Brahmānda Mahā Purana
31 - Manifestation of Seven Chambers and the daughters of Matanga
Agastya said:
1. What is this called Shripura?1 Of what form and nature is it? By whom was it built at the outset formerly. Narrate everything to me.
1. The present chapter deals with the construction of the capital of Shri-Lalita and her consort Kameśhvara. The trinity of gods-Brahmå, Vishnu and Maheśhvara, the sons of Lalită Devi, commissioned Viśhvakarman and Maya, the architects of Devas and Asuras to build the cities Shripura or Shri-nagari.
2. What is its extent? What is its colour? Tell me, O holy lord. You alone are the veritable sun for drying up the mud of doubts.
Hayagriva said:
3-4. Lalita Parameśhvari who was born out of the great sacrificial fire, carried out the playful activity viz. of marriage (with Kåmeśhvara). On being requested by Brahma and others, she (secured the chariot Chakraratha endowed with all the characteristics mentioned before) and defeated the Asura named Bhanda who was thorn (a source of trouble) for the whole world.
5. Thereupon, Devas beginning with lord Mahendra attained great satisfaction. They, therefore, were eager to build a splendid mansion for Kämeśhvara and Lalità, fully furnished with all the objects of daily utility and enjoyment.
6-7. Brahmä, Vişhņu and Maheśhvara, the sons of Lalità devī, invited Viśhvakarman1 the carpenter of the Devas, skilled in all mechanical arts and crafts as well as Maya, the architect of the Asuras, who was a great expert in employing Maya. At the behest of Lalitā, they received them duly and said.
Brahmä, Vişhnu, Rudra, the Authorized officials said:
8. O Viśhvakarman! Conversant with all arts and crafts, O Maya of great prosperity, you both are well-versed in all sciences (of engineering and architecture), you are experts in the process of building up and creation.
9-10. By mere conception and imagination, you both can evolve wonderful constructions of great artistry. Shri-Nagaris should be built by you both for the sake of Lalitädevi who the great ocean of eternal wisdom. They should be embellished with different kinds of jewels. They must be in the centres of the sacred spots of Sodashīs and should be sixteen in number.
11. It will be there that Lalità Parameśhvarī after dividing herself into sixteen (distinct forms)1 for the sake of protecting the universe, will stay permanently.
1. The number sixteen has a special significance in this Mahatmya. The letters of Lalita's full Mantra are sixteen, so are her forms and as shown below (vv.16-20) the same number of sacred spots-nine mountains on the earth + seven oceans are the sacred sites for building Shri-nagaris
12. This is pleasing to us. It is pleasing to the gods too. It is also pleasing to all the worlds. Let it be built under that name itself.
13. After listening attentively to these words of Karaṇadevas (Brahma, Vişhņu, Rudra, executive officials among gods in charge of specific activities such as creation, sustenance etc.), Viśhvakarman and Maya bowed to them and spoke “Let it be so".
14. After bowing down once again, both of them asked the Käraņapuruṣas - "In which sacred spots should the Shrinagaris of great prosperity be built?”
15. On being asked thus, Brahma and others spoke to those artisans once again, assigning the divisions of the sacred spots in a befitting manner.
Käranapuruṣhas said:
16-17. The earthly (terrestrial) sacred spots are nine. The first one is on the top of Meru Mountain, then on the Nişhadha mountain, on mount Hemakūța and on the Himalaya. The fifth one is on the Gandhamadana. The other four (sacred spots are) on the Nila, Mesha, Shrungära (v.l. Śhrunga) and the great mountain Mahendra. These are known as the nine terrestrial sacred spots.
18-20. The Aquatic sacred spots are declared as seven. They are in the seven oceans, viz. the salt sea, the sea of sugarcane juice, the sea of liquor, the sea of ghee, the sea of curds, the sea of milk and the seventh one the sea of pure water.
Thus, nine great mountains have been mentioned before, afterwards seven oceans have also been mentioned. Adding together there are sixteen sacred spots for building the Shripura of Amba. You are artisans and craftsmen skilled in erecting buildings of divine workmanship. In those sacred spots, you do build the divine mansions of Lalită of great prowess.
21. The names of the mansions of Devi who killed the great Asuras shall be famous certainly by the names of the Nitya deities.
22. That supreme Deity by her Nitya form pervades Kåla. The goddess controls the whole of the world by her power of subduing.
23-24. She is the great queen of the Nityå deities. Hence, she is Nitya. There is no difference between them. Hence the different cities are famous by the respective names of the Nityas such as Kämeśhvaripuri, Bhagamalapuri, Nityaklinnāpuri etc., These narnes are well-known.
25. Hence, both of you build the excellent city in accordance with the great principle of architecture (beginning) on an auspicious and suitable day, (on the day fitting with the initial letter of the name?)
