The story of Daksina
Narayana said—I have narrated the sweet and praise-worthy stories of Svaha and Svadha. Now I am going to narrate the story of daksina to you. You listen to it attentively, In the Goloka there was a cowherdesses named Susila. In the earlier times she happened to be the beloved of lord Krs na and she was the chief friend of Radhika. She was graceful, filled with pride, quite pleasant to look at, extremely beautiful, charming, fortunate, possessing beautiful teeth, quite chaste, knowledgeable, virtuous, beautiful, intelligent, having tender limbs, full of glory, having the lotus-like eyes, developed breasts and pelvic region, dark complexion and the stiff pelvic region, stiff breasts plastered with sandal-paste. She wore a serene smile on her face and adorned with all the ornaments studded with gems. She had the complexion of the white campaka flower, lips like the ripe wood-apple, doe like eyes, well- versed in the art of love, fulfilling the desires of all. She walked like the goose and moved as per the desires for lord Krsna. She knew the mind of lord Krsna. She knew the mind of Lord Krishna and was his beloved, well-versed in all the rasas and delighted Lord Krishna at the time of Rasa.
In earlier times she was once seated on the right lap of lord Krsna but lord MadhusQdana kept his head downwards being afraid of Radha.
Finding Radha there, who was the best of all the cowherdesses, filled with pride, having a red complexioned body, having the eyes like the lotus flower. Her limbs were fluttering in anger. She was filled with anger and displayed her anger pretty well. She spoke harsh words because of the anger. Her lips fluttered with anger. Finding her coming into rage, lord Krsna disappeared from the scene.
Thereafter finding Krsna disappearing from the scene, who was the base of sattva, extremely peaceful and possessing the beautiful body, the cowherdesses Sus’ila too felt terrified and disappeared.
Finding the danger approaching fast, the lakh and crores of cowherdesses stood there in terror with folded hands and their heads cast downwards. They said: “O goddess, protect us. They all took refuge under the feet of Radhika. О Narada, the three lakh crores of the cowherdesses, took refuge under the lotus-like feet of Radhika. Thereafter, the goddess Radhika finding Krsna running away from the scene, pronounced a curse on SusTla that in case she reappeared in Goloka in future, she would be reduced to ashes.
The one who happened to be the great goddess of all the gods and goddesses, the lady of Rasa, Radhika after uttering these words went to the place of dancing and started calling for Krsna.
Burning with the fire of separation, the chaste Radhika finding Krsna absent from the place started suffering from the pain of separation and a single moment for her passed like a crore of yugas.
She uttered, “O Krsna, О lord of my life, you are the one dearer to me than my life, you come immediately, О lord of my life, I am going to die in your absence.”
Because the fortune of a lady goes on increasing day by day only with the husband, therefore, if one has the best of a spouse one would serve him.
Because the chaste ladies have only the husband as their true relatives. He happens to be the great god for them, their movement, the great fortune, the form of pleasure, the fonn of dharma always loveable and peaceful, the one who grants grace, pride is adorable, the ornament of pride, essence of the essences, the best lord, the relatives and the brothers. This is the reason why there is no other relative better than a husband even for a moment.
He is called Bharta because he feeds, a husband because he maintain, the lord because he happens to be the lord of the body, a relative because he is bound by a pleasant relation, the dearest one because he imparts love, because he bestows fortune, lord of the life because he happens to be leader in the life and Ramana, because he bestows grace in love. There is no one else dearer to a lady than her husband. With the semen of the husband a son is bom; that is why he is called the dearest of all.
That is why for the chaste lady a husband is dearer than hundreds of her sons, but the unclean woman is unable to assess the worth of her husband.
By taking a bath in all the sacred places, by performing all the yajnas, by going round the entire earth, by performing all types of tapas, all the vratas, giving away all the charities, besides performing other good deeds, including fasting, attending on the guru and Brahmanas besides the gods, do not measure even one sixteenth part of serving at the feet of one’s husband.
Of all the teachers, the Brahmanas and the family gods, the husband enjoys the best position of all among them. As the teacher who imparts knowledge is dearer to the men similarly for the chaste lady of high families, the husband happens to be always the dearest.
There are three lakh crores of cowherdesses and an equal number of cowherds, innumerable globes and an innumerable number of cowherdesses reside therein. I happen to be the lady of all of them, but I am unaware of my own husband as to where has he gone? A woman has perverse nature.
