📖 Markandeya Purana — Durga Saptashati
Verse 1
मेधा उवाच ।
राजन् किमेवं त्वमिमां कथां तु श्रृणोषि दुःखस्य निमित्तभूताम् ।
तस्याश्चोत्पत्तिकथां शृणुष्व यया चिरं तव दुःखमेति ॥
Medha uvacha |
Rajan kimevam tvamimam katham tu shrinoshi duhkhasya nimittabhutam |
Tasyashchotpattikotham shrinushva yaya chiram tava duhkhameti ||
मेधा उवाच
the sage Medha spoke
दुःखस्य निमित्तभूताम्
that has become the cause of your sorrow
The sage Medha turned to King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi: O king, listen to this story — it will speak to the root of your sorrow.
Verse 2
राजा सुरथस्तु ततः सहैव वैश्येन मेधामुनिमाश्रितः ।
शुश्राव देवीमाहात्म्यं विधिवत् सुसमाहितः ॥
Raja surathasthu tatah sahaiva vaishyena medhamunimashritah |
Shushrava devimаhatmyam vidhivat susamahitah ||
वैश्येन सह
together with the merchant
मेधामुनिम् आश्रितः
at the ashram of sage Medha
देवीमाहात्म्यम्
the Devi Mahatmya
विधिवत् सुसमाहितः
listened in the traditional way, with full attention
King Suratha and the merchant Samadhi — both of them — sat at sage Medha's ashram and listened to the Devi Mahatmya with complete attention.
Verse 3
राजा ऽपि वैश्यश्च स तावुभौ तां पूजयन्तौ नियताहारौ ।
वर्षमेकं तपस्तप्त्वा देव्याः प्रसन्नतामापतुः ॥
Raja api vaishyashcha sa tavubhau tam pujayantau niyataharau |
Varshamekam tapastaptva devyah prasannatamapatuh ||
नियताहारौ
with regulated diet
वर्षम् एकम् तपः तप्त्वा
performing a year of tapas (austerity)
देव्याः प्रसन्नताम् आपतुः
became recipients of the Devi's grace — traditional narrative
Both performed puja and tapas (austerity) for an entire year — with regulated diet and steady discipline. The traditional narrative describes the Devi as pleased with them.
Verse 4
देव्युवाच ।
यत्प्रार्थितं त्वया राजन् तद् ददामि मनोगतम् ।
वैश्य वरं च वृणुष्व यत् तुभ्यं मनसेप्सितम् ॥
Devyuvacha |
Yatprarthitam tvaya rajan tad dadami manogatam |
Vaishya varam cha vrinushva yat tubhyam manasepsitam ||
यत् प्रार्थितम्
whatever you have asked for
मनोगतम्
your heart's wish
वैश्य वरं वृणुष्व
O merchant, you too ask for a boon
मनसेप्सितम्
whatever your heart desires
The Devi appeared before them and said: O king, your heart's wish — I grant it. And you, O merchant — what does your heart want? Ask.
Verse 5
राजोवाच ।
नष्टं राज्यं पुनर्देहि शत्रुभिः परिमर्दितम् ।
ममाज्ञां देवि संप्राप्य यदि मे भविता श्रुतिः ॥
Rajovacha |
Nashtam rajyam punardehi shathrubhih parimardita |
Mamagyam devi samprapya yadi me bhavita shrutih ||
नष्टं राज्यम्
the lost kingdom
शत्रुभिः परिमर्दितम्
taken by enemies
ममाज्ञाम्
by your command, O Devi
King Suratha asked: O Devi, my kingdom was taken by enemies. Restore it to me — that is what I ask.
Verse 6
वैश्य उवाच ।
विरक्तिं परमां देहि ज्ञानमात्मनि चेश्वरि ।
यया ज्ञातव्यमखिलं जानीयां तत्त्वमात्मनि ॥
Vaishya uvacha |
Viraktim paramam dehi gyanamtatmani cheshvari |
Yaya gyatavyamakhilam janiyam tattvamatmani ||
विरक्तिं परमाम्
supreme detachment
ज्ञानम् आत्मनि
knowledge of the self
यया ज्ञातव्यम् अखिलम्
by which everything worth knowing can be known
तत्त्वम् आत्मनि
the truth of the self
The merchant Samadhi asked for something different: O Devi, give me detachment — and the knowledge of the self, by which all that is worth knowing becomes known.
Verse 7
देव्युवाच ।
स्वल्पैरहोभिर्नृपते स्वं राज्यं प्राप्स्यसे पुनः ।
हत्वा रिपून् समग्रांश्च भोक्ष्यसे तन्महीपते ॥
Devyuvacha |
Svalpair ahobhir nripate svam rajyam prapsyase punah |
Hatva ripun samagranshcha bhokshyase tanmahipate ||
स्वल्पैः अहोभिः
in a few days
स्वं राज्यम् प्राप्स्यसे
you will regain your kingdom — the Devi's assurance in the story
रिपून् हत्वा
having overcome your enemies
भोक्ष्यसे
you will enjoy it
The Devi assured the king: in a few days, after overcoming your enemies, you will regain your kingdom and enjoy it.
Verse 8
इत्युक्त्वाऽन्तर्हिता देवी प्रसन्नवदनाम्बुजा ।
राजा प्राप ततः स्वं तु राज्यं वैश्योऽपि तत्त्ववित् ॥
Ityuktvantarhita devi prasannavadanam bhuja |
Raja prapa tatah svam tu rajyam vaishyopi tattvavit ||
अन्तर्हिता देवी
the Devi disappeared
प्रसन्नवदनाम्बुजा
with her serene lotus face
राजा प्राप स्वं राज्यम्
the king regained his kingdom — traditional narrative
वैश्यः तत्त्ववित्
the merchant became a knower of truth
With her serene, radiant face, the Devi disappeared. In the traditional narrative, the king regained his kingdom and the merchant attained the knowledge of truth. This is the concluding story of the Durga Saptashati.
Verse 9
इदं माहात्म्यं भगवत्याः पठेद् यः श्रृणुयाच्च यः ।
श्रावयेद् वा समाहित्यं भक्त्या देव्याः स्तवं सदा ॥
Idam mahatmyam bhagavatyah pathed yah shrinuyachcha yah |
Shravayed va samahityam bhaktya devyah stavam sada ||
इदं माहात्म्यम्
this Mahatmya
भगवत्याः
of the Bhagavati — the Divine Mother
पठेत् श्रृणुयात् च
reads and hears
श्रावयेत् समाहित्यम्
recites with attention to others
भक्त्या देव्याः स्तवम्
the Devi's praise, with devotion
According to the Markandeya Purana, the tradition of reading, hearing, and reciting the Bhagavati Devi's Mahatmya with devotion and attention has been preserved across generations.
References
According to the Markandeya Purana, the thirteenth chapter is the epilogue of the Durga Saptashati — the story of Suratha and the merchant Samadhi. King Suratha had lost his kingdom and the merchant had been turned away by his own family. Both came to sage Medha's ashram seeking understanding.
The two listened to the Devi Mahatmya together and performed a year of tapas (austerity). The Devi appeared and granted each what they sought: the king asked for his kingdom, the merchant asked for knowledge and detachment.
This epilogue reminds us of who the Durga Saptashati was originally told to — not to warriors or scholars, but to two ordinary people in distress: a king who had lost everything, and a merchant whose own family had turned him away. The Devi listened to both.
Durga Saptashati · 13 / 13