The story of the birth of Svadha
Narayana said—О Narada, I am going to tell you the secret story of the birth of Svadha, which is responsible for the satisfaction of the manes and increases the merit of performing sraddhas; Brahma the creator of the universe also created the manes at the time of the creation. Four of them having a definite form while three of them had the form of tejas.
Finding the seven manes there who bestowed success and were quite pleasant to look at Brahma created sraddha and tarpana as their food.
In the Vedas it has been prescribed for the Brahmanas to take a bath and perform yajna, tarpana, srdddha, adoration of gods and sandhya thrice a day. Therefore, О Brahmana, the one who does not perform sandhya-tarpana thrice a day or performs Balivais’vadeva, reciting the Vedas, becomes of no consequence like a snake without its poison.
О Narada, one who is deprived of the devotion of the lord and the one who takes the food without first offering it to the lord remains impure up to the time of his death and is not considered to be suitable for any job.
Thus Brahma created sraddha etc. and entrusted the same to the manes. Brahma in order to please the manes continued to perform the sraddha but such offerings did not reach the manes. Thereafter all the manes started suffering
from hunger and with a disturbed mind they reached Brahma and prayed to him.
Hearing them Brahma created a girl who was quite beautiful and had the glory resembling that of the moon of the winter season. She was filled with knowledge, virtues, beauty, chastity and had the complexion of the white jasmine flowers. She was adorned with all the gem-studded ornaments, was extremely pure, a ray of Prakrti, wore a smile on her face and was given the name ‘Svadha. She had beautiful teeth and all the auspicious symbols and grace. Her feet resembled the lotus flower having the signs of lotuses over the soles. She was declared to be the wife of the manes and had a lotus-like face and lotus-like eyes, having been bom out of the lotus. They handed over the girl who was the form of satisfaction to the manes and secretly advised the Brahmanas.
That all the offerings to the manes should be made by suffixing Svadha to the mantras. Thus all the Brahmanas are making the offerings to the manes accordingly. The offerings made in favour of the gods, the name of Svaha is recited for the offerings to the manes the name of Svadha is recited and daksind’s name is recited in all the performances. A yajna without daksina is considered to be destroyed and is of no consequence.
Thereafter all the manes, gods, the Brahmanas, the sages and the humans adored Svadha. With the boon granted by the goddess Svadha all the gods were extremely satisfied and the desire of all the Brahmanas were fulfilled.
Thus, I have narrated to you the best of the stories of the goddess Svadha, which satisfies all. What more do you want to listen to from me?
Narada said—О great sage, I intend to be enlightened on the method of adoration of Svadha and her dhyanam\ you kindly tell me with great efforts.
Narayana said— О Brahmana, her Dhyanam the prayer prescribed in the Vedas is well known to all. Still you want to know about it for the increase of your knowledge. You better listen to me.
In the black thirteenth day in the winter season in the constellation of Magha, Svadha should be adored on the first day of sraddha. Thereafter the sraddha should be performed.
Such of the Brahmanas as do not adore Svadha before the performing of the sraddha, never achieve the merit of the same. I am adoring the mind bom daughter of Brahma who is always youthful and is adored by the gods and the manes alike and grants the merit of the sraddha.
Thus reciting the mantras, Svadha should be adored in a kalas’a or the image of Salagrama. Then reciting the basic mantra, the padya and arghya should be offered to her, as prescribed in the Vedas.
“Aum Hreem Shreem Kleem Swadhaa Devyai Swahaa” is the mantra
which should be recited while performing piija and offering prayer. Thereafter the Brahmana should be adored.
О best of the sages, the great intellectual and the son of sages, the great intellectual and the son of Brahma, you listen to her stotra which bestows success and fulfils all the desires of the people which was recited by Brahma himself in the earlier times.
Brahma said—By the mere reciting of the name of Svadha, one achieves the merit of taking a bath at a holy place. Then getting deprived of all the sins he leamt the merit of performing the Vajpeya-yajna.
By reciting the name of Svadha thrice one gets the merit of performing sraddha, bali and tarpana.
The one who listens to the stotra of Svadha at the time of performing a hundred sraddhas. There is no doubt about it.
The one who recites the words of Svadha thrice at the time of sandhya, he achieves a loveable, docile and chaste wife and a virtuous son.
You are the life of the manes, the life of the Brahmanas, the supreme goddess of the sraddha and also grant the merits for performing sraddha.
You depart from our minds for the satisfaction of the manes. By doing so there will be an increase in the pleasure of the Brahmanas and also the house-holders.
You are the one, perfonning all the noble vratas, you are noble and eternal besides being the form of all the gunas. Your presence is noticed at the time of creation and dissolution, after which you disappear.
You are 3S> wiki, ЧЧ: ччпт and daksina because all the six of these have emerged from the Vedas and are considered to be praise-worthy by those seeking efficiency in the karmas. In the earlier times, you happened to be a cowherdesses named Svadha in the Goloka, besides being a friend of Radhika, lord Krishna himself embraced you. That is why you were given the name of Svadha.
Because of the fear of Radhika, you had to descend on earth from Goloka. In the earlier times when you were embracing Lord Krishna in Vrndavana, you were spotted by Radhika, because of the merit of the embrace with Krishna you became the mind-bom daughter of Brahma. Since you remain dissatisfied in love-sports, you got four husbands.
In earlier times Svaha too was a beautiful cowherdesses and a friend of Radhika. She herself had prayed to Lord Krishna for love and that is why she was given the name Svaha.
In the earlier times during the spring season you enjoyed the company of lord Krishna in the Rasamandala and you were spotted by Radhika.
With her curse, you had to fall from Goloka on earth and you became the wife of god Agni because of the merit earned by you from the embrace with Lord Krishna.
The one who is quite auspicious, the best and is adored by the humans, by reciting whose name a person is relieved of all the sins.
Who in the earlier times was known as a cowherdesses name Sus’Ila and the friend of Radhika was once seated in the right lap of Lord Krishna.
She had to descend on earth from Goloka with the curse of Radhika and with the merit of her embrace with lord Krsna, she came to be known as daksina.
The beloved cowherdesses was quite well- versed in the art of love and is competent to perform all the deeds and enjoyed always the right lap of her husband. She was therefore called daksina. Thus in order to make the deeds of all people a success, who is well-versed in the art of love and is competent to perform all the deeds and enjoys always the right lap of the husband, she was therefore called daksina. Thus in order to make the deeds of all the people successful with the will of the lord, all the three cowherdesses name Svaha, Svadha and daksina were born.
In the court of Brahma he kept quite after narrating all this. At that point of time Svadha appeared there in person, whose care was entrusted to the manes. By receiving her all the manes were delighted.
Whosoever listens to this auspicious story with an attentive mind, cams the merit of having a bath in all the sacred places besides the recitation of the Vedas.
