ in the assembly itself: “As the Śaṅku begins to move according to the indication of the Sāman songs, perform the Homa in the manner mentioned in the fire called Dakṣiṇa. Thereby alone you will be rid of sins. If not, the Yajña becomes futile.”

11. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, on hearing her worḍs that contained a special hint, he pondered over the words uttered by her.

12. Then the Udgātṛ was surprised. He asked the girl: “From where have you come? Whose daughter are you? Tell me.”

Auduṃbarī said:

13. (Originally) I was the daughter of Parvata (a Gandharva). (Now) I am the well-known daughter of Devaśarman. O highly esteemed one. I have come over here from the Gandharva world and I can remember the events of previous births.

Udgātṛ said:

14. Of which Gandharva are you the daughter, O my dear girl? By whom were you cursed? When will you be rid of the human state? Narrate everything.

Auduṃbarī said:

15. The two Gandharvas, Nārada and Parvata, are known to all the people. I was the daughter of Parvata and cursed by Nārada.

16. When I saw him, the excellent sage was playing on his lute in a carefree way. I was not conversant with the particular Mūrcchanā and the Tāna arising therefrom as he played and so I laughed derisively. That made a wrong note in the Tāna.

17-18. Thereupon, the excellent Brāhmaṇa became angry and cursed me: “I have been laughed at derisively without any reason. Hence, you deserve this curse. What you did is the way of human beings. Hence, you become a human being.”

Then that leading sage was pacified by me along with my father:

19-20a. “O Lord, do lay down the limit of the period of the curse. I was very childish, no doubt. Yet, O Lord, let my birth as a human being be in an excellent family, at a good holy place. Let the death too occur at a good place in the house of a Brāhmaṇa.”

20b-23. Thereupon, I was told by him: “O splendid lady, in Camatkārapura there is a leading Brāhmaṇa of a noble family named Devaśarman. He is a master of all the Śāstras. His wife is a well-known Brāhmaṇa lady named Satyabhāmā. Enter her womb for your human birth. At the time when Pitāmaha performs a Yajña in that holy spot there shall be the turn of the Udgātṛ and he may place the Śaṅku wrongly. Then he should be told by you, ‘The Śaṅku has been placed wrongly.’ You shall do this in the assembly of all the Devas. Your release (from the curse) shall take effect then.”

24. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, look at this divine refulgent body of mine; See that the aerial chariot too sent by my father has come.

Udgātṛ said:

25. O lady of wide eyes, you have prevented an obstacle to this Yajña. Visiting me shall not go in vain especially in a rite concerning the gods. Hence, O Auduṃbarī, choose a boon from me.

Auduṃbarī said:

26. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, if you are pleased and wish to grant me a boon, do grant it in the presence of all the Devas.

27. From now onwards if anyone performs a Yajña on the earth, an idol resembling me. should be kept in the middle of the assembly.—

28. Then the movement of the Śaṅku should be made before me. If that is done, I shall be pleased even as I stay in my heavenly abode.

Sūta said:

29-31. On hearing her words the Udgātṛ said to her: “Henceforth whoever wishes to perform a Yajña here shall install her (that idol) in the middle of the assembly, adore it with. unguents, garments, ornaments, sweet scents, flowers and then move the Śaṅku in front of the image. This statement is made by me in the assembly of all the Devas.

32-34. No good shall happen to you otherwise. Do attain the greatest joy. O fair lady, if anyone performs the rite in the assembly without you, all that shall be futile as though one has performed the Homa in ashes.

If any woman adores you in the center of the assembly by means of fruits, her welfare shall be crore-times more on each of the fruits. All the quarters shall be fruitful undoubtedly.

35. If she offers you garments, ornaments, flowers, incense etc. all those things shall have a crore-tīme more benefit.

36. But wait. Do not get into the aerial chariot. O goddess, with some end in view, I shall perform your worship.”

The Devas said:

37. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, proper words have been uttered by you. At our instance too this shall be true.

Sūta said:

38. That goddess who was asked by the Udgātṛ to wait, stayed in the firmament, still carried by the aerial chariot.

39-40. At the same time the daughter of Devaśarman became a goddess, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. All the women within the city came there out of curiosity, desirous of seeing her. Some had brought fruits with devotion and some garments. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, she was duly adored by all of them.

41. On hearing the news of his daughter, Devaśarman too joyously came there along with his wife. His eyes beamed with wonder.

42. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, when he too paid homage to her along with his wife, he was prevented by her who said thus:

43-44. “O father, father, do not bow down to me along with my mother. My acquisition of the heavenly goal will get endangered.

O my holy Lord, stay here with your wife for the whole of the day. After requesting the excellent Suras for that purpose, I shall go to the heavenly abode taking you along with your wife with this self-same physical body.”

45. Then, the parents became delighted. They stayed there observing the adoration of their daughter by the people. They considered themselves superior to all embodied beings.

46. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, all her kinsmen praised the girl and waited near her.