Thus speaking Radhika adored lord Krsna with great devotion as a result of which he appeared there at once and engaged himself in the divine play with them.
О sage, thereafter, the goddess Daksina leaving Goloka performed tapas for a long time and entered into the body of Kamala.
Thereafter, the gods and the people started difficult yajnas but when they could not get the reward after competition of the same, they became dejected and again reached Brahma. Brahma the lord of the universe, listened to the prayers of the gods and feeling extremely worried adored the lord in his mind. He had an audience with him.
Thereafter, lord Narayana and MahalaksmI took out the human LaksmI from their body in the form of Daksina and handed her over to them. Brahma on his part handed over the same Daksina to the people who were well-versed in performing good deeds. Thereafter the yajna feeling delighted adored her offering prayers to her.
She had the complexion of molten gold, a beautiful body having the lustre of crores of moons, quite attractive, the one who could influence the mind, the lotus-faced, tender- limped, having broad eyes like the lotus, seated on a lotus, bom out of the limbs of Laksmi, clad in the garments purified by the god of fire, having the lips resembling the wood-apples, having beautiful teeth, the chaste lady adorned with the matted locks of hair, wearing a serene smile on her face, adorned with beautiful ornaments studded with gems appeared in beautiful costumes, who had taken her bath nicely and could attract the mind of sages. Her forehead was adorned with the vermilion spot and with the shining of her lower part, the navel region was praise-worthy. She had broad hips. She possessed unprecedented beauty and was infatuated with the arrows of the god of love.
Finding such a beautiful damsel there, yajna fainted. Thereafter Brahma brought him back to his senses and he apprised him of the factual position, after which he accepted her as his spouse. After that he carried the lady to a secluded place and spent the time of a hundred divine years with her pleasantly.
Thereafter she became pregnant and remained like that for twelve years. Thereafter she gave birth to a son quite joyfully who happened to be the result of all the good deeds.
Daksina provides the reward of the good deeds of the people and after completion of the deeds her son gives the reward. The people well- versed in the Vedas say that the yajna with his wife Daksina and the son (putraphala) provides the reward for one’s deeds.
О sage, at the time of achieving daksina as his wife and phala as his son, yajna distributed rewards to all the people. The gods felt delighted and getting their desires fulfilled, they went back to their abodes. This is what has been heard by us from the mouth of Dharma.
О sage, if a performer after performing the yajna gives away daksina at once he gets the reward at the same time. This has been ordained by the Vedas.
If a performer, innocently after the completion of the yajna does not give away daksina to the Brahmanas, then with the lapse of a muhiirta the amount of daksina is doubled.
After the passing of a night, the amount of daksind is multiplied to six times. After the lapse of three nights, the amount of daksind is multiplied to ten times and after the lapse of a week, the amount is doubled and after the completion of a month, the amount of daksina is multiplied to a lakh of times and after the lapse of one year, the amount is increased to three crores of times.
Thus the entire effort of the performer of the yajna becomes infructuous and earns the sin of misappropriating the, riches of a Brahmana besides becoming unclean and incompetent. Because of that sin, he becomes sinful, a pauper, a patient and the fortune departs from his house pronouncing a terrific curse.
The s’raddhas and tarpanas performed by him are not received by the manes. Similarly the gods refuse to accept his adoration and the fire-gods refuse to accept the offerings made by them.
In case the giver does not give away the charity and the receiver goes on demanding for it, both of them fall into the hell as a pitcher with the broken falls into the well.
In case a performer does not give away daks ina, he is considered to be a thief stealing the riches of the Brahmanas and ultimately falls into the Kumbhlpaka hell.
He is tortured by the messengers of Yama for a lakh of years. Thereafter he is bom as a man with diseases and a Candala deprived of all the riches. He is then consigned to the hell his seven earlier and seven future generations. О Brahmana, I have narrated to you all the details, now what else do you want to listen to from me?
Narada said—О sage, who takes care of the remedy for a deed performed without giving away daksina and in the earlier times how did yajna adore daksina?
Narayana said—О sage, there is no reward for a deed performed without daksina. One gets the reward only after a deed is performed by giving away daksina.
О sage, whatever materials are required for performing a deed are consumed by Bali. This part was handed over by lord Vamana to Bali in earlier time.
