१५ पञ्चदशदशकः - सुदशशनकथा - दे वीदशशनम्

15 panchadashadashakah' - sudarshanakathaa -
deveedarshanam

(There Sudarshana learnt your Bheeja manthra and kept on

chanting it the Goddess told him to get married to the
princess of Benares..You also told the princess of Benares to
get married to Sudarshana. Though Swayamvara was
arranged for the princess. She sent a letter to Sudarsana to
attend the swayamvara. This occurs in chapters 18-25 of the
book 3 of Devi bhagvatham,)

एवं तवैव कृपया मु निवययशीत-

च्छायानितो हतभयः स सुदशयिोऽयम् ।
वेदध्वनििवणपूतहृदािमान्ते
सम्मोदयि् मुनिजिाि् ववृधे कुमारः ॥ १५-१॥
evam tavaiva kri'payaa munivaryasheeta-
chchhaayaashrito hatabhayah' sa sudarshano'yam .
vedadhvanishravanapootahri'daashramaante
sammodayan munijanaan vavri'dhe kumaarah' .. 15-1..

1.Thus only due to your mercy, that boy called ,Sudarsana,

grew up in the cool shade of the, Sage’s hermitage , without
fear, always hearing the sound of Vedas and becoming pure
due to it, And making the sages there drown in joy.
Even the very strong yudhajith was not able to see bhardwaja
muni. Under the calm and composed guidance of that muni,
sudarshana grew up fearlessly. In the atmosphere of the
ashrama, the chanting of the vedas was always there.
Sudarshana grew up in an atmosphere full of love and
devotion. Seeing the purity in sudarshana’s behaviour, the
munis in ashrama were very happy.

आबाल्यमेष मुनिबालकसङ्गमेि
क्ीं क्ीनमतीश्वरर सदा तव बीजमन्त्रम् ।
तत्रोच्चचार कृपयाऽस्य पुरः कदानच-
दानवबयभूनवथ ितं तमभाषथाश्च ॥ १५-२॥
aabaalyamesha munibaalakasangamena
kleem kleemiteeshvari sadaa tava beejamantram .
tatrochchachaara kri'payaa'sya purah' kadaachi-
daavirbabhoovitha natam tamabhaashathaashcha .. 15-2..

2.There he, due to the company of the sons of sages, who

always used to Chant “Kleem, kleem”, which is your root
mantra, you took mercy on him, and appeared before him
once. When he saluted you, you told him like this.
When the wind of devotion to devi blows, the the boat of life
is pushed towards the shore faster. The story of sudarshana
is one among many stories that makes this clear. Sudarshana,
an orphan reached the ashrama of bhardwaja, his playmates
were the sons of the munis, the sound of the vedamantras
echoing around him. He was able to hear the sons of the
muni always chanting ‘kleem,kleem’. That young lad too
started chanting ‘kleem kleem’. In this way sudarshana
crossed his boyhood, adolescence and moved towards
adulthood. ‘kleem’ is devi’s kamaraja Mantram. Due to
constant chanting of this mantram, the devi was pleased, and
1 day she made herself visible to sudarshana, and said like
this:

प्रीताऽस्मि ते सुत जगज्जििीमवेनह

मां सवयकामवरदां तव भद्रमस्तु ।
चन्द्राििां शनशकलां नवमलां सुबाहोः
काशीश्वरस्य तियां नवनधिोद्वह त्वम् ॥ १५-३॥
preetaa'smi te suta jagajjananeemavehi
maam sarvakaamavaradaam tava bhadramastu .
chandraananaam shashikalaam vimalaam subaahoh'
kaasheeshvarasya tanayaam vidhinodvaha tvam .. 15-3..

3. “Oh Son, I am pleased with you and please understand,

that I am the mother of the universe who fulfills all desires.
Let good happen to you. You please get married by following
all the rules, to the moon like face without any blemishes,
Shashikala, who is the daughter of Subahu, the king of Kasi.
Devi, The mother of the universe, came in front of him: she
started talking to him by referring to him as ‘my son’. By
blessing ‘May all good happen to you’ by the all-powerful
beautiful devi, will be fruitful, definate. The devi was showing
the right path to sudarshana for his future welfare. By
marrying Shashikala, the daughter of kashiraja, all your
troubles will be dissolved.