26. On being told thus by Brahma, Vişhņu and Maheśhvara, who were the leaders entrusted with the work of causation (i.e., creation, sustenance and annihilation) both of them built Śhrīpuris in the different sacred spots.
27. Further, I shall mention the extent of Śhripura and the deities presiding over the cities. Listen attentively, O husband of Lopamudrā.
28-29. The mountain Meru1 is the support of everything. It is many Yojanas in height. Its body passes through all the fourteen worlds, It has four peaks in the east, in south-west, in north-west and in the middle. Their height is being mentioned.
1. The Verses 28ff describe Śhripura on mount Meru. Though Påmirs are identified with Meru, the mountain described here is fictitious.
This Shripura had seven ramparts and enclosures. The walls were made of iron, bronze, lcad, copper, silver, gold and within each enclosure the garden of heavenly trees viz. Kalpa, Santana, Hari-Chandana Mandāra, Pårijata etc. The palace of Mantrini had a park of Kadamba trees.
The structures c.g. Gopuras show that the Måhåtmya was composed by a South Indian. Constant reference to Kånchi Kamakoşhtha etc. confirms this theory.
30. The three peaks mentioned in the beginning are each hundred Yojanas in height. There are three Lokas (worlds) there.
31. They are Brahmaloka, Vişhnuloka and Shivaloka. I shall narrate how the abodes are arranged in these worlds on another occasion.
32. Listen to the extent and height of the peak in the middle. It is four hundred Yojanas in height and extent.
33. It was on that great peak that Śhripura was built by the artisans. O Pot-born sage, it extended to four hundred Yojanas.
34. The various divisions therein are being pointed out to you severally.
It is said that the first (outermost) fort-wall was built of iron.
35. Its circumference was a thousand and sixteen Yojanas. It had gateways in the four directions. Its height was four Yojanas.
36. The girth of the root of the chamber (i.e., at the bottom) was, O sage who drank the ocean, ten thousand Yojanas. Two Krośhas beneath the top, separate windows were made.
37. The height of the doorway of the chamber was a Yojana. In every gateway there were two door panels each half a Gavyūti wide (i.e., one Krośha).
38. Every door frame was a Yojana in height and was made of iron. The bar for fastening the two door panels was half a Krośha long.
39. Thus everything was the same in all the four doorways. I shall mention the situation regarding the principal gate (Gopura), O Pot-born sage.
40-43. (Partially defective text). At the foot of the enclosure mentioned before, a distance of a Yojana is left in the middle. On either side, two Yojanas are taken and the whole edifice is erected.
The width is also the same with the doorway in the middle. Two Yojanas on either side and one Yojana of the enclosure in the middle. Together O sage, the extent comes to five Yojanas. The two sides (? side-domes etc.) were two and a half Krośhas wide; each together the width comes to five Yojanas (? Kroshas). It was thus, O sage, that the Gopura (ornamental gateway) was built.
44. Hence the total girth at the bottom of the Gopura was twenty Yojanas (i.e., a square of sides each five Yojanas in length). The higher we go up the Gopura the girth decreases.
45. The height of the Gopura is mentioned as twentyfive Yojanas. At intervals of a Yojana each there were beautiful doorways with doors.
46. The storeys were also as many. The higher one ascended the narrower they became. The extent of the top of Gopura was one Yojana.
47. The length also was the same. But three crowns (domelike structure) were fixed there. The extent of the dome, O Pot-born sage was a Krośha.
48. The height of each crown was two Krośhas, the tapering feature, O sage, was the same as in the case of Gopura. The space within the crown (or between two crowns) was measured as half a Krosha.
49. On the Gopura of the southern gateway the crowns were arranged from west to east. On the Gopura of the western gateway the crowns were arranged from south to North.
50. It is said that the crowns on the northern gateway were arranged as in the case of the southern gateway. The arrangement of the crowns on the Eastern gateway was the same as in the case of the western gateway.
51. Within the enclosure (chamber) named Kalayasa (i.e., one made of iron) at a distance of seven Yojanas was the Kamsyaśhāla (bronze enclosure). Within the enclosure of bronze, the arrangement of Gopuras etc. was in the same way as before.
52. The girth of the enclosure at the bottom is described as before. This enclosure of bronze too had doorways in the east and other quarters.
53-54. There were Gopuras on every gateway with the characteristic features of steps (or storeys). The annular space between the iron enclosure and the bronze enclosure, O Pot born sage, was a big park with various trees. Whatever Udbhijja (sprouting and germinating species i.e., plants and trees etc.), (was in the world) was also there.
55. There were thousands of trees with perpetual blossom flowers and fruits. They possessed the splendour of tender sprouts for ever. They were endued with perpetual fragrance.
