46 - The stotra of Manasa Devi 

Narayana said—О best among the sages, now I tell you the method of her adoration and the stotra as prescribed in the Samaveda besides the dhyana. You listen to it attentively.

She has the complexion of white campaka flowers; is adorned with all the ornaments studded with gems, clad in the garments purified by the gold of fire. She wears the yajnopavita of the Nagas, possesses immense wisdom and is the best among the intellectuals. She is the chief goddess of the siddhas; she is the form of siddhi and grants success to all. I adore such a goddess.

One should adore the goddess reciting the basic mantra. One should offer naivedya, lamp, flowers, essence, paste of sandal-wood and then adore her. 

Kalpataru is the root of the basic mantra which bestows success on the devotees according to the provision of the Vedas. It grants success and her mantra comprises of twelve letters. The main mantra is ‘Om Hreem Shreem Kreem Aim Manasa Devyai Svaha’ By reciting this mantra for five lakhs of times, one meets with success. 

And the one who achieves siddhi, he is termed as the siddha in the universe. For him his wish turns as a nectar and he equates himself with Dhanvanatri.

О Brahman, on the first day of the month of Ashadha one should invoke the goddess Manasa in the branch of a cotton plant and should adore her with devotion. On the fifth day of the moon, one who makes the offering to the goddess Manasadevi receives immense riches, sons and great glory. There is no doubt about it. 

О sage, I have thus apprised you of the method of adoration of the goddess. Now I speak out to you the story about her, which I had heard from Dharma. Please listen to it. 

О Narada, in the earlier times the people of earth were feeling half dead because of the danger from the serpents. This was because such of the people as were bitten by the snakes could never survive. 

Thereafter at the instance of Brahma, the terrified Kashyapa composed mantras which were based on the Vedas. 

Then by performing tapas they pleased the goddess Manasa who is considered to be the supreme goddess of the mantras. This is the reason why she was given the name of Manasa. 

After her birth, the goddess Manasa immediately went to Kailasa, the abode of lord Shiva and started adoring lord Shiva having the crescent over his head. 

The daughter of the sage performed tapas for Shiva for a thousand divine years. Thereafter Ashutosh Shiva was pleased with her.

O sage, imparting to her immense knowledge, he made her study the Samaveda. He also gave to her the eight-lettered mantra of lord Krishna. 

The mantra was formed with Lakshmi, Maya, Kama as the seed and with the adding of the fourth form and Krishna. The mantra was read as ‘Om Shreem Hreem Kleem Krishnaai Niamh:’ Its kavacha, the sequence of adoration and the stuti which is recited by all, the dhyanam which purifies the universe and the anusthanam besides ahyanam purifies the universe and bestows the knowledge of over powering death. The chaste goddess achieved the knowledge of over powering the death. With the permission of the lord, she went to the Pushkara kshetra for performing tapas.

She performed tapas for lord Krishna for three yugas. At the time of achieving success, she found the lord before her physically present. 

Thereafter, the compassionate lord, made the goddess Manasa, who had become free, lean and thin, adore him and he himself also adored her. 

He then pronounced a boon on her thus, “You will be adored the world over”. Thus, blessing her with a boon, lord Krishna disappeared. 

Thus, she was adored by lord Krishna first of all. Thereafter Shiva did so, followed by Kashyapa and the other gods besides Manu, the sages, the serpents and human beings. Thus, the chaste goddess was adored in the three worlds. 

In the earlier times Kashyapa had handed her over to Jaratkaru, though the sage never desired for her, but he had to accept her because of the command of the Brahma. 

After the marriage Jaratkaru the great yogi thought of having a respite from the prolonged tapas. With the above purpose in view, he lay down under the shade of a banyan tree placing his head on the thigh of the chaste lady and slept there. 

Thereafter, thinking about the lord who is the lord of sleep as well, he went to sleep and remained in that position till the evening. 

