The story of Goddess Sasthi
Narada said—О Brahman, you are the best among those well-versed in the Vedas. I have already listened from you to the stories of many of the goddesses; now you tell me the story of someone else.
Narayana said—О Brahman, the stories of the goddesses which I have narrated earlier are separately contained in the Vedas. The story of which one of them would you like to listen to now?
Narada said—I would like to listen to the stories of SasthI, Mangalacandl and Manasa, who happens to be the rays of Prakrti, including their birth, life story and all other details.
Narayana said—Since SasthI was bom from the sixth amsa of Prakrti, she came to be known by the name of SasthI. She happens to be the supreme goddess of the children; she is conceived as the illusion of Vishnu and the one who grants progeny.
She is well known in the Matrkas and is also called Devasena. She is the wife of Skanda who loves her more than his life. She is quite chaste, beautiful and self-disciplined.
She bestows long life on the children, protects them by serving as a mid-wife, always remains in the vicinity of the children and is the Siddhiyoginl, well versed in yogic practices.
О Brahman, I now narrate to you the method of her adoration which has been told to me by Dharma. It is quite pleasant and bestows a son.
In earlier times, king Priyavrata was the son of Svayambhuvamanu who was always engaged in performing tapas. That is why the great ascetic did not marry himself.
Thereafter at the persuasion of lord Brahma he somehow married but could not get a son for a long time.
О sage, thereafter Kasyapa advised him to perform putresti yajira, which he did. His wife named MalinI was given the payasam of the yajna, by consuming which she was conceived. She carried on the pregnancy for twelve years in her womb.
О Brahman, thereafter a prince was bom to her, having the lustre of gold with all the beautiful limbs but was still born.
Finding the child in that condition, all the ladies present there started crying and the mother of the child fainted out of grief.
О sage, the king carried the child in his arms to the cremation ground and started crying by placing the child’s body in the forest.
The king was not willing to the company of the child and got prepared even to sacrifice his life for the same because due to the death of the child, his yogic intelligence disappeared.
In the meantime he spotted a plane which was studded with shining gems and crystals, emitting lustre. It was decorated with silken garments. Besides, astonishing types of things were kept there. It was also decorated with flower garlands.
He found a beautiful damsel seated there who was quite attractive, having the complexion of campaka flowers, quite good-looking, youthful, wearing a smile on her face, adorned with all the ornaments studded with gems. She was well- versed in yogic practices and was the one who graced her devotees.
Finding her there the king offered prayers to her with great devotion and placing the child on the ground he adored the goddess.
Finding the mother of Skanda there, who possessed the lustre of the mid-day sun of the summer season and dazzling shine, she was quite peaceful. The king then addressed her.
Priyavrata said—“О beautiful damsel, who are you”? “O chaste lady, who is your husband”? “O damsel, who are your parents”? On hearing the words of the king, the goddess who provides welfare to the universe and provides protection to the gods was known by the name Devasena. She said: “In the earlier times, she happened to be the arm of the gods who were terrified by the demons. She was instrumental in getting the victory for the gods earning her the title Devasena.
Devasena said—О king, I am the mind-bom daughter of Brahma <md my name is Devasena. Brahma after creating me mentally made me a goddess and entrusted me to Skanda.
I am foremost of the Matrkas. I am Skanda- sena, Suvrata and have appeared from the sixth amsa of Prakrti. I am therefore known as SasthI also.
I grant sons to those having no sons, beloved to the persons having no wife, riches of the pauper and noble deeds to the performer.
Thus a person gets pleasure, pain, fear, grief, happiness, welfare, riches and misfortune because of his own deeds.
One gets a son because of his deeds and faces the destruction of the rays because of the same. Because of his own deeds one becomes beautiful or sick and by his own deeds one gets a dead son, because of his own deeds he achieves long life. By one’s own deeds, one becomes virtuous and by one’s own deeds one is bom as deformed.
О king, therefore actions are the best for all. This has been ordained in the Vedas because the same lord Visnu provides the reward of actions.
O sage, thus speaking the goddess lifted up the child and infused life into him because of her yogic powers.
The king looked at the child who had the lustre of molten gold and was smiling at the same time. While the king was looking at the sky, Devasena tried to carry the child with her in the sky. At that point of time, the throat, tongue and the lips of the king got dried up. He again started offering prayers to the goddess.
О Brahman, the goddess was pleased at hearing the prayer of the king. She, therefore, spoke to the king about the performing of the deeds as ordained in the Vedas.
Devasena said—You are the son of Svayambhuvamanu and are the ruler of the three worlds; therefore you make all the people to adore me and you also adore me.