56-64. There were thousands of trees* such as mangoes, Kankolaka (a plant with waxy aromatic berries, Piper cubela), Lodhra (symptocos racemosa Roxb), Bakula (Mimusops elengi), Karņikara (cassia fistula Linn), Shimśhapa (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb), Shirişha (Acacia sirissa), Devadāru (Himalayan Chidar) Nameru (Elaeocharpus Ganitrus), Punnaga Nagabhadra, Muchakunda (Pteropermunt suberifolium), Katphala (Kayphal in marathi, for description MW.), cardamons, cloves Takkola (Pimenta acris), champhor trees, Pilu (salvadora Persica), Kākatunda (the dark Agallochum), Shalaka (N. of a tall tree), Asana (the tree Terminalia Tomentosa), Kalichana (a plant akin to Premna spinosa), Ara (A kind of plant), Lakuca (Artocarpus Lacucha a kind of bread fruit tree), Jack-fruit tree, Hingula, Påtala (Bignonia Suaveolens-tree bearing trumpet flowers), Phalini (a species of plant Priyangu), Twisted Ficus oppositifolia, Ganika (= såkuranda, N. of a plant), Bandhujiva (Pentapetis Phoenicea--a plant with redflower) Pomegranates, Ašhvakarna (the tree vatica roburta, has leaves like horses-ears) Hastikarņa (Butea Frondosa) Champaka (the champaka tree capta in Marathi) Kanaka-druma (A thorn apple and many such plants like carria sophora) Yuthika (a kind of Jasmine), Talaparni (Anethum graveolens), Tulasi (the holy basil plant), Sadaphald (Ficus Glomerata or coconut tree), Palmyras, Tamála, Hintala (a variety of Palm), data Palms, Saccharum Sara (used for arrows), a Barbura (a species of ocimum Villosum), sugarcane, different species of trees of Ficus, genus, cordia Latifolia, Terminalia Belerica, the yellow myrobalan trees, Avākpushpa (trees with blossom turned downwards, Ghontali (the jujube tree), varieties of plants with heavenly perfumes, the marking-nut plants, Khadira (Acacia catechu), Shakhota (Trophis Aspera), sandal trees, aloe wood trees, Kalaskandha (Diospyros embryopteris), Tamarind trees, Banyan trees, varieties of racemosa, Terminalia arjuna, Ficus religiosa, Shami trees, Dhruva trees, Ruchaka (the citron tree), Kutaja (wrightia antidosenterica), Saptaparņa (Alstonia scholaris) Krutamála (Trecs cassia fistula), Kapittha (Feronia Elephantum), Tintiņi (Trees with sour fruits) and thousands of other trees.
*The botanical terms for plants mentioned here are taken from MW.
65. For the sake of causing and enhancing the romantic feelings of the goddess, the specialities of all the different blossoms were present on those trees. There were excellent trees of various heights.
66. Within the bronze enclosure, at a distance of seven Yojanas, there was the square-shaped copper enclosure. It was seven Yojanas in height.
67-69. The space in between these two is called Kalpavātikā (A park of Kalpa (i.e., wish-yielding tree). Those trees bore abundant fruits which were exquisite with golden outer rinds, and which had seeds like precious stones and gems emitting the fragrance of champhor. Divine yellow (silk) garments were the tender sprouts and shoots on their branches. Nectar was the honey juice exuding from them, and ornaments were their flowers. There were many such glorious wish-yielding trees there.
70. This is the second chamber named Kalpavapi (? Kalpavāti-N.). Within the copper enclosure was the Nägaśhālā (v.l. Sisa-shälä, tin or lead enclosure).
71. The place in the oblique direction situated in between these two extended to seven Yojanas. The Park there-in was Santanavati having the same shape and features as Kalpavapi (Kalpavati). *
*The five trees in Paradise are: Kalpa-vruksha, Mandára, Pārijāta, Santåna and Harichandana (yellow Sandal). There are parks or gardens of each of these celestial trees in the text.
72. The space in between them is called Harichandanavatika. It is of the same shape and features as Kalpavăți and was full of fruits and flowers.
73. In all these enclosures the arrangement of doorways, Gopuras and the crowns on their tops was as before.
74-75. The measurement of the openings in the Gopura and that of every doorway and door panels was also the same as before. Within the brass enclosure (Arakūta. If the reading Nagashalasya is taken-the lead (tin) enclosure) and seven Yojanas from it was the enclosure made of five metals and it was of the same (size and) shape as the previous one. The space in between them is called Mandāradrumavåtika. (A garden of Mandara trees).
76. Within the enclosure of five metals and seven Yojanas from it, it is said, was the enclosure of silver endowed with all the characteristic features mentioned before.