At that point of time, the chaste Manasa variously considered in her mind about the passage of time and the decrease of dharma, thus, “In case my husband is unable to perform the daily sandhya in the evening, he would earn the sin of Brahmahatya.

Because, the one who does not perform sandhya in the morning and evening regularly, he becomes impure and attracts Brahmahatya and other sins. 

She considered all these aspects in the background of the Vedas and she therefore made the sage to wake up but when awake the sage was immensely enraged. 

Jaratkaru said—О chaste lady, why did you disturb my sleep? The lady who indulges in the evil of her husband, all her tapas and vratas become infructuous. 

Similarly, the wife who does wrong to her husband, all her tapas, fasting, vratas, charities and all the noble deeds become infructuous. 

Because whosoever adores her husband it amounts to adoring lord Krishna; thus, for the performing of the vratas of the chaste lady, the lord Krishna himself appears in the form of her husband. 

Therefore, all the charities, the yajnas, visiting of the holy places, performing of all types of tapas, vratas, fasting, the religious practices, truthfulness, adoration of all the gods, all these combined do not weigh even the sixteenth ray as compared to the adoration of the husband. 

Therefore, in the sacred land of Bharata, a lady who serves her husband goes to Vaikuntha and Brahmaloka with her husband. 

A wife who does not belong to the high family, always engages herself in causing harm to her husband, speaking harsh words. The sufferings she has to face are being told by me. You listen to it. 

Because of that sin she falls into the Kumbhipaka hell and is ultimately born as a Chandala woman having no husband or son. 

While thus speaking, the lips of the sage were fluttering. At the sight of her husband the chaste goddess trembled in fear and spoke to him.

Manasa said—О great saint, О noble one, I woke you up because the time for performing sandhya was running out. Therefore, you award peace to a wicked person like me. 

Because the one who disturbs in the make-up of the body or while taking up food and sleep, he falls into the kalasutra hell and by committing the same sin as the husband, one gets the same punishment.

Thus speaking, feeling panicky with her mind filled with her mind filled with devotion, she fell at the feet of her husband and started crying. 

О Narada, realising that the enraged ascetic was about to pronounce a curse on Surya, the sun god himself arrived there together with sandhya.

Reaching there the sun god together with sandhya, bowed in reverence to the sage and started speaking to him with humility. 

Surya said—Finding the time of sunset and to save you from earning the sin for not performing sandhya, Manasa woke you up. I had not set at that point of time. Therefore, О lord, О Brahman, О sage, you kindly forgive her. It is not proper on your part also to pronounce a curse on me because the minds of the Brahmanas are always soft like butter. 

If he gets enraged, he can reduce the entire universe to ashes in a moment and he can also re-create the same. This is because there is no one else, possessing more tejas than the Brahmana. 

Therefore, having been born in the race of Brahmana and illumining with the tejas of Brahman, a Brahmana should always adore lord Krishna who happens to be the divine flame. 

On hearing the words of the sun god, the Brahmana was pleased and he returned to his abode after receiving the blessing of the sage. 

But the Brahmana in order to honour his own words, disowned the chaste goddess Manasa who had been crying with mental agony.

Thereafter, she remembered his teacher Shiva, the family god Vishnu and Brahma besides her father Kashyapa at that hour of misfortune. 

At the instance of Manasa, Krishna the lord of Gopis, Shiva, Brahma and Kashyapa arrived there. 

The Brahmana also started adoring the lord who was invisible and beyond Prakruti, with his mind filled with devotion and offered salutation to him again and again. 

He also offered his salutation to Shiva, Brahma and Kashyapa and said: “O gods what for have you arrived her”? 

On hearing his words, Brahma bowed at the lotus-like feet of Krishna and said. “Since you have disowned the chaste wife Manasa therefore you must implant your seed in her for the birth of a son. 

Because all the yogis, Brahmacaris, Samnyasis, forest dwellers or sages become recluses only after bearing out a child from their wives. In case a recluse disowns his wife without producing a child, all his performances like tapas and other noble deeds become infructuous as the water poured in a sieve disappears in no time. 

