Dasakam 32 Yaksha kadha- the story of Yaksha

Dasakam 32 Yaksha kadha- the story of Yaksha

( To prove that  none of the gods are independent of her   the Goddess   takes a form of Yaksha and challenges them. The devas realize they do not have any power   without her.Indra did thapas and pleased her. This story occurs in eighth chapter  of the twelfth  book of Devi Bhagawatham  as also in Kenopanishad,)

Translated  by

P.R.Ramachander

1.    Puraa suraa  varsha satham  raneshu,

Niranthareshu  thadangrahena

Vijithya daithyaab jananim api thwaam ,

Vismruthya drupthaa nitharaam  babhoovu.

1.Previously the devas  fighting  war for hundred  years,

Permanently, due to your blessings, kept on,

Defeating the asuras and they even forgot you  ,

Who is their mother and  became very proud.

2.Mayaiva daithyaa balavatharena,

Hathaa na chanyairithi  sacra mukhyaa,

DEvaa abhoovannathi  darpavantha,

Sthvam devi  chaantha  kurushe   sma haasam.

2.The  Indra and other devas  claimed that,

:The ASuras were  all killed by me who is strong,”,

And became possessed   of great pride and ,

Oh Goddess  , you kept on laughing in your mind.

3.Thachithadarpaasura  naasanaaya,

Thejomayam  yakshavapur dadhaanaa,

Thwam  naathidhoore  swayam aviraasim

Sthwaam  vasavaadhyaa  dadrusu  surougha.

3.For the sake of destroying the asura of pride  in their mind,

You   appeared before them in the lustrous  garb of a Yaksha,

And  appeared  in a place  not far  distant from them,

And Indra   and other   devas   saw you.

4,Sadhya kilss aasankhyatha thairidham kim,

Mayaa asuri vethi  thatho  maghounaa,

Agniryuktho  bavathimavaaptha,

Prushhtasthvayaa ko asi  kuto asi.

4,They immediately thought “What is thisa?,

Could it be illusion created by Devas ,

And afterwards  send by Indra , fire God ,

Approached you and you   asked him,

“Who are you? And wherefrom are  you?”

5.Sa chaa aha  sarvair  viditho agnirasmi,

Mayyeva  thishathyakhilam jagacchha,

Saknomi  dagdhum  sakalam havurbung,

Madhveeyatho daithyaganaa jithaascha,

5.He told , “I am the fire God  known to all,

And the entire world rests  on me as ,

To me who eats the Havirbhaga ,

Doing everything   is very simple,

The asura army   was  defeated by my valour”

6.Itheerithaa  sushka thrunam  thvamekam,

Puro nidhaayaa aathdha dahaida dhasu,

Yevam jwana agniridham  cha dagdhum,

Kurvan  prayathnam na sasaaka  matha.

6.Hearing this , you took a dried   twig kept in his front,

And told him’Burn this  now” and the proud fire God,

Burnt  with great flame   to burn that twig,

And in spite of great effort , he could not do it.

7.Sa nashta  garva sahasaa nivruthaa-,

Sththo anilo vajra bhoothaa b niyuktha,

Thwaam  prapthavaanavagnideva prushto,

Devi  swamaahathmayavacho babhaashe.

7.The pride of fire God was destroyed and he went back in haste,

And after this , the wind God sent by Indra  approached you,

And hearing the same questions   that you asked the fire God,

The Wind God told   about his fame  in the following way.

8,Maam mathariswanamavehi  sarve ,

Vyaaparavantho   hi mayaiva jeevaa,

Na pranina santhi  mayaa  vinaa cha  ,

Gruhnaami  sarvam  chalayaami  viswam.

8.”Please understand  that I am the wind God and due to me,

Only  everything alive is spread   throughout the   world,

For no living thing can live   without me and I am the one,

Who takes  everything and one who moves  everything.”

9.Ithyuktha maakarnya thrunam thadheva,

Pradarsaya   chaithacchalyethyabhaaNi,

Prabanjanasthadh  sa cha  karma  karthu-,

Masaktha   evasthamadho nivrutha.

9.Hearing these words  , showing the same twig,

You  told him “Try to move this” and  the wind God,

Blew as a very great storm and in spite of it,

He was unable to do it and returned back without pride.

10.Adhathimaani  sathamanyuranttha-,

Ragnim  cha vayum  cha hasannavaapa,

Thwaam  yaksha roopaam   sahasa thirobhoo,

Sodahyathaantha swalaghoothwabheethyaa.

10 Then the very prod Indra making   fun of wind and fire God,

In his mind , came near  you , who were ,

In the garb   of the Yaksha and you disappeared  suddenly,

And he thinking of his smallness suffered within his mind.

11.Adha  sruthaakasa vachonusaari,

Hreenkaara  mamthram   sa chiraaya  japthwaa,

Pasyannumaam thwaam  karunasru nethraam,

Nanaama  bhakthyaa  sidhilabhimaana

11Then Later  Indra after  hearing  the voice from the sky,

Telling “Hreem” and as per that, chanting,

The “Hreem” manthra for a very long time, and after seeing you,

 The Goddess  Uma with eyes wet with tears of mercy

Left off his great pride    and saluted you.

12.Jnanam param  thwanmukhatha sa labdhvaam

Kruthanjalir  namra siraa nivuthaa,

SArvaamarebhya pradadhou thathasthe ,

Sarvam  thwadhichavasagam  vyajaaan.

12.INdra   gi ot the divine knowledge from you , with a bent head,

And folded hands  saluted you and went back,

Later he shared   that divine knowledge    with every one and understood,

That every thing   in the world  are the slaves   to your desire.

13.Thatha suraa  damba vimukthimapur,

Bhavanthu marthyaascha vinamra  seershaa,

Anyonya sahayya karaascha  sarve,

Maa yaddha vaarthaa bhuvana  thrayesthu.

13.Because of that  the devas completely let off their pride,

And human beings bowed their heads  before you,

Helped each other  and prayed ‘ Let therebe,

No War in the entire    three   worlds.

14.THwadhichchaya surya sasanga vhni-,

Vayvadhayo  devi  suraa   swakaanim

Karmaani  kurvanthi  na theu swathanthraa,

Sthasyai namasthesthu Mahanubhave.

14,Oh goddess, as per your wish  sun , moon,

Fire , wind and others are   doing their activities,

They are not independent, Oh great one, Oh Goddess,

Who has the form of great power, Our salutations to you.