Only then shall I give back your son who happens to be the lotus of your race. He will be known by the name of Suvrata, will be extremely virtuous, the best of the yogis, devoted to Narayana, will perform a hundred yajnas, the best of people, adored by all the Ksatrlyas, possessing the prowess equivalent to a lakh of elephants, quite pleasant to look at and a great archer. Having many qualities, he will be loved by the intellectuals, yogis, wise people, ascetics, siddhas and will be glorious besides being a distributor of charities in the universe.
Thus speaking the goddess handed over the child to the king, who promised to adore her and get her adored by others also.
Thereafter, the goddess pronouncing her blessings on the king, went back to her abode. The king, on the other hand, feeling immensely delighted returned to his home and started narrating the story of the reviving of his son. О Narada, on hearing the king, all the people were delighted; the king performed welfare ceremonies for his son everywhere and after performing the piija, he distributed riches to the Brahmanas.
Thereafter the king started celebrating the sixth day of the bright fortnight of the moon as the day of the goddess. In the labour room on the sixth day of the birth of the child, besides the twenty first day, the goddess SasthI is adored.
At the time of performing any welfare ceremony of the children including the annapmsana the goddess SasthI is adored. О Suvrata, now you listen to the dhyclnam method of adoration and stotra of the goddess as has been revealed to me by Dharma according to the Kauthumlsakha.
О sage, the goddess should be invoked over a Salagrama stone, a vase, the root of the banyan tree or painting a figure on the wall, the goddess should be adored.
Since she is bom of the sixth amsa of Prakrti, she is pure having great glory, a bestower of noble sons, best of welfare, ocean of mercy, mother of the universe, having the complexion of the white campaka flowers, clad in all the ornaments studded with gems. I am, therefore, adoring the best of the goddesses having the auspicious form. Thus thinking, one should place the flower on his head. Then reciting the basic- mantra attentively, he should worship the goddess.
He should then offer padya, arghya, water for sipping, fragrance, essence, lamp, naivedya and the best of fruits. He should then recite the mantra “Aum Hreem Shashti Devyiah Swaha” with this mantra of eight letters he should perform japam.
He should then prostrate before the goddess with devotion who bestows all the riches and sons and should recite the stotra prescribed in the Samaveda.
О sage, whosoever recites this mantra of eight letters a lakh of times surely gets a son. This has been ordained by Brahma himself. О best of the sages, О Narada, I am going to narrate to him the welfare stotra which fiilffls all the desire and is quite secret in the Vedas.
Priyavrata said— I bow in reverence to the goddess who happens to be the great goddess. She bestows such success and peace. I bow in reverence to her; she provides pleasure and salvation, I bow to the goddess Sasthl.
She bestows boons besides sons and riches. I bow in reverence to her, I bow to the goddess Sasthl who provides welfare and the pleasure.
She is the sixth part of the s’akti and the bestower of success. I bow in reverence to her, I bow in reverence to Maya and goddess Sasthl who is Siddhiyoginl.
She has the best of the form, she has turned the people as best. I offer my salutation to goddess Sasthl, who is the essence of the universe and bestows the essence of pleasure to all besides providing fruits for all the deeds.
She is the prisiding goddess of the children; I bow in reverence to goddess Sasthl who provides welfare, is the form of welfare and provides the result of all the deeds.
Who appears in person before devotees, I bow in reverence to the goddess Sasthl, who is the beloved of Skanda and is adored by all the people at all times. I bow in reverence to the goddess who provides protection to all the gods and has the true sattva form is adored by all the human beings, is free from violence and anger. I bow in reverence to the goddess Sasthl.
О great goddess, provide me with wealth, a wife and a son. You provide me with dharma and glory. I bow in reverence to the goddess Sasthi again and again.
О most revered one, you provide me with land, progeny and learning. You provide me the welfare together with victory. I bow in reverence to goddess Sasthl again and again.
Thus offering prayers to the goddess Priyavrata got back the life of his son who became a popular king by the grace of goddess Sasthl.
О Brahman, the one who listens to the stotra for a Sasthl for a year gets a son, having a long life. In case a woman recites this stotra with devotion or listens to it, she gets a beautiful son in spite of her being quite barren.
She gets a son by the grace of goddess SasthI who is quite valorous, virtuous, wise, glorious and possessing a long life. The extremely barren lady and such of the ladies whose children never survive, if they recite the stotra for a year or listen to it, they get a son by the grace of goddess SasthI. If the parents of a child who is seriously ailing, listen to the stotra for a month, then by the grace of goddess SasthI, the child is relieved of all ailments.