The sage Jaratkaru then listened to the words of Brahma and reciting the mantras touched the navel of Manasa. 

The gods also then left the place pronouncing their blessings on the couple. The goddess Manasa was then immensely pleased together with Jaratkaru. О best of the sages, with the touch of the sage, Manasa conceived and the sage said to her. 

Jaratkaru said—О Manasa, with this conception, a son would be born to you who would be self-disciplined, the best of the people, devoted to dharma, the foremost of the Vaishnavas, glorious one, a great tapasvi, full of lustre, virtuous, best and best among those well-versed in the Vedas, the yogis and people with wisdom. 

 The son would be a great devotee of lord Vishnu besides being extremely religious and shall redeem the entire race. With the birth of the child all the manes will dance with ecstasy.

Because a chaste lady is always loved by the husband, speaking sweet words. A devoted mother belonging to the noble race is the one who maintains the race. 

A true brother is the one who bestows the best of the pleasures. A true father is the one who is instrumental in the destruction of the deeds and leads towards the path of lord Krishna. 

Only such a lady bearing the child in her womb could maintain the pregnancy pretty well. A compassionate sister is the one, who relieves one of the fears of Yama.

A true teacher is the one, who bestows the mantra of Vishnu besides the devotion of the lord. A teacher is the one, who bestows knowledge and the knowledge is the one which inculcates the love for lord Krishna. 

Therefore, the essence of the Vedas and the yogic practices happens to be that one should adore the lord this is also the essence of all the tattvas and whatever is there except lord Hari, is illusion only.

Because the space between the earth and the Brahmaloka is filled with the creatures created by the lord and they merge into the same lord. What more knowledge can be expected of him? 

Thus, I have imparted to you the divine knowledge. The husband is one who bestows the knowledge, because by possessing the knowledge one is freed from all the fetters and one could be called an enemy who entangles one into the fetters. 

Therefore, such a Brahmana who does not impart knowledge with the devotion of lord Vishnu, indeed happens to be a destroyer of the pupil because he is unable to free the pupil from the fetters. 

Therefore, the one who cannot relieve a pupil from re-entering the womb of the mother and the sufferings, such a teacher, a father or a brother, is considered to be of no consequence. 

The one who cannot lead another to the infallible path of lord Krishna, such a human relative is of no consequence. 

O chaste lady, you recite the name of lord Krishna who is the supreme Brahman, infallible and devoid of gunas and by adoring him all the deeds of the past births disappear. О dear, I have disowned you deceitfully, therefore I beg forgiveness. Forgiveness is the prime quality of the chaste lady, as such ladies do not get immensely enraged. 

О goddess I am proceeding to Pushkara for performing tapas. You also go pleasantly from this place, because I am feeling disturbed for not reciting the name of lord Krishna. 

Engrossed in the household affairs the women devote their minds towards their sons and the riches besides thinking of welfare of their husband. Let us devote ourselves at the lotus-like feet of lord Krishna.” 

On hearing these words of Jaratkaru, the eyes of goddess Manasa were filled with tears and she spoke to his beloved the humble words. 

Manasa said—О lord I have disturbed your sleep and because of this, you have disowned me. But, О best of my relatives, you give me a word that you will reach me, whenever I remember you. 

The separation from a relative it quite painful and the separation from a son is more painful but the separation of a woman from her husband is much more painful and is like the departing of the soul from the body. 

For the chaste lady, the husband is dearer to her than hundreds of her sons. Thus, the husband is extremely dear to the ladies and as such the intellectuals call the husband to be the dearest of the woman. 

As a person is devoted to his son, the Vaishnavas are devoted to the lord, the one-eyed man is devoted to his eye, the thirsty man thinks of water only, the hungry man thinks of food only, the passionate person thinks of woman only and the thief about the stealing of the riches of others, the unchaste woman thinks of the other man only, the intellectuals are devoted to the study of scriptures and the traders are devoted to the commerce, similarly the mind of a chaste lady is always devoted to her husband. 

