Adhyaya 29: The Birth and Marriages of the Direction-Goddesses and the Daśamī Observance

Verse 1

महातपा उवाच । शृणु राजन्नवहितः प्रजापाल कथामिमाम् । यदा दिशः समुत्पन्नाः श्रोत्रेभ्यः पृथिवीपते ॥ २९.१ ॥

Mahātapā said: “Listen, O king—attentive and vigilant—O protector of subjects, to this account. (It tells of the time) when the directions arose from the ears, O lord of the earth.”

Verse 2

ब्रह्मणः सृजतः सृष्टिमादिसर्गे समुत्थिते । चिन्ताभून्महती को मे प्रजाः सृष्टा धरिष्यति ॥ २९.२ ॥

When Brahmā was generating creation, and the primordial emanation had arisen, a great concern arose: “Who will sustain the creatures I have brought forth?”

Verse 3

एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य अवकाशं प्रजास्विह । प्रादुर्बभूवुः श्रोत्रेभ्यः दश कन्या महाप्रभाः ॥ २९.३ ॥

As he was reflecting in this way—seeking an opportunity among the beings here—ten maidens of great radiance suddenly manifested from his ears.

Verse 4

पूर्वा च दक्षिणा चैव प्रतीची चोत्तरा तथा । ऊर्ध्वाधरा च षण्मुख्याः कन्या ह्यासंस्तदा नृप ॥ २९.४ ॥

(They were) the Eastern and the Southern, likewise the Western and the Northern; and also the Upward and the Downward—six principal forms (six-faced). These maidens, O king, were present at that time.

Verse 5

अन्याश्चतस्त्रस्तेषां तु कन्याः परमशोभनाः । रूपस्विन्यो महाभागा गाम्भीर्येण समन्विताः ॥ २९.५ ॥

And among them were four other maidens, exceedingly beautiful—radiant in form, greatly fortunate, and endowed with dignity and depth of character.

Verse 6

ता ऊचुः प्रणयाद्देवं प्रजापतिमकल्मषम् । अवकाशं तु नो देहि देवदेव प्रजापते ॥ २९.६ ॥

They said, with affectionate reverence, to the stainless god Prajāpati: “Grant us space (room, opportunity), O God of gods, O Prajāpati.”

Verse 7

यत्र तिष्ठामहे सर्वा भर्तृभिः सहिताः सुखम् । पतयश्च महाभागा देहि नोऽव्यक्तसम्भव ॥ २९.७ ॥

Grant us a place where we may dwell happily, all of us together with our husbands; and where our lords—those greatly fortunate—may also dwell. O one whose origin is unmanifest, grant this to us.

Verse 8

ब्रह्मोवाच । ब्रह्माण्डमेतत् सुश्रॊण्यः शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम् । तस्यान्ते स्वेच्छया भद्रा उष्यतां मा विलम्बत ॥ २९.८ ॥

Brahmā said: “O fair-hipped one, this cosmic egg extends to a hundred koṭis (in measure). At its boundary, O auspicious one, dwell there according to your own choice; do not delay.”

Verse 9

भर्तॄंश्च वः प्रयच्छामि सृष्ट्वा रूपस्विनोऽनघाः । यथेष्टं गम्यतां देशो यस्या यो रोचतेऽधुना ॥ २९.९ ॥

“And I shall grant you husbands, having created them handsome in form and without blemish. Now let each go, as she desires, to whatever land pleases her at this time.”

Verse 10

एवमुक्ताश्च ताः सर्वा यथेष्टं प्रययुस्तदा । ब्रह्मापि ससृजे तूर्णं लोकपालान् महाबलान् ॥ २९.१० ॥

Thus addressed, all of them then departed according to their wish; and Brahmā, too, swiftly created the mighty guardians of the worlds (lokapālas).

Verse 11

सृष्ट्वा तु लोकपालांस्तु ताः कन्याः पुनराह्वयत् । विवाहं कारयामास ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ॥ २९.११ ॥

After creating the guardians of the worlds, Brahmā—the grandsire of the worlds—summoned those maidens again and had marriages arranged.

Verse 12

एकामिन्द्राय स प्रादादग्नयेऽन्यां यमाय च । निरृताय च देवाय वरुणाय महात्मने ॥ २९.१२ ॥

He gave one to Indra, another to Agni, and also to Yama; likewise he gave to the deity Nirṛti and to the great-souled Varuṇa.

Verse 13

वायवे धनदेशाय ईशानाय च सुव्रत । ऊर्ध्वां स्वयमधिष्ठाय शेषायाधो व्यवस्थिताम् ॥ २९.१३ ॥

“(She is assigned) to Vāyu, to Dhanada (Kubera), and to Īśāna. O you of excellent vow, having herself taken her station above, she remains positioned below for Śeṣa.”

Verse 14

एवं दत्त्वा पुनर्ब्रह्मा तिथिं प्रादाद्दिशां पुनः । दशमीं भर्तृनाम्नास्तु दध्यन्नं भोजनं प्रभुः ॥ २९.१४ ॥

Thus having bestowed, Brahmā once again assigned the tithi (lunar day) to the directions. And on the tenth day, Daśamī—bearing the name “Bhartṛ”—the Lord prescribed dadhyanna, curd-rice, as the food offering.

Verse 15

ततः प्रभृति ता देव्यः सेन्द्राद्याः परिकीर्तिताः । दशमी च तिथिस्तासामतीव दयिताभवत् ॥ २९.१५ ॥

From that time onward, those goddesses—beginning with those connected with Indra and the others—were duly enumerated; and among them the tenth tithi, Daśamī, became exceedingly dear and favored.

Verse 16

तस्यां दध्याशनो यस्तु सुव्रती भवते नरः । तस्य पापक्शयं तास्तु कुर्वन्त्यहरहर्नृप ॥ २९.१६ ॥

On that day, the man who subsists on curd becomes a disciplined keeper of vows, steadfast in good observance; and those observances bring about the destruction of his sins day after day, O king.

Verse 17

यश्चैतच्छृणुयाज्जन्म दिशां नियतमानसः । स प्रतिष्ठामवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोके न संशयः ॥ २९.१७ ॥

And whoever, with a disciplined mind, listens to this account concerning the origin of the directions attains firm establishment in the Brahma-world (Brahmaloka)—of this there is no doubt.