Śrāvaṇī Devīs
Śrāvaṇī Devīs · śrāvaṇī-devī, “the devīs who make one hear”
The Śrāvaṇī Devīs are the devīs created by Brahmā who swiftly make him hear every deed of human beings. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Rājā Yudhishṭhira of them in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, and they are honoured in the Śravaṇikā vrata.
Who they are
Yudhishṭhira asks who the devīs known in the world as Śrāvaṇī are, what their dharma is and what they do. Śrī Kṛshṇa answers.
Brahmā created these devīs. Whatever deed a human being does in the world, auspicious or inauspicious, they swiftly make it known to Brahmā, making him hear it. That is why they are called Śrāvaṇī.
They are worthy of pūjā because they restrain and govern the beings of the world. They know, hear and see from afar, and no deed is unseen by them. They have a wondrous power beyond reasoning, cause and argument. Like devatās, vidyādharas, siddhas, gandharvas, kimpurushas and others, they are to be saluted and are full of puṇya.
Their vrata
Women and men keep a vrata to please them, and worship them with water, candana, flowers, dhūpa, cooked food and so on. The pāraṇā is made by feeding women and men. Not keeping their vrata brings suffering at death, and the torments of Yama must be borne.
Śrī Kṛshṇa tells the account of Queen Jayaśrī, wife of King Nahusha, for whose sake the king kept the Śravaṇikā vrata as Arundhatī instructed, so that she met death peacefully and attained Indraloka.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 95
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 95