िष्टा भवेयुरनचरे ण तवाररवगाय

राज्यं च यैरपहृतं पुिरे ष्यनस त्वम् ।
मातृद्वयेि सनचवैश्च समं स्वधमाय ि्
कुयाय ः सदे नत समुदीयय नतरोदधाथ ॥ १५-४॥
nasht'aa bhaveyurachirena tavaarivargaa
raajyam cha yairapahri'tam punareshyasi tvam .
maatri'dvayena sachivaishcha samam svadharmaan
kuryaah' sadeti samudeerya tirodadhaatha .. 15-4..

4.Your enemies would all die without much delay. The

kingdom usurped by them will become yours again.
You will then live with both your mothers and ministers
happily. By always Following all Dharmas,” Saying this she
disappeared.
Devi is predicting the good times that is going to come on
sudarshana-destruction of enemies, regaining of the lost
kingdom, like this many more. You will have 2 mothers-Your
mother Manorama and her co-wife leelavati. You should not
be angry with leelavati and the ministers who served
yudhajith. The emotion called anger does not suit a devotee.
A good king should never have feeling of hatred in him. You
should obey the rules of the kingdom. Saying this much devi
disappeared.

स्वप्ने त्वया शनशकला कनथताऽस्मस्त

भारद्वाजािमे प्रनथतकोसलवंशजातः ।
धीमाि् सुदशयि इनत ध्रुवसस्मिपुत्र
एिं पनतं वृणु तवास्तु शुभं सदे नत ॥ १५-५॥
svapne tvayaa shashikalaa kathitaa'sti
bhaaradvaajaashrame prathitakosalavamshajaatah' .
dheemaan sudarshana iti dhruvasandhiputra
enam patim vri'nu tavaastu shubham sadeti .. 15-5..
5.” You appeared in shashikala’ dream and told her,
“The noble Sudarsana born in the famous Kosala dynasty,
is the son of Druvasandhi and lives in the hermitage Of
Bharadwaja. Choose him as your husband, and you would
then lead a very happy life.”
The same devi who came in front of sudarshana, also made
herself visible to Shashikala also. Devi’s plan was to introduce
Shashikala and sudarshana to each other. Looks like devi had
intentions of blessing subahu -shashikala’s father- with the
marriage of Shashikala and sudarshana.
Shashikala understood that, there was a prince sudarshana,
residing in the ashrama of bhardwaja muni, who was the son
of dhruvsandi, who was the king of kosala.

स्वप्नािुभूतमिृतं नकमृतं ि वेनत

सुप्तोस्मिता तु मनतमत्यनप ि व्यजािात् ।
पृष्टात्सुदशयिकथां सुमुखी नद्वजात्सा
िुत्वाऽिु रक्तहृदयै व बभूव दे नव ॥ १५-६॥
svapnaanubhootamanri'tam kimri'tam na veti
suptotthitaa tu matimatyapi na vyajaanaat .
pri'sht'aatsudarshanakathaam sumukhee dvijaatsaa
shrutvaa'nuraktahri'dayaiva babhoova devi .. 15-6..

6. When she woke-up, though she was intelligent, she was

not sure whether what she experienced in her dream was
true or false. Oh Goddess, she who was pretty asked a
Brahmin about Sudarshana’s story and fell in love with him.
Shashikala woke from her dreams and sleep. Seeing the devi
and hearing the story of sudarshana, was it true? Is it a myth?
Is it a play of the mind?-she did not know. One day while
plucking flowers in the garden, she saw a brahmin. She asked
his wellbeing. He had come from bhardhwaja ashrama. He
knew sudarshana. Whatever she wanted to know about
sudarshana she asked the brahmin. The brahmin said,’
whatever good qualities that should be there in a man, is
there in him. If you 2 get-together, it will be like a jewellery
made of precious stone and gold.’ Having said this much, the
brahmin went his way. Shashikala was confirmed that her
dream was true. She started to sympathise with sudarshana.

ज्ञात्वा सुबाहुररदमाकुलमािसस्ता-
मिानिवर्त्यनयतुमाशु सहे ष्टपत्न्या ।
कृत्वा प्रयत्नमस्मखलं नवफलं च पश्य-
निच्छास्वयंवरनवनधं नहतमेव मेिे ॥ १५-७॥
nyaatvaa subaahuridamaakulamaanasastaa-
masmaannivarttayitumaashu sahesht'apatnyaa .
kri'tvaa prayatnamakhilam viphalam cha pashya-
nnichchhaasvayamvaravidhim hitameva mene .. 15-7..

