Dasakam 26 Suradha Kadha -the story of Suradha

Dasakam 26   Suradha Kadha  -the story of Suradha

(The story of this is contained   in chapter 25  of Book no.5   of Devi Bhagwatham. It deals with  a king Suradha    who was driven away by his children but he was worried about them..He met a Vaisya called Samadhi who also had  a similar problem.. They approached  a saint called Sumedhas   for clarification.. He told them to pray the Goddess.The king got back his kingdom and the Vaisya    got   salvation. .The devi Mahatmya   is taught by saint Sumedhas   to Suradha and Samadhi and this occurs in the first chapter  of the book.)

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

1.Rajaa puraaseed suradhabhidhaana,

Swarochishe  chithra kulavathamsa,

Manvanthare  sathyaratho vadaanya,

Samyak  prajapalana  mathranishta.

1.In olden times   in the manvanthara  of  Swarochisha,

There  was a king named Suradha, who was the ornament ,

Of the Chithra clan  who was   truthful  , charitable,

And one whose   only aim is to look   after   his people properly

2,Veeroapi  deivaath   samara sa kola-,

Vidhwamsibhi  sathru balairjitha san,

Thyakthwaa  swarajyam   vanamethya  santham,

Sumedhasam  prapa  munim saranyam.

2.Though he was valorous , due to fate  , he was defeated,

In war by enemy army    belonging    to a tribe  of hunters,

And  he left his country   and surrendered  himself,

To sage Sumedhas  who protected in the peaceful forest.

3.Thapovanam  nirbhayamaavasan dru-

CChayasritha sheethaLa vatha   pruktha ,

Sa tekadhaa  rajyas gruhaadhi chinthaa-,

Paryaakula   kamschid  pasyadartham.

3.When he was fearlessly living in the forest of meditation,

He sat in the   shadow   of a tree , blessed   with cool breeze,

And was immersed  in thoughts of  his kingdom and  his home,

And then he saw there   another  person who was   sorrowing.

4.Raja  thamooche   suradhosmi namnaa,

Jithoaribhir brashta   vibhoothi jaala ,

Grajaadhi   chinthaamadhintharangaa ,

Kuthosi   kasthwam   vadha maam   samastham.

4,The king said to that person  , “I am Suradha,

And  I was defeated by my enemy and also ,

Lost all  my wealth    and prosperity   but,

The thought of my house and other   things,

Gives me pain,Who are you and wherefrom  ,

You are   coming.Please  tell everything.”

5.Sruthwethi  sa prathyavadath  samaadhi-,

Namosmi   vaisyo   hrutha   sarva   vitha,

Pathgni suthaadhyai  swagruha nnirasthaa,

Sethadhaapi  sothkandamimam smarami.

6.Hearing this   the other  person replied,

“I am a vaisya   called Suradha and al my wealth.

As well as property were  stolen by  my wife and children,

And they have  driven me out   of my home , but in spite of it,

I am    immersed   in worry    about   them.”

6.Anena saakam  suradho vineetho,

Muni  pramayaha SAmahi namaa,

Gruha nnirasthopi  gruhaadhi chinthaam,

Karothi   soth kanta mayam   maharshe.

6.Suradha   with humility   along with him  saluted  the sage ,

And told him ,” Oh sage, This man’s name is Samadhi and,

Though he has been driven out  of his   home, With sorrow,

He  is always    thinking about    his g home and other   related issues.”

7.Brahmaiva  sathyam   paramadwitheeyam,

Midhyaa jagath  sarvamidham  cha  jaane,

Thadhaapi   maam  badhatha yeva   rajya-,

Grahaadhi chinthaa  vadha   thasya  hethum.

7.”The only truth is divine Brahmam   and there is no two,

The universe  is an illusion . I  know    about this but,

The thought of my kingdom and home affects me  ,

Can you  please    tell me    the cause   of that?”

8,OOche thapasvi  srunu bhoopa mayaa,

Sarvasya   hethu  sagunaaagunaa  saa,

Bandham  cha moksham  cha karothi shaiva,

Sarvopi  mayaa vasagaa   bhavanthi.

 

8.The sage told, “, Oh king  , please  listen to me,

The cause  of everything is Maya which is one,

With properties  and without   properties and  it is the one ,

Which gives attachment    as well as salvation,

And every one in this world are   bound   by it.”