Thus speaking, the goddess Manasa fell at the feet of her husband Jaratkaru. The mind of the merciful sage was filled with compassion and in a moment, he lifted her up in his lap. 

And made her body bathe with the flow of the tears from his eyes. Manasa too made Jaratkaru to bathe with the tears flowing from her eyes keeping in view the separation from the husband. 

But, suddenly over-powered with the divine thought, both of them were relieved of the grief and they started reciting the name of lord Krishna again and again.

Jaratkaru then imparted the divine knowledge to his wife and proceeded for performing tapas. Manasa too proceeded towards the abode of Shiva at Kailasa who happens to be her teacher as well. 

Reaching the temple of Shiva, Parvati enlightened Manasa with divine knowledge and removed her grief. Shiva also did so to remove her grief. The chaste lady then gave birth to a son on an auspicious day, who was born of the ray of Narayana and happened to be the teacher of all the yogis. 

In fact, he had listened to the divine knowledge imparted by lord Shiva, while he was still in the womb. This made him the teacher of the yogis and the intellectuals. 

Shiva himself performed all the rites at the birth of the child besides the reciting of the Vedas. Shiva gave away at the same time three crores of gems to the Brahmanas while Parvati gave away a lakh of cows in charity besides many gems. 

As the time passed, Shiva himself imparted the knowledge of the Vedas to the boy besides the knowledge of Mrtyunjaya mantra.

Manasa on the other hand was extremely devoted to her husband, the family god, Vishnu and the teacher. As such, her son was given the name of Astika. At the command of lord Shiva receiving the great mantra from him, he went to Pushkara-kshetra to perform tapas for lord Vishnu. 

The great ascetic performed tapas there for three lakhs of years, after which he returned to Kailasa to bow in reverence to Shiva and his mother. 

Manasa went with the child to lord Shiva and bowed before him. The mother Manasa then accompanied with her son went to her father Kashyapa. 

О sage, Prajapati Kashyapa, finding his daughter there before him together with her son, was extremely pleased and delightfully he gave a hundred lakh of gems in charity to the Brahmana. A number of Brahmanas were fed by Kashyapa for the welfare of the child. Both Diti and Aditi besides others, were also delighted at the sight of the boy. 

Thus, the goddess Manasa stayed in the parents' house for a long time with her son; now I tell you the story about the place also; you please listen to it. 

О Brahman, after that the king Pariksit son of Abhimanyu was cursed by a Brahmana as a move of destiny, that “on the seventh day from today the serpent Takshaka will bite you.” This curse was pronounced by the sage Shrngi holding the water of the river Kaushiki in his hand. 

On hearing that curse, the king at once proceeded to Haridvara and remaining there, he performed the recitation of Shrimad Bhagavata Purana which he listened to for a week

 After the completion of the seventh day, Takshaka was spotted by Dhanvantari who was going to the king in order to remove the effect of the poison. Both of them had a pleasant conversation. As a result of this Takshaka willingly handed over his gem to Dhanvantari who after receiving the same returned to his home. Takshaka on the other hand reached the court of the king who was sitting on a high throne. The serpent Takshaka bit him. 

The king reciting the name of Narayana and his teacher went to Vaikuntha. Janamejaya, the son of Pariksita cremated the body of his father.

О sage, Janamejaya then started the serpent yajna and started dropping the serpents as. offerings in the yajnakunda. 

The terrified Takshaka fled the scene and went to Indra the god of gods to take refuge with him. On coming to know that the Brahmana intended to make the offering of Takshaka as well as Indra in the yajna-kunda. 

The god and the sages went to the goddess Manasa. Struck with terror Indra offered his prayer to the goddess Manasa quite humbly. When the goddess was pleased, she deputed Astika to go to the king and beg for the lives of Takshaka and Indra. 

With the permission of the Brahmanas, the best of the kings granted them the boon, delightfully ending the yajna giving away daksina to the Brahmana. 