77. The space in between them is called Pärijatadrumavatika (Garden of Pårijāta trees). It was filled with divine fragrance, and it shone with heavily laden fruits and blossoms.
78. Within the enclosure of silver was the golden enclosure. It was said to be extending to seven Yojanas. It was, rendered splendid by means of doorways as before.
79. The space in between them is said to be Kadambataruvätika (A garden of Kadamba-Nuclea (chadamba trees). There were many divine Nipa (Kadamba) trees two Yojanas in height.
80-81. Liquor flowed down from them always. Those trecs sparkled on account of plenty of closely blossomed flowers. Those Nīpa trees from the garden yielded a splendid liquor named Kadambari which yields pleasure even to Yoginis and which appealed to Mantriņi always. They had excellent shade. They had plenty of leaves and shoots. The spaces between the trees were always filled with the humming sounds of swarms of bees eagerly desirous of fragrance.
82-84. The beautiful mansion of Mantranäthå was there itself. In the intermediate points of the quarters beginning with south-east (i.e., S. East, S. West, N. West and N. East) four lofty mansions were built by the primordial Architect. The extent (area) of each of them was five Yojanas by five Yojanas. Their situation was in the shape of a square. In the other intermediate points of quarters there were Priyaka trees (i.e., Nīpa). This is glorified as the city of abode of Shyáma.
85-86. There was another city for the stay of the army in the region of Mahåpadmatavi. If her residence too were to be there itself, many Yojanas away it would have been impossible for Mantriņi to serve Shridevi every day. Hence, in the vicinity of the Chintamanigruha too, a mansion of Shrimantranátha was built by the architect of Devas as well as by Maya.
87. What person even if endowed with two thousand tongues will be able to describe the so many (innumerable) good points of the mansion of Mantriņi-devi in Shripura.
88. The honoured daughters of Måtanga sport about and sing here with the lute of sweet notes, whose eyes have become reddish on account of (imbibing) the tinge called Kadambari.
Agastya enquired:
89. Who is this sage called by the name Matanga?1 How is it that his daughters perpetually serve Mantraņinatha though they are lazy and slow due to intoxication by means of liquor?
1. This Måtanga sage is Lalita's devotee and is different from one in VR or referred to in PE, pp. 492-93.
Hayagriva said:
90. There was a great ascetic, a mass of austerities (as it were) named Måtanga. He was richly endowed with great prowess. He was keenly interested even in creating a world.
91-93. By means of his intellect invigorated by the power of penance, he could press his power of command into service everywhere. His son Måtanga of courageous mind propitiated Mudriņi (the deity having the signet ring) Mantrinäyikā, by means of severe austerities. On being served for a long time by the son of sage Matanga, Mantriņi went over to him and commanded him “Choose your boon". Måtanga the most excellent one among the sages, the storehouse of penance said to Shyama lambikā who manifested herself before him.
Matanga the great sage prayed:
94. O goddess, merely by remembering you all the Siddhis beginning with Anima (minuteness) and all other glorious assets and powers have been realized by me.
95. O mother, in all the three worlds there is nothing which I have yet to attain because I have realized all desires and I have been fortunate enough to remember your activities always in my memory.
96. Still, your presence here shall not be fruitless. I shall request for only this, O mother. Fulfil this boon.
97. Formerly, I had intimate association with Himavan, being friendly with him and cracking jokes with him. Playful and haughty he swaggered with words improper to be uttered.
98. “I am the father of Gauri", so boasted he. That statement was not liked by me, because he had more of good things in him.
99. When two friends have the same quality (and position) and if one of them gets something more for any reason, it is natural for the other to covet the same.
100. Though I have realized all my desires yet O Mantriņinátha, I have performed penance to get the glory of being the father of Gauri. Hence be my daughter.
101. Thereby and undoubtedly you will become well known through my name".
On hearing these words uttered by Måtanga, the great sage, she said, “So be it" and vanished. The sage became pleased.
102. In the course of a dream, she gave the great sage Måtanga, with great joy, a bunch of Tamāla flowers as ornaments for the ears.
103. Due to the power of that dream, the wife of Måtanga named Siddhimati conceived Laghuśhyåmå in her womb.
104. Since she was born of him, she is glorified as Matangi. She was called Laghuśhyāma, because Shyāmå was her root cause.
105. Crores and crores of beautiful daughters of Måtanga along with the groups of Laghuśhyāma, Mahāśhyåmå and Matangi attained the status of subsidiary Shaktis, and they serve Priyakapriya (Mantriņi fond of Kadamba i.e., Nauclea kadamba).
106. Thus the origin of daughters of Mätanga has been mentioned, O Pot-born sage. So also, the seven chambers, the enclosures made of iron etc. are mentioned.