Therefore, the one who is deprived of the knowledge of all the Vedas, Bali consumes the offerings in s’raddha. The charity given without devotion, the articles of adoration offered by a Brahmana by properly performing piija, the deeds of a person who is not devoted, are consumed by Bali. There is no doubt about it.
Now I tell you the form of adoration of goddess daksind, her dhydnam, stotra and puja according to Kanvas’akha.
In the earlier times yajna after achieving daks ina was infested with her beauties and infatuated with passion for her, he started offering prayers to her.
Yajna said—О dear, in the earlier times, in the Goloka, you happened to be the best of the cowherds among the cowherdesses. You were the friend of Radha and were equal to her. You were the beloved of lord Krsna.
On the full moon day of the Kartika, at the Radhamahotsava festival you were bom out of the right side of lord Krsna in the Rdsamandala.
At that point of time you were known as Suslla because of the nobility in your character. Since you adorned the right lap of lord Krsna you were cursed by Radha and that is why you are called Daksina.
O dear one, the cause of our great fortune, you have arrived here from Goloka. Be pleased with me and make me your lord today.
You bestow the reward for the deeds performed by the people. Without you the deeds of all the people become infructuous like a tree on earth having no fruits or branches. Similarly without you the performers do not feel graceful.
Similarly Brahma, Visnu and Siva besides Dikpalas and other gods are unable to bestow the reward for the deeds on you.
Brahma himself believes in karmas and lord Siva as the form of the reward, Visnu has the form of yajna and you are the gist of all.
You are always beyond Prakrti and are formless but the supreme Brahman has been believed to be the giver of the reward. Even lord Krsna is unable to give the reward without you.
О damsel, you are the strength of each and every birth of ours, the possessed competence to perform any deeds because of keeping your company. Thus speaking, the lord of the yajna kept on standing before her. Thereafter, the ray of lord LaksmI was pleased with the yajna and started serving him as her husband.
Thus whosoever recites this stotra at the time of yajna receives reward for performing the yajna. There is no doubt about it.
Thus whosoever recites this stotra at the time of yajna receives reward for performing the yajna. There is no doubt about it.
The people who performed Rajcisiiya, Vajpeya, Gomedha, Naramedha, Asvamedha, Langala, Visnu-yajna, which bestows glory, Phalguyajna, which bestows riches and land Pntresti-yajna, Gajamedha, Lohayajna, Suvarna-yajna which removes eye ailment, Siva- yajna, Rudra-yajna, Indra-yajna, Varuna-yajna, Kandukci, Vairimardana, Suciyaga, then Dharmaydga, Pdpamocana, Recana, Bandhana, Karmciydga and. the Maniydga the bestower of welfare, at the start of all these yajnas whosoever recites this stotra, his yajna is surely completed in all respects without any obstruction.
Thus I have narrated to you the details about the stotra and dhyanam; now you listen to the method of adoration. Daksina should be invoked in the image of Salagrama or a kalasa and should be adored by the intellectuals.
Daksina is the ray of Kamala and has emerged out of the ray of LaksmI who is well-versed in performing all the deeds and provides rewards for all the deeds.
She represents the prowess of lord Visnu, is adored by him, who offers prayers to her, is auspicious, provides purity, the form of purity and is considered to be sacred in all respects. I adore Suslla. Thus concentrating the mind on the goddess who bestows the boons, one should perform puja with the recitation of the basic mantra. О Narada, the goddess should be offered for arghya, padya as prescribed in the Vedas, ‘ 3tf tft’ <t??f “ff ’gfsFtra тзщТ. By reciting this mantra one should adore the goddess daksina. Thus I have narrated to you the graceful story of daksina which bestows pleasure, devotion and bestows the reward of all the deeds; therefore the story of Daksina should be heard attentively and whoever does so, none of his efforts go without bearing fruit.
The one who is without a son gets a virtuous son. The one who is without a wife gets a noble, beautiful, the best, charming, humble, soft- spoken wife who bears the son. She is chaste, beautiful, well-disciplined, pure belongs to a high caste and is the best among the ladies. The one without learnings, gets educated, a pauper gets immense riches, a person without land receives land, the people having no issues have their progeny. A man is relieved of all danger, separation from relatives comes to an end and all types of fetters are cleared within a month of the hearing of this stotra and the dangers are removed; there is no doubt about it.