Thereafter the sages, the gods and the Brahmanas went to goddess Manasa and adored her offering separate prayers to her. Indra adored the goddess with his mind filled with devotion, offering various articles of puja and prayers to her. Making sixteen types of offerings, Indra, with the command of the Brahmana and the gods, offered her many presents. 

After adoring the goddess Manasa, the gods proceeded to their respective abodes. I have now narrated everything to you; what more do you want listen to from me? 

Narada said—By reciting which mantra and stotra, Indra adored goddess Manasa and what is the method of her adoration, I would like to know the whole secret of it. 

Narayana said—Mahendra properly took his bath purifying his body. Sipping he clad himself in two garments, he then placed the goddess on a gem-studded throne. 

He consecrated the vases of sacred Ganga-jala made of gems and made the goddess to bathe with the reciting of Vedic hymns. He then offered beautiful costumes to her which were purified by the god Agni applying the sandal-paste on her body. With his mind filled with utmost devotion he offered padya and arghya to the goddess, besides adoring Ganesha, Surya, Agni, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga. He then recited the mantra Om Hreem Shreem Manasa Devyai Swaha which comprises of ten letters, made over to her with other offerings. Thereafter at the instance of Brahma, Indra with his mind filled with delight made sixteen types of offerings to her. Several of the musical instruments were played upon. There was a shower of flowers from the sky over the goddess Manasa. Mahendra then with the permission of the Brahmanas, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva offered prayers to the goddess with his mind filled with emotion and tears flowing from his eyes. 

Mahendra said—О goddess, I went to offer prayers to you who happens to be the best of the goddesses, best of the chaste women, beyond everything, best of all. I am unable to offer prayers to you. О chaste lady, your virtues and the stotra are contained in the Vedas. Your story is enshrined there in which cannot be recited even by Prakruti. 

You are absolutely pure and free from anger, violence and faults. Though the sage has disowned you, yet you never pronounced a curse on him, after his so doing. О chaste lady, I adore you like Aditi my own mother. О goddess you are a compassionate sister and are pardonable like the mother. You have earlier saved our lives, besides those of our sons and wives. Therefore, О mother of the universe, I adore you. I am getting more and more devoted towards you. Though you are adorable in the universe always yet I go on increasing your worship daily. Thus, on the first day of Ashadha whosoever adores you with devotion on the day of Manasa-Panchami or will adore you daily will always have an increase in his riches. Besides, he will earn popularity, glory, intelligence and virtues. Such of the people as will not adore you out of ignorance, will be denounced by others and will be deprived of the riches; they will also be infested with the danger of serpents. 

You are the Lakshmi of the heaven and Kamala of Vaikuntha. The sage Jaratkaru happens to be the ray of lord Vishnu.

Brahma, our father had created you by performing tapas. Because of this you have been given the, name of Manasa. You are a Siddhayogini and adorable by heart. Therefore, you have been given the name of Manasa and people adore you accordingly. 

You are the goddess who is adorned with devotion by the gods, that is why you have been given the name of Manasa by the ancient people. 

Because you lead the path of sattva you are called the form of sattva. Thus, whosoever offers you anything with devotion, gets it back multiplied by hundred times. 

Indra thus adored Manasa, his sister, who also offered him clothes and ornaments and then left for his abode. The goddess then left the place and retreated to the house of her father and remained there for long. 

She is always adored by her brother; no other goddess is so adorable. О Brahman, Surabhi took her to Goloka and made her bathe in milk adoring her at the same time, imparting to her the divine knowledge which is difficult to get. Thus, having been adored by the gods, the goddess Manasa left for heaven. 

Whosoever recites this stotra adoring the goddess Manasa never meets with the danger from serpents. Not only that, no one from his future generation ever meets any danger from the serpents. When recites her stotra achieving its siddhi, the poison is turned into a nectar for him. The one who recites this mantra five lakhs of times, he meets with success. Thereafter he can surely subjugate the serpent and can even make the serpent his vehicle.