7. When subahu learnt that his daughter Shashikala liked

sudarshana, who had no kingdom, no armies, nor a
permanent place, he was very sad; along with his wife they
tried to advise her against the marriage to sudarshana-which
was futile. He decided to hold a swayamvara-for future
betterment.
Subahu who came to know about it became worried, along
with his loving wife tried to change Her opinion speedily and
seeing that everything is useless, decided that Swayamvara,
where the bride Marries whomsoever she likes, is better.
Long time ago, kings got their daughters married in 3 ways.
1. A suitable boy is invited home and the girl is donated to
him.
2. According to the rule(for a fee) give her.
3. Call many suitable boys and allow the girl to choose the
boy on her own, and get her married to that boy.
The 1st way of getting the girl married was done in early
days. The swayamvara of sita in the ramayanam and the
swayamvara of Draupadi in Mahabharata are examples of the
2nd type of wedding. The 3rd type of marriage is what is called
icha swayamvaram. The story of indumathi swayamvaram in
the 6th chapter of kalidasa’s work, raghuvamsham is an
example for the 3rd type of wedding.
So subahu invited all the princes and decided to have
Shashikala married by icha swayamvaram. He hoped seeing
the rich and powerful princes, his daughter would change
her mind. As soon as they received subahu’s invitation,
princes came in hordes to the city of kashi. At this time what
Shashikala did is explained in the next 2 shlokas.

कनश्चत्कदाचि सु दशयिमेत्य नवप्रः

प्राहागतः शनशकलावचसाऽहमत्र ।
सा त्वां ब्रवीनत- िृ पपुत्र जगज्जिन्या
वाचा वृतोऽनस पनतरस्मि तवैव दासी ॥ १५-८॥
kashchitkadaachana sudarshanametya viprah'
praahaagatah' shashikalaavachasaa'hamatra .
saa tvaam braveeti- nri'paputra jagajjananyaa
vaachaa vri'to'si patirasmi tavaiva daasee .. 15-8..

8.One day A Brahmin met Sudarasana and told him like this,
“I have come here as per the words of Sasikala and she wants
to tell you,” Hey prince, As per the words of the mother Of
the universe I have chosen you as my husband. I am only
your humble servant .”
As per the invite sent by subahu, many princes and kings
came to kashi. Shashikala called a brahmin next to her and
told him all the news. She also gave the message for
sudarshana to the brahmana. Without any delay, the
brahmana went to bharadwaja’s ashrama. He told
sudarshana all the happenings at the kingdom of kashi. The
brahmana after introducing himself gave shashikala’s
message to sudarshana. The message begins:

अत्रागता िृपतयो बहवस्त्वमेत्य

तेषां सुधीर नमषतां िय मां नप्रयां ते ।
एवं वधूवचिमािय तां सुशीलां
भद्रं तवास्मस्त्वदमुदीयय जगाम नवप्रः ॥ १५-९॥
atraagataa nri'patayo bahavastvametya
teshaam sudheera mishataam naya maam priyaam te .
evam vadhoovachanamaanaya taam susheelaam
bhadram tavaastvidamudeerya jagaama viprah' .. 15-9..

9.” Several kings have come here. Oh courageous one, please

come here; I who is loved by you, is seen by others, show
disrespect to them and just take me away ”. These are the
words of that bride. And so, please bring her who is good
natured. May good happen to you” Saying this that Brahmin
went away.
Shashikala message begins: in the city of kashi many princes
who are strong and prosperous are coming. Shashikala was
least bit interested in them. She wanted Sudarshana only.
Sudarshana should come to the city of kashi, take her and
go-this is her request. To do this Sudarshan is worthy-he is a
prince and daring, the brahmana was of the opinion that
shashikala’s request was logical and he should listen. He
knew that she had a very good character. After conveying all
the message the brahmana left.

स्वप्ने च जाग्रनत च पश्यनत भक्तवयय -

स्त्वां सन्ततं तव वचो मधुरं शृणोनत ।
ऐश्वययमाशु लभतेऽनप च मुस्मक्तमेनत
त्वद्भस्मक्तमेव मम दे नह िमो जिन्यै ॥ १५-१०॥
svapne cha jaagrati cha pashyati bhaktavarya-
stvaam santatam tava vacho madhuram shri'noti .
aishvaryamaashu labhate'pi cha muktimeti
tvadbhaktimeva mama dehi namo jananyai .. 15-10.

10. A good devotee sees you in his dream and also when he
is awake. He also always listens to your sweet words. He gets
prosperity and later on freedom. I have only devotion
towards you. Give me-only devotion; I salute you
I have only devotion to you.Oh mother my salutations.
Sudarshana saw devi when he was awake. Shashikala saw her
in her dreams. Both of them listened to what devi said. Devi
bhakti is best for love and prosperity. May devi bless him
with devotion prays the poet.