47. In the meantime, Bhṛgu came out of the assembly to the place where Pitāmaha was present and spoke to him with palms joined in reverence:

48-49. “O Lord, the Udgātṛ has deviated from the Śruti-prescribed procedure by keeping a girl in the middle of the assembly, O Lord of Suras.

In the presence of the Suras, he has announced the divinity of that Nāgara woman (by saying). ‘We shall drink the Soma juice there along with her.’”

50. Then Vidhi summoned him and asked him thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas: “Who is this girl? Why was she kept in the middle of the assembly by you?”

51-53. He said: “She is a Gandharvī who had fallen down on account of a curse. She was born in a Brāhmaṇa household. Her liberation from the curse was proclaimed at the Yajña of Vidhi by Nārada earlier. O Lord, he had cursed her angrily but I was satisfied and granted the boon now. The movement of the Śaṅku will never be beyond your ken. O Prapitāmaha, she has been duly glorified by all the Devas.”

54-55. In the meantime, on hearing the glory of Auduṃbarī on the earth in the sacrifice performed by Pitāmaha at the sacred-most Kṣetra of Hāṭakeśvara, the delighted Mātṛs came there from Kailāsa for the sake of worshipping.

56-57. The Mothers too who number sixty-eight aṅd who are adored by Gandharvas, Siddhas, Sādhyas and groups of Maruts also came there. They had several forms which caused wonder and dismay in the world. Others also came dancing, laughing and singing.

58. On hearing the uproar all the Devas, including Vāsava with Brahmā and Viṣṇu as their leaders became highly surprised.

59. “What is this?” said they and rose up from the Yajña pavilion. In the meantime, all (the Mātṛgaṇas) came there where the Lotus-born Lord was present.

60-65a. Lowering their head, they bowed down joyously and spoke respectfully: ‘We have come thus on hearing about your excellent Yajnā (Yajña?), O Lord of Devas, we have been invited by Vāyu, the very life of the universe. But we have no authorized share in the Yajña rites. Therefore, O Lotus-born One, we did not come on the earlier days. But on hearing about Auduṃbarī of unprecedented (fame) we have gathered here.

Since she was the daughter of the noble-souled Parvata, we met her and adored her with due obeisance. She grants all desires unto women. She has been glorified by all the Devas. O Lord Prapitāmaha, do show our seats. Our group numbers sixty-eight.

65bc. The Lotus-born Lord heard it and recollected how limited the Yajña pavilion was and how it was already filled by the group of the Devas numbering thirty-three.

66. Then, Pitāmaha summoned the Madhyaga hailing from the Nāgara community. He was accomplished in Vedic study. He was another Bṛhaspati as it were. He (Brahmā) abandoned the vow of silence and spoke to the Madhyaga in gentle and polished words:

67-69. “Do go and tell the Nāgara Brāhmaṇas on my behalf, especially the leaders of the Gotras numbering sixty-eight: ‘These Mothers have come and they number sixty-eight, a matching number of one for one. Each of them should give a seat in his own respective plot of land. O Nāgaras, this assistance should be extended to me by you all. This great favour on your part shall make them delighted.”

70. He hastened thither and summoned the Nāgaras. He humbly bowed down to them and spoke (as instructed).

71. On listening to it, all the Nāgaras became glad. Each of them gave the Mātṛs his own seat.

72. Then all the Mothers bowed down to Pitāmaha and then to Gāyatrī with due devotion.

73. All of them settled in the seats indicated by the Brāhmaṇas. They were adored and propitiated through various kinds of balis (offerings).

74. On being propitiated by the leading Brāhmaṇas they were delighted. They began to sing, laugh and dance. Thereafter they said:

75-76a. “We will not go to any other place. We will stay here itself always, where such devout leading Brāhmaṇas are present. And such a fine place is the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara.”

76b. At the same time Sāvitrī happened to come there.

77-78. All the Brāhmaṇas bowed to her but when she proceeded ahead they stopped her: “O Sāvitrī who are beloved of your husband, do not go to the Devayajana (the place of the Yajña unto the Devas). The excellent lady Gāyatrī has been taken as wife by Brahmā.”

79. On hearing those words, Sāvitrī became distressed. Due to confusion her eyes began to roll with tears welling up and agitating them.

80. She saw (the Mothers) dancing, singing, leaping and jumping on the ground with great delight.

81-84. Then Sāvitrī cursed them in stuttering convulsive words choked with tears: “You have adored my co-wife and occupied this place. You did not bow down to me. So, you shall be distressed even as I am distressed. You will never go to another place. Nāgaras too will never be adored? You will never get a palace erected at any time. You will undergo suffering due to coldness in winter, through hot rays in summer season and due to water in rainy season.”

85. After saying this, the goddess settled there itself surrounded by all the Nāgara women.

86-87. Good ladies addressed her always with gestures (of good will).

At the same time, the Hot-rayed Lord (Sun) set. There was great noise and shouting in the Yajña pavilion as the Brāhmaṇas engaged in the Yajña rites discussed the scriptures.