 

9.Jnanan harerasthi  vidhescha kinthu,

Kaschid  kadhachin miLIthou midhasthou,

Vimohithou kasthwamare nu  kasthwa-,

Mevam vivaadham   kila chakrathu sma.

 

9.”Both Vishnu as   well as Brahma   have   wisdom,

But  once at a certain  place and time , after  meeting,

Due to Maya    they were   asking each other ,

“Who  the other one was?”  and argued about it.

 

10.Jnanam vivekam  thwapraoksha manyath ,

Parokshamaapyethadhavehi rajan,

AAdhyam  mahesayaa   krupayaa  virakthyaa,

Bhakthyss   mahath  sangathamascha  labhyam.

 

10.The wisdom is of two kinds  - that which is beyond sight,

And that  which can be felt or seen , out of that the first one ,

Can be got only through    grace  of the Goddess ,

Or through devotion or detachment or in the  company of the greats

 

11,Yaethaadapnothi  sa sarva muktho,

Dweshascga ragascha na thasya bhoopa,

Jnanam  dwitheeyam   khalu sasthra  vakhyaa,

Vicharatho budhi mathaiva labhyam.

 

11.He who earns  this knowledge    beyond sight,

He does not have hatred and passion  ,

Because he  gets   freedom from everything,

And the  observable knowledge which  is told later,

Would be got   by an intelligent  person ,

Only if  he analyzes   the sayings of SAstras.

 

12,Samaadiheeno  na cha sastra  vakhyaa,

Vidhara  maathrena vimukthamethi,

Devyaa kadakshair labhathe  cha  bukthim,

Mukthim cha  saa  kevala  bhakthi gamyaa.

 

12.A person without a controlled mind  cannot attain

Salvation   by  discussing,Literature  of Sastras   ,

But due to    the glance of the  goddess,

WE will get salvation as    well as prosperity ,

And that  goddess can be attained  only through devotion.

 

13,Sampoojya   thaam  saakamanena durgaam,

Kruthwaa  prasannam   swahitham  labhaswa,

Sruthwaa  manorvakhyamubhou   mahesi,

Thwaam  poojayaamasathuribdha   bhakthyaa.

 

13,”Along with him  worship well   and  please that Durga,

And attain your    desire” and oh  great Goddess ,

AS soon both heard    the words of the sage  ,

With great  devotion  they started   worshipping you.

.

14,Varsha dwayaanthe  bavathim sameekshya,

SWapne   sathoshavapi   thava   trupthou,

Dhidhukshyaa   jaagrathi chaapi bhakthaa m

Vachoruthar  dwou kadina   vruthaani.

 

14,After  the passage of two years    , both of them,

Saw the  Goddess  in  their dreams and became happy,

But not getting satisfied   and wanting   to see  her,

In person, both devotees   adopted very difficult  penances.

 

15.Varshathrayaanthe   sumukhim   prasannam,

Thwaam   veekshya thou thushtuvathu  prahrushtou,

Deivaath  samaadhisthadanugrahena,

Labdhaa  paam   jnanamavapa  mukthim.

 

15.After   the end of three   years , seeing  you,

With a pretty and pleased    face, they prayed  to you,

With great joy and as per the fate and due to your blessings,

They  got divine knowledge and  later  salvation.

 

16.Bhoga viraktha   suradhasthu    seegram,

Nishkantakam  rajyamavaapa bhooya,

Manvanthare   bhoopathirashtame sa,

Saavarni nama cha  manur bhabhoova .

 

16.Suradha  who was detached   from all desires,

Very speedily   got a kingdom  without enemies,

And that king in the   eighth   manvanthara ,

Became   the Manu  with the name  Saavarni.

 

17,Thwam bukthikamaya dadhasi bhogam,

Mumukshave samsuthi mochanam  cha,

Kinchinna  pruchami   param vimoodo,

Namami  they  pada    saroja yugmam.

 

17.Oh Goddess  to the one who desires  pleasures,

You give  them enjoyment and to one ,

Who wants salvation , you give them freedom from SAmsara,

Amd I who am a great fool has not asked you anything,

And I salute    your  lotus   like feet.